F'real! Foods, LLC

Other

Stevens-lee Company

Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc.

James J Farrell

Jens Peter Voges

Clayton Grant Gardner

Shek Fai Lau

Joseph M Lehman

Gage C Cauchois

Steve T Connell

Chris M Bradley

Jeffrey Alan Tilley

Alan Scott Crarer

James Krause

Steven T Dorsey

Kathleen Ann Scheible

Mazen Chadid

Clayton Gardner

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 reflected or eliminating the need for manual cleansing and sanitation by an attendant and ensuring healthy food preparation in all times.

Commercial frozen food preparation apparatus electronics

A blender for home or commercial use that is rugged enough to blend frozen beverages, simple to use and safe. The blender includes an upper housing with a front housing door that covers the moving blending machinery. The blender also includes a cupholder receiving area which allows the user to safely insert a frozen food or beverage cup inside a cupholder for blending. After the start button is pressed, the cup and cupholder will be lifted together for blending in a balanced, linear motion by an elevator assembly. Dual lead screws or a dual belt drive are preferably used in the elevator assembly to achieve this balanced, linear motion. As the cupholder is lifted upward, a cover will be pressed over the top opening of the inserted cup to prevent spillage during blending. The elevator assembly continues to lift the cupholder upward until the rotating cutter blades of a spindle assembly cut through successive layers of the frozen food or beverage. To facilitate cleaning, the spindle assembly is preferably removable from the blender through use of a quick release coupling mechanism.

Blender with elevator assembly and removable spindle

A method for blending food or beverages, preferably using a blender that is compact enough for home use, rugged enough to blend frozen beverages, simple to use and safe. The blender includes an upper housing, with a front housing door, that covers the moving blending machinery. The blender also includes a cupholder receiving area which allows the user to safely insert a frozen beverage cup inside a cupholder for blending. After the start button is pressed, a cupholder lip will be grasped by the clamping jaw of an elevator assembly to lift the cupholder up. As the cupholder is lifted upward, a cover will be pressed over the top opening of the inserted cup to prevent spillage during blending. The elevator assembly will then continue to lift the cupholder upward until the rotating cutter blades of a spindle assembly cut through successive layers of the frozen beverage.

Method for blending food or beverages

A blender that is compact enough for home use, rugged enough to blend frozen beverages, simple to use and safe. The blender includes an upper housing, with a front housing door; that covers the moving blending machinery. The blender also includes a cupholder receiving area which allows the user to safely insert a frozen beverage cup inside a cupholder for blending. After the start button is pressed, a cupholder lip will be grasped by the clamping jaw of an elevator assembly to lift the cupholder. As the cupholder is lifted upward, a cover will be pressed over the top opening of the inserted cup to prevent spillage during blending. The elevator assembly will then continue to lift the cupholder upward until the rotating cutter blades of a spindle assembly cut through successive layers of the frozen beverage.

Compact blender for frozen beverages

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.

Commercial frozen food preparation apparatus

Commercial frozen food preparation apparatus sanitation

A container for containing food and/or beverage ingredients is described. The container is of a type which may be supported in a support while the ingredients inside the container are processed, such as by a rotating blade or other mechanism. The container includes anti-rotation elements positionable in anti-rotational contact with a corresponding protruding portion in a container support in a manner which restricts rotational movement of the vessel relative to the container support. The off-set between each of the anti-rotation elements is an angle other than 180&#xb0;.

Method and apparatus for rotationally restraining a mixing container

The present application describes a method for rinsing a splash shield with water or a sanitizing solution. According to the disclosed method, a vessel containing contents to be mixed is positioned in a mixing machine, and a splash shield is positioned to shield the opening of the vessel. After the material within the vessel is mixed by a mixing element, the splash shield is separated from the vessel and rinsed by a nozzle on the mixing machine. In another embodiment, a vessel containing contents to be mixed is positioned in a holder on a mixing machine, and a splash shield (which may or may not be rinseable) is positioned over the opening of the vessel. The contents of the vessel are mixed using a mixing element. During and/or after mixing, opposed relative movement of the mixing element and vessel may occur, creating an upward lifting force on the vessel. The weight of the shield is sufficient to overcome this upward lifting force on the vessel and thereby causes the vessel to remain seated in the holder.

