Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47J—KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES
  • A47J31/00—Apparatus for making beverages
  • A47J31/40—Beverage-making apparatus with dispensing means for adding a measured quantity of ingredients, e.g. coffee, water, sugar, cocoa, milk, tea
  • A47J31/401—Beverage-making apparatus with dispensing means for adding a measured quantity of ingredients, e.g. coffee, water, sugar, cocoa, milk, tea whereby the powder ingredients and the water are delivered to a mixing bowl

Definitions

• the objective of the invention is a mixing device, prefera ⁇ bly to be used with drink makers and preferably with hot water chocolate drink makers.
• Drink automats making hot chocolate drinks are used to dose a timed portion of hot chocolate.
• the device is intended to dose and mix a syrupy chocolate concentrate (hereafter syrup) with liquid, e.g. water. Generally one part syrup is mixed with five parts water.
• the capacity can be sixty cups /hour or more.
• the size of the portions is generally 150 - 250 ml.
• Automats dispensing ready-made chocolate or alike are today used in institutional kitchens, restaurants or correspond ⁇ ing. These dispensers use a syrupy substance in which the flavorings are concentrated. These dispensers function in principle as follows: A dosing pump is dosing the syrup to a mixing chamber where water is added. The mixing is made by a rotating blade to achieve a desired froth of the substance and the water before the prepared mixture is dispensed to a cup or alike. When cleaning the substance passages of the automats, the available hot water is generally changed over through certain devices.
• the DE publication 3607623 presents a device with water injection and pressure water pipe connections and differs essentially from the solution of the invention.
• the device is fairly complicated even though called an unit. No mixing mechanism is provided for the mixture of syrup and water, but everything is made by pressure, which requires fairly special connections.
• the solution according to the subject invention provides a much more simple cleaning of the mixing space after use, and all surfaces coming into contact with water or syrup can be dismantled. According to the inven ⁇ tion, the mixing chamber can be dismantled in order to enable free access of water to the spaces. This is not the case in the cited publication.
• the dosing pump contains different cavities and valves which are diffi- cult to clean.
• the changing over to cleaning with hot water requires extra devices. If the dispenser is not attended to properly, the dried substance can block the substance pas ⁇ sages, and cause demounting of the device. This can espe ⁇ cially happen when the machine is not used during weekends.
• the subject invention provides an easy and simple construc ⁇ tion enabling an easy cleaning of all parts coming in con ⁇ tact with the chocolate.
• the embodiment of the invention utilizes a device characterized by what is presented in the claims.
• the device according to the invention is both simple and safe to use.
• the part of the device coming in contact with the syrup is hygienic, as it can be washed separately in e.g. a dish-washer. It can easily be dismantled.
• the dirty parts are easy to change.
• the maintenance of the device is simple.
• fig . 1 presents a schematic picture of a chocolate auto ⁇ mat according to the invention
• fig. 2 shows an interior and sectional view of a choco- late automat cassette according to the invention
• fig . 3 shows a packing for the cassette
• fig. 4 presents an example of the changing over of the blender motor and the cassette
• fig. 5 presents an example of the water intake to the cassette
• fig. 6 shows the valves of the packing
• fig. 7 shows an example of a needle valve.
• the chocolate automat generally comprises a water heater 10 with a thermostatically controlled element, not presented in the figure.
• the water heater 10 is connected to a cold water pipe line 11, or the water heater 10 can be filled with water in different ways.
• the line 11 is generally provided with a filling valve 12, having different functions, i.a. level sensing. From the water heater 10 there is a connec ⁇ tion to the electric valve 13 for the water dosing.
• the electric valve 13 doses the water to a so called cassette 14 comprising three parts, namely an upper part 15, a lower part 16 and a packing 17 between these parts.
• the upper part 15 has a connection 5 for the chocolate container 18 and a hot water connection 9 for the water intake.
• the upper part 15 is also provided with an output shaft 3 for a rotatable blender 1.
• the shaft 3 is operated by a driving device outside the cassette.
• the shaft 3 is splash-proof and drivable inside the cassette material.
• the driving device 19 has been connected with a quick coupling to the shaft 3 in order to facilitate the dismantling of the driving device for cleaning or maintenance.
• the rotatable blender 1 is furnished with a depression 8 in the upper part 15 as well as on the opposite place in the lower part 16.
• the packing 21 contains the required valve functions.
• the packing is provided with two flaps 22 and 23 which are elastic to bend when the piston is pushed in or pulled out.
• the syrup can 18 is attached to the hole 5 of the upper part for the intake of the chocolate.
• the hole 4 for the piston 4A is provided on the opposite place in the lower part 16. Between the piston hole 4 and syrup intake there is the first flap 22 of the packing.
• the flap 22 turns against the piston 4A and makes simultaneously a hole for the syrup to flow to the surface of the piston 4A.
• the piston 4A starts pushing the chocolate upward so that the first flap 22 remains closed and even closes the hole to the can 18, while the second flap 23 is opened.
• the chocolate amount extracted is pushed through the other flap 23 into the mixing chamber 8 with the assistance of water which is fed from the opening 9.
