HEATING SYSTEM FOR COLD BEVERAGE APPLIANCE AND METHOD OF USE.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- MX · MX
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- BUNN O MATIC CORP
- Filing Date
- 2022-09-30
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-12
Smart Images
Figure MX435432B0
Abstract
Description
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63 / 250,838, filed on September 30, 2021, entitled Heating System for Cold Drink Apparatus and Methods of Use, all of which is incorporated herein by reference. Field of Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus, system, and method for producing a chilled or at least partially frozen beverage product, often referred to as slushie or shaved ice, and more particularly to a system and method for supplying heat to such apparatus to controllably raise the temperature of the chilled or partially frozen beverage product to produce a thawed condition and then controllably re-cool the beverage product. Background of the Invention A variety of devices have been designed to produce chilled beverages, including slushies. Some of these devices are called slush machines. In general, the term chilled beverage device will be used herein to refer to a slush, slush, or similar device that reduces the temperature of a beverage product to a condition where the product is mostly fluid, but a portion of which is at least partially frozen within the overall fluid mixture. Such devices can be used to produce slushies from a variety of products, including fruit juices, coffee-based beverages, tea-based beverages, and alcoholic beverages. These devices include a cooling section and some type of blade or auger that moves relative to the cooling section to separate the frozen product and circulate the beverage along the cooling section.Circulating the beverage through the cooling portion helps reduce the temperature of the beverage mixture, bringing it closer to a slushie consistency. An example of such an apparatus is described and illustrated in U.S. Patent No. 6,430,952, issued August 13, 2002, and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Slushies and frozen drinks have a consistency achieved by controlling a combination of the liquid's temperature and the amount of solids / syrup in the liquid. For example, the solids / syrup content might be in the form of coffee grounds, sugar solids, or fruit syrup. These machines typically use a torque sensor to detect the consistency of the slushie mixture as it approaches freezing. The torque is detected by the motor rotating and pivoting, which triggers a switch attached to it. This switch then deactivates the cooling system.Maintaining the desired consistency of ice crystals in slushies is important for preserving the quality of these drinks. For example, if ice crystals remain frozen for too long, the sugar within the crystals can begin to migrate unevenly to the outside, leaving portions of the ice crystal with less sugar or no sugar or syrup at all, thus decreasing the ice crystal's consistency. Consequently, slushies should ideally be partially or completely thawed from time to time to allow the sugar or syrup to redistribute within the drink as a liquid. This liquid can then be refrozen in the slushie machine to form new ice crystals with a higher sugar / syrup consistency.This thawing and refreezing process can allow the quality of the slushie drink to be maintained for a longer period of time. Adjusting the consistency of the slush is also a concern. In other words, if an operator wants to increase or decrease the thickness of the slush crystals, the device must increase or decrease its cooling effect. In several systems, this adjustment can be made by adjusting a screw and spring mechanism associated with the motor's rotation. However, the spring is difficult to adjust and is usually located inside the device housing. Such an adjustment is inconvenient and very cumbersome to monitor precisely while the device is in operation. Consequently, alternative methods are needed to adjust the temperature-changing effect of such devices. Furthermore, typical slush machines require a significant amount of time for setup, product cycle, and equipment maintenance to ensure optimal product quality. For example, as mentioned, achieving optimal quality may require the slush product to be thawed and refrozen regularly or consistently, making the time required to produce a quality product a recurring concern. Additionally, at the start of a workday after a prolonged period of inactivity, the machine must be started up and the solution refrozen. Alternatively, the mixture can be kept frozen, but this will decrease product quality if it remains frozen for too long.Typically, the machine shuts down and the cooling process must be restarted at the beginning of each day, which can cause unwanted downtime. Brief Description of the Invention