FR2990836A1 - HOUSEHOLD APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR PREPARING A CONCENTRATE COMPRISING A LIQUID AND EXTRACTS FROM PLANT INGREDIENTS - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a domestic appliance (1) for preparing a concentrate comprising a liquid and extracts derived from ingredients among plants, fruits and vegetables, the apparatus comprising: - a base (2) provided with a liquid tank (10) and a heater (11) for heating the contents of the tank (10) to produce steam; - an ingredient container (12) removably disposed on the base; - At least one injection nozzle (30) circulating the steam of the tank (10) to the container (12) with a non-return action. According to the invention the injection nozzle has a first end (32) in a closed position preventing the flow of liquid from the container (12) to the reservoir (10), and an open position for the circulation of steam and in which opening has a maximum section of between 1 mm and 5 mm; and / or the apparatus comprises jet-breaking means (22) breaking the jet of vapor penetrating into the liquid of the container.

Description

The invention relates to a domestic appliance and processes for the preparation of a concentrate comprising a liquid and extracts of ingredients of a foodstuff. vegetable origin. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the field of the beverage preparation, in particular the preparation of fluid concentrate from a volume of liquid and ingredients of plant origin, for example, plants, fruits, vegetables. etc. In particular, the fluid concentrate is obtained by heating with steam. The invention also relates to a method for heating the ingredients and a method of operating the apparatus. 2. PRIOR ART An example of a household appliance for the preparation of a beverage, in particular chocolate using steam for heating ingredients, is known. This apparatus comprises a base provided with a liquid reservoir and a heating body. The apparatus further comprises a container of ingredients (milk and chocolate) open at the top and removably disposed on the base, and at least one injection nozzle circulating steam from the tank to the container with an anti -return. However, this apparatus has many disadvantages and is not suitable for preparing concentrate from products such as plants, fruits, vegetables, etc. Indeed, this device in operating situation is noisy, especially when injecting steam into the container. In addition, the upper part of the tank placed below the container surrounds a portion of the bottom of the container, which causes the deposition of condensed vapors on the wall of the container. A user can then burn himself by manipulating the container. To this is added the fact that the nozzles are clogged, for example, with the leaves of plants, thus creating steam leaks in the junction of the container and the reservoir. 3. OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION The invention particularly aims to overcome all or part of the disadvantages of the prior art. More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide a home appliance which facilitates and accelerates the production of concentrate with the aforementioned ingredients while reducing the operating noise during the preparation of the concentrate. 4. Summary of the Invention These objectives are achieved with the aid of a household appliance for the preparation of a concentrate comprising a liquid and extracts derived from ingredients among plants, fruits and vegetables. apparatus comprising: a base provided with a liquid reservoir and a heater for heating the contents of the reservoir so as to produce steam; an ingredient container open at the top, said container being removably disposed on the base; at least one injection nozzle in communication with the container and circulating the steam of the reservoir towards the inside of the container with a non-return action. The invention is remarkable in that the injection nozzle 5 has a first end taking a closed position preventing the flow of liquid from the container to the reservoir and an open position for the circulation of steam and wherein the opening has a maximum section between 1 mm2 and 5 mm2; and / or the apparatus comprises breakwater means breaking the stream of vapor entering the liquid of the container. Thanks to the invention, it is possible to extract the extracts derived from ingredients of plant origin to produce a concentrate and to reduce the operating noise of the apparatus, in particular during the production of the steam so that to make the device pleasant to use. Advantageously, the first end of the injection nozzle opens into the container. Thus, the steam is introduced under pressure into the vessel so as to heat and stir the mixture to promote the extraction of the active ingredients and / or flavors of the ingredients. According to an important characteristic, the first end of the injection nozzle is elastic and of elastically deformable section having a substantially zero area in an unsolicited state corresponding to the closed position.

