Steam unit with external fastening, including a tank for frothing milk and heating beverages, for a machine for espresso beverages

• US 9,265,379 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2006
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Versuni Holding BV
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Tonelli, Stefano, Castelli, Cristiano
• Primary Examiner(s): Ross, Dana
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARVEY, BRANDON T
• Application Number:
  US11/920,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20090101021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,571 Days
• Field of Search: 992/90, 99293-323, 994/10, 994/17, 992/75, 992/79, 99282-283, 222/373, 2221461-1465, 222/652, 122 1301- 192, 122/234, D73/13, 126/348, 219/452.11, 219/478
• 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

Abstract

A steam unit, e.g., for a machine for espresso beverages, includes a supporting island with external fastening, which connects removably to the machine; a tank for frothing milk, a base of which connects removably to the supporting island. A circuit delivers steam from the machine to the tank via the connection at the base of the tank. The tank includes an upper part for heating and emulsifying the beverages.

Claims

1. A steam unit for a machine for making beverages, the steam unit including:

a supporting island with a fastener configured to be removably connected to a base of said machine at a lower part of said machine; and

a tank having a base at a lower part of the tank,

the supporting island including a first connection at a first end for removable connection to the machine, a second connection at a second end opposite the first end for removable connection to the base of the tank for connecting the second connection to a steam output pipe located inside the tank in a substantially central position of the tank, and a pipe between the first and second connections, said machine being configured to deliver steam to said tank via said first connection, said pipe and said second connection,

said tank including an upper part for heating and emulsifying a beverage to form an emulsified beverage, said upper part being opposite said base at the lower part of said tank and being located further away from the supporting island than the lower part,

wherein the fastener includes a pin configured to engage a slot of the machine in a locked position and disengage from the slot for removal of the supporting island from the machine,

wherein the base of the tank is supported on the supporting island in an operating position of the machine, and

wherein said pin is further configured to slide horizontally to disengage from the slot and allow the removal of the supporting island from the machine.

2. The steam unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tank comprises:

a covering part located at said upper part, the covering part being configured to heat and emulsify the beverage and including an air intake member for intake of air from outside into inside of said covering part; and

a suction pipe placed inside the tank and connected to the inside of said covering part, the suction pipe being configured to suck up the beverage from the base of the tank and deliver it to the inside of said covering part.

3. The steam unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein said tank comprises, in the inside of said covering part, a third connection between said steam output pipe, said suction pipe and said air intake member, the steam delivered from said steam output pipe creating vacuum pressure which, through Venturi effect, causes suction of the beverage from the base of the tank through said suction pipe and causes suction of air from outside through said air intake member, causing mixing of the steam and the air with the beverage and forming said emulsified beverage.

4. The steam unit as claimed in claim 3, wherein said tank has, in the inside of said covering part, a recess from which said emulsified beverage drops into said tank.

5. The steam unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein said tank has an opening in said covering part, where the emulsified beverage can be poured out through the opening and the tank can be filled with the beverage through the opening.

6. The steam unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein said tank comprises a lid in the covering part, the lid comprising a pin on which the covering part can rotate to open, a back edge of said lid engaging against a raised part of an upper edge of the tank, preventing rotation of said pin to open the lid when said upper covering part is positioned inside the tank.

7. The steam unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein said steam output pipe has one or more side holes in an upper part which connects to said covering part, said one or more side holes allowing said steam to be released in a lateral direction inside the tank before said covering part has been completely removed from said steam output pipe.

8. The steam unit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an electrical circuit configured to:

detect that said supporting island is fastened to said machine;

detect that said tank is connected to said supporting island; and

enable supply of steam to said island and then to said tank, only if both said supporting island and said tank are connected to said machine and said supporting island, respectively, as detected by the electrical circuit.

9. The steam unit as claimed in claim 8, wherein said electrical circuit comprises:

a connector activated when said supporting island is fastened to said machine and placed in a zone for connection of said island to the machine; and

a microswitch activated when said tank is connected to said supporting island and placed in the base housing the tank.

10. The steam unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second connections are provided with male parts and female parts connected by gaskets, said male parts being on the supporting island, and said female parts being on the machine and the tank.

