U.S. patent application number 12/902283 was filed with the patent office on 2011-04-21 for commercial frozen food preparation apparatus electronics.
This patent application is currently assigned to F'Real Foods, LLC. Invention is credited to James J. Farrell, Jens Peter Voges.
Application Number | 20110088568 12/902283 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43876467 |
Filed Date | 2011-04-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110088568 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Farrell; James J. ; et
al. |
April 21, 2011 |
COMMERCIAL FROZEN FOOD PREPARATION APPARATUS ELECTRONICS
Abstract
A machine prepares semi frozen food products and/or beverages
from pre-prepared (e.g. frozen) cups. A user chooses the desired
frozen cup, inserts it into the machine, chooses how they would
like it prepared from a range of thickness options, and the machine
then opens a sealed chamber door and inserts the product upward
into the chamber and prepares the product by blending it in the
cup. Upon removal of the product and resealing of the chamber door,
the cleaning mechanisms provide thorough cleaning of all food
contact surfaces and the chamber interior. Automatic high
temperature steam sanitation takes place in the chamber if the
machine is not used for an extended period of time, thus greatly
reducing or eliminating the need for manual cleansing and
sanitation by an attendant and ensuring healthy food preparation at
all times.
Inventors: |
Farrell; James J.; (Orinda,
CA) ; Voges; Jens Peter; (Oakland, CA) |
Assignee: |
F'Real Foods, LLC
Orinda
CA
|
Family ID: |
43876467 |
Appl. No.: |
12/902283 |
Filed: |
October 12, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61252606 |
Oct 16, 2009 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
99/460 ; 222/132;
340/540; 700/236 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B01F 2215/0021 20130101;
B08B 9/00 20130101; B01F 7/1605 20130101; B08B 3/02 20130101; A23G
9/28 20130101; A47J 43/044 20130101; B01F 7/16 20130101; B65D
85/816 20130101; A23G 9/20 20130101; A23G 9/045 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
99/460 ; 222/132;
340/540; 700/236 |
International
Class: |
A23G 9/22 20060101
A23G009/22; B67D 7/78 20100101 B67D007/78; G08B 21/00 20060101
G08B021/00; G06F 17/00 20060101 G06F017/00 |
Claims
1. A food preparation apparatus, comprising: an enclosed food
preparation chamber; a carriage comprising a cup holder; a motor
that elevates the carriage and a cup within the cup holder into the
preparation chamber from a starting position and returns the
carriage and cup to the starting position; and a cup sensing beam
utilized to detect the presence of the cup within the cup holder,
the apparatus configured to elevate the carriage and cup only if a
cup is detected by the cup sensing beam.
2. The food preparation apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a
receiver to detect the beam or interruption thereof, the receiver
shielded, at least partially, from ambient light.
3. The food preparation apparatus of claim 2, wherein the receiver
is located above the cup.
4. A food preparation apparatus, comprising: a food preparation
chamber; a carriage comprising a cup holder; a motor that elevates
the carriage and a cup within the cup holder into the preparation
chamber from a starting position and returns the carriage and cup
to the starting position, the apparatus configured to maintain the
carriage at the starting position outside of the chamber when
awaiting a cup to be placed in the cup holder by a user of the
apparatus; and a system that senses the size of a cup that is
placed within the cup holder by the user, the system comprising: a
position encoder, and one or more cup size sensors, wherein the cup
size is determined by referencing the position of the motor to
determine a corresponding position of the carriage, and wherein the
carriage position is referenced in conjunction with the time when a
cup size sensor is tripped to determine the cup size.
5. The food preparation apparatus of claim 4, wherein the system
comprises a transmitting cup size sensor and a receiving cup size
sensor, and wherein the presence of an upper portion of the cup is
sensed when a beam travelling from the transmitting cup size sensor
to the receiving cup size sensor is interrupted.
6. The food preparation apparatus of claim 4, wherein the apparatus
is configured to select a blade boring time and a water quantity
for food preparation based upon the determined cup size.
7. The food preparation apparatus of claim 6, wherein the apparatus
is configured to select a blade boring speed based upon the
determined cup size.
8. The food preparation apparatus of claim 4, wherein the apparatus
is configured to receive a desired food consistency from a user and
to select the blade boring time and/or water quantity based upon
the cup size and the desired food consistency.
