Dispensing apparatus

Abstract

Individual portions of ice cream are dispensed from a bulk container. A motor drives a lead screw, to expand a scissor linkage and drive a dispensing head against the bulk container. Pressure applied to the container causes it to collapse and discharge ice cream from an outlet. The lead screw is orthogonal with the movement of the dispensing head and the axis of collapse of the container. The container, motor and lead screw are carried on a drawer which is slidably mounted in a refrigerated housing. Pressure is monitored to regulate operation of the motor. An encoder controls the motor for a specific portion size.

1 . Apparatus for dispensing frozen or semi frozen product such as ice cream and sorbet or the like from a bulk container, the apparatus including:
 a bulk container for storing multiple portions of product to be dispensed, wherein the container has an outlet and is of deformable construction, for reducing the internal volume of the container and expressing product through the outlet;   a dispensing mechanism having a dispensing head arranged for movement relative to the container, for deforming the container and expressing product through the outlet;   and a control system programmed for controlling operation of the dispensing head, for dispensing portions of product from the container via the dispensing mechanism;   wherein the apparatus includes a motor having a rotatable output, wherein rotation of the output in a first direction causes movement of the dispensing head in a dispensing direction for deforming the bulk container, and wherein the control system is programmed to dispense a predefined portion size of product from the bulk container on demand, corresponding to a number of revolutions of the rotatable output of the motor.   
     
     
         2 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the control system is programmed for dispensing different predefined portion sizes of product from the bulk container on demand, each predefined portion size of product corresponding to a respective number of revolutions of the output. 
     
     
         3 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the control system is programmed to monitor the volume of product remaining in the bulk container, e.g., based upon the number of revolutions of the output of the motor still required to reach an empty position (which may be predefined), or based on the relative position of the dispensing head along its line of travel in a dispensing direction, indicative of the state of compression of the container and/or the remaining volume of ice cream available for dispensing from the container. 
     
     
         4 . Apparatus according to  claim 3  wherein the control system is programmed for monitoring the volume of product remaining in the container and to generate an alert signal indicative that the container needs to be replaced, e.g., when a predefined number of revolutions of the motor output has been reached, or when a predetermined position of the dispensing head along its line of travel in a dispensing direction has been reached, indicative of the state of compression of the container and/or the remaining volume of ice cream for dispensing from the container. 
     
     
         5 . Apparatus according to  claim 4  wherein the control system is programmed to monitor or record the time elapsed between generation of the alert signal and the first application of load to a replacement container in said compartment. 
     
     
         6 . Apparatus according to  claim 3  wherein the control system is programmed to move the dispensing head to a return position in which the container can be removed and replaced, once said predefined number of revolutions of the motor output has been reached, or said predetermined position of the dispensing head has been reached. 
     
     
         7 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , the apparatus further including a lead screw which is driven in response to movement of the rotatable output of the motor, and wherein the movement of the dispensing head is dependent on movement of the lead screw. 
     
     
         8 . Apparatus according to  claim 7  wherein rotation of the lead screw in a first direction causes movement of the dispensing head in a dispensing direction and rotation of the lead screw in a second direction causes movement of the dispensing head in a return direction, wherein the lead screw is orthogonal with the central longitudinal axis of the container or the axis of movement of the dispensing head. 
     
     
         9 . Apparatus according to  claim 7  wherein the apparatus further includes an encoder for indicating the number of revolutions of the rotatable output of the motor and/or the number of revolutions of the lead screw and/or the relative position of the dispensing head along its line of travel in a dispensing direction. 
     
     
         10 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , further including a valve mechanism for permitting/preventing product to be dispensed via the apparatus, and a refrigerated compartment into which the bulk container must be located for a dispensing operation, wherein the control system has a container installation mode in which the valve mechanism is held in a closed condition and the dispensing head is moved automatically in a dispensing direction in order to apply a load to the bulk container in said compartment when a container is first loaded into said compartment, e.g. in order to place the container in a state of compression ready for a first dispensing operation from said newly loaded container. 
     
     
         11 . Apparatus according to  claim 10  wherein the control system is configured to relieve or reduce the applied load on the container after a predetermined time period if a dispensing operation is not carried out within said time period. 
     
     
         12 . Apparatus according to  claim 11  wherein the control system is configured to maintain a compressive load on said container for a predetermined time period after each dispensing operation and to relieve or reduce the applied load on the container after said predetermined time period if a dispensing operation is not carried out within said time period. 
     
