A system for dispensing a frozen beverage. The system includes a barrel having an inner wall and being configured to retain the frozen beverage therein. A mixing system causes mixing of the frozen beverage within the barrel. A cooling system cools the frozen beverage from radially outwardly of the inner wall. A melting system heats the frozen beverage from radially inwardly of the inner wall. The mixing system causes relatively larger ice crystals to move inwardly from the inner wall, and the melting system reduces a size of the relatively larger ice crystals.

A food product dispenser including a cabinet; a freezing cylinder; an evaporator including a fluid path that generally encircles the freezing cylinder; a compressor located within the cabinet at a location below the freezing cylinder; a condenser at least partially positioned between the compressor and the evaporator; a variable flow expansion valve located within the cabinet and having a first inlet fluidly coupled to the condenser outlet and a first outlet fluidly coupled to the evaporator inlet and a second variable flow expansion valve located within the cabinet having a second inlet fluidly coupled to the condenser outlet and a second fluid outlet coupled to the compressor inlet.

A refrigerator appliance may include a cabinet, a door, a sealed cooling system, and an ice cream unit. The door may include a door liner defining an icebox compartment. The door may include a chilled air supply opening and a chilled air return opening spaced apart from the chilled air supply opening. The ice cream unit may be disposed within the icebox compartment. The ice cream unit may include a freezing tank, a rotatable auger extending into the freezing tank, a tank jacket, and a unit duct or support base. The tank jacket may receive the freezing tank and define a cooling passage extending about the freezing tank from a jacket inlet to a jacket outlet. The jacket outlet may be open to the icebox compartment to exhaust air from the cooling passage to the icebox compartment.

A machine for making liquid or semi-liquid products, includes: a first processing container for processing a basic liquid or semi-liquid product and defining a processing chamber; a cooling cylinder mounted inside the first container; a second processing container; a connecting duct between the first container and the second container; a dispensing device associated with the first processing container and configured, in a dispensing configuration, to deliver the liquid or semi-liquid product to the outside or, in an inhibiting configuration, to prevent the liquid or semi-liquid product from being dispensed; and a shutoff valve configured, in a closed configuration, to close the connecting duct between the first container and the second container or, in an open configuration, to open the connecting duct between the first container and the second container.

A heat exchanger includes a first tube extending along a central axis. The first tube defines a chamber that contains a first medium. A corrugated sheath of the heat exchanger is disposed radially outward from and extends circumferentially about the outer face for transferring heat through the inner tube.

Provided is a cooling chamber, cooling system and an appliance for producing cooled edible products, such as ice cream, sorbets, frozen yogurt, foamed cooled drinks, etc.

An improved frozen product dispenser wherein a product is placed into a cooled hopper and the product is then fed from the hopper into a freezing and dispensing chamber where it is frozen and dispensed.

A machine for making liquid or semi-liquid products, including: a first processing container for processing a basic liquid or semi-liquid product and defining a processing chamber; a cooling cylinder mounted inside the first container; a rotary stirrer mounted inside the first container and outside the cooling cylinder; a thermal treatment system provided with at least a first exchanger associated with the cooling cylinder; a second processing container; a connecting duct designed to connect the second processing container to the first processing container to transfer the basic liquid or semi-liquid product from the second processing container to the first processing container; a dispensing device associated with the first processing container to deliver the liquid or semi-liquid product to the outside.

A machine for making liquid or semi-liquid food products includes a frame and a thermal system, which performs at least one thermodynamic cycle using a main heat exchanger fluid, and a production unit. The production unit is provided with a processing container having a cavity which defines a processing chamber for making a liquid or semi-liquid food product, a stirrer, applied or applicable on the frame at a fixed position and fitted or fittable in the processing container, and coupling means between the processing container and the drive shaft to allow coupling and hence transmission of motion from the motor to the processing container. In particular, the stirrer is provided with an inner core and an outer covering made of different materials.

Disclosed is a receptacle and valve assembly (100) for use in a device (1) for dispensing frozen confection (13). The receptacle (8) comprises a product compartment (20) containing the frozen confection located inside a bottle and having a tubular outlet (22). The valve (7) comprises a tubular inlet (41) having a deformable gasket (43) on an outer surface thereof. The tubular inlet (41) of the valve is receivable within the tubular outlet (22) of the receptacle to allow the deformable gasket (43) to form a fluid-tight seal with an inner wall of the tubular outlet.