9. The food preparation apparatus of claim 4, wherein the apparatus
is configured to redundantly verify the position of the carriage as
it translates up and down with one or more carriage position
sensors.
10. The food preparation apparatus of claim 4, wherein the
apparatus is configured to abort a product preparation cycle if the
cup size does not match a predetermined authorized size.
11. The food preparation apparatus of claim 4, wherein the
apparatus is configured to notify a user if the cup size does not
match a predetermined authorized size.
12. The food preparation apparatus of claim 4, wherein the
apparatus is configured to notify a remote computing device over a
network connection if the cup size does not match a predetermined
authorized size.
13. A food preparation apparatus, comprising: a food preparation
chamber; a carriage comprising a cup holder; a motor that elevates
the carriage and a cup within the cup holder into the chamber from
a starting position and returns the carriage and cup to the
starting position; a mechanism that opens the door of the chamber
as the carriage is elevated and the cup is placed within the
chamber and closes the door as the carriage is lowered to the
starting position; a microprocessor; and a telecommunications
transceiver, the apparatus configured to transmit information
regarding operation of the apparatus to a remote entity via the
telecommunications transceiver.
14. The food preparation apparatus of claim 13, wherein the
telecommunications transceiver comprises a cellular modem.
15. The food preparation apparatus of claim 13, wherein the
apparatus is configured to detect errors indicative of potential
malfunction and report the errors to the remote entity.
16. The food preparation apparatus of claim 15, wherein the
apparatus is configured to detect if a belt coupled to the carriage
has slipped and to report it to the remote entity.
17. The food preparation apparatus of claim 15, wherein the
apparatus is configured to detect if there is difficulty achieving
a desired temperature or pressure and report it to the remote
entity.
18. The food preparation apparatus of claim 15, wherein the
apparatus is configured to detect if one or more performance
parameters is not met.
19. The food preparation apparatus of claim 18, wherein one or more
of the performance parameters indicates an excessively cold freezer
is making product preparation more difficult and time consuming for
the apparatus
20. The food preparation apparatus of claim 15, wherein the
apparatus is configured to track the products made with the
apparatus by type and sales volume and to report relevant
information to the remote entity.
21. The food preparation apparatus of claim 20, wherein sales
volume and sales type, when compared to prior sales history, is
utilized to indicate a probable product type out-of-stock condition
in a freezer of a retail location.
22. The food preparation apparatus of claim 20, wherein the food
preparation apparatus is configured to allow the remote entity to
disable the apparatus if certain product parameters or quantities
are outside of expected or contracted ranges.
22. A food preparation apparatus, comprising: a chamber comprising
a door at a lower portion of the chamber, the door sealing the door
to the chamber when the door is in a closed position; a carriage
comprising a cup holder; a motor that elevates the carriage and a
cup within the cup holder into the chamber from a starting position
and returns the carriage and cup to the starting position; and a
flow meter coupled to a pump, the apparatus configured to measure
an amount of liquid passed through the flow meter.
23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the apparatus is further
configured to dispense a precise amount based upon the amount
measured by the flow meter.
24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the apparatus is configured
to measure and dispense a first amount into the cup when the cup in
an elevated position, the first amount selected to vary based upon
cup size.
25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the apparatus is configured
to measure and dispense a first amount into the cup when the cup in
an elevated position, the first amount selected to vary based upon
a selected consistency for a product within the cup.
26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the apparatus is configured
to measure and dispense a second amount sprayed by one or more
rotary nozzles, the second amount sufficient to clean walls of the
chamber.
27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the apparatus is configured
to measure and dispense a third amount sprayed by one or more scour
nozzles, the third amount sufficient to remove food from a boring
blade of the apparatus.
28. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the flow meter is utilized
to identify a problem with the operation of the water delivery
system, including an insufficient flow volume or flow rate.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 61/252,606, entitled "COMMERCIAL FROZEN FOOD
PREPARATION APPARATUS," filed on Oct. 16, 2009, which is hereby
incorporated by reference in the entirety. This application is also
related to applications entitled: "COMMERCIAL FROZEN FOOD
PREPARATION APPARATUS" and "COMMERCIAL FROZEN FOOD PREPARATION
APPARATUS SANITATION" filed concurrently with the present
application and also claiming the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Patent Application No. 61/252,606, each of which is also hereby
incorporated by reference in the entirety into this
application.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates generally to food preparation and
more specifically to instant preparation of frozen solids by
blending in cups or similar vessels.