It is desirable to provide an appliance that allows for efficient and limited downtime when the frozen product cannot be dispensed. Accordingly, such an appliance includes, for example, a heating element to warm or thaw the frozen product so that it returns to a liquid or solution state more quickly than simply allowing the product to thaw in ambient air. This heating operation reduces downtime, allowing for machine maintenance and / or enabling the sugar or solution within the ice crystals to redistribute and refreeze, thus maintaining the desired qualities and consistency of the frozen product. Brief Description of the Drawings The organization and manner of the structure and function of the invention, together with its additional objects and advantages, can be understood by reference to the following description taken in relation to the accompanying drawings, where similar reference numbers identify similar elements and in which: Figure 1 is a top, front, left perspective view of a cold beverage dispenser of the present invention; Figure 2 is a front elevation view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is an elevation view of the right side of the apparatus as shown in Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is an enlarged elevation view of the left side of the apparatus as shown in Figures 1-3; Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of a worm gear assembly, temperature assembly, and motor shaft assembly of the present invention; Figure 6 is a front perspective view of a drill bit component; Figure 7 is a top, front, left perspective view of a temperature control drum; Figure 8 is a partial fragmentary cross-sectional side elevation view of the temperature set taken along plane 8-8 in Figure 7 showing a cooling coil; Figure 9 is a partial, fragmentary, cross-sectional side elevation view taken along line 8-8 of Figure 7, in which the insulation and inner drum of the temperature control drum cavity have been removed to better show the configuration of the cooling coil contained therein; Figure 10 is a schematic illustration of a temperature control system employed in the present invention; Figure 11 is a front elevation view of a temperature control drum heating assembly of Figure 7; Figure 12 is a front elevation view of a temperature control drum heating assembly of Figure 7 with the inner drum removed; Figure 13 is a view of the heating assembly removed from the temperature control drum and Figure 14 is a partial fragmentary cross-sectional side elevation view of the temperature assembly taken along plane 14-14 in Figure 7 showing a cooling coil and heater retained within a temperature control drum cavity. Detailed Description Although the present invention may be capable of being implemented in different forms, one modality is shown in the drawings and will be described in detail herein, with the understanding that the present description should be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to what is illustrated and described herein. With reference to the figures, Figure 1 shows in perspective a frozen or slushie beverage apparatus, or cold beverage system 30, for controlling the viscosity and / or temperature of a beverage product mixture. The beverage apparatus 30 includes at least one hopper assembly 32, which has at least one wall defining an interior volume for holding a quantity of beverage. The hopper is retained in a housing 34. As will be described in more detail below, the housing 34 includes a mixing assembly and a temperature control system 200 (see Figure 9). The mixing assembly includes an auger drive motor 36 and an auger assembly mixer 38. The auger drive motor 36, as mentioned above, drives the auger assembly 38, which is positioned near a temperature or heating and cooling assembly 40, both of which are generally retained within a corresponding hopper assembly 32.It should be noted that, although Figure 2 shows a two-hopper apparatus, it may be desirable to provide a single hopper as well as three or more hoppers. First, an illustrative embodiment of the present system includes generally redundant left and right hopper assemblies. As such, each assembly will be referenced using identical part numbers whenever possible. Furthermore, the part numbers indicated herein will generally be used to denote the same elements schematically illustrated in both assemblies in the figures. To produce the slushie beverage, the beverage apparatus 30 is configured to cool or freeze a beverage solution to a partially frozen state and maintain it in that state so that a user can dispense it substantially immediately upon request. For illustrative purposes, the apparatus 30 is put into operation by placing a beverage solution into a selected hopper 42 of the hopper assembly 32, placing a cover assembly 44 on top of the hopper 42, and activating the apparatus 30. As an illustrative example, activating