CA2124419C - Heatable milk container - Google Patents

Abstract

A heatable milk container exhibits a heating device (50), which exhibits at least one electrically heatable resistance element (52, 54), which partially envelope in a flat manner the container wall; one or several sensor(s) (56) positioned in the container walls; and a controller (56) that is connected to said sensors for controlled heating of the milk and keeping it warm.
Expediently there are two resistance elements (52, 54), which can be driven independently of each other and of which the one covers the entire container bottom (21'), whereas the other envelope the container shell (21'') over its entire height. The respective resistance element (52, 54) is controlled in such a manner by the controller (55) that the container wall and thus the milk, upon heating, does not exceed an adjustable maximum temperature ranging from 70° to 75°C; and upon reaching a wall tmperature ranging from 60° to 70°C; the heating power is reduced. With this heating device (60) according to the invention, the milk can be, first of all, heated and kept warm with less energy owing to the direct transfer of heat and, secondly, the heating temperature can be accurately controlled in a very simple manner, thus absolutely avoiding overheating of the milk in each heating phase.

Description

BOSSHRRD Fax.Nr.l-202223? 16 Mai 94 12:41 Nr.003 H.03 !1~atabi~ Milk ~ontaincr 'rrha invan~iorr rslmt~a to a ha~t~,ble milk oontsiner, with a lreatin~ d~v.io~r, eahioh envelops the oantainar end who~o purpose is to boat the milk, ti$lad into xaid oantn.iner, or a milk niixtur~.
In the ease oP n container for treating milk, which is known by the narno "Rain Mar'~", these are a vee~aal, containing water, and a milk vontaincsr, which van be pieced into said veers~1, wherein the milk ia~ heated by heating the water, for axampl~, by means of a heating rod auRrmorg~d inta the water. This method of heating milk has vasioue drawbaokc~. Thus, one moat pay attention that there is always enough water in the vas~~1 of water enveloping the aoilk cont$insr, irirat, not too anuoh water msy ba poured in, otherwise, when the milk vontainer is put in, the water would run overt and, secondly, if too little wet~r is poured in, tits milk would nvt be suffioientiy heated. In addition, with this milk contnines arcaiigemont first the wet~r and than the milk is h~ratede ~'ha r~eult ie an addition~1 cast in the consumption of ana!sl~y. for~ovas, th~re is th~ dung~s of overheating the milk with the r~sult that tha protein coagulatsri and an undagired craa~y layer forma rapidly on its ~urface.
In vontraat, the present invention is based on the problem of providing ~ milk vontain~r with a h~g~ting devioe, by m8ana of whioh the milk can bro, rapidly hewted by an improved method and kept worm and mt the same titan said proooea is simple and advante~g~oud.
Tho q~roblom is solved according to the invention in that the heating devise exhibits at latest one olectrioally hentabla remiatanca element, wtriah partially anvelvpm in a f$Rt manner the container wal.li ono or aovarnl gap~or(eD positionsd Sn the a container walls; and a controller that is connected to said sensors for controlled heating of the milk and keeping it warm.
There are preferably two resistance elements, which can be driven independently of each other, and of which the one covers the entire container bottom, whereas the other envelops the container shell over its entire height.
With the heating device according to the invention, the milk can be, first of all, heated and kept warm with less energy owing to the improved heat transfer and, secondly, the heating temperature can be accurately controlled in a very simple manner, thus absolutely avoiding overheating of the milk in each heating phase.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heatable milk container, with a heating device, which envelops the container and whose purpose is to heat the milk filled into said container or a milk mixture, wherein the heating device exhibits at least one electrically heatable resistance element, which partially envelops in a flat manner the container wall; one or several sensors) positioned in the container walls; and a controller, which is connected to said sensors for controlled heating of the milk and keeping it warm, characterized in that the container having a vessel, which is placed into said container and can be removed from said container, that the inner dimensions of the container and the outer dimensions of the vessel are approximately the same; and, therefore, after placing the vessel into the container, the entire outer circumference of the vessel makes contact with said container, whereby a liquid medium, preferably water, can be filled into the gap between the vessel and the container.