[0003] Milkshakes and other beverages or foods are a desirable
offering for convenience stores or other retail formats. An
apparatus in a convenience store that serves on-the-go consumers
prepares a beverage, e.g. a milkshake, by blending the ingredients
in a cup containing the frozen ingredients. A consumer may directly
choose the type or flavor to be prepared and insert it into the
apparatus, which with the press of a button will then provide the
finished product, e.g. the blended milkshake, at the desired
consistency, to the consumer.
[0004] While it is desirable to minimize or eliminate the time and
attention of an employee in running and servicing the apparatus,
this generates its own set of concerns.
SUMMARY
[0005] A machine prepares semi frozen food products and/or
beverages from pre-prepared (e.g. frozen) cups. A user chooses the
desired cup, inserts it into the machine, chooses how they would
like it prepared from a range of thickness options, and the machine
then opens a sealed chamber door and inserts the product upward
into the chamber and prepares the product by blending it in the
cup. Upon removal of the product and resealing of the chamber door,
the cleaning mechanisms provide thorough rinsing of all food
contact surfaces and the chamber interior. Automatic high pressure
rinsing, subsequent cleaning, and high temperature steam sanitation
takes place in the chamber at defined intervals, thus substantially
reducing or even eliminating the need for manual cleansing and
sanitation by an attendant and ensuring healthy food preparation at
all times.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of apparatus 100 in an initial
"cup down" position.
[0007] FIG. 1B is another perspective view of apparatus 100 in a
subsequent "cup up" position.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a product cycle
according to a disclosed embodiment.
[0009] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating operating of apparatus
100 according to a process incorporating the product cycle
illustrated in FIG. 2.
[0010] FIGS. 4A-4E illustrate differing views and aspects of
apparatus 100.
[0011] FIGS. 5A-7B illustrate different views and aspects of
components of apparatus 100.
[0012] FIG. 8A is a schematic diagram of some components of a water
delivery system of the apparatus.
[0013] FIGS. 8B, 8C, and 8D illustrate a chamber and various
components within the chamber.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS
[0014] Reference will now be made in detail to specific embodiments
of the invention including the best modes contemplated by the
inventors for carrying out the invention. Examples of these
specific embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
While the invention is described in conjunction with these specific
embodiments, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit
the invention to the described embodiments. On the contrary, it is
intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as
may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as
defined by the appended claims. In the following description,
specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough
understanding of the present invention. The present invention may
be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In
addition, well known features may not have been described in detail
to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the invention.
[0015] While the embodiments described below relate to preparation
of a frozen milkshake, other frozen beverages or food are
encompassed and may be prepared by the described embodiments and
appended claims.
[0016] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of apparatus 100 in an initial
"cup down" position, and FIG. 1B is another perspective view of
apparatus 100 in a subsequent "cup up" position. Apparatus 100 will
prepare the frozen ingredients in cup 112 for consumption by a
user. User interface 120 comprises a large video screen 120 which
conveys information including product availability and features. A
microprocessor (not shown) controls the operation of the various
components of apparatus 100, including the video screen. In certain
embodiments, a user may select a desired consistency level of a
milkshake, for example, regular, less thick or more thick by
pushing a push button on the control panel 110. In other
embodiments, such function can be incorporated into the user
interface screen 120 as a touchscreen. A cup carriage 108 comprises
carriage arms 108A and cup holder 108B, that travels in a vertical
direction along guide rail or track (not shown). Various components
within housing 104 of apparatus 100 will be described in relation
to the flow charts of FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrating aspects of
operation of apparatus 100, which should be viewed in conjunction
with FIGS. 4A-8C.
[0017] Product preparation cycle 200 is initiated by a user through
the control panel 110 push buttons or the touch screen of user
interface 120 after the user has placed the frozen cup in the cup
holder. In initiating the cycle, the user may select the desired
consistency, as represented by step 206. In step 202, apparatus 100
detects the placement of the product cup in the cup holder. As seen
in FIG. 4C, the placement or presence of the cup 112 in the holder
is detected when cup sensing beam 155 is interrupted. Cup sensing
beam is generated by transmitter 160 and received by receiver 154.
