Freezing Cylinder Beater
A frozen product dispensing apparatus ( 20 ) comprises a refrigeration system ( 50 ) and a freezing cylinder ( 52 ). A source ( 42 ) of the product or precursors of the product is coupled to an inlet ( 124 ) of the freezing cylinder. An outlet valve ( 38 ) has an open condition for discharging product from the freezing cylinder. A beater assembly ( 53 ) is within the freezing cylinder and has an axis ( 502 ) and an outer helical member ( 152 ). A motor ( 62 ) is coupled to the beater assembly for driving rotation of the beater assembly about the axis so that when driving said rotation in a first direction ( 530 ), the outer helical member drives product ( 540 ) toward the outlet valve. The beater further comprises an inner helical member ( 200; 300; 400 ) within the outer helical member.
1 . A frozen product dispensing apparatus ( 20 ) comprising:
a refrigeration system ( 50 );
a freezing cylinder ( 52 );
a source ( 42 ) of the product or precursors of the product coupled to an inlet ( 124 ) of the freezing cylinder;
an outlet valve ( 38 ) having an open condition for discharging product from the freezing cylinder;
a beater assembly ( 53 ) and having:
an axis ( 502 ); and
an outer helical member ( 152 ) within the freezing cylinder; and
a motor ( 62 ) coupled to the beater assembly for driving rotation of the beater assembly about the axis so that when driving said rotation in a first direction ( 530 ), the outer helical member drives product ( 540 ) toward the outlet valve,
wherein:
the beater further comprises:
an inner helical member ( 200 ; 300 ; 400 ) within the outer helical member.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the inner helical member ( 200 ; 300 ) has a spiral opposite to the outer helical member.
3 . The apparatus of claim 2 wherein:
the inner helical member ( 200 ) is mounted to rotate as a unit with the outer helical member.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the inner helical member ( 400 ) has a spiral in the same direction as the outer helical member; and
the inner helical member is mounted to rotate opposite to rotation of the outer helical member.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the inner helical member ( 300 ) is mounted to remain stationary in operation.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the outer helical member has a helix angle decreasing from a rear end toward a front end.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the outer helical member is a blade integral to a frame ( 156 , 158 , 160 , 174 ) having features for removably mounting wiper blades ( 176 ).
8 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the inner helical member ( 200 ; 400 ) has a blade ( 212 ) integral to a shaft ( 210 ) and an open cup ( 214 ) at one end.
9 . The apparatus of claim 8 wherein:
the inner helical member, shaft, and open cup are a unitary non-metallic piece.
10 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the outlet valve comprises an outlet valve body; and
an axle has a first portion in threaded engagement with the outlet valve body and a second portion received in a compartment of the inner helical member.
11 . The apparatus claim 1 wherein:
the beater assembly axis is within 10° of horizontal in a normal operational condition.
12 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the outlet valve comprises:
an inlet ( 80 );
an outlet ( 82 ); and
a valve element shiftable between:
a first condition providing communication between the inlet and the outlet; and
a second condition blocking communication between the inlet and the outlet.
13 . The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
an actuator ( 74 ) coupled to the valve element and manually engagable by a user to shift the valve element between the first condition and the second condition.
14 . The apparatus of claim 13 wherein:
the actuator comprises a lever ( 74 ), the lever being shiftable from a neutral condition to respective first and second lever conditions to, respectively, shift the valve element to the valve element's first and second conditions.
15 . The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a cabinet ( 22 ) having a front ( 24 ), wherein the source is within the cabinet and the valve is mounted on the front.
16 . The apparatus of claim 1 in combination with the confectionary product, the confectionary product being a frozen confectionary product.
17 . A method for operating the apparatus of claim 1 , the method comprising:
running the motor to drive said rotation in said first direction so that the outer helical member drives the product ( 540 ) toward the outlet valve and the inner helical member drives product away from the outlet valve.
18 . The method of claim 17 further comprising:
opening the outlet valve from a closed condition to the open condition so as to discharge product from the freezing cylinder.
19 . The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:
wiper blades mounted to the features and positioned for wiping an inner diameter (ID) surface of a wall of the freezing cylinder.
20 . A frozen product dispensing apparatus ( 20 ) comprising:
a refrigeration system ( 50 );
a freezing cylinder ( 52 );
a source ( 42 ) of the product or precursors of the product coupled to an inlet ( 124 ) of the freezing cylinder;
an outlet valve ( 38 ) having an open condition for discharging product from the freezing cylinder;
a beater assembly ( 53 ) within the freezing cylinder and having:
an axis ( 502 ); and
an outer helical member ( 152 ); and
a motor ( 62 ) coupled to the beater assembly for driving rotation of the beater assembly about the axis so that when driving said rotation in a first direction ( 530 ), the outer helical member drives product ( 540 ) toward the outlet valve,
wherein:
the beater further comprises:
an inner helical member ( 200 ; 300 ; 400 ) within the outer helical member; and
the outer helical member is a blade integral to a frame ( 156 , 158 , 160 , 174 ) having features for removably mounting wiper blades ( 176 ).