An apparatus for the preparation of frozen confectionery products comprising a filling head (1) comprising one or more frozen confection inlets (3) connectable to a source of one or more frozen confections comprising one or more inclusions, a mixing chamber (4) and an outlet (2), a first housing (5) comprising a nozzle (6) is connectable to, and rotatable in relation to, the filling head outlet (2), and the outlet of the nozzle (7) has a cross section comprising a central section (8) and peripheral sections (9), wherein an annular shape (24) can be superimposed on the central section (8) and the diameter of the annular shape (24) has a ratio of from 3:1 to 6:1 of the longest length of the one or more inclusions, and the longest length of the one or more inclusions is from 2 mm to 10 mm. A process for the preparation of a frozen confection product comprising the foregoing apparatus and a product prepared according to the process.

A separable container and related method for delivering predetermined portions of product contained within a container is provided. The container has a sidewall having a plurality of frangible sections disposed at predetermined distances along the height of the sidewall. A plurality of flexible dividers are interspersed with the product in the container, each of the flexible dividers being substantially aligned with a respective frangible section of the sidewall. Sidewall segments are separable from the container to expose a predetermined portion of the product contained therein, and the flexible dividers define a boundary between adjacent predetermined portions of product to facilitate separation of the exposed predetermined product portions from a remainder of product seated within the container sidewall.

A vending machine for ice-cream and the like comprising: a batch-freezing unit that is capable of producing, inside itself, soft ice-cream and is provided with a valve assembly with a controlled opening and closing, through which the soft ice-cream can selectively flow out of the batch-freezing unit; a vessel-holding structure, which is adapted to temporarily support a portion vessel, placing it immediately beneath the valve assembly so as to collect the soft ice-cream that flows out of, and falls from, the valve assembly; and an electronic control device adapted to control at least said valve assembly; and a first detection device adapted to determine when the soft ice-cream coming out of the valve assembly touches the portion vessel stationary beneath the valve assembly; the electronic control device being adapted to control said valve assembly based on the signals coming from said first detection device.

A method and assembly for preparing a drink based on frozen food comprises storing frozen food in various containers (111) in the form of first granular materials and under deep-freeze conditions, crushing (12) a portion of at least one of the first granular materials into a second granular material, and placing the second granular material into a cup (9). A first liquid (16) is added to the cup at a temperature of at least 50 C. The cup, filled with the foods and possibly the first liquid, is closed (154), and the content of the cup is ground into a homogeneous mass. Lastly, the cup is opened and served.

An ice-cream vending machine with an insulated and refrigerated bottom half housing containing stacks of pre-portioned ice-cream supported by a plurality of circular platforms and a top half housing containing radially deposed topping storage bins, a topping retrieval mechanism, a centrally located stacked cup storage tube and a centrally located cup holding platform. The topping retrieval mechanism with a topping receiving cup is attached to a horizontally disposed telescoping arm The telescoping arm engages a radially disposed drive mechanism that allows the topping receiving cup to access a selected bin and deliver the topping to a portion of ice-cream. The ice-cream portions are retrieved one at a time from the refrigerated bottom half housing and delivered via an ice-cream delivery mechanism to a centrally located ice-cream cup.

A machine for dispensing an individual portion of a frozen dessert may include a cartridge cart having walls forming a cavity having a longitudinal central axis and configured to accommodate a cartridge. The cartridge may include a tube having first and second ends, a nozzle disposed at the first end, and a piston disposed between the nozzle and the second end and configured to slidably move along the tube. The individual portion of the frozen dessert may be contained within the tube between the nozzle and the piston. The machine may also include a plunger, a drive source operably coupled to the plunger and configured to drive the plunger along the central axis, and a support configured to support the first end of the cartridge such that actuating the drive source causes the individual portion of frozen dessert to dispense through the nozzle.

A process for producing a food product comprises the following process steps: a) introducing ice cream into a cup, so that the ice cream occupies a lower region of the cup, b) introducing a specified quantity of liquid coolant into a metering container, c) after completion of process steps a) and b), introducing the coolant from the metering container into the cup, so that the coolant cools a top side of the ice cream in the cup, and d) after completion of process step c), introducing an at least partially melted garnishing substance into the cup, so that a solid garnishing layer composed of the garnishing substance is formed on the top side of the ice cream as a result of hardening of the garnishing substance.

An automatic frozen food product vending machine includes a freezer barrel configured to produce a frozen food product, a spigot fluidly connected to the freezer barrel, the spigot for dispensing the frozen food product, a movable platform for supporting a container to receive frozen food product, the movable container movable among a home position and a fill position below the spigot, and a processing circuit configured to open the spigot and fill the container with an amount of frozen food product.

A frozen food temperature adjusting apparatus includes a setting mechanism in which a temperature adjustment object is placed; a heat exchanging/pressing mechanism which exchanges heat with the temperature adjustment object placed in the setting mechanism while pressing the temperature adjustment object; and a serving mechanism which receives the temperature-adjusted temperature adjustment object and serves the temperature-adjusted temperature adjustment object in a predetermined container.

An automatic frozen food product vending machine includes a frozen food product dispensing station for dispensing at least one frozen food product, a container dispenser for storing multiple frozen food product containers and configured to automatically dispense one frozen food product container at a time, a first movable platform for supporting a dispensed frozen food product container, a topping dispensing station for dispensing at least one topping, a second movable platform for supporting the dispensed frozen food product container, a user input device configured to receive a user selection of a desired frozen food product and a user selection of a desired topping, and processing electronics configured to automate operation of the vending machine after the user selections are made.