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A blending and dispensing appliance is provided which includes a blending container, a housing having a recess for receiving and supporting the blending container, and an agitator to agitate contents placed therein. A conduit is disposed on an outer sidewall of the blending container and fluidly con

A blending and dispensing appliance is provided which includes a blending container, a housing having a recess for receiving and supporting the blending container, and an agitator to agitate contents placed therein. A conduit is disposed on an outer sidewall of the blending container and fluidly connected to the blending container. An auger is disposed in the conduit and is rotated within the conduit when a dispensing arm is depressed. The rotating auger extrudes blended contents through the conduit from the blending container to a dispensing spout for further directing the blended contents into a beverage container. A motorized base containing both an agitator and auger motor selectively provide rotary power to the agitator and auger, respectively. A control system is provided for controlling the operation of auger and the agitator so that the contents placed into the beverage container are blended to a desired consistency.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A blending and dispensing appliance, comprising: a blending container;a housing for receiving and supporting the blending container;an agitator disposed in the blending container configured to agitate contents placed into the blending container;a motorized base disposed in the housing and configu

1. A blending and dispensing appliance, comprising: a blending container;a housing for receiving and supporting the blending container;an agitator disposed in the blending container configured to agitate contents placed into the blending container;a motorized base disposed in the housing and configured to couple to the agitator to selectively provide rotary power to the agitator;a conduit integrally formed on an outer sidewall of the blending container and fluidly connected to the blending container at a lower end;a port at a bottom of the blending container for fluidly connecting the blending container to the lower end of the conduit; andan auger disposed within the conduit and configured to rotate in a first direction within the conduit, said auger being rotatably coupled to the motorized base to selectively pump blended contents from within the blending container through said port and said lower end of the conduit to an upper end of said conduit when rotated in the first direction. 2. The blending and dispensing appliance of claim 1, further comprising a dispensing arm pivotally attached to the housing and movable between first and second positions, said dispensing arm being biased into the first position and when depressed by a beverage container into the second position causes said auger to be rotated in the first direction to pump blended contents from within said interior volume through said conduit to said upper end into said beverage container. 3. The blending and dispensing appliance of claim 2, further comprising a spout fluidly connected to said upper end configured to direct blended contents into said beverage container when said dispensing arm is depressed into the second position. 4. The blending and dispensing appliance of claim 2, comprising a control system configured to control operation of the motorized base to selectively provide rotary power to said agitator and said auger. 5. The blending and dispensing appliance of claim 4, wherein said control system selectively energizes and de-energizes an agitator motor disposed in the base for providing rotary power to the agitator. 6. The blending and dispensing appliance of claim 4, wherein said control system selectively energizes and de-energizes an auger motor disposed in the motorized base for providing rotary power to the auger. 7. The blending and dispensing appliance of claim 6, further comprising a switch operatively connected to said dispensing arm and said control system, said switch being closed when said dispensing arm is depressed into the second position which causes said control system to energize said auger motor and rotate in the first direction to pump blended contents from within said interior volume through said conduit to said second upper end into said beverage container and de-energize the auger motor when the dispensing arm is released. 8. The blending and dispensing appliance of claim 7, wherein said control system energizes said auger motor to rotate the auger in a second direction when said control system energizes said agitator motor to blend contents in said blending container, said auger rotating in the second direction causing any residual contents in said conduit to be pumped back into said blending container through said lower end and said port. 9. The blending and dispensing appliance of claim 8, wherein said control system includes a display, a plurality of switches, and a microprocessor operatively connected to the switches, said microprocessor including memory containing encoded instructions for a plurality of pre-programmed sequences for operation of the agitator for a desired outcome of an associated consistency of a desired blended beverage, said plurality of switches configured to be depressed to selectively display on the display a selection of the desired blended beverages associated with each of the pre-programmed sequences and to select one of the selections of desired blending beverages and cause the agitator to perform the associated pre-programmed sequence to blend the contents to the desired associated consistency. 