초록 ▼

A beverage powder mixing drink dispenser has a hopper for containing a supply of powder, a source of water and a controller, all contained within a housing has a mixing assembly, an electrical motor with an annular stator mounted to the housing and an annular rotor mounted to rotate around a motor a

A beverage powder mixing drink dispenser has a hopper for containing a supply of powder, a source of water and a controller, all contained within a housing has a mixing assembly, an electrical motor with an annular stator mounted to the housing and an annular rotor mounted to rotate around a motor axis within the annular stator when the stator is energized, a mixing chamber with a hollow body having an interior surface extending between a chamber inlet and a chamber outlet and at least one mixing member extending inwardly from and mounted to the interior surface to rotate with rotation of the hollow body, means for releasably mounting the hollow body of the mixing chamber to the rotor to rotate with the rotor relative to the stator about the motor axis, and means for controlling energizing of the stator, the accumulation of clogging moisture on the powder outlet is reduced by rotating the mixing member at a relatively high mixing speed during mixing to mix the powder with the water in the mixing chamber and rotating the mixing member at another relatively lower vent speed to draw air through the mixing member and away from the powder outlet during times that the mixing member is not being rotated at relatively high mixing speed to mix a drink.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. In a powder mixing drink dispenser having a source of water, a source of beverage ingredient powder and having a powder ingredient outlet, a mixing member within a mixing chamber for mixing water received within the chamber with powder received in the chamber to mix a d

The invention claimed is: 1. In a powder mixing drink dispenser having a source of water, a source of beverage ingredient powder and having a powder ingredient outlet, a mixing member within a mixing chamber for mixing water received within the chamber with powder received in the chamber to mix a drink, the improvement being a method of reducing the accumulation of clogging moisture on the powder outlet, comprising the steps of: rotating the mixing member at a relatively high mixing speed during mixing to mix the powder with the water in the mixing chamber; and rotating the mixing member at another relatively lower vent speed to draw air through the mixing member and away from the powder outlet during times that the mixing member is not being rotated at relatively high mixing speed to mix a drink. 2. The method of claim 1 including the step of filtering the air vented through the mixing chamber before it passes the powder outlet. 3. The method of claim 1 including the steps of moving the air through the mixing chamber by rotating a fan-like portion of the mixing chamber, and impelling the water and powder toward a central portion of the mixing chamber for mixing with a mixing-like portion of the mixing chamber. 4. The method of claim 1 in which the steps of rotating are by means of a motor with a generally vertical axis that rotates the mixing chamber about a vertical axis that is aligned with the generally vertical axis. 5. The method of claim 1 including the step of engaging the powder and water with at least a lower part of the mixing member having has vertical directional component to move the powder and water toward the center of the hollow body for mixing. 6. The method of claim 1 including the step of directing air downwardly into the hollow body and through an outlet at the bottom of the hollow body with at least an upper portion of the mixing member having a fan like shape. 7. The method of claim 1 including the step of releasably mounting a portion of mixing chamber to within the rotor to rotate with the rotor. 8. The method of claim 7 in which the releasable mounting means includes resilient fasteners that automatically releasably fasten the mixing chamber to the rotor when the mixing chamber is inserted into an operative position relative to the rotor. 9. The method of claim 8 in which the mixing chamber has a hollow body and including the step of releasably mounting the mixing member to the hollow body. 10. The method of claim 1 in which the mixing member is contained within a hollow body of the mixing chamber and including the step of releasably mounting the mixing member to the hollow body with a releasably mounting member. 11. The method of claim 1 including the step of controlling the application of electrical power to the stator of an electrical motor to selectively cause a rotor of the electrical motor to rotate at a mixing speed to mix the powder with the water and to rotate at a venting speed slower than the mixing speed to vent air downwardly through the mixing chamber and away from the selectively passing means. 12. The method of claim 1 in which the mixing chamber has an inlet adjacent a peripheral edge of the mixing chamber and including the step of selectively passing powder and water through the chamber inlet. 13. The method of claim 1 in which the mixing chamber has a hollow body with an interior surface, and including another mixing member extending inwardly from a portion of the interior surface of the hollow body spaced from the one mixing member. 14. The method of claim 13 including a third mixing member extending inwardly from a part of the interior surface of the hollow body spaced from both the one mixing member and the other mixing member. 15. The powder mixing drink dispenser of claim 1 including the step of directing air into the mixing chamber with a fan like portion of the mixing chamber when the hollow body is rotated. 16. The method of claim 15 including the step of receiving air from outside the housing for flow past a means for passing powder ingredient into the mixing chamber while the hollow body is rotated. 17. The method of claim 16 in which the air receiving means includes a vent opening extending through a portion of the housing located above the selective passing means. 18. The powder mixing drink dispenser of claim 16 in which the step of receiving air from outside the housing includes the step of filtering the air that is received within the housing. 19. The method of claim 1 including the step of selectively passing powder to the mxing chamber with a screw conveyor. 20. The method of claim 1 including the steps of sensing when a container is in a receiving position relative to the housing for receipt of the mixed beverage from the mixing chamber outlet, and stopping the passing powder or water to the mixing chamber inlet when a container is not sensed in said receiving position. 21. In a beverage powder mixing drink dispenser having a hopper for containing a supply of dry beverage ingredient powder, a source of mixing water and a controller, all contained within a housing, a method of mixing, comprising the steps of: rotating within an annular stator an annular rotor of an electrical motor mounted to the housing around a motor axis within the annular stator when the stator is energized; mounting a hollow body of a mixing chamber to the rotor to rotate with the rotor relative to the stator about the motor axis, said mixing chamber having a hollow body with an interior surface extending between a chamber inlet and a chamber outlet and at least one mixing member extending inwardly from and mounted to the interior surface to rotate with rotation of the hollow body; selectively passing dry ingredient powder and mixing water into the mixing chamber to be mixed together in the mixing chamber during rotation of the hollow body and mixing member when the stator is energized; controlling energizing of the stator. 22. In a powder mixing drink dispenser having a source of water, a source of beverage ingredient powder and having a powder ingredient outlet, a mixing member within a mixing chamber for mixing water received within the chamber with powder received in the chamber to mix a drink, the improvement, comprising: means for rotating the mixing member at a relatively high mixing speed during mixing to mix the powder with the water in the mixing chamber; and means for rotating the mixing member at another relatively lower vent speed to draw air through the mixing chamber and away from the powder outlet during times that the mixing member is not being rotated at relatively high mixing speed to mix a drink.