An apparatus and a method of dispensing a flavored confection include a freezer to hold a flowable confection and a door that connects to the freezer. The door includes a syrup delivery system including one or more syrup pumps. The one or more syrup pumps are configured to deliver a flavored syrup into a container. A load cell assembly including a load cell configured to measure the weight of a container and the contents of the container holds the container adjacent to said freezer and the door. The syrup pump delivers the flavored syrup into the container for a predetermined period of time, and the flowable confection is dispensed from said freezer to the container until the load cell measures a predetermined weight for the container and the contents within the container.

A machine for making liquid and/or semi-liquid products of the ice cream sector comprises a processing container forming a processing chamber for making an ice cream product, a stirrer mounted inside the processing chamber, a cooling system equipped with at least one heat exchanger associated with the processing container, for exchanging heat with the container and cooling the processing container and a unit for receiving and treating a capsule containing a basic preparation for an ice cream product, configured to allow the capsule to be compressed in such a way so as to deform lateral walls of the capsule and to squeeze the basic preparation out of the capsule and transfer it to the processing container.

The invention relates to a device for dosing into a container (2) a pasty food product including solid pieces and a sauce. The device comprises an metering nozzle (1) comprising a main outlet to which the pasty food product with solid pieces is provided by a first channel (13) of the nozzle (1), and at least two peripheral outlets situated at a periphery of the main outlet to which the sauce is provided by corresponding second channels (14). The device comprises a support (3) for holding a container (2) to be filled from the nozzle (1), and is configured so that the metering nozzle moves, relative to the support (3), following a path around a central axis of said support. A corresponding system and a method are also provided.

A method of using a frozen food product dispensing machine includes producing, by the frozen food product dispensing machine, a frozen food product, and dispensing, by the frozen food product dispensing machine, the frozen food product through a nozzle passage of a nozzle coupled to the frozen food product dispensing machine. The nozzle defines a food product inlet fluidly coupled to the frozen food product dispensing machine and a food product outlet. The nozzle passage extends between the food product inlet and the food product outlet. The method includes introducing, by a cleaning fluid source, a cleaning fluid into the nozzle passage through a cleaning fluid inlet in the nozzle. The cleaning fluid inlet is fluidly coupled to the nozzle passage between the food product inlet and the food product outlet.

A frozen confection dispensing apparatus includes a freezer section having a base product. A dispensing section is connected to the freezer section. The dispensing section includes a mixing cylinder and a plunger movably positioned within the mixing cylinder, the mixing cylinder including at least one injection port. A flavoring section includes a plurality of flavor syrups connected to a specified injection port. A stepper motor is connected to the plunger and moves the plunger within the mixing cylinder. A control mechanism is connected with the stepper motor and syrup pump selectively moving the plunger wherein a syrup dispense rate and timing is sequenced by the control mechanism with the stepper motor driven plunger wherein mixing of the base product and flavor syrup is precisely controlled.

The invention relates to an apparatus (1) for making a frozen confectionery product (3) by rotary vertical extrusion into a container (2), said apparatus comprising a nozzle (3) comprising a frozen confectionery passage (4) with one inlet port (5) and a single outlet port (6) having an elongated cross-section, two coating passages (7) with two coating inlet ports (8) and two corresponding coating outlet ports (9) having elongated cross-sections, wherein the frozen confectionery passage inlet port (5) and the single elongated outlet port (6) are joined by a funnel passage (10) expanding at an angle of at least 35-25, preferably 32-27, relative to the flow direction in the nozzle (3) and a land length passage (11) having walls parallel to the flow direction of the nozzle, and wherein the coating outlet ports (9) are positioned on the inside walls of the land length passage (11) upstream of the frozen confectionery outlet port (6) and extends in parallel to the frozen confectionery outlet port (6), so as to form an annular or helical coating layer (12) in or on the frozen confectionery (13) upon rotation of the nozzle (3) and the container (2) with respect to one another. The invention also relates to a method of making frozen confectionery product with large inclusions and to the product as such.

The present invention relates to a frozen soft-serve confection dispensing machine where the soft serve confection is a flavored frozen soft-serve confection having a base selected from ice creams, frozen yogurts, sorbets and gelatos. The dispensing machine comprises one or more base hoppers, each base hopper being linked to a dedicated detachable base cartridge, a dedicated plurality of detachable flavour cartridges containing a flavour mix and a dedicated mixing chamber and storage slot associated with each detachable flavour cartridge. The detachable base cartridge and plurality of flavour cartridges are connected to one of the base hoppers. Control means are provided to enable a user to select a flavour mix from one of the dedicated flavour cartridges, and to cause the base and selected flavour mix to be mixed in the dedicated mixing chamber and then storing and refrigerating the mixture of the base and flavour mix in the storage slots to form a mixed frozen soft-serve confection for dispensing.

An interactive frozen confectionery vending machine with a freezer enclosure, a delivery and toppings dispensing enclosure and a control system enclosure. A programmable control system allows a customer to select a frozen confectionery cup stored within the freezer enclosure and to select a hard and soft topping that are automatically dispensed into the cup and the cup is delivered to the waiting customer through a customer access door that closes after the transaction is completed. A centrally located gear motor rotates an arm that terminates in a cup. The cup receives a topping from a canister and then rotates to drop the topping into the frozen confectionery cup. A soft topping is pumped via flexible liquid topping delivery tubes into a dispensing arm located above the frozen confectionery cup. A standard payment system and touch screen allow the customer to pay for and select frozen confectionery and toppings.

A method for making ice cream including a basic flavor in which an additional flavor of a different type is inserted includes the following steps: preparing a container for processing the basic ice cream product; cooling and stirring a basic preparation inside processing container to make a basic ice cream product; preparing a hermetically sealed capsule containing an additional flavor; opening the capsule; simultaneously transferring a portion of the basic ice cream from the processing container to the serving container and the additional flavor from the open capsule to the serving container, wherein the simultaneous transferring step comprises a step of delivering the additional flavor into a first predetermined spatial region and a step of delivering the basic ice cream into a second spatial region which contains the first spatial region, so that the additional flavor is fed into the basic ice cream in the serving container.

Devices and systems for dispensing flavored, frozen flowable foods are disclosed. Such devices and systems may include a flavor injection and blending assembly having an inner surface that tapers inwardly near an outlet end to form a nozzle that aids in coalescing strands of frozen flowable confection, formed during mixing, into a unitary form. Flavor injection and blending assemblies having a first mixing vane and a second mixing vane welded to one another are disclosed. Sanitizing systems configured to provide water to a flavor injection and blending assembly are also disclosed.