Machine for making liquid or semi-liquid food products having a spatula driven to have first and second movements independent of one another

A machine for making liquid or semi-liquid food products, comprising:

• a frame;
• a product processing unit mounted on the frame;
• a control unit for driving the product processing unit;
• the product processing unit comprising a first vessel rotatable about a central of the first vessel and defining a product processing chamber in an interior of the first vessel;
• a stirrer including a spatula mounted inside the product processing chamber;
• and
• a movement unit for moving the stirrer;
• wherein the movement unit is configured for imparting to the spatula a first movement, towards and away from a bottom of the first vessel, and a second movement, towards and away from an interior wall of the first vessel, the first and second movements being independent of each other;
• wherein the movement unit comprises a first linear actuator and a second linear actuator driven by the control unit, the first and second movements being imparted by the first linear actuator and the second linear actuator, respectively;
• a driven rod, wherein the first movement and the second movement are imparted to the spatula through the driven rod;
• the spatula being fixed to a lower end of the driven rod and extending eccentrically from the lower end of the driven rod;
• wherein the second movement is an eccentric oscillating movement imparted by the second linear actuator which causes the driven rod to oscillate about a central axis of the driven rod;
• a crank transmission including a crank that is integral with the driven rod, and a connecting rod that is hinged, on one side, to a driving end of the second linear actuator, and on another side, to the crank through a hinge;
• the hinge being mounted integrally with a further rod along which the crank is slidably movable parallel with a central axis of the driven rod;
• the first linear actuator including a driving end that has a ball joint that presses an upper end of the driven rod.