Embodiments of the invention and other advantages of the same are explained in detail in the following with reference to the drawings.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal view of a device, of which only a fragment is shown and which exhibits a heatable container.
Figures 2 and 3 are fragmented cross sectional views of a modification of a container.
Figure 1 shows a device 10, part of which is depicted and of which is visible its housing 12; a milk container 20, disposed in said housing; a pipe issuing from said milk container; a pump 22; a motor 23, coupled to said pump; and an outlet head 30. Below the outlet head is a pedestal for putting down a cup or the like; said pedestal is not shown in detail. This device 10 can be designed as a coffee machine or it can be an accessory for a coffee machine or an autonomous device, from which, for example, hot milk, milk foam and hot water can be removed.
2a B~SSHRRD Fax , Nr , 1-202223 i 1 E~ I~~a i 9A 12 : 41 PJr . tib3 B . OS
Tht~ milk container 80, which axlribita thw invention and opn bm heated by a heating dsvios 50, which ie attaChod to said milk container, served to produc~ hot milk. Tha heating device 50 includes at lsaxt on~ o~l~sotrioally hsoatabla reeiotanos clement b2, 64, ~rhioh part9ally envelope in a flat mmnnor biro flontmlner wmll (be it thu bottum or kh~ sh~11)' one or several aaneeor(c~) 66 poaltioned in th'a container walla~ and a oontrollor 6fi that is coma~oted to paid gpneora Per contro),lod hmating of the milk and koopina it waerm. In oonoretm torm~ there are two independently driv~n raeiatorrecm clam~nte 82, ri4, o! whlotr the ane covers virtually the entire container bottom 21', whereas the other snvolope almaat the entire height ox the container eh~11 21 " .
Such redietanoa elsment~ 5Z, 6~ arm well-known; they are marketed, $or examples, by the Electrolux company under the name "Electrolux SEL hosting ~lementp". Thsy are ~xpedia~ntly vulrani~sd to the aontainar walls and comprise in particular silicone-e:oat~d glees fiber i~ebria and bifllar filament windings embedded in said glass fiber fabric. ~'h~s coritainor 21 is msdas preferably of alsaminum with a wall thickne~s of approximately 18 millimeters and the inside is caatod In order to prevent as much as possible th~ milk from bakintl an or sticking to said i:nte~rior.
The interior ooatin~ of the container 2i is madrs, for example, of an e.nti-adhering layer or the like.
The controller 60 ig provided with an lndicat~d voltags source w when m main gwitoh of thg devlca 10 is oporat~d or by way of a separate switch mad thum om~uoos th~ cont~,inor to heat up by providing thb l~esietano~ elements 62, 54 with an alternating voltsg~° which always produces lderntioal initial h~ating power, by moano 08 ons cables connaetlan ouch 52', 54' lndspondently of each other. The sensors 68 in the coarLain~r bottom 2'1° respective in the container shell 21'°, delivs~r in the eequsncs of the controller 66 ono feedback si~nai each 68' of t:ha instantaneous actual tempermture. As coon am during the initial heatina a specific tompersrture le reached in t,ho container bottom 2i' HOSSHHRD Fax.Nr.i-2022237 16 I~lal 94 12:41 Nr.003 H.G6 and/or in tho oontainer ehnll 21 " ti~e~t ier below a maximum tamDeraturo rnsnging from 70' to 7B'q, for exsmpl~, 60'C, tho heating pow~r is redwood by cutting out oyolae~ rat th~ alternating volta~~. In eo doing, the contrvll~r 66 can be deBign~ad in such a mannarr that thus heating power is nontinuously reduced as coon as a tamperaturo of s0° ie~ resohed, until the and temparatur~ of 72°C is reached, or a step-by-eatep roduction can also be provided, 'this ~nd temp~ratura pan hs. ad,9uetced and rsngea from 70 to 96°C. It is w function of thco altitude and other cxt~rnn.l factors, Thus, it is eucaeeafully pr~ver,ted that the ad,9u~tabl~
maximum t~mpera4,ure in the container wall and pons~quently in the milk is exceeded, a state that would cease a ndegirabln side effects in its oonsi~tenay, each as the formation of a pelt orD
tlmo aurfac~ or a socalled carmelitation ur Blight burning, Ii at thist stage the container B1 is fi],Xed ~xpedi~ntly npproxim~,toly with milk at !,h~ start of heating, th~ latt~s.ie hosted to the afaremsntionmd t~mperaturo and then ~xtraot~d in metered amounts by the pump 22. It is ~neur~d by the controller 56 that the other milk is rsot oooied, but also not overheated. In the interim the actual temperature in th~ container wall ie measured by way of thd rdnsors~68; and, for example, following a~
