Removable collection tray for beverage maker

Abstract

A removable collection tray for a beverage maker is provided. The removable collection tray is configured for use with a frozen beverage maker having a housing and a vaporizer disposed within the housing. The collection tray includes a collection chamber for receiving the liquid and a handle for removing the tray from the housing. The collection chamber is configured to be inserted into a slot in the housing proximate the evaporator. When inserted into the slot, the collection chamber is vertically spaced from the bottom side of the housing. The present disclosure provides a way for a user to remove condensate and other overflow liquids from a container, which reduces cleaning issues and increases ease of use.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to frozen beverage makers and, more particularly, to frozen beverage makers including a removable condensation tray. Background Art

[0002] Frozen beverage maker, also can be called semi-frozen beverage maker or crushed ice beverage maker, generally comprises transparent tank or mixing container, receives and processes beverage product in tank or mixing container, comprises cooled beverage product, such as conventionally converts beverage product from pure liquid (or the combination of liquid and part of ice) into frozen or semi-frozen product, for example slushy, slushy drink, smoothie (smoothie), ice cream or other frozen or semi-frozen product, and then distributes.The cooled product is distributed usually by the spout, faucet or dispenser that is positioned near the front and bottom of container.Therefore, the term "frozen beverage maker" used herein is not limited to the device that only makes beverage or frozen beverage, but comprises the device that cools the beverage product received to produce any form of cooling output thing in various cooling, freezing and semi-frozen forms.Beverage product is usually made up of the mixture of water or milk, syrup, flavoring powder or other additives that give beverage product expectation taste and color.

[0003] Some existing frozen beverage making machines include a mixing system within a mixing vessel having a mixing blade or auger rotated by a motor via a drive shaft and drive assembly. Some existing frozen beverage making machines also include a refrigeration system comprising a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator (i.e., a chiller) for receiving refrigerant from the compressor, wherein the evaporator is positioned near or within the mixing vessel to cool the beverage product during processing. Typically, the housing below the evaporator drains water to a single point, through a pipe, into a lower drip tray where the user places their cup.

[0004] Some existing frozen beverage makers include a controller that controls operations of the frozen beverage maker related to making the beverage product, including the temperature of the frozen food during processing. Utility Model Content

[0005] This disclosure describes a removable collection tray that can be placed within the unit below the container / evaporator. The tray can be configured to collect condensate dripping from the container or spillage from filling the container. The tray can also be used to collect water generated during cleaning between uses. The tray of the disclosure can be sized to collect up to 16 ounces of liquid. The tray can also be made of dishwasher-safe material for easy cleaning.

[0006] This application describes illustrative systems, methods, and apparatus that provide a removable condensation tray beneath a container to reduce cleaning issues and increase ease of use.

[0007] In some embodiments, a removable collection tray for a frozen beverage maker includes a collection chamber for receiving liquid and a handle. The collection chamber is configured to be removably inserted into a slot in the housing of the frozen beverage maker near the evaporator. In some embodiments, when inserted into the slot, the collection chamber is vertically spaced from the bottom side of the housing. In some embodiments, the collection chamber includes a surface facing the evaporator. The evaporator-facing surface has a shape corresponding to the outer surface of the evaporator. In some embodiments, the shape is semi-cylindrical. In some embodiments, the handle, the evaporator-facing surface, and three other sidewalls define the collection chamber. In some embodiments, the collection chamber has a liquid volume capacity of 16 ounces. In some embodiments, the removable collection tray is made of dishwasher-safe material. In some embodiments, when the collection chamber is fully inserted into the slot, the user-facing surface of the handle is flush with the user interface of the housing. In some embodiments, the bottom side of the handle has one or more ribs to provide structural integrity between the handle and the collection chamber. In some embodiments, the slot is defined between at least one rail and the top surface of the housing.

[0008] In some embodiments, a method for removing a collection tray from a frozen beverage maker includes removing a mixing container from a housing of the frozen beverage maker, and after removing the mixing container from the housing, removing the collection tray from the housing. In some embodiments, removing the mixing container from the housing includes removing the mixing container and an attached dispenser from the housing. In some embodiments, removing the collection tray from the housing includes pulling a handle toward a user. In some embodiments, pulling the handle toward the user includes sliding the collection tray along a slot in the housing toward the user. In some embodiments, the method also includes completely disengaging the collection tray from the slot in the housing.

