Espresso machine with cappuccino making attachment

• US 4,800,805 A
• Filed: 09/23/1987
• Issued: 01/31/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert Krups Stiftung & Company KG Heresbachstrasse
• Original Assignee: Robert Krups Stiftung & Company AG
• Inventors: Borgmann, Michael, Mahlich, Gotthard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): JENKINS, ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US07/100,339
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: 99/279, 99/300, 99/293, 99/294, 99/323.1, 426/433, 261/DIG. 76, 261/16, 261/121.1
• US Class Current: 99/293
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/4489 Steam nozzles, e.g. for introducing into a milk container to heat and foam milk
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 261/76 Steam

Abstract

An espresso machine with an attachment for the making of cappuccino wherein the attachment has a pipe with an open air admitting inlet at its upper end and an open air discharging outlet at its lower end. The steam conduit of the espresso machine has an orifice for steam at its lower end, and the outlet of the pipe is positioned in such a way that steam issuing from the orifice draws air into the pipe and out by way of the outlet to mix with steam and to froth a quantity of milk when the resulting mixture is admitted into a body of milk in a cup or another vessel. The pipe can be a separately produced part which is separably and adjustably or integrally connected to the conduit. It is also possible to provide the conduit with an integral portion which serves as an air supplying pipe and to provide a coupling to separably connect the upper end of the conduit to the source of steam. An extension can be provided to allow for mixing of air and steam before the resulting mixture is caused to enter into and to froth a supply of milk. The extension can constitute an integral part of the conduit or a separately produced part which has a funnel-shaped portion surrounding a conical portion of the steam discharging nozzle of the conduit.

Claims

1. An espresso machine comprising a housing;

a coffee filter carrier on said housing;

a source of steam in said housing;

steam supplying first conduit means connected with said source and having a steam discharging orifice and being immersible into a supply of milk; and

air supplying second conduit means having an air discharging outlet sufficiently close to said orifice to enable steam which issues from said orifice to draw air from said second conduit means by way of said outlet and into the supply of milk when the first conduit means is immersed into the supply of milk to thereby cause a frothing of milk as a result of admission of steam and air into milk.

2. The machine of claim 1, wherein said orifice is oriented to discharge steam downwardly.

3. The machine of claim 1, wherein said second conduit means comprises a first end portion provided with said outlet and a second end portion having an air admitting inlet.

4. The machine of claim 1, further comprising means for locating said second conduit means with reference to said first conduit means.

5. The machine of claim 4, wherein said locating means includes means for connecting said second conduit means to said first conduit means.

6. The machine of claim 5, wherein said connecting means includes means for separably coupling said second conduit means to said first conduit means.

7. The machine of claim 5, wherein said first conduit means includes an elongated portion and said connecting means includes means for coupling the second conduit means to said first conduit means for movement along the elongated portion of said first conduit means.

8. The machine of claim 1, wherein said orifice and said outlet are oriented to respectively discharge steam and air downwardly.

9. The machine of claim 1, wherein said first conduit means includes a substantially straight portion which is adjacent said orifice and said second conduit means includes a substantially straight first portion adjacent and substantially parallel with said portion of said first conduit means and an arcuate second portion which is provided with said outlet and extends in front of said orifice so that stream issuing from said orifice flows around the outlet.

10. The machine of claim 1, further comprising a vessel arranged to store the supply of milk, said extension being arranged to dip into the supply of milk in said vessel so that frothing of milk in said vessel is caused by the mixture of steam and air which issues from said extension.

11. The machine of claim 10, further comprising a vessel arranged to store a supply of milk, said extension being arranged to dip into the supply of milk in said vessel so that the mixture of steam and air which issues from said extension causes a frothing of milk in said vessel.

12. The machine of claim 10, wherein said first conduit means includes a portion adjacent said extension and an internal partition between said portion and said extension, said orifice being provided in said partition.

13. The machine of claim 12, wherein said second conduit means includes an end portion adjacent said extension and provided with said outlet, said extension having a tubular wall provided with an aperture in register with said outlet.

14. The machine of claim 13, wherein said aperture is located between said partition and said discharge opening.

15. The machine of claim 10, wherein said conduits include pieces of tubing which are adjacent and parallel to each other.

16. The machine of claim 15, wherein said pieces of tubing are connected to each other.

17. The machine of claim 15, wherein said pieces of tubing have identical or similar inner and outer diameters.

18. The machine of claim 10, wherein said conduit means are integral with each other and further comprising means for coupling said first conduit means to said source.

19. The machine of claim 1, wherein said second conduit means is an integral part of said first conduit means and has an air admitting inlet remote from said outlet and a channel connecting said inlet with said outlet.

20. The machine of claim 19, wherein said first conduit means is elongated and said channel extends longitudinally of said first conduit means.

21. The machine of claim 1, wherein said first conduit means comprises an end portion which is provided with said orifice and further comprising a discrete extension having a first portion surrounding said end portion in the region of said orifice and a second portion having a discharge opening spaced apart from said orifice, said second conduit means being arranged to discharge air into the second portion of said extension.

22. The machine of claim 21, wherein the second portion of said extension has an aperture and said outlet communicates with said aperture so that air which is admitted into said extension is mixed with steam issuing from said orifice before the resulting air-steam mixture leaves said extension by way of said discharge opening.

23. The machine of claim 21, wherein said end portion includes a hollow cone and the first portion of said extension includes a funnel which receives said cone.

24. The machine of claim 1, wherein said second conduit means has an air admitting inlet and further comprising means for regulating the flow of air into said second conduit means by way of said inlet.

25. The machine of claim 24, wherein said regulating means includes a valve.

26. The machine of claim 25, wherein said valve has a rotary valving element.