Individual frozen drink dispenser
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.
1. An individual frozen drink dispenser comprising:
a housing having a
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.
2. 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.
3. The individual frozen drink dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a blender assembly configured to blend ingredients within the blender cup.
4. 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.
5. The individual frozen drink dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the support is configured to rest on the blender cup.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. The individual frozen drink dispenser of claim 1 , wherein container is attached to the support.
9. The individual frozen drink dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the heater is attached to the dispense mechanism.
10. 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.
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.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising injecting fluid from a water reservoir into the blender cup.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein pushing the ingredients of the container into the blender cup is achieved by a dispense mechanism.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the heater is attached to the dispense mechanism.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the heater is attached to a support disposed above the blender cup.