Adjusted thermal generation for food processing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12070145-B2
Application number	US-201816766119-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2018
Priority date	Nov 23, 2017
Publication date	Aug 27, 2024
Grant date	Aug 27, 2024

Abstract

A machine ( 1 ) for processing a liquid food substance ( 10 ) includes: a container ( 2 ) having an outside wall ( 2 ″) and In delimiting a food cavity ( 2 ′) for containing the food substance ( 10 ); an impeller ( 20 ) for driving the food substance ( 10 ) in the cavity ( 2 ′); a housing ( 3 ) having an outside wall and delimiting a powered cavity ( 3 ′) that is adjacent the container ( 2 ) and that contains a motor ( 30 ) for driving the impeller ( 20 ) and a thermal conditioner ( 40 ) for managing heat in the food cavity ( 2 ′); and a control unit ( 31 ) for controlling the impeller motor ( 30 ) and the thermal conditioner ( 40 ). The thermal conditioner ( 40 ) has different first and second sections ( 41,42 ) extending over different first and sections of the outside housing wall ( 3 ″″). The first and second conditioner sections ( 41,42 ) are configured to generate different levels of thermal energy per cm 2 . The first and second housing sections are adjacent to and extend over respective distinct first and second outside container wall sections ( 21,22 ) and/or form therewith a same first wall section and a same second wall section distinct from the same first wall section.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A machine for processing a liquid food substance, the machine comprising:
a container having an outside container wall and delimiting a food cavity configured for containing the liquid food substance;
an impeller configured for driving the liquid food substance in the food cavity;
a housing having an outside housing wall and delimiting a powered cavity that is adjacent the container, the housing containing a motor configured for driving the impeller and a thermal conditioner configured for at least one activity selected from the group consisting of generating heat in the food cavity and removing heat from the food cavity; and
a control unit configured for controlling the motor and the thermal conditioner,
the thermal conditioner extending over or forming a portion of the outside housing wall, the outside housing wall adjacent or including the thermal conditioner extending over and adjacent to or forming a portion of the outside container wall to be able to transmit thermal energy to or through the outside container wall,
the thermal conditioner has:
a first conditioner section extending over a first section of the outside housing wall; and
a second conditioner section extending over a second section of the outside housing wall that is distinct from the first section,
the first conditioner section being configured to generate a first thermal energy per cm 2 that is greater than a second thermal energy per cm 2 generated by the second conditioner section, the first section and the second section of the outside housing wall being adjacent to and extending over or forming a first section and a second section of the portion of the outside container wall.

2. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the first section of the outside container wall is located below the second section of the outside container wall.

3. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the first section of the outside container wall is located closer to a corner edge formed by a bottom and a sidewall of the food cavity than the second section of the outside container wall.

4. The machine of claim 1 , wherein, when the impeller drives the liquid food substance in the food cavity, an average minimal distance of all particles of the liquid food substance relative to the first section of the outside container wall is smaller than an average minimal distance of all particles of the liquid food substance relative to the second section of the outside container wall.

5. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the thermal conditioner has a third conditioner section extending over a third section of the portion of the outside housing wall, the third conditioner section being configured to generate a third thermal energy per cm 2 that is smaller than the second thermal energy per cm 2 , the second conditioner section of the thermal conditioner is located between the first conditioner section and the third conditioner section, the third conditioner section being adjacent to and extending over or forming a third section of the outside container wall.

6. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the thermal conditioner has a third conditioner section extending over a third section of the portion of the outside housing wall, the third conditioner section being configured to generate a third thermal energy per cm 2 that is smaller than the first thermal energy per cm 2 , the first conditioner section is located between the second conditioner section and the third conditioner section, the third conditioner section being adjacent to and extending over or forming a third section of the outside container wall.

7. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the thermal conditioner is configured to transmit negative thermal energy to or through the outside container wall.

8. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the thermal conditioner comprises an electric conductor configured to emit the first thermal energy and the second thermal energy when conducting an electric current.

9. The machine of claim 8 , wherein the first conditioner section and the second conditioner section differ from one another in at least one aspect selected from the group consisting of:
dimensionally or materially to generate and transmit different quantities of energies when conducting the same electric current; and
by different power sources, each of the first conditioner section and the second conditioner section has a dedicated power source that can deliver an electric power that is different than an electric power delivered by another power source to the other of the first conditioner section and the second conditioner section.

10. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the housing and the container are configured such that:
the housing forms a seat configured for receiving the container, the seat having an upright extending part, the portion of the outside housing wall extending over at least part of the upright extending part, wherein at least part of the thermal conditioner is located inside the housing along the upright extending part; and/or
the container is made of one or more passive components, and the housing comprises all active electric components.

11. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the container is removable from the housing for dispensing the liquid food substance from the food cavity and assemblable to the housing for processing the liquid food substance in the food cavity.

12. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the housing contains a heat evacuation system configured for evacuating heat from the powered cavity to a space outside the machine, the heat evacuation system comprising a motorized ventilation arrangement and at least one flow path extending in the powered cavity from at least one air inlet opening in the housing to at least one air outlet opening in the housing, the control unit configured for controlling the motorized ventilation arrangement.

13. The machine of claim 12 , wherein the motorized ventilation arrangement comprising a ventilation device, the control unit configured for controlling the ventilation device, and the ventilation device configured to drive air along the at least one flow path.

14. The machine of claim 12 , wherein the motorized ventilation arrangement comprises a ventilation device and a further motor that is different than the motor, the control unit configured for controlling the further motor to drive the ventilation device.

15. The machine of claim 12 , wherein the heat evacuation system is configured to evacuate heat generated in the powered cavity via the at least one air outlet opening, wherein a ratio of the heat evacuated by the at least one air outlet opening over the heat evacuated by the food cavity is greater than 2.5.

16. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the impeller has at least one of:
a surface configured for imparting a mechanical effect to the liquid food substance in the container cavity;
a foot configured for being coupled to the motor; and
an axle extending towards a mouth of the container when the impeller is driven by the motor.

17. The machine of claim 16 , wherein the impeller has the foot configured for being coupled to the motor, and wherein the foot is coupled to the motor via magnetic elements in the foot.

18. The machine of claim 16 , wherein the impeller has the axle extending towards the mouth of the container when the impeller is driven by the motor, the axle being seizable by a user for removing the impeller from the container.

19. The machine of claim 15 , wherein the heat generated in the powered cavity comprises heat generated by at least one o

Assignees

• Nestle Sa

Inventors

• Dercar Heinz
• Guyon Bertrand
• Nieuwendijk Johan
• Tuider Wolfgang

Classifications

• A47J43/0722

  Mixing, whipping or cutting tools · CPC title

• A47J43/0465 Primary

  with magnetic drive · CPC title

• A47J27/004 Primary

  with integral electrical heating means (drinking cups with integral heating means A47J36/2466) · CPC title