• a separate depres ⁇ sion 26 is provided for the flowing of the water in the upper part 15 so that water is fed in one end of the depres ⁇ sion 26 and water meets the chocolate in the other end of the channel 26.
• the predetermined amount of chocolate together with the water is fed into the mixing chamber 8.
• a free passage is left from the depression 26 to the mixing chamber 8 in the packing 21.
• the drink is dispensed through the hole 6, located in one end of the mixing chamber 8, to the cup 25 with the assistance of an as such previously known dosing valve, which is not shown, and which operates together with the automatics at the intake of water and chocolate.
• the dosing pump 20 controls the move ⁇ ment of the piston 4A according to the program, and pulls and pushes the piston in the direction of the arrows either upward or downward.
• the packing 21 seals the space between the upper and lower parts 15, 16 when they are close togeth ⁇ er to prevent chocolate and water from flowing out of the cassette 14.
• the lower part 16 is provided with a half-cylinder, which forms part of the mixing chamber 8 on the opposite place of the upper part 15, so that the half-cylinders of the upper and lower parts 15, 16 define a space 8 for the mixing of syrup and water in predetermined quantities when the upper and lower parts 15, 16 are attached to each other.
• the lower part 16 is also provided with the outlet 6 for the ready- made liquid chocolate drink to be fed to the cup 25 below the outlet 6.
• the packing 21 has the openings 24, 25 in the middle of the packing to enable the flow of water and syrup within the cassette 14 from the chocolate container connection 5 to the mixing space 8.
• the opening has the shape of the mixing chamber's cross section, and the opening 25 proceeds through the space 24 as far as the flap 23.
• the drink dosing pump 20 controls the piston movement.
• the piston bar 27 is attached detachably to the pump 20 from the cassette 14 by a quick coupling.
• the quick coupling can be like a clothespin attached to the piston bar 27, whereby the piston 4A can be pulled and pushed by this coupling and the driving device 20.
• the cassette 14 is provided with holes 5, 9 for the syrup and water intake in one part, 15, 16.
• the upper and lower parts 15, 16 are attached rotatably from one end by e.g. hinges or alike. When the cassette 14 is opened, the dirty parts of the cassette can easily be cleaned.
• the packing 21 can also be detached and washed separately.
• the packing 21 has a pair of pivots 10 for a better adaption.
• the lower part has corresponding holes for these pivots. Water and chocolate can generally be fed from one end of the mixing chamber 8 and discharged from the other end of the mixing chamber 8, to make the mixing as proper as possible.
• the mixing can be made in horizontal or vertical position.
• the syrup intake can be arranged correspondingly, wherefore the described example is not to be considered as an restric- tion but only as an example of the embodiment.
• the intake can be made by a vacuum pump or corresponding.
• the intake and the discharge can be controlled with a microprocessor according to known techniques.
• Fig. 4 shows an example of the quick coupling of the blender motor shaft and the cassette.
• a conic rubber part 31 has been attached or pushed to a bowl 30.
• the angle of the cone ⁇ is between approx. 5 - 10°.
• the change over can thus be a so called friction coupling.
• the bowl 30, which is preferably of metal, is attached to the blender shaft 3. Through the connection between the rubber part 31 of the blender motor and the bowl 30, the blender 1 can be rotated by the blender motor 2.
• a corresponding material can be used instead of rubber.
• Fig. 5 shows an example of the water intake into the cas ⁇ sette.
• the water coming through the electric valve 13 is taken into the basin 32, located above the upper part of the cassette, and having a hole 9 for the flowing of the water into the cassette mixing chamber 7, 8.
• the cassette is generally horizontally inclined.
• the outlet 6 can therefore be provided with a nozzle 33, which can be turned so that the ready-made drink can be dispensed to the cup 25.
• Fig. 6 shows the packing valves 22, 23.
• the inlet valve 22 opens when the syrup is fed, and closes when the piston pushes the syrup upward and when the valve 23 is open.
• the arrows show the direction and route of the syrup when the piston is moved.
• Fig. 7 shows a needle for the syrup can.
• the needle 35 When the needle 35 has been attached to the cassette, the needle makes a hole in the can and keeps the can in its place.
• the needle has the holes 36 for the syrup to pass therethrough and all the way into the cassette.
• the valve 22 At the intake of the substance, the valve 22 is kept closed with a magnetic lid so that the corresponding areas of the valve 22 and the cassette 14 are provided with a magnetic counter part.
• the parts are kept attached with a clamp ring or corresponding.
• the cassette can be pushed between two or several fixed rails in the device so that the cassette stays between the rails, in order to obtain a tight connection and enable the placing of the cassette on the right place for the mixing of syrup and water.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Food Science & Technology (AREA)
• Devices For Dispensing Beverages (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=8541853

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 1994
  • 1994-11-23 FI FI945508A patent/FI945508A/fi not_active Application Discontinuation
• 1995
  • 1995-11-23 EP EP95938474A patent/EP0793436A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1995-11-23 WO PCT/FI1995/000648 patent/WO1996015704A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1995-11-23 CA CA 2205984 patent/CA2205984A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1995-11-23 JP JP8516606A patent/JPH10510174A/ja active Pending
• 1997
  • 1997-05-21 NO NO972319A patent/NO972319L/no unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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