초록 ▼

A soft-serve confection freezer incorporates a set of modules in a circular array and separately replaceable in a magazine. Each module supports a container storing a dry food ingredient in solid particulate form, and has a motor driven product impeller for controlled discharge of particulates from

A soft-serve confection freezer incorporates a set of modules in a circular array and separately replaceable in a magazine. Each module supports a container storing a dry food ingredient in solid particulate form, and has a motor driven product impeller for controlled discharge of particulates from the container to a blender assembly. The blender assembly has a housing and screw-type auger of cooperating configurations and which cooperate with a central passageway for frozen confection flowing from the freezer, to blend particulates from one or more containers into the confection and discharge into a customer's cup for immediate consumption. A further version incorporates a magazine for injection and blending of one or more flavored liquids into the frozen confection. Control panel selection of ingredients and flavors and dispensing by the operator according to the customer's order, or selection and dispensing by the customer himself/herself, is provided. Components are arranged to facilitate cleaning.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. Apparatus for dispensing a chilled viscous confection comprising a blend of frozen edible base product and edible ingredient solids, the apparatus comprising: a freezer producing a frozen edible base product and having a freezer outlet for dispensing the frozen edible base pr

What is claimed is: 1. Apparatus for dispensing a chilled viscous confection comprising a blend of frozen edible base product and edible ingredient solids, the apparatus comprising: a freezer producing a frozen edible base product and having a freezer outlet for dispensing the frozen edible base product; a blender having an adapter coupled to said freezer outlet for receiving the frozen base product from said freezer, and said blender having a blended product outlet; said blender having a first passageway from said adapter toward said blended product outlet for movement of said frozen base product from said freezer outlet toward said blended product outlet; a plurality of containers for different ingredient solids; a plurality of valves, said valves being associated with different ones of said containers for controlling delivery of solids from said containers; a second passageway associated with said valves to receive solids delivered from said containers and enable movement of said delivered solids toward said blended product outlet; a conveyor auger having a portion in said second passageway for blending solids with said frozen base product during movement of said base product toward said blended product outlet; an auger drive motor coupled to said auger for driving said auger; and a controller coupled to said valves and having a selector for selecting and enabling selected ones of said valves to operate in sequence during movement of frozen base product from said freezer outlet toward said blended product outlet for producing a blend of selected ones of said ingredient solids in said frozen base product. 2. The apparatus of claim 1 and wherein: said first passageway includes a tubular portion providing a rotational axis for said auger to be driven in rotation on said axis. 3. The apparatus of claim 2 and wherein: said tubular portion of said first passageway has an end remote from said adapter, and spaced from said blended product outlet; said blender includes a portion of said second passageway surrounding said auger; said auger-surrounding portion has a wall which has an inside surface which is circular around said axis; said inside surface has a profile which includes a cylindrical portion and a converging portion, and the converging portion extends downward from said cylindrical portion and inward toward said axis; and said auger has a core centered on said axis and which has at least one helical flight which projects radially outward from said core and which is shaped to fit said inside wall surface of said auger-surrounding portion of the blender, to sweep said delivered solids down said inside wall surface toward said blended product outlet as said auger is rotated on said axis; and said core has at least one hole for passage of said frozen edible base product from said first passageway through said hole into said second passageway. 4. The apparatus of claim 3 and wherein: said tubular portion has a wall with holes in said tubular portion wall for passage of said frozen base product radially outward from said first passageway toward said cylindrical portion of said inside wall surface for blending said delivered solids into said frozen base product as said delivered solids and frozen base product are moved toward said blended product outlet by said auger. 5. The apparatus of claim 3 and wherein: said remote end of said tubular portion is constructed to divert passage of said frozen edible base product in said first passageway away from said end and out through said holes in said tubular portion and said core into said second passageway. 6. The apparatus of claim 2 and wherein: said tubular portion has a wall with at least one hole in said tubular portion wall; said auger has a hollow core, with said tubular portion extending axially in said core; a portion of said core has at least one hole at a location enabling registry of said hole in said core with said hole in said tubular portion as said auger rotates to enable passage of said frozen base product from said first passageway through said registering holes into said second passageway for blending. 7. The apparatus of claim 2 and wherein: said auger has a hollow core, with said tubular portion extending axially in said core; a portion of said second passageway fittingly receives said auger whereby said auger is able to move selected ones of said ingredient solids toward said blended product outlet; at least one portion of said auger core has a cut-out near said remote end of said tubular portion; said cut-out is closer to said blended product outlet than is said remote end of said tubular portion, for enabling said selected ones of said ingredient solids when moved down said inside wall by rotation of said auger to move inward toward said axis of rotation and through said cut-out and blend into said frozen base product passing from said tubular portion toward said blended product outlet. 