Methods, systems and apparatus for promoting the pourability of semi-frozen and semi-fluidic beverages from beverage containers

Abstract

A beverage container for a blender includes one or more vibrating mechanisms coupled to a bottom portion of the beverage container or integrated within one or more walls of the beverage container. After a beverage has been blended, the one or more vibrating mechanisms are activated as the beverage is being poured. Vibrations from the one or more vibrating mechanisms are mechanically transmitted to the beverage container, thereby promoting the pourability of the beverage from the beverage container, including dislodging ingredients in the beverage that became lodged or trapped in crevices of the beverage container during the prior blending process, and freeing up beverage ingredients that accumulated at the bottom of the beverage container during the prior blending process.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for compelling a thick, viscous blended smoothie to pour from a blending pitcher, comprising:
 a blending pitcher accessory adapted to attach to a blending pitcher and configured to dock and undock the blending pitcher to and from a blender docking station, said blending pitcher accessory configured to remain attached to the blending pitcher both when the blending pitcher is docked to the blender docking station and when the blending pitcher is undocked from the blender docking station;   an aperture formed through the blending pitcher accessory and through which a blender motor in the blender docking station accesses a cutting blade in the blending pitcher when the blending pitcher accessory is docking the blending pitcher to the blender docking station and a thick, viscous smoothie is being prepared; and   a vibrating mechanism attached to or housed within the blending pitcher accessory configured to aggressively shake and vibrate the blending pitcher accessory and the blending pitcher when the blending pitcher accessory and blending pitcher are undocked from the blender docking station and a human pourer is dispensing a thick, viscous blended smoothie from the blending pitcher,   wherein the vibrating mechanism has a physical constitution and vibrational capacity sufficient to generate and mechanically transmit vibrations to the blending pitcher accessory and the blending pitcher that are of a magnitude necessary to dislodge and extricate accumulations of the thick, viscous blended smoothie from a bottom of the blending pitcher and compel the thick, viscous blended smoothie to pour from the blending pitcher.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the blending pitcher accessory includes a collar that surrounds a bottom opening of the blending pitcher when the blending pitcher accessory is attached to the blending pitcher. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a rechargeable power source attached to or housed within the blending pitcher accessory configured to supply electrical power to the vibrating mechanism when the blending pitcher accessory and blending pitcher are undocked from the blender docking station and a human pourer is dispensing the thick, viscous blended smoothie from the blending pitcher. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the blending pitcher accessory further includes electrical contacts that are electrically connected to the rechargeable power source and configured to electrically engage electrical contacts in the blender docking station when the blending pitcher is docked in the blender docking station. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the vibrating mechanism comprises a moveable mass configured to impart vibrations to the blending pitcher attachment and the blending pitcher when the human pourer is dispensing the thick, viscous blended smoothie from the blending pitcher. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the blending pitcher accessory includes a physical track along which the movable mass is configured to travel and oscillate when the human pourer is dispensing the thick, viscous blended smoothie from the blending pitcher. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the vibrating mechanism comprises a motor and the moveable mass comprises a weight coupled to a shaft of the motor and offset from a longitudinal axis of a shaft of the motor.