     
         13 . Apparatus according to  claim 12  wherein the compartment must be opened in order to load the bulk container into said compartment, and closed in order to permit a dispensing operation to be carried out using the container, wherein the control system is configured to automatically move the dispensing head to apply a load to the container when said compartment has been closed. 
     
     
         14 . Apparatus according to  claim 13  wherein the compartment includes a door or other access point which must be opened in order to load the bulk container into said compartment, and then closed in order to permit a dispensing operation to be carried out using the container. 
     
     
         15 . Apparatus according to  claim 14  wherein the door or other access point provides access to a cartridge which is movable between an open position, in which the container can be loaded/unloaded from the compartment, and a closed position in which the container is enclosed in said compartment. 
     
     
         16 . Apparatus according to  claim 15  wherein the cartridge is slidably mounted on the apparatus, e.g., along a horizontal axis. 
     
     
         17 . Apparatus according to  claim 15  wherein the dispensing mechanism is mounted on said cartridge for travel with said cartridge. 
     
     
         18 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , the apparatus further includes a nozzle through which product from the container outlet is dispensed, and a valve mechanism in communication with said nozzle, for selectively closing or opening said nozzle, wherein operation of said valve mechanism is controlled by said control system and wherein the control system is programmed to close the valve mechanism, once a desired portion size has been dispensed. 
     
     
         19 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , the apparatus further including a refrigerated housing or compartment for the container, for maintaining the product in the container at a temperature in the range of approximately −18° C. to −20° C. or lower, e.g., for maintaining all water present in the product in a frozen state. 
     
     
         20 . A method of dispensing a frozen or semi frozen product such as ice cream and sorbet or the like, the method including the steps of pre-packing frozen product in a container at a remote location, shipping the pre-packed container to a dispensing location, mounting the container in a dispensing apparatus, wherein the container is stored at a temperature in the region of at least −18° C. whilst inside the dispensing apparatus in order to prevent degradation of the product in the container, using the dispensing apparatus to carry out a dispensing operation on demand, whereby product is extruded from the container by the application of pressure to the container, so that product is discharged through a discharge nozzle in communication with the container, wherein the dispensing apparatus includes a dispensing head and a motor having a rotatable output, wherein rotation of the output in a first direction causes movement of the dispensing head in a dispensing direction to apply a compressive load to the container for expressing product through the outlet, and the apparatus further includes a control system for controlling operation of the dispensing head, wherein the method includes the step of using the control system to dispense a predefined portion size of product from the bulk container on demand, corresponding to a number of revolutions of the rotatable output of the motor. 
     
     
         21 . Apparatus for dispensing frozen confection or dessert such as ice cream and sorbet from a bulk container, the apparatus including: a bulk container for storing multiple portions of product to be dispensed, wherein the container has an outlet and is of deformable construction, for reducing the internal volume of the container and expressing product through the outlet; a dispensing mechanism having a dispensing head arranged for movement relative to the container, for deforming the container and expressing product through the outlet; and a control system programmed to control operation of the dispensing head, for dispensing individual portions of product from the container via the dispensing mechanism;
 wherein the apparatus includes a rotary encoder in communication with a rotary drive system for the dispensing head, and wherein the control system is programmed to dispense a predefined portion size of product from the bulk container on demand, corresponding to a number of revolutions of the rotary drive system.   
     
     
         22 . Apparatus for dispensing frozen or semi frozen product such as ice cream and sorbet or the like from a bulk container, the apparatus including:
 a bulk container for storing multiple portions of product to be dispensed, wherein the container has an outlet and is of deformable construction, for reducing the internal volume of the container and expressing product through the outlet;   a dispensing mechanism having a dispensing head arranged for movement relative to the container, for deforming the container and expressing product through the outlet;   and a control system programmed for controlling operation of the dispensing head, for dispensing portions of product from the container via the dispensing mechanism;   wherein the apparatus includes a motor having a rotatable output, wherein rotation of the output in a first direction causes movement of the dispensing head in a dispensing direction for deforming the bulk container, and a control system programmed to monitor the volume of product dispensed from and/or remaining in the container as a function of the number of revolutions of the rotatable output.   
     
     
         23 . Apparatus according to  claim 22  wherein the control system is programmed to dispense a predefined portion size of product from the bulk container on demand, corresponding to a number of revolutions of the rotatable output of the motor. 
     
     
         24 . Apparatus according to  claim 22  wherein the control system is programmed for dispensing different predefined portion sizes of product from the bulk container on demand, each predefined portion size of product corresponding to a respective number of revolutions of the output.