US 12,004,534 B2
Frozen dessert dispensing machine and cartridge
Evan Spirk, Cleveland, OH (US); Gary Stephan, Cleveland, OH (US); Richard Klink, Cleveland, OH (US); Marc Vitantonio, Cleveland, OH (US); Jason Ertel, Cleveland, OH (US); David Pehar, Cleveland, OH (US); Robert Vystrcil, Cleveland, OH (US); Brad Briscoe, Cleveland, OH (US); Mark Cipolla, Cleveland, OH (US); Donald Fuchs, Cleveland, OH (US); Ben Parker, Cleveland, OH (US); William Sebastian, Cleveland, OH (US); and Alexander Velet, Cleveland, OH (US)
Assigned to NOTTINGHAM SPIRK DESIGN ASSOCIATES, Cleveland, OH (US)
Filed by NOTTINGHAM SPIRK DESIGN ASSOCIATES, Cleveland, OH (US)
Filed on Nov. 18, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/952,036.
Application 16/952,036 is a continuation in part of application No. PCT/US2019/033158, filed on May 20, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/757,349, filed on Nov. 8, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/673,173, filed on May 18, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0068419 A1, Mar. 11, 2021
Int. Cl. A23G 9/28 (2006.01); A23G 9/08 (2006.01); A23G 9/22 (2006.01); A23G 9/24 (2006.01)
CPC A23G 9/287 (2013.01) [A23G 9/08 (2013.01); A23G 9/22 (2013.01); A23G 9/225 (2013.01); A23G 9/24 (2013.01); A23G 9/28 (2013.01); A23G 9/282 (2013.01); A23G 9/283 (2013.01)] 42 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A machine for dispensing an individual portion of a frozen dessert, the machine comprising:
a cartridge cart having walls forming a cylindrical cavity having a longitudinal central axis and configured to accommodate a cartridge including a cylindrical tube having first and second ends, a nozzle disposed at the first end, a piston disposed between the nozzle and the second end and configured to slidably move along the cylindrical tube, the frozen dessert contained within the cylindrical tube between the nozzle and the piston;
a plunger mounted for movement of (a) the cartridge cart relative to the plunger along the central axis or (b) the plunger relative to the cartridge along the central axis;
a drive source operably coupled to at least one of the cartridge cart or the plunger and configured to drive the plunger along the central axis;
a support configured to support the first end of the cartridge with the plunger in engagement with the piston such that, with the cylindrical tube radially supported by the cartridge cart and axially supported by the support, actuating the drive source causes at least some of the frozen dessert to dispense through the nozzle as the individual portion; and
a first vertically moving structure to which the cartridge cart and the drive source are operably connected, wherein the cartridge cart has an opening at a top end and the support at a bottom end and is tiltably connected to the vertically moving structure to tilt in a first direction such that the opening moves towards a front of the machine to allow for user insertion of the cartridge into the cartridge cart.