# US 11,441,832 B2 · Portable frozen confection machine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,441,832 B2 - Document ID: US11441832B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/601,476 - Filed: 2019-10-14 - Published: 2020-06-11 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2013-10-21 - Assignees: Snowie LLC - Applicants: Snowie LLC - Inventors: Carl A. Rupp - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11441832B2 ## CPC - F25C 5/12: Ice-shaving machines - A23G 9/045: {of slush-ice, e.g. semi-frozen beverage} - A23G 9/28: for portioning or dispensing - B02C 18/2216: {Discharge means} - B02C 18/2291: {Feed chute arrangements} - F25C 5/02: Apparatus for disintegrating, removing or harvesting ice - F25C: PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE - A23G: COCOA; COCOA PRODUCTS, e.g. CHOCOLATE; SUBSTITUTES FOR COCOA OR COCOA PRODUCTS; CONFECTIONERY; CHEWING GUM; ICE-CREAM; PREPARATION THEREOF - B02C: CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING IN GENERAL; MILLING GRAIN ({household tools and machines for pulverising foodstuffs, e.g. coffee and spice mills A47J42/00; pharmaceutical mortars A61J3/02; mechanical processing of refuse and garbage B03B9/06; dressing mould materials by grinding B22C5/04}; obtaining metallic powder by crushing, grinding or milling B22F9/04; {recovery of plastics by disintegrating B29B17/00; crushing raw materials in starch making C08B30/02; beaters for papermaking D21D1/02; crushing devices specially for transport in mines E21F13/002; slag crushing devices F23J1/00; fuel milling devices in combustion apparatus F23K1/00; household devices for crushing coal F24B15/02; ice disintegrating devices F25C5/02}) ## Abstract The disclosure extends to apparatuses, methods, and systems, for producing frozen confections and conditioning ice for use in frozen confections. A frozen confection machine includes a hopper portion for receiving ice into an interior, and a motor configured to rotate a drive shaft, a blade to condition the ice in the hopper during rotation of the motor. The frozen confection machine also includes a lid for selectively covering the interior of the hopper, a bias member for biasing the lid away from a closed position, and a switch for causing the motor to actuate in response to the lid being pressed to a closed position. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A frozen confection machine comprising: a paddle wheel, wherein the paddle wheel includes a top surface; and a hopper, wherein the hopper includes a sidewall; wherein the sidewall includes grooves for receiving and holding an ice conditioning blade; wherein the ice conditioning blade includes at least one slit, the slit comprising: a leading edge, a cutting edge, a top edge, and a bottom edge. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The frozen confection machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one slit is a plurality of ice slits arranged in a uniform row. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The frozen confection machine of claim 2, wherein the plurality of slits are arranged with the bottom edge of each slit on the same horizontal plane. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The frozen confection machine of claim 2, wherein the plurality of slits are arranged having the bottom edge of every second slit set higher than the previous slit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The frozen confection machine of claim 2, wherein the plurality of slits are arranged having the bottom of two or more consecutive slits set at a first level followed by two or more consecutive slits set at a second level. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The frozen confection machine of claim 1, wherein the bottom edge of the slit is flat, formed perpendicular to the leading edge and cutting edge. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The frozen confection machine of claim 1, wherein the bottom edge of the slit is formed as a radius. ### Claim 8 A frozen confection machine comprising: a paddle wheel, wherein the paddle wheel includes a top surface; and a hopper, wherein the hopper includes a sidewall; wherein the sidewall includes grooves for receiving and holding an ice conditioning blade; wherein the ice conditioning blade includes a plurality of substantially rectangular ice slits, wherein each one of the plurality of ice slits comprises: a leading edge, a cutting edge, a top edge, and a bottom edge, wherein the plurality of ice slits are arranged in a uniform row. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The frozen confection machine of claim 8, wherein the plurality of ice slits are arranged with the bottom edge of each slit on the same horizontal plane. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The frozen confection machine of claim 8, wherein the plurality of ice slits are arranged having the bottom edge of every second slit set higher than the previous slit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The frozen confection machine of claim 8, wherein the plurality of slits are arranged having the bottom of two or more consecutive slits set at a first level followed by two or more consecutive slits set at a second level. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The frozen confection machine of claim 8, wherein the bottom edge of each of the plurality of ice slits is flat, formed perpendicular to the leading edge and cutting edge. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The frozen confection machine of claim 8, wherein the bottom edge of each of the plurality of ice slits is formed as a radius.