US 12,478,077 B2
Rapidly cooling food and drinks
Matthew Fonte, Concord, MA (US); John Heymans, Hampstead, NH (US); Nicholas Fonte, Sudbury, MA (US); and Benjamin Fichera, Newburyport, MA (US)
Assigned to ColdSnap, Corp., Billerica, MA (US)
Filed by ColdSnap, Corp., Billeria, MA (US)
Filed on Nov. 13, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/507,730.
Application 18/507,730 is a continuation of application No. 17/031,425, filed on Sep. 24, 2020, granted, now 11,846,466.
Application 17/031,425 is a continuation of application No. 16/824,483, filed on Mar. 19, 2020, granted, now 10,830,529, issued on Nov. 10, 2020.
Application 16/824,483 is a continuation of application No. 16/459,176, filed on Jul. 1, 2019, granted, now 10,612,835, issued on Apr. 7, 2020.
Application 16/459,176 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/104,758, filed on Aug. 17, 2018, granted, now 10,334,868, issued on Jul. 2, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0077250 A1, Mar. 7, 2024
Int. Cl. A23G 9/22 (2006.01); A23G 9/28 (2006.01)
CPC A23G 9/28 (2013.01) [A23G 9/222 (2013.01); A23G 9/224 (2013.01)] 28 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A machine for producing a single serving of a cooled food or drink, the machine comprising:
an evaporator defining a receptacle for receiving ingredients for producing the single serving of the cooled food or drink, the evaporator comprising:
a first inlet for fluid connection to a refrigeration system of the machine;
a first outlet for fluid connection to the refrigerant system;
a first refrigerant path extending through the evaporator from the first inlet to the first outlet for flowing refrigerant of the refrigerant system through a first portion of the evaporator;
a second inlet for fluid connection to the refrigeration system;
a second outlet for fluid connection to the refrigerant system; and
a second refrigerant path extending through the evaporator from the second inlet to the second outlet for flowing refrigerant of the refrigerant system through a second portion of the evaporator; and
a motor configured to move the first portion of the evaporator relative to the second portion of the evaporator between (i) an open configuration in which a pod containing the ingredients can be inserted into the evaporator and removed from the evaporator, and (ii) a closed configuration in which the pod containing the ingredients is held in a fixed axial position in the evaporator,
wherein the refrigeration system is operable to pump refrigerant through the first and second refrigerant paths to cool the ingredients to assist in producing the single serving of the cooled food or drink when the evaporator is in the closed configuration and the pod containing the ingredients is held in the fixed axial position in the evaporator.