RU2782668C1 - Centrifugal apparatus for preparing beverages for producing juice or plant-based milk - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: preparation of beverages.

SUBSTANCE: apparatus for preparing soy milk, including a filter for loading the soybean mass, an immersion blender with a drive and a crushing tool, and a pitcher. The filter is located in the pitcher to allow insertion of the crushing tool into the filter. At the first stage, the drive actuates the crushing tool, wherein the soybeans are crushed in the filter to obtain soy milk and the residual material from the soybeans. At the second stage, the drive rotates the filter. After crushing the soybeans, the filter rotates in order to separate the liquid soy milk from the residual material by centrifugal force.

EFFECT: structure of the claimed invention allows for a high degree of crushing of the soybean mass.

15 cl, 7 dwg

Description

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing juices or vegetable milks, such as, for example, fruit or vegetable juices or soy milk, which simplifies the separation of vegetable residues from the liquid and does not require subsequent filtration.

Soy milk is a drink made from soybeans. Its structure and its uses are similar to those of milk. Traditional soy milk, a stable emulsion of oil, water and protein, is a liquid extract of whole soybeans. The liquid is prepared by softening dry soybeans, which are then squeezed out with water. Softened soybeans are referred to in this application as soybean mass.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Recently, there has been an increased trend towards home-cooking food from basic ingredients as opposed to buying ready-made foods. For this purpose, kitchen utensils in various versions are used, for example, to prepare fruit juices or vegetable milk. In a vegan diet or in people with lactose intolerance, plant milk, and especially soy milk, is a favored alternative to cow's milk.

Usually, plant-based milks, such as soy or almond milk, are made in soup pots or mixers in which the ingredients are ground together with water. In any case, the suspension of ingredients and water must be filtered after grinding. Plant based milk is usually filtered through sieves or kitchen towels. A big disadvantage of this procedure is, on the one hand, a large proportion of vegetable milk remaining in the residual mass or wet hands due to manual squeezing of the residual mass in a towel.

Another method of preparation is to use a cylindrical filter that is inserted into the jug of a stand mixer. In the case of soy milk, the mass of soy beans (soy beans softened in water) is crushed in this filter, so the soy milk can flow out of the filter and collect in the mixer jug. However, even with this method, a large amount of soy milk remains in the residual mass, which, as described above, must be released from the residual mass manually, or it is disposed of with the residual mass.

Such a solution is available, for example, in EP 1 836 905 A1. In it, a mass of soybeans is crushed inside the filter, and soy milk is removed from the filter. Following this, the whole mass of soy milk and residual material is left to stand in the jug, so that the residual material settles in the jug, and only the dissolved soy milk is poured through the spout of the jug. The separation of the soy milk remaining in the residual mass from the residual mass does not occur.

Fruit and vegetable juices are usually obtained in juicers. They are offered in two main types. In a centrifugal juicer, the ingredients are poured into a rapidly rotating sieve with a built-in shredder. There, the ingredients are crushed with a shredder, and the juice is squeezed out of the sieve using centrifugal force. Such a sieve is shown, for example, in DE 17 47 531 U.

So-called "Slow Juicers" (slow juicers) press food through a sieve using a tapering feed screw, thereby extracting the juice. Such a device is shown, for example, in US 2017/0231414A1.

Both systems have the disadvantage that they are special devices that are used only for obtaining juice. In addition, they are very large, and their cleaning requires a lot of effort. Therefore, they are primarily suitable for obtaining small quantities of juice, or they are not attractive to users due to the limited storage space available.

Both devices are not suitable for making soy milk, since it is impossible to grind the ingredients together with water in this way.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a beverage preparation device for producing fruit or vegetable juices or plant milk for use with a handheld kitchen appliance which facilitates the separation of plant solids from liquid and does not require subsequent filtration. Due to the simplified separation of plant residues from the liquid, manual post-processing steps such as manual squeezing of the soybean residues through a towel are no longer necessary, especially in the preparation of soy milk, and the amount of soy milk remaining in the soybean residues is greatly reduced.

