Foods and beverages: apparatus – Beverage – With gas treating means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-04
2001-09-25
Alexander, Reginald L. (Department: 1761)
Foods and beverages: apparatus
Beverage
With gas treating means
C099S293000, C267SDIG001, C267SDIG003, C267S121000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293187
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to a milk frothing device with a steam pipe that extends through a base member and has at its end a nozzle with a jet orifice and with a container including a bottom that can be placed underneath the nozzle.
Milk frothing devices of this type represent the state of the art in up-to-date espresso-cappuccino makers and are used to froth up milk that was filled into a container.
In coffee or espresso makers with a spout arrangement from which the coffee brew is discharged, vertically adjustable spout arrangements or cup lifts have already become known which permit adjusting the distance in height between a spout member of the spout arrangement and a container in order to adapt to differently high drip containers, such as espresso cups (see e.g. DE 298 10 291 U1). A vertically adjustable coffee outlet of such a type will not optimize the preparation of coffee per se, but only reduce the splashes which may be caused in the event of a too great drop height of the coffee which is discharged into the drip container and, especially, the espresso cup.
An object of the present invention is to provide a generic milk frothing device which renders it possible to easily immerse the nozzle into a container filled with milk, on the one hand. Another objective is that the container need not be held in the hand of a user during the frothing operation, that means, while hot steam is forced through the milk. In addition, a particularly good frothing result shall be achieved in a shortest possible time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, this object is achieved by a milk frothing device with a steam pipe that extends through a base member and has at its end a nozzle with a jet orifice, the steam pipe being connected with a steam generator by way of a conduit, and with a container including a bottom that can be placed underneath the nozzle. The milk frothing device is characterized in that the base member with the steam pipe and the nozzle is vertically displaceable within a longitudinal guide of a housing of the device, and in that the portion of the conduit that is provided between the base member and the steam generator has a flexible design. It became possible for the first time to achieve an adjustability of height for a cappuccino nozzle, which is sufficient for containers of conventional use. In this arrangement, it is not necessary to hold the container in one's hand during frothing, and the steam pipe with the nozzle may easily be immersed from the top into the container due to its vertical displaceability. It is favorable that the portion of the conduit which is disposed between the base member and the steam generating means is at least partly flexible to permit height adjustment.
According to certain features of the invention, the distance of the nozzle from the bottom of a container of any type, especially bottoms of different levels, can be optimized by means of a range spacer which projects downwardly from the jet orifice.
The vertical displacement of the base member with the steam pipe in the longitudinal guide can be infinitely variable or can be realized in small steps. The guide arrangement is so configured that the milk frothing nozzle is immersed in a suitable way, which is generally vertical, into a container until it reaches a sufficient depth, and is placed in a defined end position in which the free end of the range spacer will abut on the bottom of the container.
The vertical movement of the base member in an upward direction may be effected manually, for example, and the vertical downward movement into the milk container may take place automatically. This is a first step to a fully automatic milk frothing operation where both the upward and the downward movement of the base member with the nozzle attached to the steam pipe could be performed automatically.
The orifice is covered by a shield during the displacement of the base member according to another feature of the invention.
Ease of replacement and attachment of further design forms of nozzle members is rendered possible by other features of the invention in which the nozzle along with the range spacer forms a nozzle member and the nozzle member is attached to the steam pipe in an exchangeable fashion.
It is self-explanatory that the milk frothing device of the present invention can be used along with all coffee and espresso makers and also as an independent device which may be operated independently of a cappuccino or coffee maker.
One preferred embodiment of the milk frothing device according to the present invention will be described in detail hereinbelow by making reference to the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4342710 (1982-08-01), Adolfsson et al.
patent: 5638740 (1997-06-01), Cai
patent: 5931080 (1999-08-01), Roure Boada
patent: 29810291 (1998-10-01), None
Alexander Reginald L.
Braun GmbH
Fish & Richardson P.C.
LandOfFree
Milk frothing device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Milk frothing device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Milk frothing device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2519469