[0009] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the systems, methods and devices described herein can be applied to other types of food, such as, but not limited to, making and / or processing ice cream, frozen yogurt, other creams, etc. Although the present disclosure describes examples of beverage making machines processing various frozen and / or semi-frozen beverage products, the systems, devices and methods described herein are not limited to these beverage products, and can process and / or manufacture other types of beverage products, such as cooling beverage products and / or iced beverage products. The terms "mixing", "being mixed" or "making mixed" used herein are not limited to combining multiple ingredients together, but also include mixing beverage products or liquids with a single ingredient or no added ingredients. For example, a beverage product can consist solely of water mixed by a stirrer during processing, i.e., as the stirrer rotates, part of the water is stirred and / or stirred. For example, this can advantageously make the temperature of the water and / or liquid in the mixing container more uniform as a whole by stirring parts of water and / or liquids with different temperatures.

[0010] These and other structural advantages will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and examining the associated drawings.The foregoing general description and the following detailed description are intended to be explanatory only and are not restrictive of the disclosed aspects as claimed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The present disclosure will be more fully understood with reference to the specific embodiments, taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0012] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a frozen beverage maker according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 2 The embodiment according to the present disclosure is shown Figure 1 a view of various internal components within the housing and mixing container of a frozen beverage maker;

[0014] Figure 3 Shown are some embodiments according to the present disclosure Figure 1 A front view of a frozen beverage making machine;

[0015] Figure 4 According to some embodiments of the present disclosure Figure 1 a block diagram of an example of a control system for a frozen beverage making machine;

[0016] Figure 5A and Figure 5B The embodiment according to the present disclosure is shown Figure 1 A perspective view of a condensation collection tray of a frozen beverage making machine;

[0017] Figure 5C Shown is an embodiment of the present disclosure according to which the Figure 1 Frozen Drink Maker Figure 5A and Figure 5B Collection tray;

[0018] Figure 5D The embodiment according to the present disclosure is shown Figure 1 A frozen beverage maker wherein the collection tray is removed; and

[0019] Figure 6 The embodiment according to the present disclosure is shown in FIG. Figure 1 Removal of frozen drink makers Figure 5A and Figure 5B Flowchart of a method for collecting pallets. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] In the following description, like parts have like reference numerals, regardless of whether the embodiments shown are different. In order to clearly and concisely illustrate the embodiments, the drawings may not necessarily reflect the appropriate scale and may have specific structures shown in some schematic form. The present disclosure may describe and / or illustrate structures in one embodiment and in one or more other embodiments in the same or similar manner and / or in combination with or in place of structures in other embodiments.

[0021] In the specification and claims, for the purposes of describing and defining the present invention, the terms "approximately" and "substantially" indicate the inherent degree of uncertainty attributable to any quantitative comparison, value, measurement, or other representation. Furthermore, the terms "approximately" and "substantially" indicate the extent to which a quantitative representation may vary from a stated benchmark without resulting in a change in the basic function of the subject matter in question. Open-ended terms such as "include," "comprise," and / or the plural form of each term include the listed parts and may include additional parts that are not listed, while terms such as "and / or" include one or more of the listed parts and combinations of the listed parts. The use of the terms "top," "bottom," "above," "below," etc., merely aids in clearly describing the present disclosure and does not in any way limit the structure, positioning, and / or operation of the present disclosure.

[0022] The present application, in various embodiments, addresses the drawbacks associated with the need for a connecting hose running from the evaporator down to a drip tray for collecting and discarding condensate from the evaporator. Unfortunately, such connecting hoses are typically constructed from thin tubes that can become clogged or dirty and can be difficult to clean. Therefore, there is a need for a way for users to remove condensate and other spilled liquids from containers that reduces cleaning issues and increases ease of use. There is also a need for a method of reducing the size of the drip tray by allowing users to collect condensate near the mixing container, thereby improving the aesthetics and overall footprint of the frozen beverage maker.

[0023] Figure 1A perspective view of a frozen beverage maker 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The frozen beverage maker 100 includes a housing 102 and a mixing container 104. The housing 102 may include a user interface 112 for receiving user input to control the frozen beverage maker 100 and / or output or display information. The user interface 112 may include one or more buttons, dials, switches, a touch screen, an indicator, an LED, etc. The user interface 112 may display status information (including, for example, the temperature of the beverage product in the mixing container 104), an indication of the recipe and / or program currently being implemented, and a timer associated with the progress of the recipe and / or program currently being implemented. The user interface 112 may provide the user with instructions and / or warnings regarding, for example, when a recipe is completed or when the user is expected to perform an action associated with processing the beverage product. The user interface 112 may include a selectable menu of beverage types (e.g., recipes) and / or programs for different types of beverage products, such as, but not limited to, slushies, smoothies, margaritas, daiquiris, punch, frappés, cocktails, iced drinks, juices, dairy products, milkshakes, cold drinks, semi-frozen drinks, frozen drinks, and the like.

