Beverage mixing device, beverage preparation device and method for preparing a beverage product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12281001-B2
Application number	US-202117906495-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2021
Priority date	Mar 30, 2020
Publication date	Apr 22, 2025
Grant date	Apr 22, 2025

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a beverage mixing device ( 2 ) comprising a mixing body ( 3 ) defining a mixing chamber ( 30 ), at least one or a plurality of fluid inlets ( 4, 5, 6 ) for supplying a fluid (L, W, A, S) into the mixing chamber ( 30 ), a discharge opening ( 7 ) to discharge a liquid (P) from the mixing chamber ( 30 ), a sealing element ( 8 ) being moveably provided between a closed position for closing the discharge opening ( 7 ) and an open position for releasing the discharge opening ( 7 ) to allow a liquid (P) in the mixing chamber ( 30 ) be discharged via the discharge opening ( 7 ), and an evacuation outlet ( 9 ) for evacuating the mixing chamber ( 30 ) by a fluid (G) be introduced into the mixing chamber ( 30 ) via the at least one or the plurality of fluid inlets ( 4, 5, 6 ) when the discharge opening ( 7 ) is closed by the sealing element ( 8 ). The present invention is further directed to a beverage preparation device ( 1 ) comprising the beverage mixing device ( 2 ), a liquid supply ( 20 ), at least one or a plurality of product supplies ( 40 ), a gas supply ( 50 ), and a drainage ( 60 ). Also, the present invention is directed to a method for preparing a beverage product using the beverage preparation device according to the invention.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Beverage mixing device comprising a mixing body defining a mixing chamber,
at least one or a plurality of fluid inlets for supplying a fluid into the mixing chamber,
a discharge opening to discharge a liquid from the mixing chamber,
a sealing element being moveably provided between a closed position for closing the discharge opening and an open position for releasing the discharge opening to allow the liquid in the mixing chamber be discharged via the discharge opening, and
an evacuation outlet for evacuating the mixing chamber by additional fluid introduced into the mixing chamber via the at least one or the plurality of fluid inlets when the discharge opening is closed by the sealing element.

2. Beverage mixing device according to claim 1 , wherein, in the open position, the sealing element seals the evacuation outlet from the mixing chamber.

3. Beverage mixing device according to claim 2 , wherein the sealing element is configured such that it closes the evacuation outlet-when being in the open position and releases the evacuation outlet when being in the closed position.

4. Beverage mixing device according to claim 1 , wherein the evacuation outlet is provided at a vertically moveable pipe/tube section carrying the sealing element to be moveable between the open and closed position.

5. Beverage mixing device according to claim 1 , wherein the discharge opening is positioned at a bottom of the mixing chamber to discharge the liquid from the mixing chamber.

6. Beverage mixing device according to claim 5 , wherein discharge of the liquid from the mixing chamber is by gravity.

7. Beverage mixing device according to claim 1 , wherein the evacuation outlet is positioned at a bottom of the mixing chamber.

8. Beverage mixing device according to claim 7 , wherein the evacuation outlet positioned at the bottom of the mixing chamber is at a lower end of a pipe/tube section.

9. Beverage mixing device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one or plurality of fluid inlets, respectively, open into the mixing chamber via an inlet opening being tangentially oriented to the mixing chamber so as to create a vortex inside the mixing chamber with the fluid supplied via the at least one or plurality of fluid inlets through the respective inlet opening into the mixing chamber, wherein the inlet opening is provided at a top of the mixing chamber, and wherein the sum of the cross-sectional area of the at least one or plurality of fluid inlets is larger than the sum of the cross-sectional area of the evacuation outlet.

10. Beverage mixing device according to claim 9 , wherein the inlet opening is also opposite the discharge opening.

11. Beverage mixing device according to claim 1 , further comprising evacuation sections provided at the at least one or the plurality of fluid inlets and the discharge opening and the evacuation outlet and designed to receive trapped gas.