When the beam is interrupted, a cup is determined to be present in
the cup holder. While in some embodiments the location of the
transmitter and receiver may be the opposite of that shown in FIG.
4C, the receiver is preferably at the upper location as it is
partially shielded from ambient light by housing 104. This is
advantageous because in some lighting conditions false cup present
detection may occur and this is thus avoided with the
transmitter/receiver layout and geometry shown in FIG. 4C.
[0018] After the cup has been detected and the cycle initiated, the
cup will then be elevated up into the sealed chamber in step 210 so
that the frozen contents may be bored while warm water is injected
into the cup. Prior to blending, the cup size will be sensed in
step 212. The carriage is moved up and down by a position motor 172
and a toothed belt system. An encoder 176 on position motor 172 is
used to determine the position of the carriage 108A and cup holder
108B. This position, together with cup size sensors 164A and 164B,
shown in FIG. 4D, is used to determine the cup size. One of sensors
164A is a transmitter while the other is a receiver. When a through
beam travelling from transmitter to receiver is interrupted, a cup
is detected. A larger and thus taller cup will extend higher up
from the cup holder 108B/carriage 108A and thus interrupt the
through beam sensors 164A and 164B before a shorter cup. The boring
time and/or amount or temperature of water may be varied with cup
size to arrive at the desired consistency.
[0019] The cup height may also be used to determine if an
appropriate or authorized product is in the cup holder. If the
height does not match a predetermined authorized height the cycle
may be aborted or the user may be notified of such an error via the
touch screen. Alternatively an RFID chip or a bar code or some
other unique markings or image on the cup may be scanned to
determine cup size and/or authorization.
[0020] Such authorization/verification also prevents damage to the
apparatus and ensures the safety of the user because an odd object
may easily be destroyed by boring blade 150 shown in FIG. 5A (which
will be described later) and result in potential damage to the
apparatus or injury to those nearby.
[0021] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4E, the position as
determined by the position motor 172 and encoder 176 is redundantly
verified. This is beneficial because the position motor moves the
carriage via a toothed belt. If the belt slips or skips a position
on the belt, the position motor and encoder may indicate an
erroneous position, which is undesirable and potentially dangerous.
For example, if the cup is not in the raised position (appropriate
for each size of cup) so that the cup lid weight is not resting
upon the top of the cup, but is instead resting on the support pins
of the drive shaft, the cup lid weight may spin at several hundred
RPM as the product is bored and create severe vibration (similar to
an unbalanced washing machine) due to the unbalanced lid weight.
Additionally, the cup will not be properly held by the carriage and
may potentially rotate in a dangerous fashion. The position is
verified by upper sensor 180A and lower sensor 180B to sense the
position of flag 184 of the carriage as it translates up and down.
In one embodiment, sensors 180A and 180B are through beam sensors
and when the beam is blocked by the flag of the carriage it is
known that the carriage is between an emitter and collector of the
through beam sensor. Alternatively sensors 180A and 180B may have
one dual purpose emitter/collector on one side of the flag, and
when the signal is reflected by the flag the carriage is detected
at the location of the sensor. In a third embodiment, sensors 180A
and 180B can be simple switches contacted and tripped by the
flag.
[0022] In step 218, the apparatus injects the proper amount of
heated water and bores through the frozen product to achieve the
selected consistency. After the product is lowered, the cup lid
weight 130, which will be described later in more detail with
regard to FIGS. 5-7, is rotated as heated water is sprayed by
nozzles 330C and 330D, as shown in FIG. 8C, above and below the cup
weight at opposite sides of the cup weight to clean all of the food
contact surfaces. Thus, as part of each product cycle 200, the food
contact surfaces (e.g. blade 150 and cup lid weight 130 in the
illustrative embodiments) are cleaned so as to remove product after
each milkshake is prepared. Note that the nozzles cannot be in the
trajectory of the cup as it travels vertically in the sealed
chamber, and thus cannot be directly under the blade 150, which
complicates the cleaning process, as will be discussed in greater
detail below.
[0023] In prior devices, a clerk was required from time to time to
clean the blade and other food contact surfaces with a brush. Also,
a sanitizing solution was utilized to occasionally sanitize the
device.
[0024] Embodiments functioning in accordance with the flow chart of
FIG. 3 and as depicted in the associated figures eliminate the need
for regular human intervention and for stocking a sanitizer that
needs to be replaced, which is advantageous for installations where
such milkshakes and other frozen beverages are made, such as
convenience stores.
