AGITATION BLADE, AGITATION APPARATUS, BEVERAGE PREPARATION APPARATUS, AND AGITATION PORTION

• US 20160175789A1
• Filed: 08/04/2014
• Published: 06/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: SHIMA, Hidekazu, MISUMI, Masaru, SAWADA, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 10,029,221 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/40 Beverage-making apparatus with dispensing means for adding a measured quantity of ingredients, e.g. coffee, water, sugar, cocoa, milk, tea
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/42 Beverage-making apparatus with incorporated grinding or roasting means for coffee coffee mills A47J42/00; coffee roasters in general A23N12/08
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/44 Parts or details or accessories of beverage-making apparatus filters or strainers A47J31/06
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/462 with an intermediate liquid storage tank
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/0465 with magnetic drive
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/0722 Mixing, whipping or cutting tools
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/54 provided with a pump inside the receptacle to recirculate the material within the receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/111 Centrifugal stirrers, i.e. stirrers with radial outlets; Stirrers of the turbine type, e.g. with means to guide the flow
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/112 with arms, paddles, vanes or blades
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/118 Stirrers in the form of brushes, sieves, grids, chains or springs
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/13 Openwork frame or cage stirrers not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/90 with paddles or arms
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/45 Magnetic mixers; Mixers with magnetically driven stirrers
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/4535 using a stud for supporting the stirring element

Abstract

An agitation blade for agitating a liquid includes a cylindrical core having a central axis of rotation and a plurality of blade portions provided on a side of a first surface of a rotation portion, and the plurality of blade portions are provided to surround the central axis of rotation and provided to be rotated with respect to a center of rotation of the central axis of rotation.

Claims

1. An agitation blade for agitating a liquid, comprising:

a rotation portion having a central axis of rotation; and

a plurality of blade portions provided on a side of a first surface of the rotation portion,

the plurality of blade portions being provided to surround the central axis of rotation and provided in rotation symmetry with respect to a center of rotation of the central axis of rotation.

2. The agitation blade according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of paddle surfaces provided on a side of a second surface opposite to the first surface of the rotation portion.

3. The agitation blade according to claim 1, wherein

the blade portion has inclination spreading outward with respect to the rotation portion.

4. The agitation blade according to claim 1, wherein

a tip end portion of the blade portion is provided with a slit extending from the tip end portion toward the first surface.

5. An agitation apparatus used for agitation of a liquid, comprising:

the agitation blade according to claim 1;

an agitation tank accommodating the agitation blade; and

a drive mechanism for rotating the agitation blade,

a region directly under the agitation blade in an internal bottom surface of the agitation tank being recessed below a surrounding region.

6. The agitation apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

a lowermost end of the agitation blade is located below the bottom surface other than the region directly under the agitation blade in the internal bottom surface of the agitation tank.

7. An agitation apparatus used for agitation of a liquid, comprising:

the agitation blade according to claim 1;

an agitation tank accommodating the agitation blade; and

a drive mechanism for rotating the agitation blade,

a contactless rotation transmission mechanism transmitting rotational force of the drive mechanism to the agitation blade without contact being provided between the agitation blade and the drive mechanism, and

a rotation support mechanism supporting a portion of contact of the agitation blade with the agitation tank by point contact during rotation of the agitation blade being provided between the agitation blade and the agitation tank.

8. The agitation apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the contactless rotation transmission mechanism rotates the agitation blade by generating magnetic coupling between the agitation blade and the drive mechanism and transmitting rotational force on a side of the drive mechanism to a magnet on a side of the blade.

9. An agitation apparatus used for agitation of a liquid, comprising:

the agitation blade according to claim 1;

an agitation tank accommodating the agitation blade; and

a drive mechanism for rotating the agitation blade,

the agitation tank being provided with a rectifying wall provided to surround the agitation blade, for rectifying a flow of the liquid formed as a result of rotation of the agitation blade, together with an inner wall of the agitation tank.

10. A beverage preparation apparatus for preparing beverages with powders, comprising:

a milling machine for obtaining the powders by grating an object to be grated;

a tank for storing a liquid;

a heater portion heating the liquid in the tank and supplying the liquid; and

an agitation apparatus supplied with the powders obtained by the milling machine and the liquid, for mixing the powders and the liquid,

the agitation apparatus according to claim 5 being employed as the agitation apparatus.

11. The beverage preparation apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the agitation apparatus cools the liquid heated and supplied by the heater portion through rotation of an agitation blade stored inside.

12. The beverage preparation apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the agitation apparatus has a cooling apparatus and cools the liquid heated and supplied by the heater portion.

13. An agitation portion for agitating a liquid, comprising:

a rotation portion having a central axis of rotation; and

a first agitation portion provided on a side of a first surface of the rotation portion and a second agitation portion provided on a side of a second surface opposite to the first surface of the rotation portion.