DISPENSING APPARATUS FOR A MILK-FROTHING DEVICE

• US 20170055763A1
• Filed: 05/13/2015
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JURA Elektroapparate AG
• Original Assignee: JURA Elektroapparate AG
• Inventors: BUETTIKER, Philipp, ULLMANN, Erich
• Granted Patent: US 10,413,117 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/4485 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 Class Codes: A47J 31/4489 Steam nozzles, e.g. for introducing into a milk container to heat and foam milk

Abstract

A dispensing apparatus for a milk-frothing device is indicated, comprising a body that is composed of a first part (10) and of a second part (50), which comprises an emulsion chamber (15) for forming emulsified fluid, a fluid inlet (15-1) for letting a fluid into the emulsion chamber (15), and a discharging region (55) having at least one dispensing opening (61) for discharging the emulsified fluid formed in the emulsion chamber (15). With the aim of improving the sealing properties between the first part (10) and the removable second part (50), the dispensing apparatus (100) according to the invention makes provision that at least one region of the emulsion chamber (15) and the fluid inlet (15-1) are formed in the first part (10) and that the second part (50) has the discharging region (55) having the at least one dispensing opening (61), that the first part (10) is composed of a first material at least in a first region (11), that the second part (50) is composed of a second material at least in a first region (51), and that the first region (11) of the first part (10) and the first region (51) of the second part (50) are connecting regions that are respectively complementary to each other, at which connecting regions the first region (11) of the first part (10) and the first region (51) of the second (50) are connected in such a way that they can be disconnected from each other.

Claims

1. :

A dispensing apparatus (100) for a milk-frothing device (1), wherein the dispensing apparatus (110) has the following;

a body that is composed of a first part (10) and of a second part (50), which body comprises an emulsion chamber (15), a fluid inlet (15-1) for letting a fluid in the form of a mixture of milk and air or of a mixture of milk, air and steam into the emulsion chamber (15), and a discharging region (55) having at least one dispensing opening (61),

wherein the emulsion chamber (15) is constructed such that a mixture of milk and air or of milk, air and steam let in through the fluid inlet (15-1) forms in the emulsion chamber (15) an emulsified fluid in the form of an emulsion containing milk and air,

wherein the dispensing opening (61) is constructed for the discharging of the emulsified fluid formed in the emulsion chamber (15),

wherein at least one region of the emulsion chamber (15) and the fluid inlet (15-1) are formed in the first part (10) and the second part (50) has the discharging region (55) having the at least one dispensing opening (61),

wherein the first part (10) is composed of a first material at least in a first region (11), and wherein the second part (50) is composed of a second material at least in a first region (51), wherein the first region (11) of the first part (10) and the first region (51) of the second part (50) are connecting regions that are complementary to each other, at which connecting regions the first region (11) of the first part (10) and the first region (51) of the second part (50) are connected so as to be separable from one another, so that the second part (50) is able to be removed from the first part (10).

2. :

The dispensing apparatus (100) according to claim 1, wherein the first material is harder than the second material, and wherein in particular the first material is a hard plastic and the second material is a soft plastic.

3. :

The dispensing apparatus (100) according to claim 1, wherein the first part (10) is formed in a second region (12) from a third material, wherein the third material is softer than the first material.

4. :

The dispensing apparatus (100) according to claim 3, wherein the second region (12) of the first part lies against a second region (52) of the second part (50) with the formation of a circumferential sealing region (30).

5. :

The dispensing apparatus (100) according to claim 4, wherein in the assembled state, the circumferential sealing region (30) is arranged downstream of the connecting regions, viewed in the direction of flow of the emulsified fluid.

6. :

The dispensing apparatus (100) according to claim 3, wherein the first region (11) and the second region (12) are securely connected with one another, so that the first part (10) is constructed as a one-piece composite part composed of the first region (11) and of the second region (12).

7. :

The dispensing apparatus (100) according to claim 3, wherein the first region (11) of the first part (10) and the second region (12) of the first part (10) are constructed so as to be separable from one another.

8. :

The dispensing apparatus (100) according to claim 1, wherein the connecting regions which are complementary to one another are threaded regions (20, 60), preferably threaded regions (20, 60) constructed in a double-threaded manner.

9. :

The dispensing apparatus (100) according to claim 1, wherein the first part (10) and/or the second part (50) are respectively produced by the injection moulding method.

10. :

The dispensing apparatus (100) according to claim 1, wherein the second part (50) is constructed at least partially and preferably completely from a transparent material, particularly preferably from crystal-clear plastic.

11. :

The dispensing apparatus (100) according to claim 1, wherein the first part (10) is constructed at least partially as a sleeve, preferably as a cylindrical sleeve (90), particularly preferably as a cylindrical metal sleeve and in particular in its first region (11) as a cylindrical metal sleeve.

12. :

The dispensing apparatus (100) according to claim 1, wherein the emulsion chamber (15) has a first emulsion region (16) and a second emulsion region (17) connected therewith by means of a connecting duct (18), wherein the emulsion regions (16, 17) on the inner side are directly defined at least partially respectively by the first material.

13. :

The dispensing apparatus (100) according to claim 1, wherein the first part (10) and/or the second part (50) has respectively a stop region (25, 66) for delimiting a movement necessary for the production of the connection between the first part (10) and the second part (50), in particular a rotational stop for delimiting a rotational movement necessary for the production of a threaded connection between the first part (10) and the second part (50).

14. :

The dispensing apparatus (100) according to claim 1, wherein the second part (50) is constructed so as to be circular in cross-section and preferably tapers conically in the direction of the discharging region (55), wherein handling grooves (56) are provided on the outer side.

15. :

The dispensing apparatus (100) according to claim 1, wherein—

viewed in the direction of flow of the emulsified fluid—

before the discharging region (55) at the second part (50) an impact region is provided with an impact surface (58) and/or with an impact body (59) for braking and swirling the emulsified fluid.

16. :

A milk-frothing device (1), which comprises;

a dispensing apparatus (100) according to claim 1 and

an apparatus (110) for letting a fluid in the form of a mixture of milk and air or of a mixture of milk, air and steam into the emulsion chamber (15) of the dispensing apparatus (100), wherein the apparatus (110) is constructed to let the fluid into the emulsion chamber (15) through the fluid inlet (15-1).