Foaming device with controlled outlet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10464085-B2
Application number	US-201615756856-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2016
Priority date	Sep 4, 2015
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

Device (100) for producing fluid foam comprising: a container (10) where the fluid can be introduced; a foaming tool (20) being rotatable in the inner volume of the container (10), able to mix and foam the fluid; at least one outlet (23) to allow dispensing of the fluid preparation from the container (10); a base able to hold the container (10) and comprising a driving unit (30) providing the rotation of the foaming tool (20); the at least one outlet (23) being actuated to be open or to be partially or totally closed as a function of one or a plurality of parameters defining the foaming of the fluid inside the container (10), these parameters being: preparation time, fluid temperature, torque exerted by the foaming tool in the fluid, rotational speed of the foaming tool or sense of rotation of the foaming tool.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for producing fluid foam, the device comprising:
a container where a fluid can be introduced;
a foaming tool being rotatable in an inner volume of the container, the foaming tool able to mix and foam the fluid;
a first outlet and a second outlet, each of the first outlet and the second outlet configured for independently dispensing of the fluid from the container; and
a base able to hold the container and comprising a driving unit providing the rotation of the foaming tool,
wherein each of the first outlet and the second outlet are configured to be independently actuated between: (i) an open position and (ii) a partially or totally closed position, as a function of one or a plurality of parameters defining the foaming of the fluid inside the container,
wherein each of the first outlet and the second outlet are sufficiently flexible to be independently reliably pressed and/or pinched to be partially or totally closed,
wherein each of the first outlet and the second outlet are positioned on a sidewall of the container, the sidewall positioned between a top portion and a bottom portion of the inner volume of the container, and
wherein at least a portion of the sidewall extends above the first outlet and at least a portion of the sidewall extends below the first outlet.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein is each of the first outlet and the second outlet are configured to be actuated as a function of at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of: preparation time; fluid temperature; torque exerted by the foaming tool in the fluid; rotational speed of the foaming tool; and sense of rotation of the foaming tool.

3. The device according to claim 1 wherein each of the first outlet and the second outlet are arranged in the container in a location that provides for dispensing of the fluid from the container by gravity.

4. The device according to claim 1 wherein the driving unit is either: (i) mechanically coupled to the foaming tool or (ii) generates a magnetic field to rotate the foaming tool inside the container.

5. The device according to claim 1 wherein the speed of rotation of the foaming tool at an end of a recipe preparation is equal or less than a speed of rotation of the foaming tool during the recipe preparation, and wherein the direction of rotation of the foaming tool can be reversed.

6. The device according to claim 1 wherein each of the first outlet and the second outlet are removable from the rest of the device and/or deployable to allow for cleaning of each of the first outlet and the second outlet.

7. The device according to claim 1 wherein second outlet is arranged either radially or tangentially with respect to the container.

8. The device according to claim 1 wherein second outlet is arranged either perpendicular with respect to a central axis of the container or parallel with respect to the central axis of the container.

9. The device according to claim 1 wherein second outlet is arranged inclined at an angle with respect to a central axis of the container.

10. The device according to claim 1 wherein the container is arranged inclined at an angle with respect to the base holding the container.

11. The device according to claim 1 wherein the foaming tool comprises one or a plurality of disturbing elements.

12. The device according to claim 1 wherein the foaming tool comprises one or a plurality of apertures configured to compensate for a suction effect when the foaming tool rotates in the container.

13. The device according to claim 1 wherein each of the first outlet and the second outlet are sequentially operated as a function of a targeted recipe to be delivered.

14. The device according to claim 11 wherein the one or a plurality of disturbing elements comprises one or a plurality of undulations.

15. The device according to claim 1 wherein the foaming tool is a flat whisk.

16. The device according to claim 1 further comprising a lighting element configured to indicate when the foaming of the fluid in the container has ended.

17. The device according to claim 1 wherein the first outlet and the second outlet are vertically arranged along a vector that is parallel but not collinear with respect to a centreline of the container.

18. The device according to claim 1 wherein each of the first outlet and the second outlet comprises a centerline, and the centerlines of the first outlet and the second outlet are not parallel.

Assignees

• Nestec Sa
• Nestle Sa

Inventors

• Perrin Alexa
• Perentes Alexandre
• Scorrano Lucio

Classifications

• B05B7/0018 Primary

  with devices for making foam · CPC title

• A47J43/046 Primary

  with tools driven from the bottom side · CPC title

• A47J31/4485

  Nozzles dispensing heated and foamed milk, i.e. milk is sucked from a milk container, heated and foamed inside the device, and subsequently dispensed from the nozzle · CPC title