11. The steam unit as claimed in claim 10, wherein at least one female part of said female parts of said first and second connections are provided with an enlarged inner edge in shape of an overturned cone, wherein the enlarged inner edge is located beyond said gaskets when a connection is established, so that when said at least one female part is detached from a respective male part, any residual steam present in said hydraulic circuit at time of removal is directed downwards, with progressively slow release.

12. The steam unit as claimed in claim 10, wherein a top of a male part of said second connection comprises a throttle valve which interrupts flow of the steam in said second connection when the tank is removed.

13. The steam unit as claimed in claim 11, wherein said gaskets are of the double lip O-ring type.

14. The steam unit as claimed in claim 10, wherein said first connection comprises a safety valve of an expansion type, wherein the safety valve is activated when the pipe is clogged and consequent increase in steam pressure beyond a predetermined limit.

15. The steam unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said supporting island comprises a first part which is connected fixedly to said machine, and a second pivoting part which holds said tank and is provided with a rotating pivot for rotating the second part with respect to the first part.

16. The steam unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fastener further comprises a button, and wherein by pressing said button, said pin slides horizontally, disconnecting from said slot, and allowing the supporting island to be removed from the base of the machine.

17. The steam unit as claimed in claim 8, wherein said electrical circuit further comprises displaying devices to indicate an active or inactive operating state of the supporting island.

18. The steam unit of claim 1, wherein said supporting island has a first part rotatably connected to a second part, the first part being configured to receive the base and support the tank in the operating position, and the second part being configured to receive the machine and support the machine in the operating position.

19. The steam unit of claim 1, wherein the tank further comprises a suction pipe placed inside the tank between the base and the upper part.

20. The steam unit of claim 19, wherein the steam output pipe is substantially parallel to the suction pipe.

21. The steam unit of claim 19, wherein the suction pipe is configured to suck up the beverage from the base to the upper part of the tank, and wherein the steam output pipe is configured to deliver steam up from the base to the upper part of the tank to heat and emulsify the beverage received from the suction pipe and form the emulsified beverage for dropping down into said tank.

22. The steam unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pin is further configured to retract inside the supporting island to disengage from the slot and allow the removal of the supporting island from the base of the machine.

23. A tank for use in a steam unit for a machine for making beverages, the steam unit including:

a supporting island with a fastener configured to be removably connected to a base of said machine at a lower part of said machine; and

the tank having a base at a lower part of the tank, wherein the base of the tank is configured to be removably connected to a first connection of said supporting island, said supporting island including a pipe and a second connection to deliver steam from said machine to a steam output pipe located inside said tank in a substantially central position of said tank via said second connection, said pipe and said first connection;

said tank including an upper part for heating and emulsifying a beverage to form an emulsified beverage, said upper part being opposite said base at the lower part of said tank and being located further away from the supporting island than the lower part,

wherein the fastener includes a pin configured to engage a slot of the machine in a locked position and disengage from the slot for removal of the supporting island from the machine,

wherein the base of the tank is supported on the supporting island in an operating position of the machine, and

wherein said pin is further configured to slide horizontally to disengage from the slot and allow the removal of the supporting island from the machine.

24. An apparatus for making a beverage comprising:

a supporting island;

a tank for holding a liquid ingredient of the beverage, wherein the tank has a base at a lower part of the tank and has an upper part for heating and emulsifying the liquid ingredient to form an emulsified beverage, the upper part being opposite the base at the lower part of the tank and being located further away from the supporting island than the lower part; and

a machine for making the beverage and providing steam to the tank for heating the liquid ingredient;

the supporting island having a first connection at a first end for removable connection to the machine, a second connection at a second end opposite the first end for removable connection to the base of the tank for connecting the second connection to a steam output pipe located inside the tank in a substantially central position of the tank, and a pipe between the first and second connections, said machine being configured to deliver the steam to said tank via said first connection, said pipe and said second conection,

wherein the supporting island includes a pin configured to engage a slot of the machine in a locked position and disengage from the slot for removal of the supporting island from the machine, and

wherein said pin is further configured to slide horizontally to disengage from the slot and allow the removal of the supporting island from the machine.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the first connection is rotatably connected to the second connection.