According to the invention, this problem is solved by means of a device for preparing beverages with the characteristics of paragraph 1 of the claims. Preferred features of the forms of execution are set out in dependent claims.

The present invention provides a beverage preparation device. This beverage preparation device has a filter for placing ingredients (such as masses of soybeans or fruits), a drive, a crushing tool and a jug. The filter is located in the jug and allows insertion of the grinding tool into the filter. In the preparation of beverages, the drive in the first stage drives the crushing tool, whereby the ingredients are crushed by the crushing tool in the filter, in order to obtain a dispersion from the desired liquid (vegetable milk or juice) and solid residual material. In the second stage, the drive rotates the filter. To do this, the grinding tool is removed from the filter and the drive is separated from it. The drive is pushed onto the jug by means of a lid or adapter and thus brought into functional connection with the rotating filter. The filter, after grinding the ingredients, rotates to separate the liquid plant milk or juice from the remaining residual material by centrifugal force.

Due to the fact that the filter is directly surrounded by the container, when preparing soy milk, the soy beans and additionally required water can be loaded together into the beverage preparation device without the water being able to drain, and thus still in the connection when crushing the beans. with them.

Thanks to the grinding of the ingredients, the filter contains a mass of vegetable milk, respectively, juice and residual material. Some of the liquid may drain through the filter into the jug of the beverage preparation device, but some remains bound in the residual material. By rotating the filter, centrifugal forces act on the mass and allow liquid to escape from the residual material. After the filter has been rotated long enough, the liquid separated from the residual material is at least largely collected in the jar. No subsequent steps are required to wring out the mass, such as pressing with a pestle or squeezing through a towel. Residual material can be taken out with a filter for separate disposal or recycling in another way.

To prevent the liquid from flowing back into the filter, it must be drained, if possible, before and during rotation. Alternatively, the distance between the underside of the filter and the bottom of the jug can be chosen so that the entire amount of liquid being processed can be collected in this area. Then the reverse current to the filter is excluded and without periodic ebb.

In the preferred embodiment, the filter is cylindrical.

The cylindrical shape of the filter contributes to the uniform loading of the filter during rotation. In the case of a filter design with corner places, there may be more mass in one corner by the time the rotation starts, which would lead to an imbalance in the filter. Due to this imbalance, the bearing seats and the material are not properly loaded and unwanted vibrations occur. When using a cylindrical filter, they contribute to a more favorable mass distribution during rotation. Also, thanks to the cylindrical filter, the space in the jug is better used, since with a non-cylindrical filter, more space would have to be left around it during rotation.

Further preferably, the filter has a housing in which a filter surface is located, this filter surface being preferably a metal or plastic sieve.

Through the filter surface, liquid can be removed during filter rotation, while residual material remains inside the filter. The metal or plastic filter surface can be reused and can be cleaned with common household products. Possible, for example, the surface of the filter in the form of a perforated metal sheet or in the form of a grid, similar to a household sieve. It is particularly preferred that the sieve be replaceable. This makes it easier to replace and different sieves can be used for different purposes if necessary.

In a further preferred embodiment, the filter has a filter cap for sealing the filter.

By locking the filter with the filter cap, residual material is prevented from escaping the filter during rotation. Further, on the filter cover, a docking point for connecting the drive to the filter can be created with little effort, preferably along the axis of rotation of the filter.

In a preferred improvement, the filter has a bearing, while the filter with the bearing is located at the location of the bearing in the jug.

By means of a bearing, preferably on the underside of the filter, the filter can be positioned at the location of the bearing in the jar. The bearing reduces friction and wear on the filter as well as the jug. Otherwise, due to the rotation of the filter, it may damage the material. Such a bearing location can be, for example, an already existing bearing location for a knife attachment or dough spiral. Thus, the jug can be used both for rotating the filter and for crushing other foodstuffs or for kneading. Further, the same design of the bearing seat for different purposes makes it possible to use for different purposes and can facilitate production depending on the design of the bearing seat.

