Container for delivering a beverage to be mixed

• US 6,071,006 A
• Filed: 09/02/1998
• Issued: 06/06/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hochstein - Executor/Legal Representative, Marie B.
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey Tenenbaum, Paul G. Angott, Peter A Hochstein
• Inventors: Angott, Paul G., Hochstein, Peter A., Tenenbaum, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): SOOHOO, TONY GLEN
• Application Number:
  US09/145,442
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 366/242, 366/244, 366/245, 366/247, 366/249, 366/252, 366/142, 366/144, 366/145, 366/146, 366/197, 366/199, 366/201, 366/139, 366/205, 366/206, 206/219, 206/222, 206/217, 241/101.1, 241/101.8, 220/592.16, 220/592.17, 220/592.18, 220/265, 220/284, 220/378, 220/380
• US Class Current: 366/247
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/042 Mechanically-driven liquid shakers
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/88 with a separate receptacle-stirrer unit that is adapted to be coupled to a drive mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/5011 portable during use, e.g. hand-held

Abstract

A cover 20 is hermetically sealed to the lip 18 of a container 12. A stirring shaft 26 extends between a bottom end 28 disposed in the container 12 and a top end 30 disposed outside of and above the cover 20. The container 12 includes a shaft support 32 for supporting and radially centering the bottom end 28 of the stirring shaft 26. A sanitary seal 34 hermetically seals the cover 20 about the stirring shaft 26. A plurality of mixing blades 38 extending radially from the shaft 26 in the container 12. The top end 30 of the shaft 26 includes a driving connection or coupling for receiving a rotating device for rotating the stirring shaft 26 and the mixing blades 38 for mixing the contents of the container 12. The bottom 14 of the container 12 includes an annular leg 40 for supporting the bottom 14 above the central portion 24 of a cover 20 and over the top end 30 of a stirring shaft 26 of a like container 12 assembly. To facilitate the stacking, the cover 20 includes a circular ridge 42 for receiving and centering the leg 40 of a like container 12 assembly. The container 12 with frozen contents is dispensed from a machine and engaged by a rotates device to rotate the blades 38 to mix the contents, such as a milkshake.

Claims

1. A container (12) assembly for beverages comprising;

a cup-shaped container (12) having a bottom (14) and a side wall (16) extending upwardly from said bottom (14) to a lip (18),

a cover (20) hermetically sealed to said lip (18) to hermetically seal said container (12),

a stirring shaft (26,

     126) extending between a bottom end (28) disposed in said container (12) and a top end (30) disposed outside of said cover (20),

a sanitary seal (34,

     44) hermetically sealing said cover (20) about said stirring shaft (26,

     126),

mixing blades (38) extending radially from said shaft (26,

     126) in said container (12),

said shaft (26,

     126) including a driving connection for receiving a rotating device for rotating said stirring shaft (26,

     126) and said mixing blades (38) for mixing the contents of said container (12),

said cover (20) and said bottom (14) including at least one positioning device (42) for centering said bottom (14) of one of said containers (12) on the cover (20) of another of said containers (12).

2. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said bottom (14) of said container (12) includes a shaft support (32) for supporting and radially restraining said bottom end (28) of said stirring shaft (26, 126).

3. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 including a frozen beverage in said container (12).

4. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said stirring shaft (126) is a hollow tube.

5. A container (12) assembly for beverages comprising;

a cup-shaped container (12) having a bottom (14) and a side wall (16) extending upwardly from said bottom (14) to a lip (18),

a cover (20) hermetically sealed to said lip (18) to hermetically seal said container (12),

a stirring shaft (26,

     126) extending between a bottom end (28) disposed in said container (12) and a top end (30) disposed outside of said cover (20),

a sanitary seal (34,

     44) hermetically sealing said cover (20) about said stirring shaft (26,

     126),

mixing blades (38) extending radially from said shaft (26,

     126) in said container (12),

said shaft (26,

     126) including a driving connection for receiving a rotating device for rotating said stirring shaft (26,

     126) and said mixing blades (38) for mixing the contents of said container (12), and

said sanitary seal (34,

     44) being frangible in response to rotation of said stirring shaft (26,

     126) by the rotating device.

6. An assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said cover (20) includes an annular flange (36) disposed about said stirring shaft (26, 126), said sanitary seal (34, 44) being disposed between said annular flange (36) and said stirring shaft (26, 126).

