# US 2017/0280745 A1 · Individual frozen drink dispenser > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0280745 A1 - Document ID: US20170280745A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/631,424 - Filed: 2017-06-23 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2011-10-05 - Assignees: Island Oasis Frozen Cocktail Company, Inc. - Applicants: Island Oasis Frozen Cocktail Co., Inc. - Inventors: John Michael HERBERT; Bryan HOTALING; Matt NAPLES; Patrick DEVINE - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170280745A1 ## CPC - A23G 9/28: for portioning or dispensing - A23G 9/045: {of slush-ice, e.g. semi-frozen beverage} - A23G 9/12: using means for stirring the contents in a non-moving container - A23G 9/224: {Agitators or scrapers} - A47J 31/407: {with ingredient-containing cartridges; Cartridge-perforating means} - A47J 43/046: with tools driven from the bottom side - A47J 43/0716: {for machines with tools driven from the lower side (A47J43/0727 - A47J43/08 take precedence)} - B01F 23/711: {Heating materials, e.g. melting} - B01F 27/806: with vertical displacement of the stirrer, e.g. in combination with means for pivoting the stirrer about a vertical axis in order to co-operate with different receptacles - B01F 27/808: with stirrers driven from the bottom of the receptacle - B01F 35/7131: {Breaking or perforating packages, containers or vials} - B01F 35/7174: {using pistons, plungers or syringes} - B01F 35/71795: {Squeezing a flexible container} - B67D 1/0001: {by squeezing collapsible or flexible storage containers (B67D1/0462 takes precedence)} - B67D 1/0021: {the components being mixed at the time of dispensing, i.e. post-mix dispensers} - B67D 1/0894: {for the vessel to be filled} - B67D 1/0895: {Heating arrangements} - B01F 2035/99: {Heating} - B01F 2101/14: Mixing of ingredients for non-alcoholic beverages; Dissolving sugar in water - A23G: COCOA; COCOA PRODUCTS, e.g. CHOCOLATE; SUBSTITUTES FOR COCOA OR COCOA PRODUCTS; CONFECTIONERY; CHEWING GUM; ICE-CREAM; PREPARATION THEREOF - A47J: KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES - B01F: MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING (mixing paints B44D3/06) - B67D: DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (cleaning pipes or tubes or systems of pipes or tubes B08B9/02; emptying or filling of bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels, or similar containers, not otherwise provided for B67C; water supply E03; pipe systems F17D; domestic hot-water supply systems F24D; measuring volume, volume flow, mass flow or liquid level, metering by volume G01F; coin-freed or like apparatus G07F) ## Abstract An individual frozen drink dispenser includes a housing having a base configured to support a blender cup, a dispensing chamber disposed above the blender cup and configured to support a frozen beverage container containing frozen ingredients suitable for preparing a frozen drink, at least one dispensing mechanism configured to move from a pre-dispense position to a dispense position in which the dispensing mechanism drives the frozen ingredients from the frozen beverage container into the blender cup, and a drive mechanism coupled to the housing and configured to drive the movement of the dispensing mechanism from the pre-dispense position to the dispense position. A method of preparing a frozen drink is further disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An individual frozen drink dispenser comprising: a housing having a base configured to support a blender cup; a support disposed above the blender cup and configured to support a container containing frozen ingredients suitable for preparing a frozen drink; a heater configured to heat to the container to facilitate displacement of the frozen ingredients from the container; a dispense mechanism coupled to the housing and configured to move from a pre-dispense position to a dispense position, wherein the dispense mechanism displaces the frozen ingredients from the container and into the blender cup; and a drive mechanism configured to rotate a plurality of rotatable blades to blend the frozen ingredients in the blender cup. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The individual frozen drink dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a water reservoir provided within the housing and a water line in fluid communication with the water reservoir and an opening of the blender cup. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The individual frozen drink dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a blender assembly configured to blend ingredients within the blender cup. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The individual frozen drink dispenser of claim 3, wherein the blender assembly includes a motor disposed within the base, wherein the motor is configured to power the operation of the drive mechanism. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The individual frozen drink dispenser of claim 1, wherein the support is configured to rest on the blender cup. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The individual frozen drink dispenser of claim 1, wherein the heater is sized and shaped such that an interior surface of the heater corresponds to a size and shape of a corresponding exterior surface of the container. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The individual frozen drink dispenser of claim 1, wherein the heater comprises one or more heating elements located about at least a portion of a circumference of the heater. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The individual frozen drink dispenser of claim 1, wherein the package is attached to the support. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The individual frozen drink dispenser of claim 1, wherein the heater is attached to the dispense mechanism. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The individual frozen drink dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a controller coupled to the drive mechanism and the heater and configured to control the operation of the individual frozen drink dispenser. ### Claim 11 A method of dispensing a frozen drink, the method comprising: placing a blender cup on a base of an individual frozen drink dispenser; receiving a container within a heater disposed above the blender cup, the container containing frozen ingredients suitable for preparing a frozen drink; providing heat to the frozen ingredients contained within the container by using the heater; pushing the frozen ingredients of the container into the blender cup; and blending the frozen ingredients in the blender cup, wherein blending the frozen ingredients is achieved by using a plurality of rotatable blades. