Refrigeration – Processes – Congealing flowable material – e.g. – ice making
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-21
2003-10-28
Tapolcai, William E. (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Processes
Congealing flowable material, e.g., ice making
C062S342000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06637214
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains generally to methods and devices for preparing and dispensing frozen confectionery foods, such as frozen custard.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various systems and methods have been developed for the preparation and dispensing of frozen confectionery food products, such as ice cream, milk shakes, frozen yogurt, frozen juices, frozen carbonated beverages, and, in particular, frozen custard. Machines for the preparation and dispensing of frozen custard, and similar frozen confectionery food products, typically include a liquid mix container, for storing a liquid mixture from which the final frozen or semi-frozen food product is produced, and a freezing barrel or cylinder, in which the liquid mix is frozen to a desired consistency to produce the final frozen or semi-frozen food product.
The liquid mix container and freezing barrel are connected together via a tube or some other structure for providing liquid mix from the liquid mix container to the freezing barrel. The liquid mix container may be positioned above the freezing barrel, with liquid mix fed via gravity from the liquid mix container to the freezing barrel. A valve or other metering mechanism, which may be manually or automatically operated, may be positioned between the liquid mix container and the freezing barrel to control the flow of liquid mix from the liquid mix container to the freezing barrel. Alternatively, the liquid mix container may be positioned below or in some other position with respect to the freezing barrel. In such a case, liquid mix from the liquid mix container may be pumped, e.g., using a peristaltic pump or some other pumping mechanism, from the liquid mix container into the freezing barrel. As another alternative, the liquid mix container may be pressurized to provide for the pressurized transfer of liquid mix from the liquid mix container to the freezing barrel. Liquid mix within the liquid mix container may be refrigerated to maintain the quality of the mix in the mix container before it is provided to the freezing barrel. Cooling of the liquid mix in this manner may be provided by refrigeration coils wrapped around or otherwise positioned adjacent to the liquid mix container, or by positioning the liquid mix container within a refrigerated chamber.
The freezing barrel, for freezing the liquid mix to a desired consistency, is typically cylindrical in shape. Liquid mix from the liquid mix container is typically admitted into one end of the freezing barrel, and a frozen confectionery product, e.g., frozen custard, is dispensed from the opposite end of the freezing barrel. Back and front plates, which may be removable, seal the back and front ends of the freezing barrel. Liquid mix is admitted into the freezing barrel, typically through an aperture formed in or near the back sealing plate. The frozen or semi-frozen confectionery product formed in the freezing barrel is dispensed through a dispensing aperture formed in the front sealing plate thereof. Typically, a valve or gate structure is provided for closing the dispensing aperture formed in the front sealing plate, thereby enabling an operator to control the flow of frozen or semi-frozen product therefrom.
A rotatable mixing mechanism, sometimes referred to as a dasher, is disposed within the freezing barrel, typically along a central axis thereof. The mixing mechanism typically includes a mixing mechanism shaft, which is mounted at one end thereof for rotational movement in the front sealing plate and at the other end thereof at the back sealing plate. A motor, typically an electric motor, is positioned adjacent to the back sealing plate, typically outside of the freezing barrel, and is coupled through a seal structure to the mixing mechanism shaft, thereby to rotate the shaft. Blades of various sizes and shapes may be mounted to the mixing mechanism shaft within the freezing barrel. The blades mounted to the shaft may be designed for several purposes, including the mixing of liquid mix within the freezing barrel, the scraping of frozen product from the inner peripheral surface of the freezing barrel, and the providing of an auger mechanism for moving mix from the back of the freezing barrel to the front thereof, wherefrom the final frozen or semi-frozen food product is dispensed.
The freezing barrel is chilled, typically by refrigerant evaporator coils wrapped around the freezing barrel or by a refrigerant evaporator barrel or chamber formed around the freezing barrel and through which refrigerant is pumped. The entire freezing barrel, except for the back and front ends thereof, including any evaporator coils or chamber surrounding the freezing barrel, is typically encased in a thermally insulating material, such as foam, thereby to provide more efficient chilling of the freezing barrel, and to minimize the effect of ambient environmental temperatures on the freezing barrel temperature. As liquid mix is driven by the rotating mixing mechanism from the back end to the front end of the chilled freezing barrel, the liquid mix is frozen to a desired consistency to be dispensed from the front end of the freezing barrel.
Various systems and methods have been devised for controlling the combined process of providing liquid mix to a freezing barrel, mixing the mix in and propelling the mix through the barrel, freezing the mix in the barrel as it is propelled therethrough, and dispensing a frozen product from the freezing barrel, to ensure that the final frozen food product produced by the combined process has the desired consistency and quality. For example, many frozen food products (e.g. soft serve ice cream, milk shakes, etc.) are dispensed serving by serving from the freezing barrel of the machine in which they are produced. To maintain a desired amount of mix within the freezing barrel, to provide a desired quantity and quality of product, some systems monitor operation of a dispensing mechanism provided at the front end of the freezing barrel. By monitoring when, or for how long, the dispensing mechanism is opened, or an amount of product dispensed through the dispensing mechanism, the providing of liquid mix into the freezing barrel may be controlled in response thereto to maintain a desired amount of mix in the freezing barrel. Other systems have monitored the weight of material in the freezing barrel, or the pressure within the freezing barrel, and have controlled the providing of liquid mix into the freezing barrel to maintain a desired weight or pressure of material within the barrel. Systems have also used thermistors or other temperature sensors to monitor temperatures within the freezing barrel, and have employed such temperature monitoring to control the refrigeration system providing chilling to the freezing barrel, thereby to maintain the freezing barrel and, therefore, the contents thereof, at a desired temperature. Still other systems have monitored the speed of rotation of the rotatable mixing mechanism positioned in the freezing barrel, or the amount of work required to drive the mixing mechanism (which may be measured by monitoring current flow to an electric motor driving the mixing mechanism), to determine the consistency of the product within the freezing barrel, and to adjust operation of the system (e.g. chilling temperature and mixing mechanism rotation) in response thereto.
Some machines for producing frozen or semi-frozen food products provide for different modes of operation of the machine. For example, the freezing barrel temperature and/or speed of mixing mechanism rotation may be controlled automatically by the machine to different temperature levels and speeds depending upon whether the machine is in, e.g., a production mode, where a frozen food product is being produced by the machine, a hold mode, where a frozen or semi-frozen product within the freezing barrel is maintained at a desired consistency without more product being made, a cleaning mode, where water or some other cleaner is passed through the freezing barrel to clean and sterilize it, or a pasteuriza
Leitzke Daniel W.
Martello Patrick J.
Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c.
Tapolcai William E.
V & L Tool, Inc.
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