temperature drop of 2 to 6'C, th~ resi~tanoo olements 62, 64 ar~
driven again with ,s r~duced heating powdr until the dhaired temp~ratur~ ie produced again. ~lith this controller 66 a simple re~gulatin~ action is brought about, but its design ig very simple and, therofora, inexpensive to proriuc~. Of ooursa, instead of it, a more precise xe~ulator can ale~a be provided.
An outlet hae~d 30 is slid on the device 10, 6nid outlet hard ce.n have, for draining the milk foam, a chsmbor 34 ar,d an outlet opening 36, which leads from said chamber mpproxim~at.ely vertically to the bottom, and three sddi.tional, indrpandent outlet opentng~ 40, which are arranged to~ei:.lier with the outlet opening 3A, 1~ading from the che~mber, within a dlametur of a HOSSHRRD Fax . hJr . 1-2022237 1 n Ma I 94 1 ? :41 I~r . u0~ 8 . G7 ... ... ._..... ....
voasel, whioh is dee~igned psePerably aua a cup ur,d whioh con 1~~
placed undorneath. Theea three additional, approximately vortioally dawnwardly a~r,ientrad putlmt op~nir,ge X60 are ~Fposad apart approximately oquidiatant and at an any~lo or 90' relative to the outlwt op~eninyk 36 leading from the chamber. Thug, it is brought about that a oup 45, planed under this outlet head 90, oan be red with a rosp8otiwe taevoraa~ trom each outlet oparting 39. A0, soithout having to ~hitt the oup. Tho outlet head 90 inaJLudoa,axpodiea~tly a housing head 38; a oovar 3?, provided with the outlet apening of the char~bor 341 and a housing sle~ment 44, whioh is looated below and provided with tho additional outlet opanlnga 40. The housing heed 36 exhibits a plug member 32, which oan be in~erted sealingly into a suitably dima~neioned aooket 14 in the housing 12 of the davioe 10 up to a s~tcp and held in paid aoaket. eirailarly the housing e~lemont 94 is said on aealingly l.nto bhp plug body 98 pso,~eoting horiacntally out of the housing 18. Thus, tho outlet hoed 30 oan b~ removed in its entirety very ~imply trom the housing 12, oleanad and put back into a rmady orate by independently putting on it~ housing element 44 arid theca ltm houafng head. Even the oov~r 37 can be readilx removed from said housing head after thu houslnE head 36 has been removed and put.bmoh on again. In eo doing, it is amlf~evident that the individual parts mf this outlet hoed 30 have to be cleaned lrequc;ntly erred, therefore, itn a~ee of asaexnbly by merely putting on or Its eat9a of diaaasmbly by removing without any great oftos~t io vory advsantaseou~. Th~~~ described plug conneotione enable extramoly 9impl~ handling. 1n prinoiple, the housing !read or the housing element could also be attached by way of a fastening olament, fdr examplo a slicks !neat or tha lik~, to the devlc~
housing.
Another up~cial f~aturo of thr3 outlet head 30 .lie~ in the fact thmt the plug membert 88 of the hou~ing head 35 forma an i.nlot oponing 33, into whioh i~ inaorted virt.usally without play the ono raaletanoe paeaag~ olemont 31, whinh aervao to produoe the milk BOSSHRRD Fax . i~r . 1 w2022237 t 6 i~a I 94 1 ~ : 41 rdr .Oi~3 B . 08 ..,.. 2.12-~41~
8oam. Such a raalxtwavce pavoayro element 31 is wa~dl-known fox produoin8 oroam. Xt oomprieag a rod-shaped rslemsnt, :union i~S made advantageously of plastic, and a finned construction, which is providod on the circumference of said rod-shaped el~ment and which forma a labyrinth paaaaQe, through which milk is fcrood. In this Tinned oonatruotion annular x~ibu with uniformly distributed recesses am worked at equidie~tant iota the oireumference nP the racl-~haped element. 