[0025] As seen in FIG. 3, after each product cycle 200 previously
described with regard to FIG. 2, in step 230 the elapsed time since
the last product cycle completion is monitored. If a threshold time
is not exceeded, monitoring will continue. If on the other hand, as
seen in step 234, the threshold time has been met or exceeded, in
step 238 a first rotary nozzle will be fired with a short burst of
water pumped from an accumulator reservoir. The threshold is on the
order of 10-60 minutes and in one example is 15 minutes. The first
rotary nozzle may be either of front rotary nozzle 330A or rear
rotary nozzle 330B seen in FIGS. 8A-8C. It is desirable to dispense
a very high flow rate of water, greater than 3 gallons per minute,
for example 4 gallons per minute, for a short time, for some 1-5
seconds, e.g. about 1.5 seconds from each rotary nozzle firing.
While the rotary nozzles are capable of dispensing a large quantity
of water in a short time, sufficient volume of water at sufficient
pressure is typically unavailable at the blender's water supply
input 300 due to restrictions and filters on the supply line
upstream of the apparatus. Therefore an accumulator tank 304 and a
rotary pump 308 are used to increase the supply and pressure of
water for the rotary nozzles to function more effectively. The
increase in water pressure over input pressure is approximately
50-100 p.s.i., allowing for both a large flow in a short period and
for high pressure rinsing. While accumulators are typically used at
the output side of a pump, accumulator 304 is located at the input
to pump 308 in certain embodiments, although in other embodiments
it may be at the output. This placement of the accumulator before
the pump eliminates the susceptibility of the system to loss of
pressure by the accumulator pressure bladder. In this embodiment,
the accumulator is simply serving as an inexpensive and readily
available reservoir from which the pump can pump water at a high
rate until the accumulator is exhausted. When the pump is turned
off, the accumulator is refilled with water at a slower rate by the
pressure of the water supply line. In this manner, the accumulator
is never relied upon to provide pressure to push water through the
rotary nozzles. The more typical arrangement with an accumulator is
to have the accumulator's bladder pressurized so that when water is
to be released from the accumulator by opening a valve downstream,
the pressurized bladder pushes the water out. The valve is then
closed and the accumulator is then recharged by a pump that is
located upstream of the accumulator.
[0026] Returning to FIG. 3, accumulator 304 is refilled in step 242
and then the second rotary nozzle, e.g. 330A or 330B, is fired (by
a valve of manifold 316 under control of a system microprocessor)
with a short burst of water pumped from the accumulator reservoir.
Then in step 250, the time since the last sanitation is monitored
and if a threshold time since the last sanitation is met or
exceeded, as seen in step 254, steam is injected at a first
location 330E of FIG. 8B in step 260. The sanitation time threshold
may vary from approximately one hour to several days, but is
preferably 24 hours and preferably is controlled to occur at night
time when the apparatus is unlikely to be in use. It should be
noted that the US FDA Food Code (section 4-601-11 in particular),
which is hereby incorporated by reference in the entirety, requires
that a food apparatus of the type described herein be cleaned
and/or sanitized every 4 hours. Aspects of the design in certain
embodiments (e.g. the rinsing, cleaning and sanitizing systems) are
expected to result in a variance from the FDA to allow sanitation
only once every 24 hours, which greatly improves availability and
acceptance of the commercial embodiments by retail institutions and
consumers. In step 264, the temperature of the chamber (as
increased by the injected steam) is measured until a thermister 136
in the lower area of the chamber registers a warm enough
temperature (.about.175 F) to indicate that all parts of the
chamber have reached a temperature sufficient to kill bacterial
organisms. As seen in FIG. 8, the steam is provided at water shot
and steam port 330E at the top of the chamber and the temperature
is measured at the bottom of chamber 134 with thermister 136. By
injecting steam at the top of the chamber and determining that the
temperature near the bottom of the chamber has reached a sufficient
temperature to kill bacteria, bacteria upon all surfaces within the
chamber are ensured to be killed because the heated steam first
fills the upper volume of the chamber and propagates from the top
to the bottom due to its moist and heated condition making it
lighter than the air it is displacing in the chamber.