This arrangement allows, on the one hand, an injection of steam into the container, and, on the other hand, the non-return of the mixture to the tank. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the container comprises a filter for retaining the ingredients. Such a configuration allows the ingredient pieces to not clog the first end of the nozzles opening into the container during operation of the apparatus. On the other hand, it is possible to harvest the concentrate without the pieces of ingredients during the transfer. According to this embodiment, the filter is removably disposed in the container and comprises at least a portion of the breaker means. In this way, the cleaning of the apparatus and the filter is facilitated. According to another embodiment, the container is provided with at least part of the breaker means facing the injection nozzle. Thus, the jets are already positioned in front of the nozzles to slow the jet of steam and avoid a bad positioning thereof. According to a particularly advantageous arrangement, the apparatus comprises a ring disposed in the base, the ring comprising a lower portion surrounding the heating body and an upper portion surrounding at least a portion of a bottom of the container so as to limit the raising of liquid from the reservoir to the injection nozzle. This configuration also limits the amount of water in direct contact with the heating element. To prevent the liquid from rising, it may be advantageous for the crown top to form a local connection between the bottom of the container and a rim of the crown. Advantageously, the container may have a volume of between 150 ml and 250 ml and the reservoir 10 may have a volume of between 50 ml and 350 ml so as to be adapted to the small volume of mixture making it possible to improve the extraction of the ingredients, to obtain a quality concentrate and without over-extraction, and to inject the right volume of steam into the container. The invention also relates to a method for heating, by steam, a mixture comprising a first liquid and ingredients in which a second liquid is poured into a reservoir of a base to produce steam, a container is provided. on the base so that the container is in communication with the reservoir, the ingredients are placed in the container, the second liquid is poured into the container so as to immerse the ingredients in a predetermined volume of liquid, the steam that is brought into the container. According to this method, pieces of plants are placed in the container among plants, fruits and vegetables to which the steam is supplied, until a liquid concentrate comprising extracts of said ingredients is obtained in the container.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of this process according to the invention, a volume of liquid of between 50 ml and 150 ml is poured into the reservoir. In this way, the quantity of water introduced makes it possible, inter alia, to control the quantity of vapor introduced into the receptacle in order to obtain the desired concentrate. In this first embodiment of the process, the mixture of liquid and ingredients is stirred in the container by injecting the steam. Steam that pressurizes the container allows the liquid mixture and the ingredients to be stirred. Advantageously, a filter is placed in the container to retain the ingredients. The invention also relates to a method of operating a household appliance for the preparation of a concentrate comprising a liquid and extracts derived from ingredients among plants, fruits and vegetables. According to this method of operation, steam is produced by means of a heating body heating the liquid of a tank installed in a base of the apparatus, the steam is circulated from the tank to a container via nozzles. Injection, the steam is injected with a jet into the liquid poured into the container at a flow rate of between 2 ml / min and 40 ml / min and / or the jet of the vapor 25 is broken into the liquid by means of breezes. - objects that includes the device. By thus working on one of the operating parameters of the apparatus, namely the rate of entry of the vapor into the container, the noise of the production of vapor in the liquid of the container is decreased and a suitable noise is obtained. for a home appliance of this kind. 5. List of Figures Other features and advantages of the invention will become clear from the description which is given below, for information only and in no way limitative, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: - Figure 1 is a perspective view of a home appliance according to one embodiment of the invention; - Figure 2 is a sectional view of the home appliance according to Figure 1; FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the apparatus according to FIG. 1; FIG. 4 represents an example of a nozzle; - Figures 5 and 6 illustrate an injection nozzle in the open position and in the closed position according to Figure 4; FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a filter comprising breakwater means according to one embodiment of the invention; - Figure 8 shows another embodiment of the apparatus comprising a filter; FIG. 9 is a partial view, in section and in detail of another embodiment of an apparatus comprising breakwater means; FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an example of a crown according to one embodiment of the invention; and - Figure 11 shows schematically an example of a container according to another embodiment of the apparatus. 