[0024] Still refer to Figure 1 , the housing 102 can include a panel (e.g., a removable panel) 114 along one side of the housing 102. The panel 114 can include a plurality of openings that facilitate air flow to help cool the components within the housing 102. The housing 102 can include an upper housing portion 122 that is configured to couple with a rear end of the mixing container 104 when the mixing container 104 is attached to the housing 102. The mixing container 104 can include a transparent wall or a portion of a transparent wall to enable an observer to observe the beverage product within the mixing container 104 during processing. The mixing container 104 can include a pour opening 106 through which the mixing container 104 can receive ingredients for processing the beverage product within the mixing container 104. Figure 1 The pour opening (not shown) is shown in a closed configuration with the lid 106 sealing the opening. The lid 106 can be removable or movable in a detachable manner to open or close the opening. The pour opening can include a grille (not shown) to prevent a user from reaching into the mixing container 104 when the pour opening is open, i.e., when the lid 106 is not installed. The mixing container 104 can include a dispenser assembly 108 having a user handle 120, a container mouth (not shown), and a container mouth cover or shield 116. The dispenser assembly 108 enables a user to open a container mouth connected to the wall of the mixing container 104 by pulling the handle 120 downward to dispense a processed (e.g., cooled) beverage product from the mixing container 104. The user can then open the container mouth by pushing the handle 120 back into its upright position (e.g., Figure 1) to close the container mouth, thereby stopping the dispensing of the processed beverage product.

[0025] Still refer to Figure 1 The frozen beverage maker 100 may include a lever 110 that can lockingly couple the mixing container 104 to the housing 102 including the upper housing portion 122 . Figure 1 The lever 110 is shown in a locked and / or closed position (whereby the mixing container 104 is engaged and / or coupled to the housing 102 and the upper housing portion 122). In the closed and / or engaged position, the lever 110 ensures that there is a watertight seal to prevent leakage of the beverage product from the mixing container 104. The lever 110 can be placed in the closed, coupled and / or engaged position by sliding the mixing container 104 against the upper housing portion 122 and then rotating the lever 110 in a clockwise direction until its handle rests on or around the top surface of the upper housing portion 122. By rotating the lever 110 in a counterclockwise direction (from Figure 1 By pulling and / or rotating the rod 110 toward the front of the mixing container 104 (from a perspective of FIG), which causes the rod 110 to release the mixing container 104, the mixing container 104 can be disengaged and / or disconnected from the housing 102 and the upper housing portion 122. Once released and / or disconnected, the mixing container 104 can be slid in a forward direction (away from the upper housing portion 122) to be completely disassembled and / or removed from the housing 102. The mixing container 104 can include radial seals and / or face seals. The face seal can provide an improved seal based on the compression provided by the rod 110 pushing the mixing container 104 laterally against the wall of the upper housing portion 122. The mixing container 104 can include a circular and / or cylindrical opening at its rear end that couples the mixing container 104 to the upper housing portion 122. An interlock switch may be implemented at the upper housing portion 122 that is activated when the mixing container 104 is coupled to the upper housing portion 112, preventing activation of the drive motor 208 unless the container 104 is coupled to the upper housing portion 122. This ensures that the user is not exposed to the blender 204 being moved. The frozen beverage maker 100 may also include a drip tray 118 positioned below the dispenser assembly 108 and configured to collect any beverage product that is not properly dispensed from the mixing container 104, for example, into a user's cup. The drip tray 118 may be removably removable from its position in the dispenser assembly 108. Figure 1 The operating position shown in FIG is removed. For example, Figure 3 As shown, the drip tray 118 may be mounted and / or stored on a side panel of the housing 102 as a drip tray 304 .