the apparatus 30 will result in the rotation of the auger assembly 38 within the hopper 42 and the start of a cooling cycle. Cooling is provided by the heating and cooling assembly 40 to reduce the temperature of the beverage solution to freeze or otherwise form ice crystals from the beverage solution, thus creating a slushie mixture.As an external surface 46 of the heating and cooling assembly 40 begins to cool, a process described below, the temperature of the beverage solution decreases. The auger 38 rotates to mix the beverage solution within the hopper 42. The auger assembly 38 includes a helical blade positioned very close to the external surface 46 of the heating and cooling assembly 40. As the beverage solution cools, ice crystals form within it. As these ice crystals form, generally on or near the surface 46 of the heating and cooling assembly 40, the auger assembly 38 removes them from the surface 46. When the desired beverage consistency is achieved, the beverage can be dispensed through a dispensing nozzle 48 into a container 50 located beneath it. For illustrative purposes, and as suggested in Figure 5, the drill bit assembly 38 is driven by the drive motor 36 and the motor shaft assembly 52. In further illustrative embodiments, the drill bit assembly 38 as shown includes three interconnected drill bit sections 90, although other drill bit mounting configurations are contemplated herein. One of the drill bit sections 90 is shown in Figure 6. Three identical drill bit sections 90 are connected by interlocking structures 91 at opposite ends. As shown in Figure 6, an interlocking recess 92 is provided at one end of the auger section 90, while an interlocking protrusion 94 is provided at the opposite end of the auger section 90. By connecting the interlocking portions 92, 94, the auger sections 90 can be coupled together to create the larger continuous helical blade of the auger assembly 38. In illustrative embodiments, these drill bit sections 90 are held in coupling by drill bit latch bars 96, 98 that have clips 100 for coupling with collar areas 102 on the drill bit sections 90. The clips are held and separated by cross members 104, as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6. The clips 100 are configured with a reduced-dimension opening 106 to provide a press-fit coupling on the collar areas 102. Collar areas 102 are also provided in the area where the interlocking structures 92, 94 are coupled. As such, the clips 100 also ensure that the interlocking structures 91 do not separate during drill bit rotation 38. The cross members 104 also provide the desired spacing between the sections 90 to prevent displacement of the drill bit sections 90 during rotation.It should be noted that the auger retaining bar 96 includes four clips that attach to a first end end 110 and a second end end 112 of the three clamped auger sections 90. A crossbar 114 positioned near the first end end 110 is generally oriented perpendicular to the other crossbars 104. The perpendicular crossbar 114 provides a driving action in the drinking solution positioned towards a base 116 of the heating and cooling assembly 40. For illustration, the second terminal end 112, positioned toward the front of the apparatus 30, includes an auger tip 120 attached thereto. The auger tip 120 includes a sweep blade 122. A cap end 124 of the auger tip 120 is attached to the distal end 54 of the motor shaft assembly 52. The connection of the cap end 124 to the motor shaft assembly 52 results in the rotation of the auger assembly 38. In general, driving forces are transferred from the motor shaft 52 to the auger tip 120. The series of auger sections 90 attached to the auger tip 120 are pulled or rotated around the outside 46 of the heating and cooling assembly 40. This pulling and sweeping action draws the beverage mixture from the rear of the hopper 42 to the front of the hopper 42.The mixture that is pulled from the rear of hopper 42 is pulled down into the auger path, and the mixture that is pushed from the front of hopper 42 is pushed up onto auger 38. As a result of pulling and pushing the beverage mixture, a hump 130 (see Figure 4) tends to form in a middle portion of hopper 42. In addition, auger 38 can be operated at a single speed or can be variable speed depending on the control input. A control panel drawer 180 is provided for illustrative purposes on the front panel 182 of housing 34. For illustrative purposes, the control panel drawer 180 includes a drawer frame 184 in which a control panel 186 and control devices 188 are retained. The control panel drawer 180 allows the controls to be completely removed from the service area, thus preventing splashing or the accumulation of beverage substances on them. This is particularly useful considering that many beverage substances contain sugar components and can therefore be quite sticky and easily damage electrical