|Publication number||US6959642 B1|
|Application number||US 10/819,713|
|Publication date||Nov 1, 2005|
|Filing date||Apr 7, 2004|
|Priority date||Apr 7, 2004|
|Also published as||US20050223911|
|Publication number||10819713, 819713, US 6959642 B1, US 6959642B1, US-B1-6959642, US6959642 B1, US6959642B1|
|Original Assignee||Egro Ag|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (4), Referenced by (28), Classifications (14), Legal Events (4)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
The present invention relates to a device for portioned delivery of milk, particularly for cappuccino machines. Such a device is known from DE-OS 199 55 195 A1. This known device has a delivery head in the form of a milk mixing chamber, to which steam is supplied via a first valve, air is supplied via a second valve, and milk is supplied from a milk container via a pump and a double check valve. The milk container, the pump, and the check valve are positioned in a refrigerator. For cleaning the device, the steam supply line to the mixing chamber is connected via a further line to the double check valve. The steam supply line may also have cold water applied to it via a further valve.
However, during the delivery of hot milk, steam may reach the cold region of the connection line via the double check valve and heat the milk in this region, which impairs its storability. The main part of the rinse water reaches the mixing chamber directly via the steam line, and the proportion of the rinse water which reaches the connection line is uncertain. In addition, multiple blank portions must be delivered after rinsing before the milk flows undiluted to the mixing chamber again.
The present invention is based on the object of correcting these disadvantages. This object is in a device having a milk container, a delivery head for delivering a milk portion into a drinking vessel, a connection line between the milk container and the delivery head, a rinsing agent source, a first line between the rinsing agent source and a connection part on the connection line, and a controlled switchable first valve in this first line, the milk container and the connection part being positioned in a refrigerator, and characterized in that the connection part is also connected via a second valve and a second line to an air source, and the first valve is connected exclusively to the connection part via the first line.
Because the connection part is connected via a second valve to an air source, the connection line and the delivery head may be completely emptied after the rinse procedure. Upon returning to operation, the delivery of blank portions of diluted milk may therefore be dispensed with. Because the first valve is connected on the outlet side only to the connection line, reliable and efficient rinsing of this connection line is achieved. Heating of the milk in the connection line inside the refrigerator is prevented.
The refinement according of having the first and second valves in the refrigerator has the advantage that the lines between the valves and the connection part on the connection lines may be kept short and hardly come into contact with milk.
The refinement of having a pump for an air source is advantageous above all if the refrigerator is positioned significantly below the delivery head.
The refinement of having a third valve positioned in the first line neighboring the rinsing agent source, outside the refrigerator is advantageous above all if the refrigerator is positioned spatially separated from the coffee machine and the rinsing agent, e.g., water, is also used for other purposes inside the machine, e.g., feeding a steam boiler.
By having a milk pump positioned upstream from the connection part is also used to overcome height differences and results in a more consistent foam if the delivery head is implemented as a milk foamer. In addition, it is used for portioning the milk.
By having two delivery heads, each of which is connected via a connection line and a milk pump to the milk container, with each of the connection lines having a connection part to each first line, each having a first valve and a second valve, if there is a double arrangement of delivery heads, no communication may occur between the two connection lines.
The water pump in which the rinsing agent source is a fresh water pump is expedient in order to ensure sufficient pressure of the water independently of the fresh water line pressure.
The features of each delivery head being also connected via a fourth valve to a steam source for heating the milk portion and/or each delivery head being also connected via a fifth valve to the atmosphere or a pressurized air source for foaming the milk portion refine the delivery head for heating and foaming the milk.
The invention will be more fully understood with reference to the following Detailed Description of the Invention in conjunction with the drawings of which:
In the following, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is described on the basis of the drawing. The single
Two foamer heads 2 or delivery heads are positioned in a coffee machine 1 for delivering a milk portion into respective drinking vessels 40. Each head 2 is connected via an on-off valve 3 to a steam boiler 4 and via a second on-off valve 5 to the atmosphere. A level switch (not shown) in the boiler 4 regulates the fresh water supply to the boiler 4 from the outlet 7 of a water pump 8 or rinsing agent source via a further on-off valve 6.
Each foamer head 2 is also connected via a connection line 13 to the outlet 14 of a volumetric milk pump 15. The two pumps 15 are driven by a shared motor 16, whose driven shaft 17 rotates around a predetermined angle of rotation to deliver a milk portion. The lines 18 to the suction side of the pumps 15 are dipped into a milk container 19. The container 19, the pumps 15, the lines 18, and a part of the lines 13 are installed in a refrigerator 20.