In a preferred development, the jug has a jug lid for locking the jug, wherein a gearbox can be located in the jug lid, through which the drive can be connected to the filter. By means of this gearbox, the filter can be rotated at a different speed, as opposed to the grinding tool.

This improvement has the advantage that, by using a fixed speed drive, different speeds of rotation of the grinding tool and the filter can be achieved. Also, with the help of such a gearbox, the transmitted forces can be increased. Thus, the drive may drive the pulverizing tool at a high speed to pulverize the mass. This process requires relatively small forces, respectively, torques to drive, but needs high speeds. The speed of the filter is then reduced by means of a gearbox, so that it rotates at a lower rotational speed than the chopping tool, however, a higher torque is available, which is required to accelerate the large mass of the filled filter.

The jug may have a basic cylindrical shape or a section of a cone, as is common with household appliances. Alternatively, the jug may have a round or ellipsoid base shape. Due to this, with the same height of the structure, a larger volume can be realized, so the space between the jug and the filter can accommodate more liquid.

Alternatively, the lid of the jug and the lid of the filter may be formed as a single structural element, or both lids may be formed as separate structural elements. If both are made as a single structural element, i.e. if they are one-piece for the user (without a tool), then by locking the jug, the filter is also automatically locked. This makes maintenance of the soy milk maker easier.

In a further preferred embodiment, the pulverizing tool is located in the filter via a freewheel mechanism. In this case, the grinding tool can rotate in the first direction of rotation relative to the filter and grind the ingredients. In this case, the filter is prevented from rotating together with the grinding tool through the free-wheeling mechanism located at the place of installation of the bearing between the filter and the jug. In a second direction of rotation, which is opposite to the first, a second freewheel mechanism at the bearing attachment between the pulverizer and the filter causes the filter to be carried along by the pulverizer and both rotate in the same direction and at the same speed. In this case, the liquid is separated by centrifugal force from the remaining residual material.

Thanks to this form of execution, the beverage preparation device can be operated without changing nozzles or without other variations in the connection of the drive with the filter or with the grinding tool. Accordingly, the desired function can only be achieved by selecting the direction of rotation. In the first direction of rotation, only the grinding tool is driven, thereby crushing the ingredients in the filter, and liquid and residual material are formed. The direction of rotation of the actuator can then be reversed, and thus the liquid contained in the residual material can be separated from the residual material by means of centrifugal force.

The next option is a height-fixed knife, which is located directly in the filter. For this, an axle with at least two locking positions is used. In this case, the knife can be fixed in the first stage in the upper position, in which it rotates freely, while the filter is stationary or slowly rotates together in the same direction. In the first locking position, it is possible to grind the ingredients for vegetable milk or fruit or vegetable juice contained in the filter. The knife can then be moved to the lower lock position. In this position, it enters into a form-fitting connection with the filter, which leads to the fact that now the knife and filter rotate in the same direction and at the same speed when the motor is started. This leads to centrifugation of plant residues. Thus, in contrast to the previously described embodiment, a motor can be used that can only rotate in one direction of rotation.

Preferably, the chopping tool is a cutterhead and the drive is an immersion blender handle.

Cutterheads are common food chopping tools and they find use in both stand mixers and immersion blenders. In this regard, the cutter head is a sleeve on which one or more blades are located on the side. By rotating about the axis of the sleeve, the blades rotate and thus cut through the placed product to be cut. In this case, in some cases, the blades are located on the sleeve so that they, like a propeller, have a suction effect on the product to be cut. In this way, turning over and supply of the cutting product to the cutter head is ensured.