[0026] Figure 2 Shown Figure 1200 of various internal components within the housing 102 and mixing vessel 104 of the frozen beverage maker 100. The frozen beverage maker 100 includes a cylindrical evaporator 202 surrounded by an auger and / or agitator 204. The agitator 204 may include one or more mixing blades and / or protrusions that extend helically around the evaporator and / or chiller 202. The agitator 204 may be driven to rotate by a central drive shaft within the mixing vessel 104. The drive shaft may be surrounded by the evaporator 202. However, in various embodiments, the evaporator 202 does not rotate. The drive shaft may be coupled to a drive motor 208 via a gear assembly 210. In some embodiments, the drive motor 208 is an AC motor, although other types of motors may be used, such as, but not limited to, DC motors. The drive motor 208 may include a motor fan 212 configured to provide air cooling to the motor 208. Although Figure 2 The embodiment that drive motor 208 is not coaxially aligned with the drive shaft for rotating agitator 204 is shown, but in other embodiments, motor 208 can be coaxially aligned with the drive shaft. During the processing of beverage product, motor 208 can be continuously operated at one or more speeds to drive the continuous rotation of agitator 204, thereby providing continuous mixing of beverage product in mixing vessel 104. In some embodiments, the rotation of agitator 204 causes the blades of spiral configuration to push the cooling beverage product to the front of mixing vessel 104. During processing, as a result of being cooled by the evaporator, part of the beverage product may freeze against the surface of the evaporator. In some embodiments, the blades of rotating agitator 204 scrape off the frozen part of the beverage product from the surface of the evaporator, taking into account the mixing of the cooling beverage product and pushing it to the front of mixing vessel 104.

[0027] Still refer to Figure 2 , the frozen beverage maker 100 may include a refrigeration circuit and / or system to provide cooling of the beverage product and / or control the temperature of the beverage product within the mixing container 104. The refrigeration circuit may include a compressor 214, an evaporator 202, a condenser 216, a condenser fan 218, a bypass valve, and a conduit that transports refrigerant between the refrigeration circuit components in a closed loop to facilitate cooling and / or temperature control of the beverage product within the mixing container 104. The operation of the refrigeration circuit may be controlled by a controller, such as controller 402, as described with reference to FIG. Figure 4 The frozen beverage maker 100 may also include a removable collection tray 220 configured to collect any liquid condensate resulting from the cooling of the evaporator 202 . Figure 2The tray 220 is shown in an inserted position. The tray 220 can be removed from the slot in the housing 102 in an insertable manner so that condensed liquid can be collected while inserted into the slot, then efficiently removed to empty the tray 220, and then reinserted into the slot for subsequent liquid collection, as shown in FIG. Figure 5A and Figure 5B As further described. The frozen beverage maker 100 may also include a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) 222 within the housing 102. Figure 4 As illustrated, PCBA 222 may include a control system 400 configured to automatically control certain operations of the frozen beverage maker 100 .

[0028] Figure 3 Shown Figure 1 300 of a front view of the frozen beverage maker 100. The frozen beverage maker 100 may include a user interface 112 on the front surface of the housing 102. In other embodiments, the user interface 112 may be located on the side, top, or back of the housing 102. The frozen beverage maker may include a mounting member 302 on one side of the housing 102 to which a drip tray 304 may be mounted when not in use (such as during transportation of the frozen beverage maker 100). The frozen beverage maker 100 may include a power interface configured to receive alternating current from an electrical outlet (not shown). In some embodiments, the frozen beverage maker 100 may include one or more batteries housed within the housing 102 and configured to provide power to various components of the frozen beverage maker 100.

[0029] Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a control system 400 for a frozen beverage maker 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The control system 400 may include a microcontroller, a processor, a system on a chip (SoC), a client device, and / or a physical computing device, and may include hardware and / or virtual processors. In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 The control system 400 and its elements are shown as being associated with physical hardware, and in some embodiments, an emulator or virtual machine may be used to implement one, more, or all of the elements. In any case, the electronic control system 400 may be implemented on physical hardware, such as in the frozen beverage maker 100.

[0030] Also like Figure 4As shown, the control system 400 may include a user interface 212 and / or 112 and one or more output devices, the user interface having, for example, a keyboard, a keypad, one or more buttons, a dial, a touchpad, or a sensor reader (e.g., a biometric scanner), and an output device such as a display, an audio speaker, an LED indicator, and / or a light indicator. The control system 400 may also include a communication interface 410 such as a network communication unit, which may include a wired communication component and / or a wireless communication component that can be communicatively coupled to the controller and / or processor 402. The network communication unit may utilize any of a variety of proprietary or standardized network protocols, such as Ethernet, TCP / IP, to name some of the many protocols, to enable communication between the processor 402 and another device, network, or system. The network communication unit may also include one or more transceivers utilizing Ethernet, power line communication (PLC), Wi-Fi, wireless communication technology, and / or other communication methods. For example, the control system 400 can send one or more communications to the user's mobile device associated with the status of the frozen beverage maker 100, such as sending an alert to the mobile device when a recipe is complete and / or a beverage product is ready for dispensing, or indicating that the beverage in the mixing container is low or empty.