The refrigerator 20 may be placed spatially separated from the coffee machine 1.
Each line 13 is connected via a connection part 25 to a rinse line 26. Each line 26 is connected via a valve 27 to a fresh water supply line 28 and via a further valve 29 to an air supply line 30. The valves 27, 29 are installed inside the refrigerator 20 neighboring the connection part 25, so that the rinse lines 26 are short. The line 28 is connected via a further valve 31, positioned in the coffee machine 1, to the outlet 7 of the water pump 8. In this way, the line 28 is unpressurized in normal operation. The line 30 may be connected directly to the atmosphere via an air filter (not shown), particularly if the foamer heads 2 generate a sufficient partial vacuum in the lines 13 when the valves 3 are switched on, or it may be connected to an air pump 32.
For the periodic cleaning of the foamer heads 2 and the uncooled part of the lines 13, the valves 3, 27, and 31 and the pump 8 are switched on. After the rinsing, the valve 31 is switched off, then the valves 27 are switched off and the valves 29 are switched on. The lines 13 and the foamer heads 2 are emptied of rinse water through the air flowing in. Subsequently, the valves 3 and 29 are switched off again. Due to the emptying of the lines 13 and the foamer heads 2 after the rinsing, even the first complete milk portion is delivered practically undiluted.
|Cited Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
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|Citing Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
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|US7644652 *||May 17, 2005||Jan 12, 2010||Nestec S.A.||Device for foaming milk, comprising external suction equipment|
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|US8372462 *||Aug 13, 2009||Feb 12, 2013||Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.||Device and method for frothing a liquid|
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|US8739688 *||Jul 16, 2007||Jun 3, 2014||Wmf Wuerttembergische Metallwarenfabrik Ag||Device for supplying milk|
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|US20060272516 *||Apr 5, 2004||Dec 7, 2006||Carlo Carbonini||Steam automatic dispensing device for preparing hot and/or frothed drinks|
|US20070031558 *||Apr 29, 2004||Feb 8, 2007||M. Schaerer A.G.||Device for dispensing milk and/or milk froth|
|US20070240582 *||May 17, 2005||Oct 18, 2007||Nestec S.A.||Device for Foaming Milk, Comprising External Suction Equipment|
|US20070251459 *||Apr 24, 2007||Nov 1, 2007||Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.,||Milk foamer|
|US20080181985 *||Jan 30, 2007||Jul 31, 2008||Roasting Plant, Inc.||Fluid mixing apparatus and methods|
|US20090025762 *||Jul 16, 2008||Jan 29, 2009||Gruppo Cimbali S.P.A.||Apparatus for washing circuits involved in the preparation of milk-based beverages|
|US20090314165 *||Jul 16, 2007||Dec 24, 2009||Peter Blockwoldt||Device for supplying milk|
|US20100112165 *||Sep 27, 2007||May 6, 2010||Emanuele Masciandaro||Machine to produce coffee or the like and relative method|
|US20100154649 *||Dec 18, 2008||Jun 24, 2010||Whirlpool Corporation||Liquid flow control and beverage preparation apparatuses, methods and systems|
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|US20110005407 *||Jul 8, 2010||Jan 13, 2011||Jura Elektroapparate Ag||Beverage preparation machine and method for cleaning a beverage preparation machine|
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|US20110104357 *||May 5, 2011||Gruppo Cimbali S.P.A.||Apparatus for preparing and dispensing a beverage, in particular a chocolate-based beverage in a coffee machine|
|US20110143006 *||Aug 13, 2009||Jun 16, 2011||Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.||Device and method for frothing a liquid|
|U.S. Classification||99/455, 99/323.1, 99/452, 99/293, 99/290|
|International Classification||A47J31/44, A01J3/00, A47J31/40, A47J31/46, A23C9/00|
|Cooperative Classification||A47J31/4485, A47J31/60|
|European Classification||A47J31/44D, A47J31/60|
|Aug 10, 2004||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: EGRO AG, SWITZERLAND
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:LANDOLT, MARKUS;REEL/FRAME:015058/0693
Effective date: 20040421
|Feb 6, 2009||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: EGRO COFFEE SYSTEMS AG, SWITZERLAND
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:EGRO AG;REEL/FRAME:022214/0346
Effective date: 20080730
|Apr 23, 2009||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 4
|Mar 7, 2013||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 8