US 2023/0413850 A1 · AUTOMATIC VISCOSITY CONTROL SYSTEM FOR FOOD PRODUCTS DISPENSED FROM FROZEN BEVERAGE AND SOFT-SERVE ICE CREAM EQUIPMENT

Abstract

The present invention relates to an automatic viscosity control system and method for food products dispensed from frozen beverage and soft-serve ice cream equipment. A mixing cylinder includes an auger interconnected with an auger motor. A refrigeration system chills the food product in the mixing cylinder to a predetermined frozen malleable consistency. A motor sensor measures amperage draw or torque of the auger motor resultant from resistance of rotating the auger through the food product. By transitioning between starting or speeding up a compressor when the amperage draw or the torque of the auger motor is below a predetermined high motor performance setting, and slowing or stopping the compressor when the amperage draw or the torque of the auger motor is between a predetermined low motor performance setting and the predetermined high motor performance setting the viscosity of the food product is automatically controlled.

Claims20

Dependent claims

Automatic viscosity control system for food products dispensed from frozen beverage equipment and soft-serve ice cream equipment comprising:

a mixing cylinder comprising at least one of an auger, at least one of a product inlet through which a food portion is injected into the mixing cylinder, and at least one of a gas inlet through which a gas portion is injected into the mixing cylinder, a food product comprises the food portion, and the gas portion;
an auger motor is interconnected with the auger, the auger is positioned inside the mixing cylinder;
a control system comprising a microcontroller, a memory, and a motor sensor, the motor sensor is operationally related to the auger motor, the motor sensor measures an amperage draw or a torque of the auger motor resultant from resistance of rotating the auger through the food product;
and
a refrigeration system comprising a compressor, the refrigeration system is configured to chill, to a predetermined frozen malleable consistency, the food product inside the mixing cylinder, the memory is encoded with instructions that when executed by the microcontroller transition between the steps of:
starting or speeding up the compressor when the amperage draw or the torque of the auger motor is below a predetermined high motor performance setting;
and
slowing or stopping the compressor when the amperage draw or the torque of the auger motor is between a predetermined low motor performance setting and the predetermined high motor performance setting.

5 more elements

An automatic viscosity control method for frozen food products dispensed from frozen beverage equipment and soft-serve ice cream equipment, the automatic viscosity control method comprising the steps of:

starting or speeding up a compressor when an amperage draw or a torque of an auger motor is below a predetermined high motor performance setting, a mixing cylinder comprises one or more of an auger, and a product inlet through which a food product is injected into the mixing cylinder, the food product comprises a food portion, and a gas portion an auger motor is interconnected with the auger, the auger is positioned inside the mixing cylinder, a control system comprising a microcontroller, and a motor sensor, the motor sensor is operationally related to the auger motor, the motor sensor measures the amperage draw or the torque of the auger motor resultant from resistance of rotating the auger through the food product, and a refrigeration system comprising the compressor, the refrigeration system is configured to chill the food product inside the mixing cylinder to a predetermined frozen malleable consistency;
and
slowing or stopping the compressor when the amperage draw or the torque of the auger motor is between a predetermined low motor performance setting and the predetermined high motor performance setting.

An automatic viscosity control system for food products dispensed from frozen beverage equipment and soft-serve ice cream equipment comprising:

a mixing cylinder comprising at least one of an auger, at least one of a product inlet through which a food portion is injected into the mixing cylinder, and at least one of a gas inlet through which a gas portion is injected into the mixing cylinder, a food product comprises the food portion, and the gas portion;
an auger motor is interconnected with the auger, the auger is positioned inside the mixing cylinder;
a control system comprising a microcontroller, and a memory;
a motor sensor is operationally related to the microcontroller and interconnected with the auger motor, the motor sensor measures an amperage draw or a torque of the auger motor resultant from resistance of rotating the auger through the food product;
a gas metering device is operationally related to the microcontroller and interconnected with a gas inlet, the mixing cylinder further comprises the gas inlet, and the product inlet;
a pressure sensor is operationally related to the microcontroller, the pressure sensor is configured to measure pressure of the food product inside the mixing cylinder;
and
a refrigeration system comprising a compressor, the compressor is operationally related to the microcontroller and configured to chill, to a predetermined frozen malleable consistency, the food product inside the mixing cylinder, the memory is encoded with instructions that when executed by the microcontroller transition between the steps of:
filling the mixing cylinder, by way of the gas metering device and the product pump, with predetermined ratio of the gas portion to the food portion until the food product pressure is between a predetermined low-pressure setting and a predetermined high-pressure setting;
starting or speeding up the compressor when temperature of the food product is above a predetermined high-temperature setting or when the amperage draw or the torque of the auger motor is below a predetermined high motor performance setting;
and
slowing or stopping the compressor when temperature of the food product is between a predetermined low-temperature setting and the predetermined high-temperature setting, and the amperage draw or the torque of the auger motor is between a predetermined low motor performance setting and the predetermined high motor performance setting.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Automatic viscosity control system for food products dispensed from frozen beverage and soft-serve ice cream equipment

Life of this patent

Automatic viscosity control system for food products dispensed from frozen beverage and soft-serve ice cream equipment

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20