6. Detailed Description The invention therefore applies to a household appliance of the type illustrated in Figure 1 for the preparation of a concentrate comprising a liquid and extracts derived from ingredients. These ingredients are selected from plants (roots, leaves, stems, branches, petals, bark, fruits, vegetables, etc. Especially the concentrate is obtained by heating the mixture of liquid and ingredients with steam. A decoction is described, the portion of liquid of which has been reduced and the extracts of ingredients increased.According to an embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the household appliance 1 comprises a base 2 provided with a body 3 whose The side wall 4 has a substantially cylindrical shape, the base 2 has a lower part 5 fixed to a base 6 and an upper part 7 provided with an opening 8 (see FIG. and the installation of a heater and electronics unit 9 and a liquid tank 10 described hereinafter). In FIG. 3, the heating and electronics unit 9 is equipped inter alia with a heating body 11 for heating the contents of the liquid tank 10 so as to produce steam. In FIG. 2, the apparatus 1 further comprises a container 12 with ingredients removably disposed on the base 2 and at least one injection nozzle 30 in communication with the container 12. The nozzle (s) Injection 30 causes the vapor of the reservoir 10 to flow into the container 12 with a non-return action. The reservoir 10 is disposed in the base 2. More specifically, the reservoir 10 comprises a body 13 whose side wall 14 is of substantially cylindrical shape and adaptable to the body 3 of the base 2 (Figure 3). The body 13 of the reservoir is open at the bottom 15 and at the top 16. The reservoir 10 is formed by a portion of the heater 11 forming the bottom of the reservoir 10 and the side wall 14 of said reservoir 10. However, the tank 10 may contain a bottom on which the heating body 11 will be mounted. The tank 10 and the heating body 11 function in a manner similar to a boiler or kettle. Preferably, the heating body 11 is an armored resistor aluminum electrically powered. The dissipated power of this resistance is between 250 and 300 Watts. A switch 63 and / or a timer 64 are also connected to the control circuit of the heating and electronic unit 9 in a manner known per se. The timer 64 and / or the switch 63 can be installed on the body 3 of the domestic appliance 1. They are here arranged on the lower part of the base 2. The timer 64 makes it possible to control the injection time. steam in the vessel 12 and / or heating the mixture. The removable container 12 is adapted to contain liquid, ingredients (in pieces or whole) and / or ingredient extracts. The container 12 comprises a bottom 17, a side wall 18 and is open at the top 19. The latter is covered by a removable cover 60. The upper part 19 of the side wall 18 of the container 12 can be equipped with an orifice 29 (FIG. 8), extending here to form a pouring spout 61, and a handle 62 to facilitate the gripping and handling of the container 12. The container 12 is heat resistant. It may be made of a polymeric material, for example polycarbonate. The base 2 10 can be made of polycarbonate also. They can also present any type of shape. Advantageously, the container 12 is in the base 2 and along the side wall 14 of the reservoir 10, itself running along the wall 4 of the body 3 of the base 2. The container 12 is arranged in the base 2 on a height greater than about half of the container 12 for example. The handle 62 and the spout 61 extend outside the body 2. The container 12 is also adapted to the small volume to make liquid concentrates. This has a volume of between 150 and 250 ml and the reservoir 12 has a volume of between 50 ml and 350 ml. In this embodiment, three injection nozzles 30 circulate the vapor from the tank 10 to the container 12. The nozzles 30, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 6, have a body 31 provided with a first 32 and second 33 ends. The first end 32 is shaped to assume a closed position and an open position. This closed position (Figure 5) prevents the flow of liquid and ingredients from the container 12 to the tank 10, while the open position (Figure 6) allows the flow of steam from the tank 10 to the container 12. In this open position , the opening of the first end has a maximum section of between 1 mm 2 and 5 mm 2. More specifically, the first end 32 of the nozzle 30 is elastic and has an elastically deformable section. The latter has a section whose area or surface is substantially zero in an unsolicited state which corresponds to the closed position of the injection nozzle. The tightness in this closed position is total. The first end 32 opens into the container 12. It also defines the outlet of the steam in the container 12. The variation of the section of the first elastic end 32 is possible because it comprises two lips 34, 34 'forming a duckbill opening and closing so as to release a passage that comprises the body 31 of the nozzle 30 under pressure. The two lips 34, 34 'can be obtained by cutting the material at the first end 32 of the nozzle 30. The second end 33 has an opening 35 constituting the inlet of the steam. These injection nozzles 30 are preferably Vernay® nozzles.