control devices. Furthermore, the orientation of the control devices 188 on the control panel 186 within the drawer 184 allows the control devices 188 to be large enough for easy use.In addition, a padlock device 190 is provided on drawer 184 to prevent unauthorized access to the controls. A drawer stop 192 is provided on the lower portion of drawer 180 to allow drawer 180 to be fully extended from housing 34 while remaining engaged. Returning now to Figures 7-10, the temperature control system 200 of the present invention is shown schematically in Figure 10, while specific structures of the temperature control system 200 are shown in Figures 7-9. The temperature control system 200 includes a cooling system 140 and a heating system 160. The temperature control system 200 is configured to cool the beverage solution to a partially frozen state to form ice crystals therein and also to heat the partially frozen beverage product to melt ice crystals therein and return the beverage to a liquid or solution state. As mentioned, the ability to periodically return the beverage product to a thawed / liquid state provides improved and consistent quality to the slushie product over time.If the mixture were to be kept in a frozen state continuously without ever returning to a liquid solution, the flavor solids in the mixture would tend to migrate to the outside of the crystals held in the slush. In other words, each crystal initially tends to form with the flavor solids mixed in. Since the mixture is kept in a slush state for an extended period, the solids tend to migrate from the center of the crystal to the outside. This diminishes the desired flavor characteristics and reduces the consistency of the beverage. For illustrative purposes, in Figure 10, the cooling system 140 includes a compressor 202, a condenser 204, a filter-drier 206, and a suction accumulator 208. As shown in Figure 10, the cooling system 140 of the temperature control system 200 provides refrigerant distribution to a pair of temperature sets 40 and 41. The refrigerant can be distributed to both or only one of the temperature sets 40 and 41, depending on whether it is desired that both or only one of the hoppers in the apparatus 30 be operational. For example, in certain situations, it may be desirable to have one hopper in use and containing partially frozen slush product for immediate distribution, while the other hopper can be closed for maintenance or to allow the slush product to thaw, enabling the solution to return to a liquid state to maintain the quality of the produced slush product, as discussed herein.Selective control of the refrigerant to temperature sets 40, 41 can be achieved by using a divider 210 and a pair of controllable solenoid valves 212, 214. Figure 10 further illustrates the control system that manages the heating and cooling operations. Each drum 40 and 41 has a PTC heater 164 and 166. Each drum 40 and 41 also has a temperature sensor 230. The temperature sensor can be a thermistor, resistance temperature detector, or thermocouple. The temperature sensor 230 in each drum 40 and 41 is connected via a conductor cable A and B to a CTL control system. Each PTC heater 164 and 166 is also connected to the CTL control system via two additional cables C and D. Referring back to Figure 5, the motor 36 that drives the auger 38 is connected to the CTL control system via an additional cable E.The CTL control system manages the cooling operation by first providing a cooling system and then cooling the beverage solution in a controlled manner to form a partially frozen beverage solution while simultaneously monitoring the beverage solution's temperature and adjusting the cooling system's temperature accordingly. Furthermore, while monitoring and adjusting the cooling system's temperature, the control system operates the auger both forward and backward to ensure that the beverage solution is thoroughly mixed during the cooling process. The CTL control system also manages the heating operation by first providing a heating element and then heating the at least partially frozen product in a controlled manner for a second period to form a generally liquid product. The CTL control system then monitors the temperature of the thawed product and determines when it has reached a predetermined thawed state. It maintains this thawed state by activating heating elements 164 and 166 while simultaneously monitoring the temperature for a period of time before restarting the cooling operation. Furthermore, while monitoring and adjusting the temperature of the heating element, the control system operates the auger in both forward and reverse directions to ensure that the beverage solution is thoroughly mixed during the heating operation. The cooling operation of the heating and cooling assembly, or temperature assembly 40, is configured to remove heat from the beverage solution in the assembly's