'The aforom~ntioned inlet oponin~i 33 leads with a diameter of only a feN millimeters approximately tangen>bially inCO th~ cylinder chamber 3b. On Ghe inlet side said olramber is connected by way oP a pips ~egment 19 to the pump 22, which ie driv~n by the motor 23 $aatenod in the hougir,g 12. The pump 22 ig a conventioaaal guar-type.pump, by means of wh9,ch a proeauro of a few bar can bo pacoduoed. Said pump ire attached to a f~od pipe 24, 28, which loadA into the baa~ of the milk container a0 and $rom ther~ extra,ots the hosted milk. An air Lonnoctian 29, whose introducable amount can be adJugtsd by means of a rotary-hype push button 25' ok an air volume controller 26, also loads into this $e~d pipe 24. The milk heated to approximately 'PO°C is extracted, ae aforementioned, with an air content by the pump 22 and in,lected by moans of the reaiaetmnce paas,ag~~ element 31 tsngsntially into the chamber 94 of the outlet hoed 30. Due to the tangential in,loction, the milbc, vrhiah is liquid rrow ae ' be Pore, serpnredt~o from the milk loam' bacauao said liquid ~ailk has a loner reaid~noe time in the chamber than ttrc; fcgm owing to the reaultix,g oontx~ifugal $oroe. 7~0 obtain optimal foam production, the air ooratent can be adjuaxod by operating the acid rotary-type push buttes xb'; and mores or leas milk foam aan be removed in proportion to the oonditl.ona.
lturth~rmore, a line 29 loads from an ~x3~t 2~' of the milk container 2o to a plug ei~mete't 9fi, which is fastened to the housing 32 arsd to which the hou~ing element 44 of the outlet h~ad 30 i~ attached e,trd with whiols the cutl.ot opening ~Ii ccmmunioatoo.
Thus, hot milk can bo ror~ovmd in m~torod amounts farrn thi$ outlet ''\
BOSSHRRD Fax.Nr.1-2022237 16 Mai 94 12:41 Nr.GC~3 8.09 npnnl.n;t '10 by way oP a oloeing dlamcnt that is not shown in detail. P'urthermoro, a rotary-typo push button isa attaohed to ties housing 12. Hy means of said button or by depressing briefly a epaoiPio amount or hot milk oan bb amhtied into the nup Z~.
NAtu>"ally aaoh outlet opde~ity has a suitable opasntin,~ slam~nt (push k~utton) for nalaoting the beverage to ba extracted, but whioh i~ not illustrated in detail, Figur~ 8 i~ a fragmented, aaotionesl view at a container Z1, whioh.
exhibits a vas~al B0, which is placed into said container and can be removed from said container, and a cover, which eloseg said vessel at the top and which ig formed by two cover halves 82, which can ba ~wivallad from the canter of ties vessel BO to the outside, mh~ inner dimenariona of th~ oontainer 21 and the eutar dlppenaiona oP the v&emel 8~ are approxim~xt~,ly the same; sand, thdrdforo, after planing the vosscl into the oontainar 21, the entire outer oircumter~nca or the vessel 60 makes oontaot with eaAd oantainer, wh~reby a liguld medi.ua,, preferably wator~ i~9 tilled into the gap 8B between the vassal 60 and the container 21, ao than maximum heat conduotion is obtain4d, The cover h elves 82 era Arranged aids by side and oan be pivot mounted on each longitudinal aide of the vessel. 60 bY means of one hinge each 64.
This hinge 64 exhibits one or more bracket(a) 6b, which ie/e~rd attaohed to td~s vessel, b0, with one recess each E38 and an axternel rounding 89, a horizontal bolt 8?, which can be cent~red in the senses 6i3 and arranged in the ree~pective cover half 62, and a Clap-shaped edge 81, which is formed by the cover half g2.
Baid edge envelops the rounding 68 of the braoicot 66 in such a mwnner that, when the never half ire aoaung open, th~a coves half 82 is oonn~ctesl ehap~-loclringly to the voettel 80. The Plap-ahpped edge 81 has on itb ina3.de a radius, wl,lc;), ga ooincident with !.lea raunding,68 of the braoket 86, and exhibits a straight line that changes frog the radius into n varti~al atraig~lt line that ie parail~1 to the rdaee~e 6g that is open toward the top, Con~dquontly in the faldad shut paeition t.ho never halves 8~ oan HOSSHRRD Fax . Nr . 1-2022237 ~ 16 h1a l 9~1 12 : a J. Nr .003 H . 10 .._._. ..
be lifted from the vessel approximaately va,rtioally toward the top. ~'he veneel 60 pro,yeot~ at the tap boyond the oontainet~ B11 and the brnok~t ~6, of which thex~e arc Gwo foa~ each cov~r halt b&, axe arz~an~ad esbcwo the container 21. Therefore, the vseael 60 catx be rmmoved in b very simple manner from the container 29 and uieanod, Thi~ oats be done in nuoh an asivanta~ec~us manner that the coves he~l.vee 62 can b~ put on and then tho vo~~al 60 can be remov~d from tho ooni:e~9.ner 21.
Figure 8 elios~a a. cover hal~L 82 in the opensd state. 1tB
shape-looking connection ~,rith the bracket 6l~ i$ belt-ovidant.
With this d~vice seed tho heatdbl~s milk container that io ittte~rated into said d~viae according to the inv~ntion. a wholly novel, extremely easy to opere.ta And very hygiisnic sYatano for producing ntil.'it $oum, hot milk or chocolate drinks hers been crested for the field of ~aatronomy.

