METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING AND DISPENSING AN AERATEDAND/OR BLENDED FOOD

摘要

Apparatus for dispensing a frozen or partially frozen food product has a freezing surface (26) with a central axis and periphery, a motor (36) for rotating the freezing surface about that axis, a turret (52) spaced above th e freezing surface for depositing a selected amount of liquid product mix on t he freezing surface while it is rotating so that the liquid mix spreads out on the freezing surface and cools to form a flat, at least partially frozen product body and a product delivery assembly disposed between the turret and the freezing surface. That assembly includes a scraper (276) supported above the freezing surface and having a working edge (272) engaging the freezing surface while it is rotating to scrape the frozen product body into a ridge row of scraped product. A vertical forming cylinder (304) positioned adjacen t to the periphery of the freezing surface has a side window (306) and a botto m opening. A scraper blade may push the row of product into the forming cylind er through the window thereby compacting the scrapings into a shaped solid body . An ejector (309) in the cylinder pushes the shaped solid body out of the bottom opening into a container such as a cup or cone. A dispensing method i s also disclosed.