Immersion blenders are appliances for household use that usually have a handle and attachment with a working tool. In this case, the handle contains a motor with a drive shaft, which can be docked with the shaft in the nozzle to set it in motion. Many immersion blenders also have docking points through which they can be docked with different attachments with different functions. So, an immersion blender with one nozzle can grind, and mix with a second nozzle. For the present invention, an immersion blender with a knife head attachment can be used to break up the ingredients (eg, soybean pulp or fruit) and release the liquid they contain. At the next stage, the nozzle can be removed from the cutter head and the actual filter with a handle is connected instead. For this purpose, the filter should only have a suitable docking point for the handle. In this way, the filter can be connected to and rotated by the motor drive shaft in order to separate the liquid by centrifugal force from the remaining residual material.

The invention further provides a process for the production of vegetable milk or fruit or vegetable juices. In this method, the original ingredients are fed into the filter. They are then pulverized by a powered pulverizer and a mass of liquid and solid residual material is created. After creating liquid and residual material in the filter, the filter is rotated, while the liquid is separated from the remaining residual material using centrifugal force.

Through the use of this method, in particular in a beverage preparation device as described above, the advantageous effects of the invention can be achieved.

Preferably, the filter is located in the jug for receiving the produced liquid. Preferably, the pulverizing tool is a cutterhead, and further preferably, the pulverizing tool and the rotation of the filter are driven by an immersion blender handle.

The described embodiments of the beverage preparation device have many advantages over the previously mentioned known devices.

In the preparation of plant-based milk, it becomes unnecessary to filter or squeeze the crushed mass of plant-based milk in order to extract the liquid. In addition, the described beverage preparation device can be used more universally, since it is applicable both for the production of vegetable milk and juices. In addition, the beverage maker is not a large, dedicated separate unit, but a compact accessory for an immersion blender. This makes it especially suitable for cooking smaller quantities and can be cleaned well in the dishwasher. Due to the fact that parts of the beverage preparation device can also be used for other applications (e.g. jug, container lid, motor, grinder), the space required is generally much less than that of dedicated juicers.

Other features and advantages are apparent from the following description of the figures and the totality of the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following section, the invention is explained in more detail using examples of execution with reference to the attached figures.

Fig. 1 shows a filter module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 shows a beverage preparation device in a first configuration according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 shows a further beverage preparation device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 shows a further beverage preparation device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 and 6 show a beverage preparation device according to a further embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 shows two steps of a method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INVENTION

Fig. 1 shows the filter 10 of the soy milk maker. The filter 10 is made cylindrical and has a cover 11, an upper side 12, a housing 16, a filter surface 18 and a bearing 14 on the underside of the filter 10. The cover 11 can be connected via a plug or screw connection to the filter 10 and serves to prevent the mass from escaping. from soybeans from the filter 10. The cover 11 further provides a docking point on the central axis A of the filter 10, through which the motor 50 can be docked with the filter 10.

Fig. 2 shows the filter 10 of FIG. 1 in the installation situation. The filter 10 is placed with the bearing 14 at the location 22 of the bearing in the jug. In this situation, the filter 10 may be filled with ingredients (eg soybeans and water or fruit). Then an immersion blender is introduced into the filter. The immersion blender motor 50 transmits torque through the immersion blender shaft 30 to the cutterhead 60, which grinds the ingredients. With this process, some of the liquid is released from the ingredients and can flow through the filter 10 into the jar 20. To prevent the filter 10 from rotating during this process, it can be fixed in the jug 20.

In the next step, the immersion blender motor 50 can be separated from the stem 30 and connected through the filter cover 11 and the jar cover 40 to the filter 10. This situation is illustrated in FIG. 5 on the right side. By means of the torque of the motor 50, the filter is rotated with the pulverized matter contained therein. By means of the resulting centrifugal force, the mass is pressed against the walls of the filter 10, and the liquid still contained in the mass is forced through the surface 18 of the filter into the jug 20. After sufficient rotation of the filter 10, the liquid is generally separated from the residual material, and only the residual material remains in filter 10. It can be removed with filter 10 and disposed of separately or otherwise used.