[0031] The control system 400 may include a processing element such as a controller and / or processor 402, the processing element including one or more hardware processors, each of which may have a single or multiple processor cores. In one embodiment, the processor 402 includes at least one shared cache that stores data (e.g., computational instructions) utilized by one or more other components of the processor 402. For example, the shared cache may be a local cache of data stored in a memory for faster access by the components comprising the processing element of the processor 402. Examples of processors include, but are not limited to, a central processing unit (CPU) and / or a microprocessor. The controller and / or processor 402 may utilize a processor based on, but not limited to, 8051 architecture, 68HCX, 80X86 etc. The processor 402 may include but is not limited to 8-bit, 12-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit or 64-bit architectures. Figure 4 Although not shown, the processing elements constituting processor 402 may also include one or more other types of hardware processing components, such as a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and / or a digital signal processor (DSP).

[0032] Figure 4It is also shown that the memory 404 can be operably and communicatively coupled to the controller 402. The memory 404 can be a non-transient medium configured to store various types of data. For example, the memory 404 can include one or more storage devices 408, and the storage device 408 includes a non-volatile storage device and / or a volatile memory. Volatile memory such as random access memory (RAM) can be any suitable non-permanent storage device. The non-volatile storage device 408 can include one or more disk drives, optical drives, solid-state drives (SSDs), tape drives, flash memory, read-only memories (ROMs) and / or any other types of memories designed to maintain data within the duration after power loss or shutdown operations. In a specific configuration, if the allocated RAM is not large enough to save all working data, the non-volatile storage device 408 can be used to store overflow data. The non-volatile storage device 408 can also be used to store such programs when the programs loaded into the RAM are selected for execution. The data storage and / or memory device 408 may be configured to store a plurality of beverage product making and / or processing instruction programs associated with a plurality of beverage product processing sequences (i.e., recipes). Such beverage product making and / or processing instruction programs may include instructions for the controller and / or processor 402 to: start or stop one or more motors and / or compressors 414 (e.g., such as motor 208 and / or compressor 214), start or stop compressor 214 to regulate the temperature of the beverage product being processed within the mixing vessel 104, operate one or more motors 414 (e.g., motor 208 and / or compressor 214) during a specific time period during a particular beverage product processing sequence, operate motor 208 at a specific speed during a specific time period of a recipe, and issue one or more prompt instructions to the user interface 412 and / or 112, which are output to the user to illicit a response, action, and / or input from the user.

[0033] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that software programs can be developed in various computing languages, coded and compiled for various software platforms and / or operating systems, and subsequently loaded and executed by processor 402. In one embodiment, the compilation process of a software program can convert program code written in a programming language into another computer language so that the programming code can be executed by processor 402. For example, the compilation process of a software program can generate an executable program that provides coded instructions (e.g., machine code instructions) to processor 402 to implement specific, non-general, special computing functions.

[0034] After the compilation process, the coded instructions can be loaded from storage 408, memory 404 into processor 402 as computer-executable instructions or process steps, and / or embedded within processor 402 (e.g., via cache or on-board ROM). Processor 402 can be configured to execute the stored instructions or process steps so as to execute the instructions or process steps to transform electronic control system 400 into a non-general purpose, specialized, specially programmed machine or device. During the execution of the computer-executable instructions or process steps, processor 402 can access stored data (e.g., data stored by data storage and / or storage device 408) to instruct one or more components within control system 400 and / or other components or devices external to system 400. For example, a recipe can be configured in a lookup table and / or database within data storage 408 and accessed by processor 402 when executing a particular recipe selected by a user via user interface 412 and / or 112.

[0035] The user interface 412 and / or 112 may include a display, a position input device (such as a mouse, a touchpad, a touch screen, etc.), a keyboard, a keypad, one or more buttons, one or more dials, a microphone, a speaker, or other forms of user input and output devices. The user interface components may be communicatively coupled to the processor 402. When the user interface output device is or includes a display, the display may be implemented in various ways, including by a liquid crystal display (LCD), a cathode ray tube (CRT), or a light emitting diode (LED) display (such as an OLED display).