[0027] While the injection temperature alone could be utilized, by
also measuring that a given temperature has been achieved in the
chamber, and then immediately stopping the steam injection, a
shorter sanitation time is achieved while still ensuring killing of
bacteria, thus making the apparatus available for further food
production in a shorter period of time as compared to simply
injecting steam at a given temperature for a preset duration.
[0028] FIG. 4A illustrates the apparatus with front door 124
opened. Product preparation chamber 134, also referred to as mixing
chamber 134, can be seen within the upper portion of the apparatus.
Although chamber 134 may be referred to as a mixing chamber, it
should be understood, in certain of the described embodiments, that
the product production involves boring through a frozen product,
unlike what is typically referred to as a mixer. The front door
opening of chamber 134 is sealed closed by inner chamber door seal
138 when front door 124 is in the closed position. Chamber 134 is
also sealed when the bottom door 131 is closed. Bottom door 131
rotates about a hinge located at the side of the door and chamber
in order to flip up and out of the way as the cup and holder are
moved into the chamber. Bottom door 131 also incorporates a seal
that ensures neither liquid nor steam escapes at the door
locations. The doors 124 and 131 are sealed to the chamber when
they are closed, effectively sealing the chamber during the steam
sanitation cycle, thus allowing more quick and effective steam
sanitation. Prior designs incorporated an open slot in the side
wall of the chamber through which the cup holder mechanism
traveled. While this open slot allowed a simpler and more
vertically compact means of providing for cup travel up into the
chamber, it stood as an impediment to effectively sealing the
chamber for steaming, especially due to its location in the side of
the chamber, and the tendency of steam to escape from the slot as
it filled progressively from the top to the bottom of the
chamber.
[0029] A consequence of sealing the chamber well is that the
injected steam is unable to enter the chamber without increasing
the pressure in the chamber. As seen in FIG. 8D, to alleviate this
increased pressure, and to ensure that any escaping moisture from
the steam does not reach any of the moisture sensitive electronic
control components, a chamber vent hole 137A and connected chimney
137B are positioned adjacent the drain outlet, but still within the
chamber. The chimney 137B extends upward to vent out the top of the
apparatus, thus directing any moisture upward in the direction it
naturally flows and out of the apparatus. The venting of steam from
the bottom of the chamber through vent hole 137A and chimney 137B
eliminates the need for a pressure relief valve because the steam
can build up and fill the chamber without achieving a high pressure
or relying on valve to be opened and closed.
[0030] A drain line 139 is also provided from the chamber in order
to drain waste and rinse water from the chamber and out of the
apparatus. This drain line is susceptible to growth of bacterial
organisms which over time can grow and accumulate and clog the
drain line. The bacteria may also migrate into the chamber,
especially when the drain is clogged, which is especially
problematic. This accumulation occurs most frequently at fittings
in the drain line, which provide ready places for bacteria to grow.
Therefore, the apparatus is provided with a flexible, bacteria
resistant one piece extended drain line connected to the blending
chamber outlet and running down and out through the back panel of
the apparatus without any fittings. This line is provided with
sufficient length to reach a drain proximate (within approximately
2 meters) to the installed location of the apparatus, all without
any fittings.
[0031] In FIG. 4A, within chamber 134, cup lid weight 130 is shown
in a tilted position. Cup 112 and carriage 108 are shown at a lower
position. FIG. 4B illustrates cup 112 partially in mixing chamber
134, and cup lid weight 130 in a level position. Please note that
the cup lid weight 130 is tilted when not supported by the cup, but
that in FIG. 4B it is depicted as level, e.g. with a bottom surface
parallel to the plane of the rim of the cup, for illustrative
purposes to show the cup entering the chamber. Note that the tilt
angle of the cup lid weight will be changed and the cup lid weight
will be moved by the cup as it makes contact with the lid weight
and lifts it off its support pin (described later). Cup lid weight
130 is a solid polymer based structure weighing about 4 or more
pounds, for example 5.4 pounds in a preferred embodiment. Chamber
134 and cup lid weight 130 are preferably made of an unsaturated
polyester in a thermoset process. The cup lid weight comprises a
high density filler such as barium sulfate to create a high density
and overall weight. In one embodiment the specific gravity of the
cup lid weight is in the range of 2.5 to 3.5, for example 2.8.