The injection nozzles 30 are evenly spaced in the bottom 17 of the container 12. They are inclined in the same direction to promote the mixing of the mixture. Advantageously, the nozzles 30 consist of a polymeric material, preferably silicone. They are also silent. In an embodiment illustrated in Figure 11, the bottom 17 of the container is provided with an inner surface 19 in the form of substantially flattened W to promote the mixing of the mixture. The inner surface 19 of the bottom 17 comprises a central dome 20 surrounded by a bowl 21. The nozzles 30 are installed in the bowl 21. The apparatus 1 further comprises means 22 for breaking the jet of vapor entering the chamber. liquid contained in the container 12. In Figures 2 and 7, the container 12 comprises a filter 23 for retaining the ingredients. The filter 23 as shown in Fig. 7 is a separate member of the container 12 and is installed therein. The filter 23 is removably disposed in the container 12 to facilitate the cleaning thereof for example. The filter 23 defines an open basket in the upper part 24 to slide the ingredients and a bottom 25 from which rises 20 a side wall 26. The latter perfectly matches the side wall 18 of the container 12 (its shape) so that the The filter 23 comprises the baffle means 22. More specifically, the baffle means 22 are mounted on the bottom of the basket (filter). These breaker means 22 are formed by one or more plates 27 which are intended to be positioned facing the injection nozzles 30 to break and counter the jet of steam entering the container 12. These plates 27 are for example obtained by molding with the side wall 26 of the basket. Bottom 25 of the basket includes windows 28 for passing steam. Of course, the filter 23 consists of a surface 48 provided with a plurality of openings for passing the liquid. This surface 48 is, for example, a nylon sheet. An overmolding of polymeric materials, for example polypropylene (PP) may also be provided to form the basket and / or its walls 26 which define the filter 23.

In FIG. 8, the container 12 comprises a filter portion 23 'on an upper portion 19 of the side wall 18 of the container 12 and in a zone located near or opposite the orifice 29 provided for the spout 61 in to retain the remains of plants, leaves, etc. when pouring and transferring the concentrate into a suitable container. The removable cover 60 may also include a filter portion 23. The cover 60 may be secured to the container 12 in a pivotal manner.

In FIG. 9, as a variant of the embodiment described with reference to FIG. 7, the container 12 is provided with at least a portion of the breaker means 22 which are mounted facing an injection nozzle 30. Preferably, these breakwatering means are also plates 27 overmolded on the bottom 17 of the container 12. According to another embodiment of the apparatus 1, the latter comprises a ring 36 disposed in the base 2. In particular, this ring 36 is installed inside the tank 10 (see Figure 2). In FIG. 10, it can be seen that the ring 36 has a body 37 of cylindrical shape, here substantially circular cylindrical, which comprises a lower portion 38 and an upper portion 39. The lower 38 and upper portions 39 are separated by a plate 40 wherein a passage 41 is provided. The lower portion 38 surrounds the heater 11 to limit the amount of liquid (here water) in direct contact with the heater 11 thereby forming a water column around it. The passage 41 allows the steam to flow from the reservoir to the container 12. The upper portion 39 surrounds a portion of the bottom of the container 12. This portion 39 forms a ring limiting the rise of water to the injection nozzles 30 when boiling. To complete the solution limiting the upwelling, the upper portion 39 also has a border 42 which forms a local connection between said border and the bottom 17 of the container 12. According to the present embodiments of the apparatus, the container 12 has an exchange surface 43 (Figure 9) for receiving the vapor emerging from the reservoir 10 and the condensations thereof. More specifically, this exchange surface 43 is bordered by a seal 44 which is formed between the bottom 17 of the container 12 and an intermediate portion 45 of the wall 14 of the tank 10. In particular, the bottom 17 of the container 12 also comprises a flange 46 of substantially annular section facing the reservoir 10. This flange 46 is partly in abutment on the seal 44 and the intermediate portion 45 of the reservoir 10. The exchange surface 43 may also be lined by the edge 42 of the ring 36. This exchange surface 43 is arranged on the outer portion of the bottom 17 of the container 12. The periphery of this