[0036] The sensors 406 may include one or more sensors that detect and / or monitor conditions of the beverage product within the mixing container 104, conditions associated with components of the frozen beverage maker 100, and / or conditions of the refrigerant within the refrigeration system. These conditions may include, but are not limited to, rotation, speed, and / or movement of a device or component (e.g., a motor), the rate of such movement, the frequency of such movement, the direction of such movement, motor current, motor voltage, motor power, motor torque, temperature, pressure, the level of liquid in the container 104, the position of the device or component (e.g., whether the pour opening 106 is open or closed), and / or the presence of the device or component (e.g., whether the shield 116 is installed). The types of sensors may include, for example, electrical meter chips, Hall sensors, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, optical sensors, current sensors, torque sensors, voltage sensors, cameras, other types of sensors, or any suitable combination thereof. The frozen beverage maker 100 may include one or more temperature sensors, such as positioned in various locations within the mixing container 104, for example, on or around a lower front area within the mixing container 104, on or around an upper front area within the mixing container 104, on or around an upper rear area within the container 104, within one or more coils of the evaporator 202, and / or within the housing 102.

[0037] The sensor 406 may also include one or more safety and / or interlock switches that can prevent operation of specific components or enable operation of specific components when specific conditions are met (e.g., when a lid or cover for the opening 106 is attached or closed and / or when there is a sufficient amount of beverage product in the container 104 to activate the motor 208 and / or 414). Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the electronic control system 400 may include other components known in the art, such as Figure 4 Power supplies and / or analog-to-digital converters not explicitly shown.

[0038] In some embodiments, the control system 400 and / or processor 402 includes a SoC having multiple hardware components, including but not limited to:

[0039] Microcontroller, microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP) core and / or multi-processor SoC (MPSoC) with more than one processor core;

[0040] memory blocks, which include a selection of read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), and flash memory;

[0041] a timing source comprising an oscillator and a phase-matching loop;

[0042] peripherals including a counter-timer, a real-time timer, and a power-on reset generator;

[0043] External interfaces, including industry standards such as Universal Serial Bus (USB), FireWire, Ethernet, Universal Synchronous / Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter (USART), and Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI);

[0044] analog interfaces, including analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and digital-to-analog converters (DACs); and

[0045] Voltage regulator and power management circuit.

[0046] SoCs include the aforementioned hardware and software that controls microcontrollers, microprocessors, and / or DSP cores, peripherals, and interfaces. Most SoCs are developed from pre-certified hardware blocks for the hardware elements (e.g., modules or components representing IP cores or IP blocks) and software drivers that control their operation. The list of hardware elements described above is not exhaustive. SoCs can include protocol stacks that drive industry-standard interfaces such as Universal Serial Bus (USB).

[0047] Once the overall architecture of the SoC has been defined, individual hardware elements can be described in an abstract language called RTL, which stands for register transfer level. RTL is used to define loop behavior. Hardware components are connected together using the same RTL language to create a complete SoC design. In digital circuit design, RTL is a design abstraction that models synchronous digital circuits based on the flow of digital signals (data) between hardware registers and the logical operations performed on these signals. RTL abstraction is used in hardware description languages (HDLs) such as Verilog and VHDL to create a high-level representation of the circuit, from which low-level representations and ultimately actual wiring can be derived. RTL-level design is a typical practice in modern digital design. Verilog is standardized as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1364 and is an HDL used to model electronic systems. Verilog is most commonly used for the design and verification of digital circuits at the RTL abstraction level. Verilog can also be used for the verification of analog circuits and mixed-signal circuits, as well as the design of genetic circuits. In some embodiments, the various components of the control system 400 are implemented on a PCB (such as PCB 222).

[0048] In the operation of a particular embodiment, a user fills the mixing container 104 with the ingredients associated with a beverage product via the pour opening 106. The user selects the type of beverage product to be processed via the user interface 112, for example, the user has selected a recipe for a "Margarita." In some embodiments, the user selects the product type and / or recipe before filling the mixing container 104, and the user interface 112 provides one or more instructions or queues (visible and / or audible) indicating that the user has added ingredients to the mixing container 104. The mixing container 104 may include one or more fill sensors that detect when there are sufficient amounts or levels of ingredients and / or fluids in the mixing container 104. The one or more fill sensors may provide a signal to the processor 402 indicating when the container 104 is fully filled or not fully filled. If the fill sensor 406 indicates that the container 104 is not fully filled, the processor 402 may prevent the operation of the frozen beverage maker 100 (e.g., prevent activation of the motor 208 and / or other components). A lid sensor can be associated with the opening 106, whereby the lid sensor sends an open and / or closed signal to the processor 402 indicating whether the opening 106 is open or closed. If the lid sensor indicates that the opening 106 is open and / or not closed, the processor 402 can prevent operation of the frozen beverage maker 100. Based on the sensed condition, the user interface 112 can provide an indication of the condition, e.g., whether the container 104 is fully filled or not fully filled and / or the opening 106 is not closed, to enable the user to take appropriate action.