12. Beverage preparation device comprising
a beverage mixing device comprising a mixing body defining a mixing chamber,
at least one or a plurality of fluid inlets for supplying a fluid into the mixing chamber, a discharge opening to discharge a liquid from the mixing chamber,
a sealing element being moveably provided between a closed position for closing the discharge opening and an open position for releasing the discharge opening to allow the liquid in the mixing chamber be discharged via the discharge opening,
an evacuation outlet for evacuating the mixing chamber by additional fluid be introduced into the mixing chamber via the at least one or the plurality of fluid inlets when the discharge opening is closed by the sealing element,
a liquid supply fluidly connected to the at least one or the plurality of fluid inlets for selectively delivering a source liquid into the mixing chamber,
at least one or a plurality of product supplies each fluidly connected to the at least one or the plurality of fluid inlets for selectively delivering a beverage ingredient into the mixing chamber,
a gas supply fluidly connected to the at least one or the plurality of fluid inlets for selectively delivering a gas into the mixing chamber, and
a drainage fluidly connected to the evacuation outlet for draining the mixing chamber.

13. Beverage preparation device according to claim 12 , wherein the liquid supply is further fluidly connected to at least part of the at least one or plurality of product supplies or each at least one or plurality of product supplies for selectively delivering the source liquid via the at least part of the respective at least one or plurality of product supplies into the mixing chamber.

14. Beverage preparation device according to claim 12 , wherein the liquid supply comprises a water supply for providing water, wherein the liquid supply comprises a liquid storage and/or a liquid connection for connecting an external liquid source, and the liquid supply comprises a heater or a boiler for heating the source liquid, like water, to be delivered.

15. Beverage preparation device according to claim 12 , wherein the gas supply comprises an air supply for providing air, and the gas supply comprises a pump or a compressor for delivering gas.

16. Beverage preparation device according to claim 15 , wherein the gas is hot air.

17. Method for preparing a beverage product, comprising the steps of:
providing a beverage preparation device comprising:
a mixing body defining a mixing chamber,
at least one or a plurality of fluid inlets for supplying a fluid into the mixing chamber, a discharge opening to discharge a liquid from the mixing chamber,
a sealing element being moveably provided between a closed position for closing the discharge opening and an open position for releasing the discharge opening to allow the liquid in the mixing chamber be discharged via the discharge opening,
an evacuation outlet for evacuating the mixing chamber by a fluid be introduced into the mixing chamber via the at least one or the plurality of fluid inlets when the discharge opening is closed by the sealing element,
moving the sealing element into the closed position,
sanitizing the mixing chamber by circulating a sanitizing fluid via the inlet or the plurality of inlets through the mixing chamber and via the evacuation outlet to the drainage,
evacuating the mixing chamber by a gas being introduced via the at least one or plurality of fluid inlets through the mixing chamber and via the evacuation outlet to the drainage,
moving the sealing element into the open position for opening the discharge opening,
delivering a source liquid and/or beverage ingredients via the at least one or plurality of fluid inlets into the mixing chamber to prepare the beverage product, and
dispensing the beverage product out of the discharge opening.

18. Method according to claim 17 , wherein the sanitizing fluid is hot water.

19. Method according to claim 17 , wherein the sanitizing fluid and/or the gas and/or the source liquid and/or the beverage ingredients are supplied into the mixing chamber via the at least one or plurality of fluid inlets, so as to create a vortex inside the mixing chamber.

20. Method according to claim 17 , wherein, at least during the step of sanitizing the mixing chamber, any remaining gas in the mixing chamber is trapped in the evacuation sections provided at the at least one or plurality of fluid inlets and discharge opening and evacuation outlet.

21. Method according to claim 17 , further comprising closing the evacuati

Assignees

• Nestle Sa

Inventors

• Pugliese Alexandre
• Perentes Alexandre
• Lizon Antonin
• Gabella Thomas
• Ganshof Van Der Meersch Nicolas

Classifications

• B67D2210/00026

  Heaters · CPC title

• B67D2001/075

  Sanitising or sterilising the apparatus · CPC title

• B67D1/0895

  Heating arrangements · CPC title

• B67D1/07

  Cleaning beverage-dispensing apparatus {(B67D1/0834, B67D1/0837 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B67D1/0081

  Dispensing valves · CPC title