7. A container (12) assembly for beverages comprising;

a cup-shaped container (12) having a bottom (14) and a side wall (16) extending upwardly from said bottom (14) to a lip (18),

a cover (20) hermetically sealed to said lip (18) to hermetically seal said container (12),

a stirring shaft (26,

     126) extending between a bottom end (28) disposed in said container (12) and a top end (30) disposed outside of said cover (20),

a sanitary seal (34,

     44) hermetically sealing said cover (20) about said stirring shaft (26,

     126),

mixing blades (38) extending radially from said shaft (26,

     126) in said container (12),

said shaft (26,

     126) including a driving connection for receiving a rotating device for rotating said stirring shaft (26,

     126) and said mixing blades (38) for mixing the contents of said container (12),

said cover (20) including a rim (22) engaging said lip (18) of said container (12) and a central portion (24) recessed below said rim (22), and

said top end (30) of said stirring shaft (26,

     126) extending out of said central portion (24) of said cover (20) no higher than said rim (22).

8. A container (12) assembly for beverages comprising;

a cup-shaped container (12) having a bottom (14) and a side wall (16) extending upwardly from said bottom (14) to a lip (18),

a cover (20) hermetically sealed to said lip (18) to hermetically seal said container (12),

a stirring shaft (26,

     126) extending between a bottom end (28) disposed in said container (12) and a top end (30) disposed outside of said cover (20),

a sanitary seal (34,

     44) hermetically sealing said cover (20) about said stirring shaft (26,

     126),

mixing blades (38) extending radially from said shaft (26,

     126) in said container (12),

said shaft (26,

     126) including a driving connection for receiving a rotating device for rotating said stirring shaft (26,

     126) and said mixing blades (38) for mixing the contents of said container (12),

said cover (20) including a rim (22) engaging said lip (18) of said container (12) and a central portion (24) recessed below said rim (22),

said top end (30) of said stirring shaft (26,

     126) extending out of said central portion (24) of said cover (20) no higher than said rim (22), and

said bottom (14) of said container (12) including at least one leg (40) for supporting said bottom (14) above said central portion (24) of a cover (20) and over the top end (30) of a stirring shaft (26,

     126) of a like container (12) assembly.

9. An assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein said cover (20) includes positioning means (42) for receiving and centering said leg (40) of a like container (12) assembly.

10. An assembly as set forth in claim 9 wherein said bottom (14) of said container (12) includes a shaft support (32) for supporting and radially restraining said bottom end (28) of said stirring shaft (26, 126).

11. An assembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein said shaft support (32) consists of an apex extending upwardly into said container (12) from said bottom (14) and said bottom end (28) of said stirring shaft (26, 126) defines a cone shaped recess engaging said apex.

12. A container (12) assembly for beverages comprising;

a cup-shaped container (12) having a bottom (14) and a side wall (16) extending upwardly from said bottom (14) to a lip (18),

a cover (20) hermetically sealed to said lip (18) to hermetically seal said container (12),

a stirring shaft (26,

     126) extending between a bottom end (28) disposed in said container (12) and a top end (30) disposed outside of said cover (20),

a sanitary seal (34,

     44) hermetically sealing said cover (20) about said stirring shaft (26,

     126),

mixing blades (38) extending radially from said shaft (26,

     126) in said container (12),

said shaft (26,

     126) including a driving connection for receiving a rotating device for rotating said stirring shaft (26,

     126) and said mixing blades (38) for mixing the contents of said container (12), and

said cover (20) including positioning means (42) for receiving and positioning the bottom (14) of a like container (12) assembly.

13. A container (12) assembly for beverages comprising;

a cup-shaped container (12) having a bottom (14) and a side wall (16) extending upwardly from said bottom (14) to a lip (18),

a cover (20) hermetically sealed to said lip (18) to hermetically seal said container (12),

a stirring shaft (26,

     126) extending between a bottom end (28) disposed in said container (12) and a top end (30) disposed outside of said cover (20),

a sanitary seal (34,

     44) hermetically sealing said cover (20) about said stirring shaft (26,

     126),

mixing blades (38) extending radially from said shaft (26,

     126) in said container (12),

said shaft (26,

     126) including a driving connection for receiving a rotating device for rotating said stirring shaft (26,

     126) and said mixing blades (38) for mixing the contents of said container (12), and

said drive connection (48) at the bottom of said stirring shaft (126).

14. A container (12) assembly for beverages comprising;

a cup-shaped container (12) having a bottom (14) and a side wall (16) extending upwardly from said bottom (14) to a lip (18),

a cover (20) hermetically sealed to said lip (18) to hermetically seal said container (12),

a stirring shaft (26,

     126) extending between a bottom end (28) disposed in said container (12) and a top end (30) disposed outside of said cover (20),

a sanitary seal (34,

     44) hermetically sealing said cover (20) about said stirring shaft (26,

     126),

mixing blades (38) extending radially from said shaft (26,

     126) in said container (12),

said shaft (26,

     126) including a driving connection for receiving a rotating device for rotating said stirring shaft (26,

     126) and said mixing blades (38) for mixing the contents of said container (12), and

said cover (20) including positioning device (42) for receiving and centering said bottom (14) of a like container (12) assembly.