Fig. 3 shows an alternative form of using the filter of the beverage preparation device of FIG. 1. In this embodiment, a separate jar lid 40 locks the jar 20. In this jar lid 40, a step-up gearbox is located, which is directly docked to the docking point of the filter lid 11 or filter 10. Following the grinding of the ingredients, the immersion blender motor 50 is docked with the gear of the jar lid 40 so that it increases the speed of the immersion blender. Thus, the rotation speed for rotating the filter 10 can be lower or higher than the rotation speed of the cutterhead 60 without the need for a variable speed motor. It is possible for the cutter head to operate at a high RPM and low torque since the cutting forces to grind the ingredients are relatively small, while the rotation of the filter requires more torque due to the larger moving mass. By means of a gearbox in the lid 40 of the jug, both functions can be provided by one motor 50 at a constant speed.

The next embodiment is shown in FIG. 4. In it, at the installation site of the bearing between the filter 10 and the cutter head 60, there is a freewheel mechanism 70. Through the lid 40 of the jug, the cutter head 60 is driven. At the same time, the filter 10 does not co-rotate in the first direction of rotation by the free-wheel mechanism 70, or rotates only slightly, so that in this direction of rotation, relative movement occurs between the blades 62 of the cutterhead 60 and the ingredients in the filter 10, and the soybeans are crushed. To prevent undesirable joint rotation of the filter 10, the filter can additionally be fixed in this direction of rotation by a second counter-acting freewheel mechanism 71 at the location of the bearing between the jug 20 and the filter 10.

In the second direction of rotation, the freewheel mechanism 70 blocks between the filter 10 and the cutter head 60. Due to this blockage, the filter 10 co-rotates with the cutter head 60, this leads to the previously described centrifugal forces, and the liquid remaining in the mass of ingredients is squeezed out through the surface 18 the filter into the jug 20. In this second direction of rotation, the second freewheel mechanism 71 between the filter 10 and the jug 20 allows relative movement between the jug and the filter.

This variant can also work with a gearbox in the lid 40 of the jar, however, in this case the gearbox must also be dependent on the direction of rotation in order to provide the different required speeds for the respective function. Alternatively, a variable speed motor can be used which provides a different number of revolutions in both directions of rotation.

Figures 5 and 6 use basically the same reference designations as in Figures 1 to 4, with an apostrophe placed on the numbers of the respective components, respectively. In figures 5 and 6, the filter 10' is rotatably mounted in the first bearing position 22'. In the filter 10', again, a second bearing position 23' is provided, on which a cutter head 60' with blades 62' is rotatably mounted. This cutterhead 60' is engaged with the motor 50'.

Between the lower end of the cutter head 60' and the filter 10' is a sleeve 24'. This sleeve 24' is configured so that, in the state shown in FIG. in free motion. In this state, the rotation of the motor 50' causes the cutterhead 60' to move in the filter 10', while the filter 10' is not driven, so it does not move or moves only slightly relative to the jug 20'. In this configuration, the placed food products can be crushed in the filter 10'.

If the cutterhead 60' is now pressed against the filter 10', the clutch 24' will engage (see FIG. 6). In this state, the cutter head 60' is non-rotatably connected to the filter 10'. If the motor 50' is now running, it rotates the cutterhead 60' together with the filter 10', so they both do not rotate (or only slightly rotate) towards each other. However, now the filter 10' rotates relative to the jug 20', so now the drink that has been prepared is centrifuged outwards due to centrifugal force.

Fig. 7 shows the use of an immersion blender for beverage production in a beverage preparation apparatus. On the left side there is an immersion blender in the filter 10. In the filter 10 there is a mass of ingredients, which is crushed by the immersion blender, as a result of which the liquid from the filter 10 can flow into the jug 20. The residual mass of the crushed ingredients remains in the filter, in which the liquid is still retained. The right half of the figure shows the second stage of the preparation of the drink. At this stage, the immersion blender motor 50 is connected to the filter 10 through the lid 40 of the jar and can be rotated to separate the liquid by centrifugal force from the remaining residual material. The jug 20 also has a handle 25 for later easy handling of the jug 20.

