System for mixing beverages and method of doing the same

Abstract

A module includes a housing, a sealing feature, a locking feature, and an agitator. The housing has an opening separating inner and outer surfaces and a boss that extends through the housing such that part of the outer surface forms an inner bore of the boss having a terminus pointing toward the opening. The agitator has a base, a shaft, and a mixing element coupled to the base such that the base, in cooperation with the sealing feature, circumferentially seals the opening of the housing to form a cavity defined by the inner surface. The shaft passes through the inner bore. The locking feature when engaged permits independent or simultaneous translational and rotational movement of the shaft while an area between the terminus of the boss and the shaft remains mechanically sealed during the movement against liquid or powder encroachment into a clean area of the inner bore.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A module comprising:
 a housing including a plurality of separator walls and a boss that extends from a first end of the housing towards a second opposing end of the housing, the boss defining an inner bore, each of the plurality of separator walls extending from and being attached to an interior surface of the housing and an exterior surface of the boss thereby separating an interior cavity of the housing into a plurality of sub-cavities; and   an agitator including a base and a shaft, the shaft of the agitator extending from the base and being slidable relative to the inner bore of the boss such that the agitator is movable between a sealed position and an unsealed position.   
     
     
         2 . The module of  claim 1 , wherein when the agitator is in the sealed position, each of the sub-cavities is sealed from one another. 
     
     
         3 . The module of  claim 1 , wherein when the agitator is in the unsealed position, each of the sub-cavities is opened and unsealed from one another. 
     
     
         4 . The module of  claim 1 , wherein each of the sub-cavities has a generally triangular cross-section. 
     
     
         5 . The module of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more mixing blades. 
     
     
         6 . The module of  claim 5 , wherein the one or more mixing blades extend from the base of the agitator in a direction opposite of the shaft such that the one or more mixing blades are positioned outside of the sub-cavities when the agitator is in the sealed position. 
     
     
         7 . A module comprising:
 a housing forming a plurality of sub-cavities therein and including a boss that extends from a first end of the housing towards a second opposing end of the housing, the boss defining an inner bore; and   an agitator including a base and a shaft, the shaft of the agitator extending from the base and being slidable relative to the inner bore of the boss such that the agitator is movable between a sealed position and an unsealed position.   
     
     
         8 . The module of  claim 7 , wherein each of the sub-cavities has a generally triangular cross-section. 
     
     
         9 . The module of  claim 7 , further comprising one or more mixing blades. 
     
     
         10 . The module of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more mixing blades extend from the base of the agitator in a direction opposite of the shaft such that the one or more mixing blades are positioned outside of the sub-cavities when the agitator is in the sealed position. 
     
     
         11 . The module of  claim 7 , wherein the sub-cavities are modular and can be customized for different users of the module by including specific compound bags in one or more of the sub-cavities prior to mixing using a beverage mixing system. 
     
     
         12 . A compounding module for use with a beverage mixing system, the compounding module comprising:
 a housing defining an interior cavity and including a boss that extends from a first end of the housing into the interior cavity towards a second opposing end of the housing, the boss defining an inner bore, the housing including a coupler with a generally circular head that protrudes from the first end of the housing away from the interior cavity, the coupler to be engaged by a coupling mechanism of the beverage mixing system to prevent rotation and translation of the housing relative to the coupling mechanism of the beverage mixing system; and   an agitator including a base, a shaft, and a mixing element, the base of the agitator being affixed to the second end of the housing to seal the interior cavity, the shaft of the agitator extending from the base and being slidable relative to the inner bore of the boss such that the shaft and the mixing element of the agitator are movable between a first position and a second position, a portion of the shaft of the agitator to be engaged by a drive shaft of the beverage mixing system during operation of the beverage mixing system,   wherein when the drive shaft engages the shaft of the agitator, the boss of the housing in conjunction with the shaft of the agitator isolate the drive shaft from the interior cavity of the housing.   
     
     
         13 . The compounding module of  claim 12 , wherein the shaft of the agitator includes a collet configured to engage a notch of the drive shaft of the beverage mixing system to lock the agitator to the drive shaft such that translation of the drive shaft results in corresponding translation of the agitator. 
     
     
         14 . The compounding module of  claim 13 , wherein the notch is formed in an external surface of the drive shaft. 
     
     
         15 . The compounding module of  claim 12 , wherein the shaft of the agitator has a protrusion that mates with a notch in the inner bore of the boss of the housing. 
     
     
         16 . The compounding module of  claim 15 , wherein the protrusion and the notch form a mechanical seal for aiding in preventing contamination of the drive shaft. 
     
     
         17 . The compounding module of  claim 12 , wherein the coupler includes a plurality of teeth configured to be engaged by the coupling mechanism of the beverage mixing system to prevent rotation of the housing relative to the coupling mechanism. 
     
     
         18 . The compounding module of  claim 12 , wherein the boss and the shaft of the agitator isolate the drive shaft from the interior cavity of the housing when the agitator is in the first position and when the agitator is in the second position. 
     
     
         19 . The compounding module of  claim 12 , wherein the base of the agitator is affixed to the second end of the housing via sonic welding.