Vending apparatus for dispensing ice creams with selected ingredients

Abstract

Vending machines for automatic dispensing of ice creams enabling a user to select the ice cream flavors of his liking and optionally select ice cream additives such as fruit pieces, chocolate chips, candies, ice cream dressings, etc.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vending apparatus for dispensing selected ice creams, the vending apparatus comprising:
 a) an enclosed housing;   b) a mechanism for dispensing a cup for serving said selected ice cream;   c) at least one ice cream compartment, wherein said compartment holds an ice cream with particular flavor;   d) a scooping mechanism for scooping selected ice cream flavors and transferring the scooped ice cream to said dispensed cup;   e) a pickup compartment where the dispensed cup with the selected ice cream flavors can picked up by the user; and   f) a controller for accepting the ice cream selection of a customer and automatically initiating the preparation of said ice cream selection.   
     
     
         2 . The vending apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of said compartments contain frozen yogurt. 
     
     
         3 . The vending apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising one or more compartments containing at least one ice cream additive. 
     
     
         4 . The vending apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said ice cream additives are selected from the group of ingredients including fresh fruit pieces, dried fruit pieces, chocolate chips, ice cream dressings, candies, waffle crumbs, cookie crumbs, ground nuts, coconut pieces, almond pieces or any other kind of ice cream additive. 
     
     
         5 . The vending apparatus of  claim 3  further comprising a mechanism for transferring said at least one ice cream additive to said dispensed cup. 
     
     
         6 . The vending apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein said mechanism for transferring said at least one ice cream additive to said dispensed cup is the scooping mechanism. 
     
     
         7 . The vending apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising a blending mechanism for blending said selected ice cream flavors with said ice cream additives. 
     
     
         8 . The vending apparatus of  claim 7 , further comprising a cleaning mechanism for cleaning said blending mechanism. 
     
     
         9 . The vending apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a mechanism for moving said dispensed cup. 
     
     
         10 . The vending apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein said mechanism for moving said dispensed cup is a moving belt. 
     
     
         11 . The vending apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said scooping mechanism, is a picker. 
     
     
         12 . The vending apparatus of  claim 1  further an ice making mechanism for making fresh ice cream or frozen yogurt. 
     
     
         13 . The vending apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of said housing is a refrigerator. 
     
     
         14 . The vending apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of said housing is a freezer. 
     
     
         15 . The vending apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of said housing is made of clear material to allow the customer and passers-by to watch the ice cream selection being prepared. 
     
     
         16 . An automatic method for dispensing selected ice creams, the method comprising the steps of:
 a) providing a vending apparatus having:
 i. an enclosed housing; 
 ii. a mechanism for dispensing a cup for serving said selected ice cream; 
 iii. at least one ice cream compartment, wherein said compartment holds an ice cream with particular flavor; 
 iv. a scooping mechanism for scooping selected ice cream flavors and transferring the scooped ice cream to said dispensed cup; 
 v. a pickup compartment where the dispensed cup with the selected ice cream flavors can picked up by the user; and 
 vi. a controller for accepting the ice cream selection of a customer and automatically initiating the preparation of said ice cream selection; 
   b) selecting one or more items from available ice cream flavors and ice cream additives using said controller, thereby forming an ice cream selection;   c) dispensing a cup onto a location where said ice cream selection is prepared;   d) scooping the ice cream flavors of said ice cream selection and said ice cream additives;   e) transferring said scooped ice cream flavors and said ice cream additives into said dispensed cup; and   f) transferring said dispensed cup with said with said ice cream selection to said pickup compartment.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprises the step of:
 g) providing at least one ice cream compartment, wherein said compartment holds one or more ice cream additives; 
 h) selecting one or more ice cream additives using said controller; 
 i) scooping said ice cream additives; and 
 j) transferring said scooped ice cream additives into said dispensed cup. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said ice cream additives are selected from the group of ingredients including fresh fruit pieces, dried fruit pieces, chocolate chips, ice cream dressings, candies, waffle crumbs, cookie crumbs, ground nuts, coconut pieces, almond pieces or any other kind of ice cream additive. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the step of:
 k) blending ice cream flavors and said ice cream additives.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of making fresh ice cream or frozen yogurt.