8. The apparatus of claim 7 and wherein: said tubular portion of said first passageway has an end remote from said adapter, and spaced from said blended product outlet; said blender includes a portion of said, second passageway surrounding said auger; said auger-surrounding portion has a wall which has an inside surface which is circular around said axis; said second passageway includes a blending chamber in space encompassed by said converging portion. 9. The apparatus of claim 1 and further comprising; a source of flavoring liquids coupled to said first passageway, said source having a plurality of liquid containers separately containing different flavoring liquids; a second controller coupled to said liquid containers for selection of different liquids for introduction to said first passageway for blending into said frozen base product. 10. The combination comprising: a soft-frozen confection freezer having a cabinet with a top, and having a soft-frozen confection base holder in the cabinet, the holder having an outlet opening; a door on the cabinet, the door having a cabinet-facing surface; a storage apparatus on said freezer at a level above said outlet opening and holding a plurality of ingredient containers for containing solid edible ingredients to be blended with said soft-frozen confection base; a rotary power source above said door; a rotary power transmission device which extends from said power source downward through said door and out through a bottom surface of said door; a plurality of passageways in said door, a first of said passageways located for transfer of selected ones of said ingredients from said containers downward through said door, a second of said passageways having an inlet through said cabinet-facing surface of said door and communicating with said holder outlet opening to receive soft-frozen confection base from said holder; a third of said passageways having an inlet inside said door communicating with said second passageway for transfer of said soft-frozen confection base from said second passageway downward through said third passageway to an outlet of said door; a fourth of said passageways extending through said door and housing a portion of said power transmission device; and an auger mounted to said door for reception of said selected ones of said ingredients from said first passageway and for reception of said soft-frozen confection base from said third passageway and coupled to said power transmission device for rotation of said auger centered on an auger axis to blend said selected ones of said ingredients received from said first passageway into said soft-frozen confection base received from said third passageway. 11. The combination of claim 10 and wherein: said holder is a freezer barrel with said outlet opening at an end of the barrel. 12. The combination of claim 11 and wherein: said cabinet-facing surface of said door is sealed to said cabinet and closes said end of said barrel. 13. The combination of claim 10 and further comprising: a valve in said third passageway and normally preventing entry of said soft-frozen confection base from said second passageway into said third passageway; and a valve actuator coupled to said valve and operable, when actuated, to open said valve and admit said soft-frozen confection base into said third passageway to move downward into said auger. 14. The combination of claim 13 and wherein: said cabinet has a front wall; said cabinet has an extension portion which extends forward from said front wall of the cabinet, and the extension portion has a top; said storage apparatus is mounted on the top of said extension portion; said rotary power source is an auger drive motor mounted at a level below the top of said extension portion; and said valve actuator is mounted at a level below the top of said extension portion and is operable, when actuated, to open said valve and admit said frozen confection base into said third passageway to move downward into said auger. 15. The combination of claim 13 and wherein: said valve actuator is a solenoid; said rotary power source is an auger drive motor; said power transmission device is a shaft; a first gear is connected to said shaft; and said combination further comprises: a second gear which is coupled to said auger and cooperates with said first gear for transmission of power from said first gear to said second gear. 16. The combination of claim 15 and wherein: said second gear engages said first gear; said auger has a gear support ring portion and a core portion, with both said support ring portion and said core portion centered on said core axis; said auger has at least two spiral flights, each flight having a leading edge portion joined to said support ring portion and supported by said support ring portion, each of said flights extending downward from said support ring portion in a spiral centered on said auger axis; and said core portion is joined to inboard portions of said flights and is mounted to said door for rotation on said auger axis. 17. The combination of claim 16 and wherein: said auger core portion is tubular and has a longitudinal axis. 18. The combination of claim 17 and wherein: said door has an internal tubular stem having a longitudinal axis; said auger core portion is mounted on said stem with said axis of said core portion co-linear with said axis of said stem for rotation of said core portion on said stem axis; and said auger has at least one of said flights beginning at said core portion and said ring portion at a level below said second gear and extending in the direction of said auger axis in a spiral whereby said selected ones of said ingredients are enabled to pass into said auger. 19. The combination of claim 18 and wherein: said auger has a second flight beginning at said hub portion and said ring portion at a level below said second gear and extending in the direction of said auger axis in a spiral whereby said ingredients are enabled to pass into said auger. 20. The combination of claim 13 and wherein: said rotary power source is an auger drive motor; a first gear is coupled to said power transmission device; and a second gear is coupled to said auger and cooperates with said first gear for transmission of power from said first gear to said second gear. 21. The combination of claim 20 and wherein: said auger has a core portion which is tubular and has a longitudinal axis; said door has an internal tubular stem having a longitudinal axis; said core portion is mounted on said stem, with said axis of said core portion co-linear with said axis of said stem for rotation of said auger on said stem; and said auger has at least one flight beginning with a leading edge and extending from said leading edge downward in the direction of said auger axis in a spiral centered on said auger axis, said leading edge having an outboard portion adjacent said second gear and having an inboard portion adjacent said core portion. 