Patent ID: 9328948
Filing Date: 2016-05-03
CPC Classification: A23G,F25B,F25C

Claim Text:
1. A frozen food product dispenser comprising: first and second freeze barrels that are configured to contain food product; a refrigeration system that is configured to chill the first freeze barrel to thereby freeze the food product in the first freeze barrel and alternately to defrost the first freeze barrel to thereby unfreeze the food product in the first freeze barrel; wherein the refrigeration system is further configured to chill the second freeze barrel to thereby freeze the food product in the second freeze barrel and alternately to defrost the second freeze barrel to thereby unfreeze the food product in the second freeze barrel; a controller that is configured to determine a frozen state of the food product in the first and second freeze barrels; wherein the controller is further configured to control the refrigeration system to (i) begin defrosting the first freeze barrel while neither chilling nor defrosting the second freeze barrel for a time period or until food product is added to the second freeze barrel, (ii) determine whether the food product in the second freeze barrel requires refreezing, (iii) if the food product in the second freeze barrel requires refreezing, stop defrosting the first freeze barrel and chill the second freeze barrel until food product in the second freeze barrel is frozen, and (iv) repeat steps i-iii until the first freeze barrel is defrosted.