hopper, thereby causing portions of the beverage solution to freeze or form ice crystals within the product to create the desired slush of temperature and consistency. With further reference to Figures 7-9, the heating and cooling assembly 40 includes a temperature drum 216 having a wall 218 and defining a cavity 220 therein. The assembly 40 also includes, for illustrative purposes, a lid 115 positioned over an opening in the cavity 220. The temperature drum 216 is formed from a thermally conductive material to facilitate the transfer of heat to and from the mixture surrounding the outer surface 46 of the drum 216. For illustrative purposes, the heating system 160 includes a heating assembly 162 and a wiring assembly 170. The heating assembly 162 further includes, for illustrative purposes, a first heating unit 164 and a second heating unit 166. As shown in Figure 10, the first heating unit 164 of the temperature control system 200 is secured within the temperature assembly 40 and provides heat distribution to the temperature assembly 40, and the second heating unit 166 of the temperature control system 200 is secured within the temperature assembly 41 and provides heat distribution to the temperature assembly 41. The wiring assembly 170 includes a first wiring harness 172 coupled to the first heating unit 164 and a second wiring harness 174 coupled to the second heating unit 166 to provide electrical control and operation of the heating assembly 162.Consequently, the first and second heating units 164 and 166 can be controlled and operated independently to apply heat distribution to temperature sets 40 and 41, respectively. This independent control allows one set 40 to be heated, thereby defrosting the beverage product in its hopper, while the other set 41 is kept in a cooling operation to maintain the beverage product in its hopper at a chilled temperature for dispensing to a user essentially on demand. For the cooling operation, the drum 16 is configured, for illustrative purposes, to transfer heat from the mixture to a cooling coil 222 retained in the cavity 220. The coil 222 is sized and dimensioned to fit snugly against the inner surface of the wall 218 to facilitate heat transfer from the beverage solution to the cooling medium or refrigerant flowing through the coil 222. In illustrative embodiments, epoxy 224 is applied to the coil 222 to fill the spaces between adjacent portions of the coil 222. Epoxy 224 is selected for its thermally conductive characteristics to further increase the thermal conductivity between the drum 216, the coil 222, and the refrigerant flowing through the coil 222. Generally, epoxy 224 is applied to the outside of the coil 222 and to the inner surface of the drum 216 before inserting the coil 222 into the cavity 220 of the drum 216.Epoxy 224 is applied to fill the small gaps between the curved surfaces of the coil 222, thereby facilitating increased heat transfer through it and minimizing heat losses. With reference to Figure 8, insulating material 226 is provided inside the coil 222 to insulate the area between the coil 222 and the hollow hole 56 through which the shaft assembly 52 is inserted. As shown in Figure 10, the auger 38 moves relative to the stationary drum 216 to spread and move the beverage mixture along the outer surface 46, thereby transferring heat from the beverage mixture to the refrigerant flowing through the coil 222. Conversely, the heating operation of the heating and cooling assembly 40 is configured to introduce heat to the beverage solution in the assembly's hopper, thereby causing portions of the beverage solution to thaw or melt into a liquid. This allows for the maintenance of the assembly or enables the refreezing of the solution once the sugar / syrup in the solution has been redistributed into the product after thawing, thus increasing the consistency of the ice crystals subsequently formed after refreezing. The heating apparatus 164 of the heating assembly 160 will be specifically described herein; however, it is understood that the heating apparatus 166 may be substantially similar to that described for the heating apparatus 164. During the heating operation, the direction of the auger 38 is reversed, so that it moves both forward and backward. Reversing the direction of the auger 38 remixes the beverage solution and ensures a uniform consistency. The heating unit 164 is also located toward the rear of the drum 216, so reversing and pushing the beverage solution toward the rear of the drum 216 ensures uniform thawing as the beverage solution circulates near the heating unit 164. The auger 38 changes direction during the heating operation by operating forward for 5 minutes and then backward for approximately 30 seconds. In some embodiments, the auger 38 operates forward for approximately 7 minutes and then in reverse for approximately 45 seconds.In other modes, the drill is put into