Novelty frozen product and apparatus and method for making same

Abstract

A novel frozen product and method for making same are disclosed, wherein a beaded frozen product is intermixed with conventional ice cream. In this regard, the beaded ice cream (or other frozen product) may be intermixed with soft-serve ice cream on an individual serving basis, or may be intermixed with ice cream manufactured on a large scale production (e.g. packaged with ice cream conventionally sold in grocery stores). With regard to individual servings, beads of ice cream may be injected at a dispensing nozzle of a machine for dispensing soft-serve ice cream. Alternatively, the beaded ice cream may be introduced into a reservoir of soft-serve ice cream. Alternatively, the beaded ice cream may be introduced into a reservoir of soft-serve ice cream and intermixed through a stirring or agitation process. With regard to packaged ice cream, such as that purchased in grocery stores, beaded ice cream may be introduced into a conventional ice cream mix at a stage in the process where the non-beaded ice cream is still flowable such that the beaded ice cream may be stirred or agitated to mix and disperse relatively evenly throughout the ice-cream product. Upon final freezing, the beads of ice cream, which retain their beaded form, will be intermixed and suspended throughout the ice-cream product.

30 . An apparatus for manufacturing a novelty frozen product and ice cream mixture comprising: 
 a flash freezing cryogenic freezer configured to produce a beaded frozen product;    a storage unit configured to hold a supply of beaded frozen product;    a mixture reservoir configured to accept the beaded frozen product and an ice-cream product; and    a mixing component configured to intermix the beaded frozen product into the ice-cream product.    
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , further comprising: 
 a post-mixing freezer configured to freeze the beaded frozen product and ice cream mixture.    
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the storage unit comprises a paddle component.  
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , further comprising: 
 an ice cream product reservoir attached to the output of said mixing component, wherein said product reservoir is configured to accept large quantities of ice cream product.    
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , further comprising: 
 an output nozzle configured to dispense the beaded frozen product and ice-cream mixture.    
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , further comprising: 
 a delivery mechanism configured to direct the ice cream product to said output nozzle.    
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein the mixing component comprises an auger delivery mechanism configured to deliver the beaded frozen product and ice-cream mixture to the output nozzle.  
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the storage unit is configured to hold the supply of beaded frozen product at a temperature to maintain the beaded frozen product's free-flowing characteristics.  
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , further comprising: 
 a barrel freezer portion, configured to introduce the beaded frozen product into the ice-cream product.    
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , further comprising: 
 a fruit or nut feeder, configured to introduce the beaded frozen product into the ice-cream product.