Blendtec, Inc.

K-tec Gmbh

Ideya Labs, LLC

David J Throckmorton

Thomas D Dickson, Jr

Mark W McLane

Sterling O Kingdon

Kory B Robins

B Shawn Elgaaen

Ralph W Schwarze

Richard C Galbraith

W Reid Stout

Joseph O Jacobsen

Gregory D Jackson

Bradley Scott Maxfield

Thomas D Dickson

Cody Hardcastle

David Q Bytheway

Evan J Bauer

Systems and methods are described herein for a blender control system to monitor the usage of a blender system. The blender control system may decrement a remaining blend runtime and/or remaining blend cycle count each time that the blender is used. The blender control system may disable or partially disable at least some functions of the blender system once the remaining blend runtime and/or remaining blend cycle count is depleted. Additional blend cycles and/or blend runtime may be purchased directly via an interface on the blender system, through a mobile application, by phone, or via a web portal. The blender control system replenishes the remaining blend runtime and/or remaining cycle count in response to the purchase.

Blender control system

A vacuum blending system may be used to blend solids, powders, and/or liquids (foodstuff) in an evacuated blender jar and/or evacuated enclosure to reduce or eliminate the air included in the resulting mixture. The vacuum blending system may be embodied as a vacuum lid adaptable for use with any of a wide variety of blending systems. In other embodiments, the vacuum blending system may be embodied as a blender with an integrated vacuum system. In still other embodiments, the vacuum blending system may be embodied as a vacuum pump, and optional vacuum tank, for use with a plurality off blender enclosures. Any of these vacuum blending systems may be used to produce blended foodstuff that has superior texture, offer increased nutritional benefit, and/or remain homogeneous for longer than the same foodstuff remains well-mixed when blended in a non-vacuum.

Vacuum blender, vacuum blender system, and vacuum blender lid

A blending apparatus includes a blending jar and a lid. The blending jar has an internal surface defining an internal volume, and a mixing blade positioned within the internal volume. The lid is releasably mounted to the blending jar and includes at least one scraper extending into the internal volume. The at least one scraper is adjacent to the internal surface of the blending jar and is arranged and configured to disrupt rotational flow of food particles within the internal volume and/or scrape food particles from an inner surface of the blending jar.

Blending jar with scraper apparatus

An ice dispensing assembly includes a hopper, a metering disk, a shelf member, and a separating wall. The hopper includes an outlet opening defined in a bottom end of the hopper, and an ice inlet defined in a top end of the hopper. The metering disk is positioned in the hopper and includes a plurality of cavities. The shelf member is arranged to at least partially shield the cavities from a supply of ice held in the hopper. The metering disk is rotatable relative to the hopper between a first position wherein at least one cavity is exposed to the supply of ice to be filled with ice, and a second position wherein the cavity is separated from the supply of ice by the separating wall and ice in the cavity is dispensed through the outlet opening.

Ice dispensing and metering system and methods

A machine for processing a chilled food product includes a product in a storage container, wherein the product has a frozen portion and a non-frozen portion in the storage container, and the frozen portion has a granular size. The machine mixes the frozen portion of the product with the non-frozen portion of the product within the storage container, flows the frozen portion and non-frozen portion into contact with a shearing apparatus, and shears at least the frozen portion with the shearing apparatus, thereby reducing the granular size of the frozen portion. The machine may refine and process chilled food products such as smoothies and slushes to have a smoother and more even consistency.

Chilled product post-processing apparatus

Blending jar with scraper apparatus and methods

A blender jar with ridges has a bottom wall positioned below a movable blending member, a sidewall surface extending upward from the bottom wall, and a plurality of ridges extending inward from the sidewall surface. The ridges are positioned reflectively asymmetric relative to the mixing area in the jar. The ridges may improve blending consistency and uniformity, and may reduce blending time.

Blending jar with ridges

Blender jar with internal ribs

A blending station apparatus and method includes a foodstuffs storage location where a plurality of individual foodstuffs storage containers are held, a control panel for inputting information into the blending station so that the beverage size and one or more of the various types of foodstuffs, as well as other ingredients such as ice, water, supplements, etc., can be selected to make a drink, a blending container to hold the various ingredients, a mixing location for blending the ingredients to achieve a uniform drink consistency, and a cleaning location to clean the blending container after the blended contents have been dispensed into a container for consumption.

Blending station apparatus and method

Blending station apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Mapleton, UT, United States of America

David J Throckmorton