Frozen mixing system and container restraint

Abstract

A container for containing food and/or beverage ingredients is described. The container is of a type which may be supported in a support while the ingredients inside the container are processed, such as by a rotating blade or other mechanism. The container includes anti-rotation elements positionable in anti-rotational contact with a corresponding protruding portion in a container support in a manner which restricts rotational movement of the vessel relative to the container support.

1 . An anti-rotation system comprising:
 a container support having a single anti-rotation element; and   a container receivable by the support, the container having an open top, a side wall and a bottom wall defining a vessel, the bottom wall including an anti-rotation pattern comprising at least three radially extending anti-rotation elements positionable in anti-rotational contact with the anti-rotation element on the support, wherein the anti-rotation elements are laterally offset from the longitudinal axis of the container when the container is positioned on the support.   
     
     
         2 . An anti-rotation system comprising:
 a container support having at least two anti-rotation elements offset from each other by a first number of degrees; and   a container receivable by the support, the container having a side wall and a bottom wall defining a vessel with an open top, the bottom wall including an anti-rotation pattern comprising at least two radially extending anti-rotation elements positionable in anti-rotational contact with the anti-rotation element on the support, wherein no two of the anti-rotation elements are offset from one another by an angle of the first number of degrees.   
     
     
         3 . The anti-rotation system of  claim 2 , wherein the anti-rotation pattern includes an odd number of anti-rotation elements. 
     
     
         4 . The anti-rotation system of  claim 3 , wherein the anti-rotation pattern includes only three anti-rotation elements. 
     
     
         5 . The anti-rotation system of  claim 3 , wherein the anti-rotation pattern includes only five anti-rotation elements. 
     
     
         6 . A system for providing a pre packaged food product to be prepared by a consumer, the system comprising:
 a cup having an open top, a sidewall, and a bottom;   a group of vanes formed within the bottom of the cup; and   a mixing machine comprising a mixing blade and a cup holder that comprises two or more fins radiating from a central point,   the group of vanes arranged to extend between the fins of the cup holder such that only one vane of the group of vanes of the cup may seat against and contact only one fin of the two or more fins of the cup holder when the cup is inserted into the cup holder.   
     
     
         7 . A system for providing a pre packaged food product to be prepared by a consumer, the system comprising:
 a cup comprising a cup wall that defines an interior and a cup bottom, the cup having an opening through which a blade may pass to prepare a food product;   a food product in a frozen state within the interior of the cup;   an anti rotation mechanism formed within the cup bottom, the anti rotation mechanism comprising a plurality of vanes radiating from a central location;   a food preparation machine comprising:
 a cup holder having a plurality of ridges extending radially from a central location; and 
 a rotating blade that enters the cup to blend the frozen food product, wherein the blade creates a torque upon the cup, and wherein the rotation of the blade causes a single vane of the anti rotation mechanism to contact a single ridge of the plurality of ridges of the cup holder. 
   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the vanes of the anti rotation mechanism are spaced approximately 120 degrees apart. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the ridges of the cup holder are spaced approximately 180 degrees apart. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein no two of the vanes are spaced 180 degrees apart. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the vanes of the cup provided allow no more than 65 degrees of rotation before a vane of the cup makes contact with a ridge of the cup holder. 
     
     
         12 . A system for providing a food product and rotationally restraining a cup containing the product against a torque generated by a food preparation device used to prepare the food product, the system comprising:
 a cup comprising a cup wall that defines an interior and a cup bottom, the cup having an opening through which a blade may pass to prepare the food product;   a food product in a frozen state within the interior of the cup;   a food preparation machine comprising a cup holder having a plurality of ridges extending radially from a central location and a rotating blade that enters the cup to blend the frozen food product, wherein the blade creates a torque upon the cup; and   an anti rotation mechanism formed within the cup bottom, the anti rotation mechanism configured to mate with the cup holder of the food preparation device, the anti rotation mechanism comprising:
 a first structural element having a first pattern and formed in the cup bottom of the cup wall to engage the container product within a cup holder associated with the food preparation device so as to prevent rotation of the cup during processing; 
 a second structural element within a volume formed by the first pattern and comprised of the frozen food or beverage material within the interior, 
   the first pattern comprising a plurality of vanes, the plurality of vanes comprising a greater number of vanes than the number of ridges of the plurality of ridges of the cup holder, the first pattern arranged such that the rotation of the blade causes a single vane of the anti rotation mechanism to contact a single ridge of the plurality of ridges of the cup holder.   
     
     
         13 . A system for providing a food product, comprising:
 a cup comprising a cup wall that defines an interior and a cup bottom, the cup having an opening through which a blade may pass to prepare a food product within the cup;   a food product in a frozen state within the interior of the cup;   an anti rotation mechanism formed within the cup bottom, the anti rotation mechanism, the anti rotation mechanism comprising a first plurality of vanes radiating from a central location; and   a food preparation device comprising a cup holder including a second plurality of ridges radiating from a central location, the second plurality of ridges configured to sit between the vanes of the first plurality, the first and second pluralities arranged to allow no more than 65 degrees of rotation of the cup before a vane of the first plurality is rotated into a ridge of the second plurality, and thereafter to prevent rotation of the cup.