Also, if this application mainly refers to the production of soy milk, then it is obvious to a specialist that such a device or method, as disclosed in this application, is suitable for preparing juice or milk from crushed nuts, cereals, beans, vegetables or fruits. . As non-limiting examples, the preparation of almond milk or orange juice can be mentioned. For the avoidance of confusion, it should be noted that terms such as "soy milk" or "almond milk" should not be understood to include milk as an animal or human product in a general sense, but that we are talking about plant-based drinks that colloquially referred to as "milk".

Claims (15)

1. Device for preparing soy milk, having a filter (10) for loading the mass of soybeans, an immersion blender with a drive (50) and a tool (60) for grinding and a jug (20), while the filter (10) is located in the jug ( 20), and the grinding tool (60) on the submersible blender is designed to be inserted into the filter (10), while the drive (50) is made to drive the grinding tool (60) in order to grind the mass of soybeans, with the filter (10) located so that it can be rotated in the jug (20) by means of a drive (50) to separate the soy milk from the remaining residual material. 2. Device for preparing soy milk according to claim 1, wherein the filter (10) is cylindrical. 3. The device for preparing soy milk according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the filter (10) has a housing (16) in which a filtering surface (18) is located, while the filtering surface is a sieve. 4. The soy milk maker according to claim 3, wherein the sieve is a metal or plastic sieve that is interchangeable with respect to the filter housing. 5. A soy milk maker according to one of the previous claims, wherein the filter (10) has a filter cover (11) for locking the filter (10). 6. Device for preparing soy milk according to one of the previous paragraphs, while the filter (10) has a bearing (14), while the filter (10) with the bearing (14) is located in the place (22) of the bearing in the jug (20). 7. A soy milk preparation device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the jug (20) has a jug lid (40) for locking the jug (20), while in the lid (40) of the jug there is a gearbox (26), through which the drive (50) is connected to the filter (10), whereby the filter (10) is rotatable at a speed changed compared to the grinding tool (16). 8. The soy milk maker according to claim 7, wherein the lid (11) of the filter is connected to the lid (40) of the jug. 9. Device for preparing soy milk according to one of the previous paragraphs, wherein the grinding tool (60) is located in the filter (10) through the first freewheel mechanism (70), while the grinding tool (60) is rotatable relative to the filter (10) in the first direction of rotation and grinds the mass of soybeans, and in the second direction of rotation, opposite to the first direction of rotation, the grinding tool (60) rotates with the filter (10) to separate liquid soy milk by centrifugal force from the remaining residual material . 10. The device for preparing soy milk according to claim 9, wherein the filter (10) through the second freewheel mechanism (71), operating in the opposite direction relative to the first freewheel mechanism (70), is located in the jug (20), while in in the first direction of rotation of the grinding tool (60) the second freewheel mechanism (71) prevents rotation between the filter (10) and the jug (20), and in the second, opposite to the first direction of rotation of the grinding tool (60), rotation between the filter (10 ) and jug (20). 11. Soy milk preparation device according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the grinding tool (60') is axially movable in the first freewheel mechanism, and wherein the grinding tool (60') is selectively configured to be connected to a filter ( 10') either without the possibility of rotation, or with the possibility of free rotation relative to the filter (10'). 12. A soy milk preparation apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the jug (20) in its basic shape is a sphere or an ellipsoid. 13. Apparatus for making soy milk according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the grinding tool (60) is a cutter head and the drive (50) is an immersion blender handle provided with a cutter head. 14. Method for making soy milk, wherein the mass of soy beans is placed in the filter (10), then the mass of soy beans is crushed by the crushing tool (60) powered and on the immersion blender, and a mass is obtained from soy milk and residual material, after which the filter (10) is rotated by the drive of the immersion blender, due to which the soy milk is separated from the residual mass. 15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the filter (10) is placed in a jug (20) for receiving soy milk, while the tool (60) for grinding is a knife head, and the tool (60) for grinding and filter rotation are driven in motion with the handle of an immersion blender.

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