operation forwards for approximately 9 minutes and in reverse for approximately 1 minute. The direction of drill bit 38 also changes during the cooling operation. During this operation, the drill bit 38 is operated forward for 30 minutes and then in reverse for approximately 30 seconds. In some configurations, the drill bit 38 is operated forward for approximately 45 minutes and then in reverse for approximately 45 seconds. In other configurations, the drill bit 38 is operated forward for approximately 60 minutes and then in reverse for approximately 1 minute. An additional benefit of the heating operation is that defrosting can be achieved at lower liquid levels due to the location of temperature sensor 230 within drum 216. Temperature sensor 230 is positioned lower in drum 216 to allow for accurate temperature measurements when the liquid level in apparatus 30 is low. Furthermore, a modulation algorithm determines when the beverage solution is completely defrosted by first heating the solution, then switching off the heater and allowing the solution to reach a steady state. If the steady-state temperature of the beverage solution is above its freezing point and there are no changes in the temperature over a period of time, the solution is considered defrosted, and the system switches to the cooling cycle.If the steady-state temperature drops sharply after the heater is turned off, the beverage solution still contains ice crystals, and the heater is turned back on. This process repeats until the steady-state temperature of the beverage solution is above its freezing point and remains unchanged when the heater cycle is stopped. Once the modulation algorithm determines that the beverage solution has completely thawed, the cooling cycle begins again. As illustrated in Figures 8 and 9, the heating apparatus 164 can be positioned within the cavity 220 of the assembly 40 adjacent to or near the external surface 46 and configured to introduce heat to the external surface 46 via the wall 218. As the frozen beverage solution is mixed in the hopper, it will begin to thaw upon contact with the external surface 46, causing the ice crystals to melt or approach a liquid state. Using the heating apparatus 164 to raise the temperature of the external surface 46 allows for a faster thawing time for the frozen beverage product than simply switching off the assembly and allowing the product to thaw naturally at room temperature, thus reducing the amount of downtime for the assembly. In one exemplary embodiment, the heating device 164 may be in the form of a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) heater, as illustrated in Figure 11, although other types of heaters, such as electric resistive heaters or forced-air heaters, are also contemplated herein. As illustrated in Figures 11 and 12, the heating device 164 may be appropriately sized to fit within cavity 220 of assembly 40. As illustrated more precisely in Figures 11 to 14, in certain embodiments, the heating unit 164 can be positioned adjacent to the cooling coil 222 and coupled to it as the coil 222 is positioned adjacent to the wall 218. The heating unit 164 can be retained within the cavity by using a coupling bracket 176 or other similar component. The bracket 176 can be, for example, an extruded aluminum component that the heating unit 164 can be received within, as the bracket is secured to the cooling coil 222. In several embodiments, the bracket 176 can be appropriately sized to receive the heating unit 164. For example, if the heating unit 164 is a PTC heater as illustrated in Figure 14, the support can be approximately 7.6 centimeters (3 inches) wide with an opening 178 sized to receive the heating apparatus 164, such that the walls 179 of the support 176 completely surround the heating apparatus 164. However, other embodiments are also contemplated herein. The heating apparatus 164 or the support 176 configured to secure the heating apparatus 164 within the cavity 220, can be secured to the cooling coil 222 or to an internal surface 45 of the wall 218 via epoxy 224 similar to the epoxy used to secure the cooling coil 222 within the cavity, since such epoxy will also provide advantageous thermal properties for efficiently transferring heat from the heating apparatus 164 to the external surface 46 of the assembly 40 for defrosting the frozen beverage product. The first wiring 172 of wiring assembly 170 can be configured to extend far from the heating apparatus 164 into the cover 115 of assembly 40. The cover 115 can be positioned to substantially enclose the cavity 220 of assembly 40 to retain temperature control over the temperature of cavity 220 during cooling or heating operations. Accordingly, a second opening 168 can be formed in the cover 115 to allow the first wiring 172 of wiring assembly 170 to extend out of cavity 220 and be electronically connected to a controller to control