A cup holder assembly includes a plurality of contacts that are configured to contact a cup so that a majority of an opening into the cup is uncovered by the cup holder, and the plurality of contacts are connectable to one or more cup holder guide rods of an assembly that dispenses and mixes or blends beverages.

A distribution control device includes a rotation sensing assembly and a logic control circuit. The rotation sensing assembly is communicated with the logic control circuit. The logic control circuit is communicated with a distribution equipment. The rotation sensing assembly is detachably fix and match with a container and synchronously rotates with the container. The rotation sensing assembly detects and sends rotation information to the logic control circuit according to rotation of the container from a starting position. The logic control circuit sends a feeding control instruction to the distribution equipment according to the rotation information and a preset corresponding relationship. When it is detected that the container returns to the starting position, a halt instruction is sent to the distribution equipment. The container is detachably communicated with the rotation sensing assembly to drive the rotation sensing assembly to rotate synchronously.

The invention relates to a device (10), a container (20), a system (100) comprising the device (10) and the container (20), and a method for delivering frozen or chilled beverages. The device (10) is provided for receiving a container (20) comprising a frozen product and for processing the frozen product of the container (20) for delivering a frozen or chilled beverage, wherein the container (20) comprises a first end (20a), a second end (20b) and a sidewall (20c) extending between the first end (20a) and the second end (20b). The device (10) comprises a slicing element (60) and a driving unit (50) configured to rotate the container (20) and thus the frozen product about a rotation axis for rotating the frozen product relative to the slicing element (60) in order to slice the frozen product. The device (10) further comprises a reading unit (41) configured to read a machine-readable identification element (22) of the container (20), wherein the reading unit (41) is positioned such that an identification element (22) provided on the sidewall (20c) of the container (20) is readable by the reading unit (41), when the container (20) is rotating about the rotation axis.

A cup holder assembly includes a plurality of contacts that are configured to contact a cup so that a majority of an opening into the cup is uncovered by the cup holder, and the plurality of contacts are connectable to one or more cup holder guide rods of an assembly that dispenses and mixes or blends beverages

Automated beverage systems for preparing beverages including one or more beverage ingredients are disclosed. In one embodiment, a beverage system may be arranged to move a beverage cup between a plurality of dispensing stations, and one or more beverage ingredients may be dispensed into the beverage cup at each of the plurality of dispensing stations. The beverage system may include one or more container fittings to attach containers of beverage ingredients to the beverage system. Moreover, the beverage system may include an agitator associated with the beverage cup to mix the beverage ingredients after they are dispensed into the beverage cup at the dispensing stations.

An apparatus for producing beverages. The apparatus comprises a dispensing system, a mixing unit, and a control unit comprising a user interface, which interact to prepare a particular beverage when requested by a user. When the control unit receives user input requesting the particular beverage via the user interface, it causes the dispensing system to dispense various ingredients (e.g., fragmented ice, water, flavoring ingredients, milk product) that are mixed by the mixing unit in order to prepare the particular beverage, which is served in a cup. In various embodiments, the apparatus may produce frozen beverages that include fragmented ice (e.g., shaved or crushed ice) as one of their ingredients, such as slush beverages and smoothie beverages, and/or hot beverages that include heated water as one of their ingredients, such as coffee and flavored coffee beverages (e.g., French Vanilla, Mocha, etc.).

An individual frozen drink dispenser includes a bottom shelf configured to support a blender cup. The bottom shelf has a blender drive to drive the operation of blades provided in the blender cup. The dispenser further includes a dispensing chamber including a cartridge receptacle configured to receive a frozen beverage cartridge, and a dispense plunger. The dispenser further includes a water reservoir having a water pump to drive the movement of water from the water reservoir to the dispense plunger of the dispensing chamber and into the blender cup. A controller coupled to the blender drive, the dispenser plunger, and the water pump controls the operation of the individual frozen drink dispenser. Other embodiments of the dispenser and methods of dispensing frozen drinks are further disclosed.