exchange surface 43 is defined, for example, at least substantially, in an extension vertical side walls 14 of the reservoir 12 and / or the ring 36 or in the immediate vicinity of this extension. That is to say, by extending the walls of the reservoir 12 and / or the ring 36 upwards, in a position of use of the apparatus 1 placed on a flat support (horizontal) for example, it delimits the edges of the exchange surface 43. The bottom 17 of the container 12 also comprises a tab 49 resting on a surface 50 provided between a portion of the wall 4 of the reservoir and the intermediate portion 45 of the wall 4 of the reservoir 10 so that the container 12 is stably disposed in the base 2. The lug 49 of the container 12 may comprise a notch 51 intended to engage with a pin (not shown) that comprises the inner surface of the wall 4 of the tank 10 for set the position of the container 12 in the reservoir 10. The concentrate inside the container 12 can be kept warm in the apparatus 1. The invention also relates to a method of heating by steam a mixture comprising a first liquid and ingr ents. According to this heating method, the appliance 1 is connected and / or switched on via the switch 63. The container assembly 12 and the lid 60 is removed from the base 2 of the appliance 1. A second liquid in the tank 10 of the base 2 with a volume of between 50 ml and 150 ml to produce steam. The container 12 is put back in place on the base 2 so that the container 12 is in communication with the reservoir 10, the latter being placed below the container 12. When the container 12 is put back in place, the flange 46 of the bottom 17 of the container 12 is supported on the seal 44 and compresses it against the flange of the intermediate portion 45 that forms the wall 14 of the tank 10 thus ensuring a seal between the container 12 and the tank 10 (see Figure 9). The container 12 is then filled with whole or pieces of plant ingredients among plants (leaves, roots, ...), fruits and vegetables. Then, the first liquid, for example water, is poured into the container 12 so as to immerse the ingredients in a predetermined volume of liquid which is between 150 and 250 ml. The extracts of ingredients are not reduced to powder such as a cocoa powder, for example. The predetermined liquid volume is a function of the concentrate that is to be produced. Then, steam is produced in the tank 10 by the boiling water and supplied to the container 12 to the ingredients. The mixture of liquid and vegetable ingredients contained in the container 12 is then stirred (rotated), heated by means of steam injected therein. Steam is thus supplied to the ingredients until a liquid concentrate comprising extracts of said ingredients is obtained in the container 12. The concentration of ingredient extracts is greater than that of the liquid which has been filled the container 12. The extraction or infusion is carried out, for example, for a period of between two and six minutes depending on the ingredients used.

The assembly formed by the container 12 and the lid 60 can then be easily removed again for pouring the liquid concentrate into a suitable container and a new cycle. The invention further relates to a method of operating an apparatus for the preparation of a concentrate as described above. According to this method after a few moments of heating the apparatus 1, water vapor is produced by means of the heating body 11 which heats the liquid poured into the tank 12. The steam rises in pressure in the tank 10. When the pressure is sufficient (approximately 5.75 mbar), this creates the opening of the lips 34, 34 'of the first end 32 of the nozzle 30. The steam can thus flow from the tank 10 to the container 12 via the nozzles The vapor is thus injected with a jet into the liquid poured into the container 12 and with a flow rate of between 2 ml / min and 40 ml / min. This jet of steam is broken in the liquid by means of jet baffles 22 that includes the apparatus 1.

When the reserve of liquid (water) in the reservoir 10 is exhausted or when the timer 62 triggers the stopping of the heating, or if the apparatus 1 is disconnected, the pressure in the reservoir 10 drops and the lips 34, 34 ' the first end 32 of the nozzles 30 are closed, thus preventing the liquid concentrate contained in the container 12 from flowing to the reservoir 10. Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and we can bring 5 variants of execution. In the embodiments described, the container 12 is disposed above the tank 10 and surrounded by the walls 4 of the body 3 of the apparatus 1. The container 12 may be arranged above the walls 4 of the body 3 10 and the tank 10.

