A mounting plate for a smoothie vending machine vertically disposed on the housing of the vending machine. The mounting plate is vertically hinged and swingable outward from the housing. The mounting plate is positioned and arranged between a front door of the smoothie vending machine and a plurality of smoothie dispensing tanks contained in the housing. The mounting plate is positioned and arranged to swing open to enable access to the smoothie dispensing tanks and a plurality of blender motors for refilling and maintenance. A means for retrieving and moving a cup are disposed on the mounting plate.

A linear rail guide system for a smoothie vending machine, the linear rail guide system positioned and arranged for positioning a cup at a dispensing point of six separate smoothie blenders, the smoothie blenders located at different horizontal and vertical positions. In one example, the linear rail guide system includes a frame of two vertical members and two horizontal members, a horizontally movable third vertical member disposed on the two horizontal members, a vertically moveable cup holder assembly disposed on the third vertical member, a motor disposed on the third vertical member to vertically move a cup holder, and a second motor disposed on the cup holder assembly to rotate the cup holder.

A tubeless smoothie vending machine including a tubeless electro-mechanically actuated dispensing nozzle attached to each smoothie dispensing tank, a cup retrieval system to retrieve an empty cup and move the cup to each selected dispensing nozzle, a portal in the cup retrieval system to transfer the cup through the cup retrieval system, a receiving shelf to receive the filled cup, a dispenser system to drop dry food product into the beverage filled cup, and an access door to open when the beverage filled cup is ready to vend to the customer. Tubes for delivering beverage to the cup are eliminated. A consolidated smoothie vending machine having a plurality of integrated smoothie blenders, a dry food supplement delivery assembly, a straw delivery assembly, and a lid delivery assembly. In one example, the smoothie blenders are stacked. In one example, the smoothie blenders are attached to sliding shelving.

A drinking vessel has a body with a plurality of chambers formed therein and an access channel opening to a compartment at a base of the body. Each of the plurality of chambers opens to the compartment at the bottom of the body. Each of the plurality of chambers opens at a top of the body. The access channel is adapted to receive a straw or a tube therein. The body is a plurality of walls formed therein. The plurality walls define the plurality of channels in the body. The plurality walls extend from an inner wall of the body to an exterior of the access channel.

Systems and methods for mobile frozen food dispensers are disclosed. In one aspect, a mobile frozen food dispenser includes a dispensing gun comprising an input configured to control dispensing of frozen food from the dispensing gun and a container configured to store the frozen food and maintain a temperature of the frozen food below a predetermined temperature. The mobile frozen food dispenser further includes a delivery tube connecting the container to the dispensing gun, and a motor configured to drive the frozen food from the container to the dispensing gun via the delivery tube based on a signal received from the input.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing edible ice products comprising: (a) a thermally insulated food grade material chamber; (b) at least one atomizing beverage nozzle (s) inserted in said thermally insulated chamber for spraying beverage droplets into said thermally insulated chamber; (c) at least one beverage valve(s), disposed between a beverage source and said atomizing beverage nozzle (s), for controlling the beverage flow rate into said chamber; (d) at least one gas expansion nozzle (s), inserted in said thermally insulated chamber, for expanding the gas in its liquid state to its gaseous state, and for jetting gas on said beverage droplets, in said thermally insulated chamber; (e) at least one gas flow regulator(s), disposed between a gas source and said gas nozzle (s) for regulating the gas flow rate into said gas expansion nozzle (s); (f) a controller for controlling said beverage valve (s) and said gas flow regulator (s); and (g) wherein said controller controls said beverage valve (s) and said gas flow regulator(s) for ensuring that said sprayed beverage droplets meet the jetted gas for freezing said droplets for forming a texture controlled edible ice product in said thermally insulated chamber.

A beverage nucleation device includes a housing, a beverage receiving area defined by the housing for receiving a beverage container containing a supercooled beverage, and a support configured to support the beverage container in an upright orientation in the beverage container receiving area. The beverage nucleation device may further include an applicator configured to contact a sidewall of the beverage container on the support, wherein the applicator includes an elastomeric material. An ultrasonic transducer of the beverage nucleation device is configured to generate and apply ultrasonic energy to the beverage container via the applicator so as to cause nucleation of the supercooled beverage.

A device for shredding deep-frozen food products provided in block form comprises a tool coupled to one end of a rotatable shaft by means of which it is rotated about an axis of rotation and advanced along the axis of rotation in the direction towards the block, thereby scraping layers off the block. The tool can be uncoupled from and recoupled to the end of the shaft without using a tool. When the tool is coupled to the end of the shaft it axially abuts the shaft's end and is thereby held in a force-locking manner on the end of the shaft for the transmission of drive forces from the shaft to the tool. The device includes a tool detection device to determine whether a tool is arranged on the end of the shaft as intended so that operation can occur only when the tool is connected as intended.

The disclosure extends to apparatuses, methods, and systems, for producing frozen confections and conditioning ice for use in frozen confections. A frozen confection machine includes a hopper portion for receiving ice into an interior, and a motor configured to rotate a drive shaft, a blade to condition the ice in the hopper during rotation of the motor. The frozen confection machine also includes a lid for selectively covering the interior of the hopper, a bias member for biasing the lid away from a closed position, and a switch for causing the motor to actuate in response to the lid being pressed to a closed position.

The disclosure extends to apparatuses, methods, and systems, for producing frozen confections and conditioning ice for use in frozen confections. A frozen confection machine includes a hopper portion for receiving ice into an interior, and a motor configured to rotate a drive shaft, a blade to condition the ice in the hopper during rotation of the motor. The frozen confection machine also includes a lid for selectively covering the interior of the hopper, a bias member for biasing the lid away from a closed position, and a switch for causing the motor to actuate in response to the lid being pressed to a closed position.