[0032] The surface of the chamber walls and the cup lid weight is
not smooth but is rather purposefully fabricated with a texture
configured to aid in the release of food particles. The surface
texture for the chamber walls and the cup lid weight is best
achieved by acid etching the thermoset plastic to create a surface
roughness of approximately 0.5-2.0 micron diameter protrusions,
which are approximately 1-4 microns high, and are spaced
approximately every 5-15 microns.
[0033] The cup lid weight 130, in addition to acting as a lid or
splash guard, aids in preventing the cup from spinning when the
rotating blade bores into the frozen material. The cup and the cup
holder of the carriage have interlocking male/female features. The
weight of the cup lid weight, provides a sufficient force to keep
the mating surfaces of the interlocking features in contact with
each other. For further information on the anti-rotation
mechanisms, please refer to U.S. Pat. No. 6,041,961 entitled "CUP
WITH ANTI-ROTATION MECHANISM" and U.S. patent application Ser. No.
12/265,397 entitled "METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ROTATIONALLY
RESTRAINING A MIXING CONTAINER" which are hereby incorporated by
reference in the entirety. As mentioned earlier, the cup weight
also acts as a splash guard, keeping the blended food product
within the cup during the boring and liquid injection phase.
[0034] FIGS. 5A-7B illustrate the cup lid weight 130 and associated
boring components. Boring motor 146 is coupled to drive shaft 142,
at the end of which is boring blade 150. Cup weight/lid 130 has an
opening, through which drive shaft 142 passes. As seen in FIG. 5B,
cup lid weight 130 may tilt about the axis of drive shaft 142. The
ability to tilt allows greater access to the underside of the cup
weight. The tilt angle is about 20-30 degrees and in one preferred
embodiment is about 25 degrees. When a stream is directed upward
from nozzle 330D of FIG. 8C from below the cup weight, with the cup
weight in the tilted position, the stream can better reach the
underside surface of the cup weight to dislodge food that may have
been deposited upon the underside surface during blending because
the underside of the cup weight is more exposed to the water stream
and the water stream is less obstructed by the blending disc 150,
which is located just below the cup weight. In one embodiment, as
depicted in FIG. 5B, the water is provided at an angle 153 from the
axis of shaft 142 so as to provide a direct path to and proper
cleaning of the underside of the cup weight. Lower scour nozzle
330D (FIG. 8C) is located so as to achieve a delivery angle 153 of
about 15 to 45 degrees.
[0035] FIG. 6B is a cross section along line A-A of FIG. 6A. Cup
lid weight 130 rests upon support pin 160 of (multi piece) drive
shaft 142. In one embodiment, the cup lid weight 130 is designed so
that the center of gravity 154 is located above the support pin
160. The inner diameter of the hole within the cup lid weight 130
is about 50-100% larger than the outer diameter of drive shaft 142,
so that the cup lid weight may rotate about the support pin and
tilt with respect to the drive shaft. Note that in some embodiments
the center of gravity may also be below or at the level of the
support pin, and the titling may be achieved by the rotational
force alone or means of a tilted support pin, as allowed by the gap
in outer/inner diameter of the shaft and cup lid weight
respectively. FIG. 7B illustrates another cross section 90 degrees
from that shown in FIG. 6B. The direction of tilting either
clockwise or counterclockwise about support pin 160, as represented
by arrows 155 is most clearly shown in FIG. 7B. By placing the
center of gravity above the pin, tipping occurs randomly either
clockwise or counterclockwise, thus improving the cleaning of the
underside of the cup weight by more completely, randomly exposing
all of the cup weight underside to the rinsing fluid from blending
cycle to blending cycle.
[0036] FIG. 8A, touched upon earlier, is a plumbing diagram. Water
input 300 is connected to a water supply line, which supplies water
to accumulator 304 at the pressure of the incoming water supply.
Rotary pump 308 increases the pressure and flow rate of the water
as it is pumped from the accumulator through the flow meter 312 and
valve manifold 316. As mentioned earlier, the increase in water
pressure over input water supply line pressure is approximately
50-100 p.s.i. The flow rate through flow meter 312 may be used by
control circuitry to alter the running time, flow rate and/or
output pressure of pump 308. The control circuitry also uses the
flow meter to measure and dispense precise amounts of liquid
appropriate for various tasks. For example, a measured amount for a
first size or consistency of milkshake may be different than for a
second size or consistency. Amounts for scour nozzles and rotary
nozzles are also measured by the flow meter. This improves upon
prior designs utilizing an approximation of dispensed amounts (of
e.g., water) based upon the elapsed time open of the valves, which
is problematic when flow/pressure restrictions or variations arise.