the operation of the heating apparatus 164. As illustrated in Figure 14, the heating assembly 164 can be completely enclosed in cavity 220 while the first wiring 172 is configured to extend through the opening 178.In several configurations, insulation can be placed in cavity 220 or adjacent to opening 178 to reduce heat transfer to / from cavity 220 via opening 178. In several configurations, a thermistor temperature sensor 230 can be provided inside the heating and cooling assembly 40 to determine the beverage solution temperature. The temperature sensor 230 is connected to a control circuit or board (not shown), as illustrated in Figure 10, which receives readings from the temperature sensor 230 and can be configured to control the system based on these readings. Specifically, at the end of a cooling cycle, the controller will shut off the compressor 202 and then wait a predetermined time, for example, 5 seconds. After the predetermined time has elapsed, the controller will activate solenoid valves 212 and 214, which are controlled in response to the desired slush stiffness set by the user, for a preselected period of time. When no further cooling is required, the controller closes valves 212 and 214. Additionally, in some models, a night control (not shown) can be provided to place the appliance into a night mode. The night control overrides existing preset control settings to maintain the beverage at a predetermined temperature above freezing, but in a chilled state. The night control effectively overrides the ice / no ice switch settings (not shown) and sets both to the no ice position. The night control may also allow the mixture to thaw from a slushy to a liquid state. As mentioned previously, this periodic thawing, for example, during rest periods or overnight, helps maintain a consistent flavor in the mixture. As such, the night control helps maintain flavor consistency and quality throughout service hours.Machine operators can select periodic defrosting to occur during optimal downtime hours to ensure that the frozen beverage solution is available to customers during active hours. Additionally, the night control can be configured to maintain the mix in a chilled state. This chilled state helps reduce and minimize start-up time. In other words, for example, if the beverage mix is kept at 2°C (36°F) during off-peak hours and the desired slush temperature is 0.5°C (33°F), the mix only needs to be cooled by 1.7°C (3°F) to reach the desired dispensing temperature. However, if the mix is allowed to thaw completely and reach room temperature, for example, 21°C (70°F), the temperature will need to be lowered by 3°C (37°F) to reach the serving temperature. Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown and described, it is envisaged that those skilled in the art may devise various modifications and equivalents without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims. The foregoing description does not intend the invention to be limited.
Claims
1. A cold beverage system, characterized in that it comprises: at least one beverage hopper having at least one wall defining an interior volume for retaining a quantity of beverage product in solution to be cooled to at least a partially frozen condition and dispensed therefrom; a drum contained within the beverage hopper, the drum having a wall defining a cavity separate from the interior volume of the hopper, the drum wall having an outer surface configured to come into contact with the beverage solution retained in the interior volume of the beverage hopper;an auger configured to move relative to the outer surface of the drum to remove at least a partially frozen beverage product from the outer surface when the beverage product is cooled, and a temperature control assembly, the temperature control assembly including: a cooling system for controlling the cooling of the beverage product to at least a partially frozen condition and a heating system for controlling the temperature of the partially frozen beverage product; wherein the cooling system and the heating system are retained within the drum cavity and configured to change the temperature of the outer surface of the drum to control the temperature of the beverage.
2. The cold beverage system of claim 1, characterized in that the heating system is an electronic heating system.
3. The cold beverage system of claim 2, characterized in that the heating system includes a heater selected from the group consisting of an electric resistive heater or a forced-air heater.
4. The cold beverage system of claim 3, characterized in that the heater is retained within the drum cavity adjacent to an inner surface of the drum wall via a support.
5. The cold beverage system of claim 4, characterized in that the cooling system includes a cooling coil coupled to the inner surface of the wall and the heater support is thermally coupled to the cooling coil.