Claims (8)

1. A heatable milk container, with a heating device, which envelops the container and whose purpose is to heat the milk filled into said container or a milk mixture, wherein the heating device exhibits at least one electrically heatable resistance element, which partially envelops in a flat manner the container wall; one or several sensors) positioned in the container walls; and a controller, which is connected to said sensors for controlled heating of the milk and keeping it warm, characterized in that the container having a vessel, which is placed into said container and can be removed from said container, that the inner dimensions of the container and the outer dimensions of the vessel are approximately the same; and, therefore, after placing the vessel into the container, the entire outer circumference of the vessel makes contact with said container, whereby a liquid medium, preferably water, can be filled into the gap between the vessel and the container.

2. The heatable milk container as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are two resistance elements, which can be driven independently of each other and of which the one covers the entire container bottom, whereas the other envelops the container shell over its entire height.

3. The heatable milk container as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the respective resistance element is controlled in such a manner by the controller, that the container wall and thus the milk, upon heating, does not exceed an adjustable maximum temperature ranging from 70°
to 75° Celsius; and upon reaching a wall temperature ranging from 50° to 70° Celsius, the heating power is reduced.

4. The heatable milk container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the container is made of aluminium with a wall thickness ranging between 10 and 20 millimeters the resistance elements, which are attached to the container walls, are made of silicone-coated glass fiber fabric and bifilar filament windings embedded in said glass fiber fabric.

5. The heatable milk container as claimed in claim 4, wherein the aluminium container is coated internally for the purpose of preventing the milk from baking on or sticking to said interior.

6. The heatable milk container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the heating device and the container are integrated into one device; and wherein an exit leads out of the container in order to drain hot milk;
and a separate pipe, which leads to a pump and an outlet, leads out of the said container; and wherein, moreover, an air mixture is fed into said pipe, with the result that milk foam for cappuccino coffee can be produced.

7. The heatable milk container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vessel can be closed with a two-part cover, whose cover halves are arranged side-by-side and are pivotally mounted on the side of the vessel, except in the closed position, in which they can be removed from the vessel approximately vertically.

8. The heatable milk container as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of the two cover halves is mounted on a hinge attached to the side of the vessel, whereby this hinge exhibits a bracket, which is attached to the vessel, with a recess and an external rounding, a bolt, which can be centred in the recess and is arranged in the respective cover half, and a flap-shaped edge, which is formed by the cover half and which envelops the rounding of the bracket such as when the cover half is opened, the respective cover half is connected to the vessel in a shape-locking manner.