System for whipping a fluid slurry and method therefor
AssigneeCrane Merchandising Systems, Inc.
InventorGregory G. Stettes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus, method and vending system mixes a dry mix with water to produce a whipped fluid slurry for a beverage. The mixing apparatus includes an inlet for receiving an unwhipped fluid slurry and an outlet for discharging the whipped fluid slurry. A whipping chamber is connected to the inlet for whipping the unwhipped fluid slurry and further includes an impeller that induces fluid turbulence to produce the whipped fluid slurry when the impeller rotates above one or more indentations in the surface of the whipping chamber.
Claims31
An apparatus for whipping a slurry, the apparatus comprising:
- a whipping chamber;
- an impeller located in the whipping chamber, wherein the impeller induces dynamic fluid flow of a slurry within the chamber;
- and
- one or more cavitation mechanisms each comprising one or more first indentations recessed into a surface of the impeller, wherein the one or more first indentations in the impeller create cavitation in the fluid flow of the slurry near an interface between the one or more first indentations and a surface of the chamber.
A method of whipping a slurry, the method comprising:
- whipping the slurry by rotating an impeller in a whipping chamber;
- inducing turbulence in the whipping chamber during whipping by creating cavitation in the slurry near an interface between a surface of the whipping chamber and one or more first indentations recessed into a surface of the impeller;
- and
- discharging the whipped slurry from the whipping chamber.
A vending system for providing a whipped beverage, the system comprising:
- a customer order system;
- a dry beverage mix container for holding dry beverage mix;
- a whipping chamber for mixing water and the dry beverage mix in accordance with a customer order;
- an impeller located interior to the whipping chamber for whipping the dry beverage mix and water into a slurry and inducing fluid flow in the slurry;
- one or more first indentations recessed into a surface of the impeller;
- and
- a discharge outlet from the whipping chamber to dispense the whipped slurry into a customer receptacle, wherein rotation of the impeller within the whipping chamber creates cavitation in the fluid flow of the slurry near an interface between the surface of the whipping chamber and the one or more first indentations.
A beverage vending machine comprising:
- a whipping chamber;
- an impeller located in the whipping chamber, wherein the impeller induces dynamic fluid flow of a slurry within the chamber;
- and
- one or more first indentations recessed into a surface of the impeller;
- one or more second indentations recessed into the surface of the chamber such that a bottom surface of the each of the one or more second indentations is offset from the surface of the chamber;
- and
- wherein the one or more first indentations and the one or more second indentations create cavitation in the fluid flow of the slurry within the chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.