6. The cold beverage system of claim 5, characterized in that the cooling coil is coupled to the inner surface of the wall by means of a thermally conductive epoxy and the support is coupled to the cooling coil by means of a thermally conductive epoxy.
7. The cold beverage system of claim 5, characterized in that the drum further includes an end cap that substantially seals the drum cavity, the end cap including an opening through which an electronic heating system wiring system extends to connect to the heater.
8. The cold beverage system of claim 1, characterized in that the drum cavity is otherwise substantially filled with an insulating material.
9. The cold beverage system of claim 1, characterized in that the system further comprises: a second beverage hopper, drum, auger, cooling system and heating system, for holding a quantity of a second beverage product in solution to cool it and supply it therewith.
10. The cold beverage system of claim 9, characterized in that it further comprises at least one controller for controlling the operation of the cold beverage system, wherein the first and second heating systems can be controlled independently by at least one controller to increase or decrease the temperature of the separated beverage products retained in each of the hoppers, respectively.
11. The cold beverage system of claim 9, 31 characterized in that the first and second beverage hoppers are retained in a single beverage dispensing apparatus.
12. The cold beverage system of claim 9, characterized in that the second heating system is an electronic heating system and is held close to an inner surface of the second drum to transfer heat to an annular wall of the drum.
13. The cold beverage system of claim 9, characterized in that the temperature assembly cooling system includes a second cooling coil coupled to an inner surface of a wall of the second drum and the second heating system is thermally coupled to the second cooling coil.
14. The cold beverage system of claim 1, characterized in that the system further includes a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the beverage product held in the hopper.
15. A method for controlling the temperature of a beverage product held in a beverage hopper of a chilled beverage system, characterized in that the method comprises the steps of: providing a cooling system; cooling the beverage product in a controlled manner to form a beverage product condition that is at least partially frozen, the chilled beverage system including a drum within an interior volume of the hopper, the cooling system being held in the drum and configured to transfer heat in a controlled manner from the beverage product to form and maintain the beverage product in a controllable, at least partially frozen condition for a first period of time; and providing a heating system;To heat the at least partially frozen product in a controlled manner for a second period of time to form a generally liquid product, the drum of the cold beverage system includes a heating element configured to transfer heat to the at least partially frozen product to cause the partially frozen product to thaw, detect when the thawed beverage product has reached a predetermined thawed condition and maintain the predetermined thawed condition for a thawed period of time before cooling the beverage product to form a at least partially frozen product again.
16. The method of claim 15, characterized in that the step of heating the at least partially frozen product includes providing an electronic heating element.
17. The method of claim 15, characterized in that the method further comprises the steps of: providing a second beverage hopper, drum, cooling system, and heating system for holding a quantity of a second beverage product in solution for cooling and dispensing therefrom; cooling the second beverage product held in the second hopper in a controlled manner to form a second product that is at least partially frozen; the second hopper containing the second drum and the second cooling system being configured to transfer heat from the second beverage product to form and maintain the second beverage product in a at least partially frozen condition for a first period of time, and to controllably heat the second product in a at least partially frozen condition for a second period of time to form a second product that is generally thawed.The second drum includes a second heating system configured to transfer heat to the second partially frozen product to cause the second partially frozen product to thaw, detect when the thawed beverage product has reached a predetermined thawed condition, and maintain the second thawed beverage mix in a thawed state before cooling the second beverage mix to form a second partially frozen product again.
18. The method of claim 17, characterized in that the method further includes providing a controller coupled to the cooling system and the heating system and configured to control the cooling and heating steps, and wherein the controller can independently control the cooling and heating steps occurring in the first and second hoppers.
19. The method of claim 17, characterized in that the method further includes heating only one of the first and second beverage products that are at least partially frozen while the other of the first and second beverage products that are at least partially frozen remains in the at least partially frozen condition.
20. The method of claim 15, characterized in that the heating step further includes transferring heat to an outer surface of the drum that is in direct contact with the partially frozen product and the partially frozen product circulating within the hopper.