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising injecting fluid from a water reservoir into the blender cup. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein pushing the ingredients of the container into the blender cup is achieved by a dispense mechanism. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the package heater is attached to a support disposed above the blender cup. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the heater is attached to the dispense mechanism. ### Claim 16 An individual frozen drink dispenser comprising: a blender drive configured to drive operation of blades within a mixing cup; a dispensing chamber configured to receive a frozen beverage container comprising frozen edible ingredients, the dispensing chamber comprising at least one dispensing roller configured to bear against at least one side of the frozen beverage container along a length of the frozen beverage container to squeeze the contents of the frozen beverage container from the frozen beverage container into the mixing cup for making a frozen drink; and a controller coupled to the blender drive, the at least one dispensing roller, and a water pump to control the operation of the individual frozen drink dispenser. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The individual frozen drink dispenser of claim 16, wherein the at least one dispensing roller is movable relative to the frozen beverage container from a pre-dispense position to a dispense position along the length of the frozen beverage container. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The individual frozen drink dispenser of claim 16, wherein the frozen beverage container is movable relative to the at least one dispensing roller from a pre-dispense position to a dispense position along the length of the frozen beverage container. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The individual frozen drink dispenser of claim 16, wherein the at least one side of the frozen beverage container is flexible. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The individual frozen drink dispenser of claim 16, wherein the dispensing chamber further comprises a door configured to secure the frozen beverage container in place. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The individual frozen drink dispenser of claim 16, wherein the frozen beverage container comprises an impermeable pouch and a seal tab projecting from an end of the impermeable pouch; and wherein the seal tab is secured to the impermeable pouch along a tear line. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) The individual frozen drink dispenser of claim 16, wherein the dispensing chamber further comprises an auto-tear mechanism configured to automatically open the frozen beverage container at one end. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The individual frozen drink dispenser of claim 22, wherein the auto-tear mechanism comprises: a movable holding arm configured to secure the frozen beverage container; and a movable tearing arm configured to grasp and tear open the frozen beverage container. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The individual frozen drink dispenser of claim 23, wherein the frozen beverage container comprises an impermeable pouch and a seal tab projecting from an end of the impermeable pouch; and wherein the seal tab comprises an opening configured to receive a tip of the movable tearing arm. ### Claim 25 (depends on 16) The individual frozen drink dispenser of claim 16, wherein the frozen beverage container comprises a breakable seal. ### Claim 26 (depends on 16) The individual frozen drink dispenser of claim 16, wherein the dispensing chamber further comprises a discharge passage configured to receive and discharge a depleted frozen beverage container. ### Claim 27 A method of dispensing a frozen drink, the method comprising: providing an individual frozen drink dispenser comprising: a blender drive configured to drive operation of blades within a mixing cup, a dispensing chamber configured to receive a frozen beverage container comprising frozen edible ingredients, the dispensing chamber comprising at least one dispensing roller, and a controller coupled to the blender drive, the at least one dispensing roller, and a water pump to control the operation of the individual frozen drink dispenser; inserting the frozen beverage cartridge into the dispensing chamber; squeezing the contents of the frozen beverage container from the frozen beverage container into the mixing cup by moving the frozen beverage container or the at least one dispensing roller relative to the other along a length of the frozen beverage container while the at least one dispensing roller bears against at least one side of the frozen beverage container; and blending the contents of the frozen beverage container in the mixing cup with the blades. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The method of dispensing a frozen drink of claim 27, wherein the step of squeezing the contents of the frozen beverage container from the frozen beverage cartridge into the mixing cup comprises moving the at least one dispensing roller relative to the frozen beverage cartridge from a pre-dispense position to a dispense position along the length of the frozen beverage container. ### Claim 29 (depends on 27) The method of dispensing a frozen drink of claim 27, wherein the step of squeezing the contents of the frozen beverage container from the frozen beverage container into the mixing cup comprises moving the frozen beverage container relative to the at least one dispensing roller from a pre-dispense position to a dispense position along the length of the frozen beverage container. ### Claim 30 (depends on 27) The method of dispensing a frozen drink of claim 27, further comprising discharging a depleted frozen beverage container.