Patent ID: 7802444

Claim:
A combination of a beverage dispenser and an ice crusher, the combination comprising: a) a beverage dispenser having an ice bin for storing ice cubes and a cold plate, wherein syrup for at least one beverage is routed through tubing in the cold plate; b) an ice crusher housing having an inlet connected to the ice bin; c) an ice crusher within the ice crusher housing forming crushed ice from the ice cubes, the ice crusher comprising at least one rotating crusher blade and at least one non-rotating crusher blade within the ice crusher housing, the ice crusher further comprises a wiper removing crushed ice from the rotating crusher blade, the crushed ice being lifted by the rotating crusher blade after the crushed ice is formed and before it contacts the wiper; and d) a crushed ice outlet from the ice crusher housing; and wherein the ice crusher and housing are configured and attached to the dispenser such that ice is raised in elevation between a place in the ice crusher housing where the crushed ice is formed and the crushed ice outlet.