[0049] Once the mixing container 104 is filled with ingredients, the user can provide input, such as pressing a button, to begin processing the beverage product based on the selected recipe. The process can include activating the motor 208 to drive the rotation of the agitator 204 and / or blades 206, thereby achieving mixing of the ingredients of the beverage product. The process can also include starting the refrigeration system, which includes starting the compressor 214 and the condenser fan 218. The compressor 214 promotes the flow of refrigerant through one or more coils of the evaporator 202 and through the condenser 216 to provide cooling and / or temperature control of the beverage product in the mixing container 104. The processor 402 can control the operation of various components (such as the motor 208 and the compressor 214). In order to adjust the temperature under a particular setting associated with the recipe, the processor 402 can start / start and / or deactivate / stop the compressor 214 to start and / or stop the flow of refrigerant through the coils of the evaporator 202, thereby starting or stopping the cooling of the beverage product in the mixing container 104.

[0050] By cooling a beverage product to a specific temperature, slush and / or ice particles may form within the beverage product. Generally, the amount and / or texture of particles in the beverage product corresponds to the temperature of the beverage product, i.e., the lower the temperature, the greater the amount of particles (and / or the larger the particle size) and / or the more slushy the beverage product. The user interface 112 may enable a user to fine-tune and / or adjust a preset temperature associated with a recipe, thereby enabling the user to adjust the temperature and / or texture of the beverage product to a more desired temperature and / or texture.

[0051] The processor 402 can process the beverage product for a set time period in one or more stages and / or process the beverage product until the desired temperature and / or texture is determined. The processor 402 can receive one or more temperature signals from one or more temperature sensors 408 within the mixing container 104 to determine the temperature of the beverage product. The processor 402 can determine the temperature of the beverage product by determining the average temperature among the temperatures detected by the multiple temperature sensors 408. The processor 402 can determine the temperature of the beverage product based on the temperature detected by one of the sensors 408 within the mixing container 104 and / or based on the temperature of the refrigerant detected by the refrigerant temperature sensor 408. Once the stages and / or sequence of the recipe are determined to be completed by the processor 402, the processor 402 can provide a visual and / or audio indication via the user interface 116 that the recipe is complete and / or ready for dispensing. In response, the user can place a cup or container under the dispenser assembly 108 and pull the handle 120 downwardly, rotating it toward the user, to open the container mouth located at the lower front wall of the mixing container 104, thereby dispensing the beverage product into the cup or container. Once filled, the user can pull the handle 120 back to its original position by rotating it upwards and away from the user. Figure 2 In embodiments where the handle 120 is spring-biased toward the closed position, the user can release their grip on the handle 120, allowing the spring force to rotate the handle 120 upwards and away from the user back to the upright and closed position.

[0052] Figure 5A and Figure 5BA perspective view of a collection tray 220 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The collection tray 220 can generally include a collection portion 502 and a handle 504 that can be used to insert the tray 220 into the housing 102 and remove the tray 220 from the housing 102. The collection portion 502 can include three walls 502a, 502b, 502c extending generally upward from a surface 506 facing the evaporator. Together with the handle 504, the walls 502a, 502b, 502c and the surface 506 can define a cavity 508 for collecting liquid, including condensate that falls from the evaporator 202, spills, and water that is poured into the housing 102 to clean the interior of the housing 102. The shape of the collection portion 502, including the surface 506 facing the evaporator, can correspond to the outer shape of the evaporator 202. For example, Figure 5A As shown, the shape of the evaporator-facing surface 506 can be semi-cylindrical to correspond to the cylindrical shape of the evaporator 202. However, the present disclosure contemplates other suitable shapes of the collection portion 502, such as a rectangle. The cavity 508 can have a liquid volume capacity of approximately 16 ounces. However, the present disclosure contemplates liquid volume capacities of more or less than 16 ounces. Figure 5B As shown, the underside of the handle 504 may define one or more ribs 514 for adding structural integrity between the user-facing surface 510 of the handle 504 and the body of the tray 220. The tray 220 may be made of a dishwasher-safe material to facilitate cleaning.

[0053] Figure 5C The collection tray 220 is shown inserted into the housing 102 of the frozen beverage maker 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. For ease of illustration, the housing 102 is shown with the mixing container 104 and the attached dispenser assembly 108 removed. When fully inserted, the user-facing surface 510 of the handle 504 can be set flush with the user interface 112 of the housing 102. In the inserted position, the tray 220 can be vertically spaced above the bottom side 103 of the housing 102. Once the liquid is collected in the cavity 508, the user can remove the tray 220 for disposal of the collected liquid and cleaning of the tray 220.