Rinseable splash shield and method of use

The present application describes a method for rinsing a splash shield. A vessel containing contents to be mixed is positioned in a mixing machine, and a splash shield is positioned over the opening of the vessel. After the material within the vessel is mixed by a mixing element, the splash shield is separated from the vessel and rinsed by a nozzle on the mixing machine. In another embodiment, a vessel containing contents to be mixed is positioned in a holder on a mixing machine, and a splash shield (which may or may not be rinseable) is positioned over the opening of the vessel. The contents of the vessel are mixed using a mixing element. During and/or after mixing, opposed relative movement of the mixing element and vessel may occur, creating an upward lifting force on the vessel. The weight of the shield is sufficient to overcome this upward lifting force on the vessel and thereby causes the vessel to remain seated in the holder.

The present application describes a method for rinsing a splash shield. According to the disclosed method, a vessel containing contents to be mixed is positioned in a mixing machine, and a splash shield is positioned over the opening of the vessel. After the material within the vessel is mixed by a mixing element, the splash shield is separated from the vessel and rinsed by a nozzle on the mixing machine. In another embodiment, a vessel containing contents to be mixed is positioned in a holder on a mixing machine, and a splash shield (which may or may not be rinseable) is positioned over the opening of the vessel. The contents of the vessel are mixed using a mixing element. During and/or after mixing, opposed relative movement of the mixing element and vessel may occur, creating an upward lifting force on the vessel. The weight of the shield is sufficient to overcome this upward lifting force on the vessel and thereby causes the vessel to remain seated in the holder.

A cutting device for use in cutting through material in a container includes a rotatable shaft and a cutting element coupled to the shaft. The cutting element is laterally extendable and retractable relative to the shaft so as to accommodate tapered or non-cylindrical cups, as well as to allow use of the cutting elements in cups having different diameters.

Cutting device and method for cutting material from a container

The present invention is a frozen drink machine and a method for making frozen drinks from a frozen substance which has been frozen into a block. According to the method of the present invention, a block of frozen substance is held in a vessel while a rotatable blade having features for grinding the frozen substance, and if desirable, for aerating the ground frozen substance, acts on the block, grinding the frozen substance while a heated liquid is simultaneously introduced into the vessel. An apparatus according to the present invention supports a cup containing the frozen substance, and includes a rotatable blade which is lowered into the cup and means for pumping a heated liquid into the cup.

Apparatus for making frozen drinks

The disclosed method for making a milkshake or smoothie includes the steps of providing a cup containing a block of ingredients, grinding the block, and adding a liquid heated to at least approximately 100&deg; F. The ingredients in the cup are provided in the form of a block frozen to substantially conform to the interior of the cup. In one embodiment, the method includes the step of whipping to incorporate air into a mixture of the heated liquid and the ground frozen substance in the cup. In that case, the incorporated air, heated liquid, and ground frozen substance form a milkshake or smoothie which has a total volume that exceeds the volume of the mixture of the heated liquid and block of frozen ingredients alone.

Method for making frozen drinks

The present invention is a frozen drink machine and a method for making frozen drinks from a frozen substance which has been frozen into a block. According to the method of the present invention, a block of frozen substance is held in a vessel while a rotatable blade having features for grinding the frozen substance and, if desirable, for aerating the ground frozen substance, acts on the block, grinding the frozen substance while a heated liquid is simultaneously introduced into the vessel. An apparatus according to the present invention supports a cup containing the frozen substance, and includes a rotatable blade which is lowered into the cup and means for pumping a heated liquid into the cup.

Apparatus and method for making frozen drinks

A container for containing food and/or beverage ingredients is described. The container is of a type which may be supported in a cup holder while the ingredients inside are processed, such as by a rotating blade or other mechanism, and which is restrained against rotation which would otherwise be caused by the action of the rotating blade or other processing tool. In a preferred embodiment, a non-circular anti-rotation pattern is formed on the cup bottom for mating with a corresponding pattern on a cup holder.

Growing community of inventors

Orinda, CA, United States of America

James J Farrell