The valves of valve manifold 316 are activated by logic so as to
supply one or more of: front rotary nozzle 330A; rear rotary nozzle
330B; upper scour nozzle 330C; lower scour nozzle 330D; and water
shot and steam port 330E. Water passed to lower scour nozzle 330D
is heated by scour heater 320. Water passed to water shot and steam
port 330E is passed through steam heater 324. The heaters 320 and
324 may be discrete heaters and or may be different water passages
through one heating element or core. In addition, steam heater 324
can serve as both a steam heater for steam sanitization of the
apparatus and also can serve as the heater which heats water for
addition to the milkshake during blending. By monitoring the
temperature of heater 324, the water can be maintained at the
approximately 125 degree Fahrenheit temperature desirable for
addition to the milkshake, or when desired, steam can be created by
running the heater at a temperature sufficiently high
(approximately 225 degrees Fahrenheit) to generate steam. Because
these two desired conditions do not occur simultaneously, these two
functions can be combined into one heater, reducing the necessary
heating units as well as the associated plumbing and valves.
[0037] FIGS. 8B and 8C illustrate the chamber 134 and the various
water dispensing components 330. As mentioned earlier, water shot
nozzle and steam injection location 330E is located at the top of
the blending chamber near the drive shaft and injects a shot of
warm, e.g. approximately 125 degree Fahrenheit water into the cup
during the boring of the product. After each production cycle, warm
water is sprayed by the scour nozzles 330C and 330D in order to
rinse any food residue off the food contact surfaces while the
tipped cup lid weight 150 is slowly rotated.
[0038] If no product is run for an extended period, e.g. on the
order of fifteen minutes, then the two rotary nozzles 330A and 330B
are fired. A first nozzle is fired until the accumulator is nearly
emptied, then the accumulator is refilled and the second nozzle is
fired. This is to clear any splatters off of the chamber 134 walls.
There are two nozzles to ensure there are no areas that are
"shadowed" from both nozzles. With only one nozzle, this is
difficult if not impossible.
[0039] A telecommunications transceiver may be incorporated into
the apparatus. In one embodiment, the transceiver comprises a
cellular modem that communicates over a "cellular" mobile telephone
network, which eliminates any need for a wired connection. In
another embodiment the transceiver comprises a wireless network or
"wifi" modem operating under one or more of the 802.11 or other
protocols. The modem may communicate with a remote monitoring
facility to communicate various pertinent data about the apparatus.
For example, any errors within the apparatus may be reported so
that a technician can be sent to tend to the machine before the
errors result in machine malfunction. For example, if the position
verification system indicates that the belt has slipped, this
condition may be reported and repaired. As another example, errors
achieving necessary temperatures and pressures may be reported. As
yet another example, a parameter that may be tracked and reported
is motor current and/or time required to bore through a shake. A
higher than normal motor current during shake preparation indicates
that the freezer is colder than a baseline recommended temperature,
or in other words too cold. A longer than usual elapsed time
necessary to bore through the shake is also an indicator of an
overly cold freezer, and similarly, a shorter than usual time may
be indicative of a warmer than recommended freezer. Other
parameters include but are not limited to the water pressure (as
determined by the flow rate), cup presence, and line voltage
supplied to the apparatus. Additionally, the sales volume of
different sizes and types of products may be reported, and as a
result inventory may be automatically restocked. Further, the food
preparation apparatus is configured to allow the monitoring
facility or other remote entity to disable the apparatus if certain
product parameters or quantities are outside of expected or
contracted ranges. The communication means can also be used to
update the content of the user interface screen for new product
information, or to provide new blending programs or parameters to
blend newly developed products.
[0040] While the invention has been particularly shown and
described with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will
be understood by those skilled in the art that changes in the form
and details of the disclosed embodiments may be made without
departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.
[0041] In addition, although various advantages, aspects, and
objects of the present invention have been discussed herein with
reference to various embodiments, it will be understood that the
scope of the invention should not be limited by reference to such
advantages, aspects, and objects. Rather, the scope of the
invention should be determined with reference to the appended
claims.
* * * * *