GB2367255A

GB2367255A - Electric whisk with sliding battery compartment lid and liquid guard

Info

Publication number: GB2367255A
Application number: GB0120931A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gary Aaron Lane
Original assignee: Aerolatte Ltd
Current assignee: Aerolatte Ltd
Priority date: 2000-09-04
Filing date: 2001-08-29
Publication date: 2002-04-03
Anticipated expiration: 2021-08-29
Also published as: DE10142706A1; GB0120931D0; GB2367255B; GB0021672D0

Abstract

An electric whisk is provided having an electric battery compartment 2 and a sliding closure (40, Fig 1) for the compartment 2, with means 8 to ensure that the closure (40) cannot be deployed to close the compartment 2 without providing an electrical connection. In alternative aspects, the whisk includes a guard 20 to at least partially prevent liquid from entering the whisk housing 1 at the place at which the whisk axle 11 emerges from the housing 1. A method is also provided to electroplate the whisk housing 1 whilst protecting the electric motor 10 from the electrolyte with wax or paint.

Description

ELECTRIC WHISK

The present invention relates to an electric whisk, and in particular to an electric whisk which is suitable for frothing milk for use in speciality coffees such as cappuccino and caffe latte, and also for preparing milk shakes and protein or slimming drinks.

The increase in foreign travel, both for holidays and business trips, and the rise in the number of speciality coffee bars, has resulted in an increasing popularity in speciality coffees such as cappuccino and caffe latte. Both of these types of coffees require frothed milk, and this is achieved in cafes and restaurants and the like by injecting steam into milk at high pressure.

It would be desirable for the consumer to be able to produce cappuccino and caffe latte at home, but industrial milk frothing machines are expensive and domestic machines are generally inadequate. Various"instant"powdered formulations have been developed, but these are inauthentic and unsatisfactory for those used to the real thing.

In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electric whisk, comprising a housing, an electric motor housed therein, an axle connected to the motor and a whisk head connected to the axle at the distal end to the motor, the housing having a compartment for at least two batteries to drive the motor and a sliding closure for said compartment, the closure having a conducting element on the face of the closure proximate the batteries for providing electrical connection between the batteries when said compartment is closed, and the housing having at least one runner in which the closure can slide to close said compartment, the runner being spaced apart from the batteries so that the conducting element connects the batteries electrically when the closure is seated in the runner and said compartment is closed, wherein the housing has means to ensure that the closure cannot be deployed to close the compartment without providing said electrical connection.

In a preferred embodiment, said means comprises at least one abutment surface on the side of the runner opposite said compartment.

It is particularly preferred that said abutment surface be provided by a bar connecting the wall of the runner distal the battery compartment to the wall of the housing.

In a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an electric whisk, comprising a housing, an electric motor housed therein, an axle connected to the motor and a whisk head connected to the axle at the distal end to the motor, the housing having a compartment for a battery to drive the motor and a closure for said compartment, wherein the whisk includes a guard to at least partially prevent liquid from entering the housing at the place at which the axle emerges from the housing.

The provision of the guard reduces the likelihood of milk running down the axle and into the housing, thereby damaging the internal workings of the whisk.

In a preferred embodiment, said guard is a collar fitted around the axle at the point at which the axle emerges from the housing.

In a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for electroplating an electric housing having an electric motor housed therein, comprising the step of surrounding the motor with an insulating material prior to the step of electroplating the housing, whereby the insulating material protects the motor from the electrolyte.

Said insulating material preferably comprises wax and may be in the form of an insulating paint.

In a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided an electric whisk comprising a housing and an electric motor housed therein, wherein the housing has been electroplated by means of a method as defined above.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which : Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a whisk in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 shows an alternative perspective view of the whisk of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a cutaway section of the whisk of Figures 1 and 2 to show the internal workings of the whisk.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the whisk comprises a housing 1 having a compartment 2 for two batteries of the"AA"type, the two batteries being separated in compartment 2 by dividing wall 3. Housing 1 also has a motor compartment 4 for housing motor 10.

Motor compartment 4 is formed from a plastics material moulded to match the internal surface of housing 1 in order to insulate motor 10 from the other components of the whisk.

Two halves of housing 1 are held together by stainless steel screws (not shown) in screw holes 50.

Axle 11 is connected at one end to motor 10 and has a whisk head at the other end. The whisk head is formed by bending an extension of axle 11 into an annulus 12 around axle 11, annulus 12 having wire coil 13 wound around it to provide the whisking action.

Plastic collar 20 surrounds axle 11 at the point which it enters housing 1. Projections from the neck of housing 1 are seated in a groove in collar 20 to secure collar 20 in housing 1.

The end of housing 1 distal from the whisk head has cut-out 5 and runner 6 for receiving closure 40. Ridges on either side of closure 40 (not shown) engage with runner 6 (and a corresponding runner on the other half of housing 1-not shown) and slide along runner 6 to close battery compartment 2. Bars 8 are formed in housing 1 between runner 6 and housing wall 7, and bars 8 provide an abutment surface for the ridges of closure 40 to prevent closure 40 from being slid above runner 6 to close compartment 2. This means that the only way in which closure 40 can be deployed is by sliding it along runner 6, which means that the conducting strip on the underside of the closure 40 (not shown) always contacts the ends of the batteries in battery compartment 2, thereby making the connection between the batteries.

Switch 30 in the side of housing 1 operates in a conventional sense to make an electrical connection between the batteries and motor 10, thereby driving axle 11 and the whisk head in order to froth the user's milk.

Claims

1. An electric whisk, comprising a housing, an electric motor housed therein, an axle connected to the motor and a whisk head connected to the axle at the distal end to the motor, the housing having a compartment for at least two batteries to drive the motor and a sliding closure for said compartment, the closure having a conducting element on the face of the closure proximate the batteries for providing electrical connection between the batteries when said compartment is closed, and the housing having at least one runner in which the closure can slide to close said compartment, the runner being spaced apart from the batteries so that the conducting element connects the batteries electrically when the closure is seated in the runner and said compartment is closed, wherein the housing has means to ensure that the closure cannot be deployed to close the compartment without providing said electrical connection.

2. A whisk as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means comprises at least one abutment surface on the side of the runner opposite to said compartment.

3. A whisk as claimed in claim 2, wherein said abutment surface is provided by a bar connecting the wall of the runner distal the battery compartment to the wall of the housing.

4. An electric whisk, comprising a housing, an electric motor housed therein,

an axle connected to the motor and a whisk head connected to the axle at the distal end to the motor, the housing having a compartment for a battery to drive the motor and a closure for said compartment, wherein the whisk includes a guard to at least partially prevent liquid from entering the housing at the place at which the axle emerges from the housing.

5. A whisk as claimed in claim 4, wherein said guard is a collar fitted around the axle as the axle emerges from the housing.

6. A method for electroplating an electric housing having an electric motor housed therein, comprising the step of surrounding the motor with an insulating material prior to the step of electroplating the housing, whereby the insulating material protects the motor from the electrolyte.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said insulating material comprises wax.

8. A method as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein said insulating material is in the form of a paint.

9. An electric whisk comprising a housing and an electric motor housed therein, wherein the housing has been electroplated by means of a method as claimed in any of claims 6 to 8.

10. An electric whisk having the features claimed in claim 1,4, 9 or any combination thereof.