Claims (14)

REVENDICATIONS1. Apparatus (1) for the preparation of a concentrate comprising a liquid and extracts derived from ingredients among plants, fruits and vegetables, the apparatus comprising: - a base (2) provided with a reservoir ( 10) to a liquid and a heating body (11) for heating the contents of the tank (10) so as to produce steam; - a container (12) with ingredients open at the top, said container (12) being removably disposed on the base (2); at least one injection nozzle (30) in communication with the container (12) and circulating the vapor of the reservoir (10) towards the inside of the container (12) with a non-return action, characterized in that the injection nozzle (30) has a first end (32) taking: - a closed position preventing the flow of liquid 20 from the container (12) to the reservoir (10), and - an open position allowing the circulation of steam and wherein the opening has a maximum section of between 1 mm 2 and 5 mm 2; and / or said apparatus (1) comprises breakwater means (22) breaking the stream of vapor entering the liquid of the container (12). 2. Apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first end (32) of the injection nozzle (30) opens into the container (12). 3. Apparatus (1) according to claim 2, the first end (32) of the injection nozzle (30) is elastic and of elastically deformable section having a substantially zero area in an unsolicited state corresponding to the closed position. 4. Apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the container (12) comprises a filter (23, 23 ') for retaining the ingredients. 5. Apparatus (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the filter (23) is removably disposed in the container (12) and comprises at least a portion of the breaker means (22). 6. Apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the container (12) is provided with at least a portion of the breaker means (22) facing the injection nozzle (30). 7. Apparatus (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a ring (36) disposed in the base (2), the ring (36) having a lower portion (38) surrounding the heating body ( 11) and an upper portion (39) surrounding at least a portion of a bottom (17) of the container (12) so as to limit the rise of liquid from the tank (10) to the injection nozzle (30). 8. Apparatus (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the upper portion (39) of the ring (36) forms a local connection between the bottom (17) of the container (12) and a border (42) of the crown. 9. Apparatus (1) according to one of claims 1 to 10 8, characterized in that the container (12) has a maximum capacity of between 150 ml and 250 ml and the tank (10) has a maximum capacity of between 50 ml and 350 ml. 15 10. A process for heating, by steam, a mixture comprising a first liquid and ingredients in which the following steps are carried out: a second liquid is poured into a tank (10) of a base (2) to produce steam ; A container (12) is arranged on the base (2) so that the container (12) is in communication with the reservoir (10); the ingredients are placed in the container (12); the first liquid is poured into the container (12) so as to immerse the ingredients in a predetermined volume of liquid. - steam is produced which is brought into the container (12), characterized in that placed in the container (12) pieces of plants among plants, fruits and vegetables to which the steam is brought produced, until a liquid concentrate comprising extracts of said ingredients is obtained in the container (12). 11. The heating method according to claim 10 characterized in that a liquid volume of between 50 ml and 150 ml is poured into the tank (10). 12. Heating method according to claim 10 characterized in that the mixture of liquid and ingredients is stirred in the container (12) by injecting the steam. 13. A method of heating according to one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that places a filter (23, 23 ') in the container (12) to retain the ingredients. 20 14. A method of operating a domestic appliance (1) for the preparation of a concentrate comprising a liquid and extracts derived from ingredients among plants, fruits and vegetables, the process being characterized in that: producing steam by means of a heating body (11) heating the liquid of a tank (10) installed in a base (2) of the apparatus (1); The vapor of the tank (10) is circulated to a vessel (12) via injection nozzles (30); injecting the steam with a jet into the liquid poured into the container (12) with a flow rate of between 2 ml / min and 40 ml / min; and / or - the jet of the vapor in the liquid is broken by means of breakers (22) which comprises the apparatus (1).