Apparatus for producing soft ice cream

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9918484-B2
Application number	US-201514674307-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2015
Priority date	Mar 31, 2014
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus for producing soft ice cream has a storage container ( 1 ) for receiving soft ice cream raw material in liquid form and a refrigeration chamber ( 4 ) with a mechanical mixing device ( 5 ) installed therein in which the soft ice cream raw material is mixed with air and thus prepared to form soft ice cream. The storage container ( 1 ) is a bag ( 8 ) which can be inserted into the apparatus, with an integrated single use pump ( 9 ) with an opening device ( 19 ) for the bag.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for producing soft ice cream, said apparatus having a storage container ( 1 ) for receiving soft ice cream raw material in liquid form, the apparatus further having a machine body ( 2 ) and a refrigeration chamber ( 4 ) in the machine body ( 2 ), wherein the refrigeration chamber ( 4 ) has therein a mechanical mixing device ( 5 ) in which the soft ice cream raw material is mixed with ambient air and is thus prepared to form soft ice cream, wherein the storage container ( 1 ) communicates with the refrigeration chamber ( 4 ) by means of a supply channel ( 3 ), and the apparatus further having a dispensing device ( 6 ) for the dosed output of soft ice cream from the refrigeration chamber ( 4 ), characterized in that the storage container ( 1 ) is a bag ( 8 ) configured to be inserted into the machine body ( 2 ) of the apparatus, wherein the bag ( 8 ) comprises an integrated single use pump ( 9 ) that includes an opening device ( 19 ) for opening the bag ( 8 ) to provide communication between the bag ( 8 ) and the refrigeration chamber ( 4 ), and wherein the single use pump ( 9 ) is configured to be connected to a pump drive ( 24 ).

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that the bag ( 8 ) is configured to be inserted into a receiving cassette ( 22 ) and wherein the receiving cassette ( 22 ) is configured to in turn be inserted into the apparatus for producing soft ice cream.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that the bag ( 8 ) is configured to be placed onto the refrigeration chamber ( 4 ) of the apparatus for producing soft ice cream and is consequently suitable for soft ice cream machines which have been developed for use with bags.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that the integrated single use pump ( 9 ) is configured to be screw connected onto an outlet connecting piece ( 13 ) which is connected to the bag ( 8 ), wherein the opening device ( 19 ) does not become effective until the single use pump ( 9 ) has been screwed on completely and not until the pump penetrates elastic sleeve material of the bag ( 8 ).

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that on an outlet tube ( 21 ) the single use pump ( 9 ) has a diaphragm valve ( 20 ) which is at least approximately air-tight and is configured to be coupled directly or indirectly to the supply channel ( 3 ).

6. The apparatus according to claim 2 , characterized in that the bag ( 8 ) is configured to be tensioned in the receiving cassette ( 22 ) by means of a three-point tensioning means ( 9 , 12 ).

7. The apparatus according to claim 2 , characterized in that the single use pump ( 9 ) of the bag ( 8 ) inserted into the receiving cassette ( 22 ) is configured to be connected to the pump drive ( 24 ) such that the receiving cassette ( 22 ) with the bag ( 8 ) and the single use pump ( 9 ) and the pump drive ( 24 ) form an associated replaceable functional unit.

8. A storage bag for an apparatus for producing soft ice cream, said apparatus having a storage container ( 1 ) for receiving soft ice cream raw material in liquid form, the apparatus further having a machine body ( 2 ) and a refrigeration chamber ( 4 ) in the machine body ( 2 ), wherein the refrigeration chamber ( 4 ) has therein a mechanical mixing device ( 5 ) in which the soft ice cream raw material is mixed with ambient air and is thus prepared to form soft ice cream, wherein the storage container ( 1 ) communicates with the refrigeration chamber ( 4 ) by means of a supply channel ( 3 ), and the apparatus further having a dispensing device ( 6 ) for the dosed output of soft ice cream from the refrigeration chamber ( 4 ), the storage bag ( 8 ) being configured to be inserted into the machine body ( 2 ) of the apparatus, wherein the bag ( 8 ) comprises an integrated single use pump ( 9 ) that includes an opening device ( 19 ) for opening the bag ( 8 ) to provide communication between the bag ( 8 ) and the refrigeration chamber ( 4 ), and wherein the single use pump ( 9 ) is configured to be connected to a pump drive ( 24 ), the bag ( 8 ) being configured to be inserted into a storage container of such an apparatus and therefore being suitable for retrofitting conventional soft ice cream machines.

9. The bag according to claim 8 , characterized in that the bag ( 8 ) is configured to be inserted into a receiving cassette ( 22 ) and wherein the receiving cassette ( 22 ) is configured to in turn be inserted into the apparatus for producing soft ice cream.

10. The bag according to claim 8 , characterized in that the bag ( 8 ) is configured to be placed onto the refrigeration chamber ( 4 ) of the apparatus for producing soft ice cream and is consequently suitable for soft ice cream machines which have been developed for use with bags.

11. The bag according to claim 8 , characterized in that the integrated single use pump ( 9 ) is configured to be screw connected onto an outlet connecting piece ( 13 ) which is connected to the bag ( 8 ), wherein the opening device ( 19 ) does not become effective until the single use pump ( 9 ) has been screwed on completely and not until the pump penetrates elastic sleeve material of the bag ( 8 ).

12. The bag according to claim 8 , characterized in that on an outlet tube ( 21 ) the single use pump ( 9 ) has a diaphragm valve ( 20 ) which is at least approximately air-tight and is configured to be coupled directly or indirectly to the supply channel ( 3 ).

13. The bag according to claim 9 , characterized in that the bag ( 8 ) is configured to be tensioned in the receiving cassette ( 22 ) by means of a three-point tensioning means ( 9 , 12 ).

14. The bag according to claim 9 , characterized in that the single use pump ( 9 ) of the bag ( 8 ) inserted into the receiving cassette ( 22 ) is configured to be connected to the pump drive ( 24 ) such that the receiving cassette ( 22 ) with the bag ( 8 ) and the single use pump ( 9 ) and the pump drive ( 24 ) form an associated replaceable functional unit.

15. The bag according to claim 1 , wherein the bag ( 8 ) is configured to be inserted into an upper region of the machine body ( 2 ).

16. The bag according to claim 8 , wherein the bag ( 8 ) is configured to be inserted into an upper region of the machine body ( 2 ).

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Ekenhorst Dirk
• Barron Dan

Classifications

• A23G9/08

  Batch production {(A23G9/06 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• A23G9/281

  at the discharge end of freezing chambers · CPC title

• A23G9/16

  the products being within a cooled chamber, e.g. drum · CPC title

• B67D7/0288

  Container connection means (for dispensing beverages on draught B67D1/0829) · CPC title

• B65D75/5883

  connected to the package at the sealed junction of two package walls · CPC title