Single-use food preparation container assembly, system and method

Abstract

A product preparation system and method wherein a single-use product container assembly and a multiple motion intelligent driving device are employed to process contents of the container assembly.

1 - 53 . (canceled) 
     
     
         54 . A multiple motion intelligent driving device comprising:
 a product container support for receiving a product container containing a product to be processed; and   an electric motor having a drive shaft, for driving processing of said product, said drive shaft and said support being mutually linearly displaceable.   
     
     
         55 . A multiple motion intelligent driving device according to  claim 54  and wherein said drive shaft and said product container support are mutually linearly displaceable only when said drive shaft is in at least one predetermined azimuthal orientation relative to said product container support. 
     
     
         56 . A multiple motion intelligent driving device according to  claim 54  and also comprising:
 an electric motor controller for controlling operation of said electric motor and said processing, said electric motor controller being responsive at least to at least one sensed parameter of said processing. 
 
     
     
         57 . A multiple motion intelligent driving device according to  claim 54  and also comprising:
 a housing, 
 said product container support being associated with said housing and said 
 electric motor being disposed within said housing; and 
 a linear displacer assembly operative to selectably change a relative spatial orientation between said drive shaft and said product container support. 
 
     
     
         58 - 59 . (canceled) 
     
     
         60 . A multiple motion intelligent driving device according to  claim 54  and also comprising a product container support and clamping assembly including:
 said product container support; 
 a cam element; and 
 a plurality of clamp elements, said product container support rotatably supporting said cam element and pivotably and slidably supporting said plurality of clamp elements. 
 
     
     
         61 - 66 . (canceled) 
     
     
         67 . A multiple motion intelligent driving device according to  claim 54  and wherein said product container support comprises a generally circular planar surface which is surrounded by a raised, generally annular planar cup support surface. 
     
     
         68 . A multiple motion intelligent driving device according to  claim 54  and wherein said product container support comprises a spillage channel. 
     
     
         69 . A multiple motion intelligent driving device according to  claim 54  and wherein said product container support comprises a drive shaft accommodating aperture, which is surrounded by an upstanding circumferential rim, thereby to help prevent leaking of spillage located on said planar surface below said product container support. 
     
     
         70 . A multiple motion intelligent driving device according to  claim 67  and wherein said cup support surface is surrounded by a tapered wall which terminates in a circumferential planar annular top and radially outwardly extending wall having a top-facing surface. 
     
     
         71 . A multiple motion intelligent driving device according to  claim 60  and wherein said cam element comprises a generally circular planar element including:
 a generally circular disk having a generally planar top surface and a generally planar bottom surface and being formed with a central aperture; and 
 a cylindrical circumferential wall surrounding said disk. 
 
     
     
         72 . A multiple motion intelligent driving device according to  claim 71  and wherein said cylindrical circumferential wall is configured on a radially outward surface thereof with a plurality of cam channels each arranged to operate and selectably position a clamp element. 
     
     
         73 . A multiple motion intelligent driving device according to  claim 72  and wherein said plurality of cam channels are each defined by a pair of radially outwardly extending mutually spaced circumferential walls, each of said plurality of cam channels extending from a first location therealong to a second location therealong. 
     
     
         74 - 76 . (canceled) 
     
     
         77 . A multiple motion intelligent driving device according to  claim 73  and wherein operation of said cam element in causing said clamp elements to assume a clamping operative orientation is produced both by the downward orientation of said cam channels from said first locations to said second locations and by varying the radial extent of a first circumferential wall defining each of said cam channels relative to the radial extend of a second circumferential wall defining each of said cam channels therealong. 
     
     
         78 . A multiple motion intelligent driving device according to  claim 73  and wherein said cam channels each have a maximum width between adjacent circumferential walls at said first location therealong so as to accommodate radial outward biasing of said clamp element within said cam channel thereat. 
     
     
         79 - 80 . (canceled) 
     
     
         81 . A multiple motion intelligent driving device according to  claim 71  and also comprising a generally planar annular wall surface extending radially outwardly of said cylindrical circumferential wall and formed with a downwardly facing circumferential leakage directing protrusion. 
     
     
         82 - 102 . (canceled) 
     
     
         103 . A multiple motion intelligent driving device according to  claim 54  and wherein upon retraction of said drive shaft, said drive shaft is rotated to ensure that it is in at least one acceptable azimuthal orientation with respect to said housing. 
     
     
         104 - 181 . (canceled) 
     
     
         182 . A multiple motion intelligent driving device according to  claim 56  and wherein said electric motor controller is operative to monitor RPM of said drive shaft. 
     
     
         183 . A multiple motion intelligent driving device according to  claim 56  and wherein said at least one sensed parameter comprises RPM of said drive shaft.