10. The blending and dispensing appliance of claim 3, wherein said spout is secured to said upper end of said conduit with latches and is removable for cleaning. 11. The blending and dispensing appliance of claim 1, wherein said blending container and said port are configured to optimally allow the flow of blended contents between said blending container and said conduit while preventing the buildup of particles of blended contents in a region in proximity to said port. 12. The blending and dispensing appliance of claim 1, wherein said port is comprised of one or more openings in a portion of the outer sidewall of the blending container where the conduit is disposed. 13. The blending and dispensing appliance of claim 1, wherein said conduit is disposed vertically on the outer sidewall of the blending container and the auger is disposed vertically within said conduit. 14. A blending and dispensing appliance, comprising: a blending container;a housing for receiving and supporting the blending container;an agitator disposed in the blending container configured to agitate contents placed into the blending container;a motorized base disposed in the housing and configured to couple to the agitator to selectively provide rotary power to the agitator;a conduit disposed on an outer sidewall of the blending container and fluidly connected to the blending container at a first end;a port for fluidly connecting the blending container to the first end of the conduit;an auger disposed within the conduit and configured to rotate in both a first and second direction within the conduit, said auger being rotatably coupled to the motorized base to selectively pump blended contents from within the blending container through said port and said first end of the conduit to a second end of said conduit when rotated in the first direction; anda dispensing arm pivotally attached to the housing and movable between first and second positions, said dispensing arm being biased into the first position and when depressed by a beverage container into the second position causes said auger to be rotated in the first direction to pump blended contents from within said interior volume through said conduit to said second end into said beverage container. 15. The blending and dispensing appliance of claim 14, further comprising a spout fluidly connected to said second end configured to direct blended contents into said beverage container when said dispensing arm is depressed into the second position. 16. The blending and dispensing appliance of claim 15, comprising a control system configured to control operation of the motorized base to selectively provide rotary power to said agitator and said auger. 17. The blending and dispensing appliance of claim 16, wherein said control system selectively energizes and de-energizes an agitator motor disposed in the base for providing rotary power to the agitator. 18. The blending and dispensing appliance of claim 16, wherein said control system selectively energizes and de-energizes an auger motor disposed in the motorized base for providing rotary power to the auger. 19. The blending and dispensing appliance of claim 18, further comprising a switch operatively connected to said dispensing arm and said control system, said switch being closed when said dispensing arm is depressed into the second position which causes said control system to energize said auger motor and rotate in the first direction to pump blended contents from within said interior volume through said conduit to said second end into said beverage container and de-energize the auger motor when the dispensing arm is released. 20. The blending and dispensing appliance of claim 19, wherein said control system energizes said auger motor to rotate the auger in the second direction when said control system energizes said agitator motor to blend contents in said blending container, said auger rotating in the second direction causing any residual contents in said conduit to be pumped back into said blending container through said first end and said port. 21. The blending and dispensing appliance of claim 20, wherein said control system includes a display, a plurality of switches, and a microprocessor operatively connected to the switches, said microprocessor including memory containing encoded instructions for a plurality of pre-programmed sequences for operation of the agitator for a desired outcome of an associated consistency of a desired blended beverage, said plurality of switches configured to be depressed to selectively display on the display a selection of the desired blended beverages associated with each of the pre-programmed sequences and to select one of the selections of desired blending beverages and cause the agitator to perform the associated pre-programmed sequence to blend the contents to the desired associated consistency. 22. The blending and dispensing appliance of claim 15, wherein said spout is secured to said second end of said conduit with latches and is removable for cleaning. 23. The blending and dispensing appliance of claim 15, wherein said port is comprised of one or more openings in a portion of the outer sidewall of the blending container where the conduit is exposed. 24. The blending and dispensing appliance of claim 15, wherein said conduit is disposed vertically on the outer sidewall of the blending container and the auger is disposed vertically within said conduit.