[0054] Figure 5D The housing 102 is shown with the collection tray 220 removed, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5DAs shown, the housing 102 can include a top surface 520 for supporting the collection tray 220 when the tray 220 is inserted into the housing 102. The top surface 520 can be semi-cylindrical in shape to correspond to the semi-cylindrical shape of the evaporator-facing surface 506. The housing 102 can also include one or more rails 522 defining one or more slots 512 between the rails 522 and the top surface 520. When the tray 220 is installed in the housing 102, the rails 522 can help guide the user to insert the tray 220 into the slots 512.

[0055] In some embodiments, to remove the collection tray 220 (e.g., for emptying and / or cleaning the tray 220), the user must first remove the mixing container 104 and the attached dispenser 108 ( Figure 1 ). The user can then remove the collection tray 220 by pulling the collection tray 220 toward the user. This movement can cause the collection tray 220 to slide along the slots 512 until it is completely disengaged from the housing 102. Conversely, to insert the collection tray 220 into the housing 102, the user can remove the collection tray 220 by inserting the collection portion 502 into the evaporator 202 ( Figure 2 ) so that the evaporator-facing surface 506 faces the evaporator 202, thereby inserting the tray 220 into the housing 102. In some embodiments, after the collection tray 220 has been inserted into the housing 102, the mixing container 104 with the attached dispenser 108 can be inserted onto the housing 102 and secured and sealed against the housing 102. Figure 6 is a flow chart illustrating a method of removing the collection tray 220 from the housing 102 as described above.

[0056] It should be understood that the various embodiments described herein are not limited to producing frozen or semi-frozen beverages, but can be applied to producing cold beverage products and / or cooled beverage products that are cooler than the received beverage product but not frozen or semi-frozen. For example, in some embodiments, the same or similar mechanisms and / or technologies can be used as part of a cold beverage machine and / or a cooled beverage maker to produce, maintain, and dispense cold beverages.

[0057] As about Figure 4 As discussed, the actions associated with constructing or controlling a frozen beverage maker (such as the frozen beverage maker 100) and the processes described herein can be performed by one or more programmable processors executing one or more computer programs to control or perform all or part of the operations described herein. All or part of the frozen beverage maker 100 system and processes can be constructed or controlled by special purpose logic circuitry (such as an FPGA and / or ASIC or embedded microprocessor local to the appliance hardware).

[0058] Non-transitory machine-readable storage media suitable for embodying computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile storage areas, including, for example, semiconductor storage area devices (such as EPROM (erasable programmable read-only memory), EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory), and flash memory area devices); magnetic disks (such as internal hard disks or removable disks); magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROMs (compact disk read-only memory) and DVD-ROMs (digital versatile disk read-only memory).

[0059] Elements of the various embodiments described can be combined to form other embodiments not specifically described herein. Elements can be excluded from the previously described system without generally adversely affecting their operation or the operation of the system. Furthermore, various individual elements can be combined into one or more independent elements to perform the functions described herein.

Claims

1. A removable collection tray, characterized in that The removable collection tray is for a frozen beverage maker having a housing and an evaporator disposed within the housing, the collection tray comprising: a collection chamber for receiving liquid; and handle; The collection chamber is configured to be removably inserted into a groove in the housing near the evaporator.

2. The removable collection tray according to claim 1, wherein When inserted into the trough, the collection chamber is vertically spaced from the bottom side of the housing.

3. The removable collection tray according to claim 1, wherein The collecting chamber includes a surface facing the evaporator, and the surface facing the evaporator has a shape corresponding to an outer surface of the evaporator.

4. The removable collection tray according to claim 3, wherein The shape is semi-cylindrical.

5. The removable collection tray according to claim 3, wherein The handle, the evaporator-facing surface, and three other side walls define the collection chamber.

6. The removable collection tray of claim 1, wherein: The collection chamber has a liquid volume capacity of 16 ounces.

7. The removable collection tray of claim 1, wherein: The removable collection tray is made of dishwasher safe material.

8. The removable collection tray of claim 1, wherein: The user-facing surface of the handle is configured to be flush with the user interface of the housing when the collection chamber is fully inserted into the slot.

9. The removable collection tray of claim 1, wherein: The underside of the handle includes one or more ribs for adding structural integrity between the handle and the collection chamber.

10. The removable collection tray of claim 1, wherein: The slot is defined between at least one rail and a top surface of the housing.

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