Heat transfer device and system integrating such a device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11045039-B2
Application number	US-201515538779-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2015
Priority date	Dec 24, 2014
Publication date	Jun 29, 2021
Grant date	Jun 29, 2021

Abstract

Heat transfer device (10) for heating a fluid or a fluid foam on demand comprising a path (30) through which the fluid or the fluid foam circulates and at least one layer (11) made of a thermally conductive material, the path (30) being in contact with the layer (11) in such a way that when the layer (11) is heated it transmits heat to the fluid or fluid foam as it circulates through the path (30), wherein the path (30) and the part of the layer (11) in contact with said path (30) are detachably configured so that they are made accessible for being cleaned.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising a machine for a heating fluid or fluid foam on demand,
the system further comprising a pack for providing hot fluids or hot fluid foams on demand,
the pack comprising a fluid container having a fluid or a foamable fluid product in an inner volume of the fluid container, and
the pack further comprising a heat transfer device for heating the fluid or the fluid foam on demand, the heat transfer device comprising:
a path through which the fluid or the fluid foam circulates;
at least one layer made of a thermally conductive material; and
at least one additional path through which steam circulates, each of the at least one additional path has the same shape as the path, the path being in contact with a part of the at least one layer, wherein the at least one layer is sandwiched in between the path and the at least one additional path in such a way that when the at least one layer is heated the at least one layer transmits heat to the fluid or fluid foam as the fluid or fluid foam circulates through the path, the at least one layer is arranged such that a change in phase of the steam into liquid when circulating through the at least one additional path heats the at least one layer;
wherein the path and the part of the at least one layer in contact with the path are detachably configured so that they are made accessible for being cleaned,
the machine comprising a connection suitable for receiving the pack and further comprising a heating unit having a steam generator disposed within the machine configured for dispensing the steam into the heat transfer device such that the heat transfer device circulates the steam through the at least one additional path, and a foaming driving unit having a motor configured to rotate a rotatable part of a pumping and foaming device in the heat transfer device such that the fluid or fluid foam is circulating through the path.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the machine comprises an air regulator configured to introduce air into the pumping and foaming device in the heat transfer device.

Assignees

• Nestec Sa
• Nestle Sa

Inventors

• Savioz Gregory

Classifications

• A47J31/60

  Cleaning devices · CPC title

• F28D7/0025

  the conduits for one medium or the conduits for both media being flat tubes or arrays of tubes · 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

• F24H7/0241

  with supplementary heating means · CPC title

• A47J31/44

  Parts or details {or accessories} of beverage-making apparatus (filters or strainers A47J31/06) · CPC title