22. The combination of claim 21 and wherein: said door including said stem is one homogeneous body of plastic material. 23. The combination of claim 21 and wherein: said auger flight extends from said leading edge downward to a distal end remote from said core portion. 24. The combination of claim 23 and wherein: said stem has a distal end remote from said gear; and said core portion has an end adjacent said distal end of said stem. 25. The combination of claim 24 and wherein: said auger flight has serrations on said inboard portion between said distal end of said stem and said distal end of said flight. 26. The combination of claim 25 and wherein: said auger has a second flight beginning with a leading edge and extending from said leading edge downward in the direction of said auger axis in a spiral centered on said auger axis, said leading edge having an outboard portion adjacent said second gear and having an inboard portion adjacent said core portion. 27. The combination of claim 26 and wherein: said second flight extends from said leading edge thereof downward to a distal end remote from said core portion. 28. The combination of claim 27 and wherein: said stem has a distal end remote from said gear; and said core portion has an end adjacent said distal end of said stem. 29. The combination of claim 28 and wherein: said second flight has serrations on said inboard portion thereof between said distal end of said stem and said distal end of said flight. 30. The combination of claim 26 and wherein: said leading edges of said first flight and said second flight are approximately 180 degrees apart around said second auger axis. 31. The combination of claim 30 and wherein: said gear and said core portion and said flights are one piece of plastic. 32. The combination of claim 21 and wherein: said gear, flight and core portion are made of a single homogeneous material. 33. The combination of claim 32 and wherein: said auger includes a gear support ring portion; said auger includes a fillet joining said support ring portion at said outboard portion of said leading edge and extending about 0.875 inches circumferentially along said support ring to a trailing edge of said fillet, and said fillet extending downward along an outboard portion of said flight from said outboard portion of said leading edge. 34. The combination of claim 33 and wherein: said core portion has an inside diameter of about 0.760 inches. 35. The combination of claim 21 and further comprising: a blender hopper connected to said door and having a top portion adjacent said first passageway to receive said selected ones of said ingredients into said blender hopper; said blender hopper having an outlet for dispensing a blended combination of said selected ones of said ingredients and said frozen confection base. 36. The combination of claim 35 and wherein: said door including said stem is a unit of molded material; said third passageway has a portion which extends longitudinally through said stem toward said blender hopper outlet. 37. The combination of claim 35 and wherein: said third passageway is centered on said stem and on said blender hopper outlet. 38. The combination of claim 37 and further comprising: a plurality of valves associated with said ingredient containers and having operating motors, operable when actuated, to open and release selected ingredients from said containers to. travel down said first passageway to said auger, and a control panel coupled to said valve actuator for operation of said valve actuator to open said valve in said third passageway to release said frozen confection base into said third passageway at a predetermined time following actuation of the first of said motors to release one of said selected ingredients into said first passageway. 39. The combination of claim 35 and wherein: said blender hopper has a wall converging from a location near said top toward said blender outlet; said flight has an outboard edge formed to move close to said converging wall to sweep said selected solid ingredients toward said auger axis; said flight has a lower portion extending downward from a level of the lower end of said stem toward said blender outlet; and said outlet of said third passageway is at said lower end of said stem. 40. The combination of claim 39 and further comprising: a control panel coupled to said valve actuator and to said rotary power source and to said storage apparatus and operable by a user to select certain ones of said ingredients for blending with said soft-frozen base to produce a blend, and to select volume of said blend to be dispensed from said blender hopper outlet, and to cause dispensing of said blend into a user's receiver for consumption. 41. The combination of claim 39 and further comprising: a liquid injector in said door and having liquid outlet means inside said door a fifth passageway in said door and having an inlet communicating with said outlet means of said injector, and having an outlet communicating with said third passageway, for transfer of liquid when introduced from said outlet means of said injector, into said frozen confection base moving down said third passageway toward said outlet of said door. 42. The combination of claim 41 and further comprising: liquid storage and delivery apparatus coupled to said injector for storage of flavoring liquids of different flavors for selective injection of different flavors from said outlet means of said injector into said frozen confection base moving down said third passageway. 43. The combination of claim 42 and wherein: said lower portion of said flight has inboard edges with serrations in said inboard edges. 44. The combination of claim 43 and further comprising: a control panel coupled to said valve actuator and to said rotary power source and to said storage apparatus holding ingredient containers and to said liquid storage and delivery apparatus and operable by a user to select certain ones of said ingredients for blending with said soft-frozen base, and to select certain ones of said flavoring liquids for blending with said soft-frozen base to produce a blend, and to select volume of said blend to be dispensed from said blender hopper outlet, and to cause dispensing of said blend into a user's receiver for consumption. 45. The combination of claim 44 and wherein: said cabinet has a front wall; and said cabinet top has an extension portion which extends forward from said front wall of said cabinet; said extension portion has a front wall; and said control panel is at said front wall of said extension portion.