Patent ID: 11910815
Assignee: PEPSICO, INC.
Field: Chemical engineering (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC A  B | IPC A  B

Claim 16:
17. A beverage nucleation device, comprising:
a housing;
a beverage container receiving area defined by the housing for receiving a beverage container containing a supercooled beverage;
a support configured to support the beverage container in an upright orientation;
an applicator movable from a resting position to an operational position in which the applicator contacts a first sidewall of the beverage container on the support, wherein the applicator comprises an elastomeric material;
an ultrasonic transducer configured to generate and apply ultrasonic energy to the beverage container via the applicator so as to cause nucleation of the supercooled beverage;
a beverage container holder configured to retain the beverage container in a static position during application of the ultrasonic energy, wherein the beverage container holder comprises a first arm configured to be placed in contact with a second sidewall of the beverage container, and a second arm configured to be placed in contact with a third sidewall of the beverage container opposite the second sidewall; and
a drive mechanism configured to move the applicator from the resting position to the operational position, wherein the drive mechanism is further configured to move each of the first arm and the second arm of the beverage container holder from a resting position into an operational position in which the first arm and the second arm contact the beverage container.