Beverage preparation device for preparation of a cooled and foamed beverage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10537200-B2
Application number	US-201515310587-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2015
Priority date	May 13, 2014
Publication date	Jan 21, 2020
Grant date	Jan 21, 2020

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cold beverage preparation device (20), the device comprising an open cooling reservoir (5) for receiving a liquid beverage, cooling means (15) associated to the cooling reservoir (5) for cooling at least part of an internal surface of the cooling reservoir, a rotational stirring member (16) arranged in the cooling reservoir (5) for mixing or foaming the liquid depending on the speed of rotation of the member, and a rotational scraping member (17) arranged in the cooling reservoir (5) for scraping the internal surface of the cooling reservoir, wherein the rotational stirring member (16) and the scraping member (17) are designed for being driven independently within the cooling reservoir (5) of the device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising a cold beverage preparation device, the cold beverage preparation device comprising:
an open cooling reservoir for receiving a liquid beverage;
a cooling member associated with the open cooling reservoir for cooling at least part of an internal surface of the open cooling reservoir;
a rotational stirring member arranged in the open cooling reservoir for mixing or foaming the liquid beverage depending on the speed of rotation of the rotational stirring member; and
a rotational scraping member arranged in the open cooling reservoir for scraping the internal surface of the open cooling reservoir,
the rotational stirring member and the rotational scraping member are configured for being driven independently within the open cooling reservoir of the cold beverage preparation device, the system further comprising a hot extraction module comprising a brewing unit for injection of hot liquid into a beverage ingredients containing capsule, the hot extraction module comprising a hot beverage outlet connected to the brewing unit for dispensing of a hot extracted beverage, wherein the hot beverage outlet and the open cooling reservoir of the cold beverage preparation device are arranged moveably relative to each other such that the hot extracted beverage may be selectively dispensed from the hot beverage outlet into the open cooling reservoir in at least one relative position of the hot beverage outlet and the cooling member.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the brewing unit of the hot extraction module is adapted for assuming at least two positions relative to the open cooling reservoir, the at least two positions including a first direct hot beverage dispensing position configured for delivering the hot extracted beverage directly from the hot beverage outlet into a receiving receptacle, and a second cold beverage preparation position configured for preparing a cold or chilled beverage in the open cooling reservoir.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein in the first direct hot beverage dispensing position, the hot beverage outlet is arranged outside of contours of a receiving opening of the open cooling reservoir when seen from above.

4. The system according to claim 2 , wherein in the second cold beverage preparation position, the hot beverage outlet is arranged vertically above a receiving opening of the open cooling reservoir and inside of contours of the receiving opening of the open cooling reservoir when seen from above.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the brewing unit of the hot extraction module is designed to rotate about a vertical axis of rotation into a predefined position.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the rotational stirring member and the rotational scraping member are configured for being controlled independently at different times, at different speeds and/or in different directions.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the rotational stirring member and the rotational scraping member are arranged to rotate about a common axis of rotation.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the rotational stirring member comprises a base member that comprises a disc arranged centrally in a bottom area of the open cooling reservoir.

9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the base member further comprises a plurality of mixing apertures.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the rotational scraping member comprises a peripheral scraping beam protruding from a base portion of the rotational scraping member.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the peripheral scraping beam is arranged in an orientation parallel to a rotational axis of the open cooling reservoir.

12. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the rotational scraping member comprises a peripheral driving axle extending through a bottom surface of the open cooling reservoir.

13. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the rotational stirring member comprises a central driving axle extending through a bottom surface of the open cooling reservoir.

14. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the rotational stirring member is driven magnetically within the open cooling reservoir.

15. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling member is adapted for cooling the internal surface of the open cooling reservoir to a temperature between 5 to −30° C.

16. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the device further comprises a heating member arranged in a bottom wall of the cooling reservoir for selectively heating the liquid beverage contained in the open cooling reservoir.

Assignees

• Nestec Sa
• Nestle Sa

Inventors

• Ait Bouziad Youcef
• Perrin Alexa

Classifications

• A47J43/0722

  Mixing, whipping or cutting tools · CPC title

• A47J43/0465

  with magnetic drive · CPC title

• A47J31/3623 Primary

  Cartridges being employed (with tape of cartridges A47J31/3652) · CPC title

• A47J43/046

  with tools driven from the bottom side · CPC title

• A47J31/40

  Beverage-making apparatus with dispensing means for adding a measured quantity of ingredients, e.g. coffee, water, sugar, cocoa, milk, tea · CPC title