WO2011089434A2 - Appareillage de chauffage de liquide - Google Patents

Appareillage de chauffage de liquide Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2011089434A2
WO2011089434A2 PCT/GB2011/050098 GB2011050098W WO2011089434A2 WO 2011089434 A2 WO2011089434 A2 WO 2011089434A2 GB 2011050098 W GB2011050098 W GB 2011050098W WO 2011089434 A2 WO2011089434 A2 WO 2011089434A2
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
liquid
outlet
heating
cooling means
temperature
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB2011/050098
Other languages
English (en)
Other versions
WO2011089434A3 (fr
Inventor
Vincent Garvey
Original Assignee
Strix Limited
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Strix Limited filed Critical Strix Limited
Publication of WO2011089434A2 publication Critical patent/WO2011089434A2/fr
Publication of WO2011089434A3 publication Critical patent/WO2011089434A3/fr

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F42—AMMUNITION; BLASTING
    • F42B—EXPLOSIVE CHARGES, e.g. FOR BLASTING, FIREWORKS, AMMUNITION
    • F42B10/00—Means for influencing, e.g. improving, the aerodynamic properties of projectiles or missiles; Arrangements on projectiles or missiles for stabilising, steering, range-reducing, range-increasing or fall-retarding
    • F42B10/02—Stabilising arrangements
    • F42B10/26—Stabilising arrangements using spin
    • F42B10/28—Stabilising arrangements using spin induced by gas action
    • F42B10/30—Stabilising arrangements using spin induced by gas action using rocket motor nozzles
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F42—AMMUNITION; BLASTING
    • F42B—EXPLOSIVE CHARGES, e.g. FOR BLASTING, FIREWORKS, AMMUNITION
    • F42B15/00—Self-propelled projectiles or missiles, e.g. rockets; Guided missiles

Definitions

  • This invention relates to apparatus for providing heated liquid at
  • Presently dried infant milk or infant food is typically reconstituted by boiling water in a kettle in order to sterilise it and then allowing the water to cool to a temperature suitable for giving to the infant - e.g. typically approximately body temperature or a few degrees higher.
  • a temperature suitable for giving to the infant e.g. typically approximately body temperature or a few degrees higher.
  • this is a time-consuming operation and it can be difficult to judge the correct temperature accurately.
  • the present invention provides an apparatus for providing a warmed liquid, comprising heating means for heating said liquid to a first temperature, cooling means for cooling said liquid to a second, lower temperature and an outlet for dispensing said liquid after it has been cooled, wherein the apparatus is further configured to pass a sterilising fluid through at least said cooling means in order to sterilise the cooling means prior to dispensing said liquid.
  • the present invention provides a method of operating an apparatus comprising heating means and cooling means to provide a warm liquid, said method comprising the steps of:
  • a liquid such as water can be heated to a high temperature in order to sterilise it and then cooled automatically within the apparatus prior to dispensing, with the cooling means itself being sterilised before dispensing takes place.
  • This allows the liquid to be delivered at an appropriate temperature without loss of sterility and in less time than it would take the liquid simply to cool naturally.
  • the cooling means could take one of several forms: for example it could comprise a heat sink - e.g. with cooling fins, a fan or other means to produce a forced air flow, a solid state cooling device such as a Peltier device, a closed loop refrigerant system or any combination of the above.
  • the cooling means comprises a heat exchanger, the other side of which is in communication with a liquid reservoir for supplying the heating means.
  • the sterilising fluid could be a liquid or gaseous substance provided specifically for the purpose and contained in a suitable reservoir within the apparatus.
  • the sterilising fluid comprises steam or hot liquid produced by heating the liquid, preferably with the recited heating means (as opposed to a separate heater). This could be achieved, for example, by operating the apparatus as it is normally operated when dispensing liquid except to disable the cooling means so that all of the cooling means can be allowed to reach a temperature sufficient to sterilise it.
  • a quantity of water is heated to boiling by the heating means and a steam pressure allowed to develop as a result which is sufficient to force steam through the cooling means.
  • pre-dispensing sterilisation is carried out based on heat
  • the amount of time necessary will be dependent on the temperature. For example if steam is being used, it may be sufficient for all relevant parts to reach the temperature of the steam briefly. Alternatively a temperature of 70°C may be sufficient but would need to be maintained for longer - e.g. 30 seconds.
  • the sterilisation could simply be carried out for a predetermined time but in one set of embodiments, temperature sensing means are provided at a suitable point on the apparatus in order to allow for detection of the desired temperature being reached. Typically such temperature sensing means would be located at a point most fluidly or thermally distant from the heating means such that detection of the required temperature there ensures that all of the appropriate parts of the system have reached the required temperature.
  • the steam or other sterilising fluid may, in some embodiments, sterilise the cooling means and any associated inlet and outlet conduits but not all the way to the dispensing outlet.
  • the sterilising fluid may be diverted to a sump or reservoir - which in the case of the sterilising fluid being derived from the liquid to be dispensed, could be the main reservoir for that liquid.
  • the apparatus it might be intended that the apparatus be configured so that e.g. an outlet nozzle is sterilised by other means - such as by allowing it to be removable for sterilisation separately by a user.
  • the sterilising fluid may be allowed to pass all the way to the dispensing outlet in order to sterilise that too. This is
  • the apparatus is arranged to dispense at least some of the sterilising fluid into a user's receptacle.
  • the advantage of this is that it can be used to sterilise the receptacle or its contents.
  • steam is used to sterilise the cooling means, it can also be used to sterilise a user's baby bottle.
  • water heated to 70°C is used for example, this water, or some of it, could actually be used as part of the water needed to mix with the milk powder. This is beneficial as it helps to compensate for loss of sterility through use of powder from an opened container.
  • the sterilising fluid need not all be directed to the same place: some could be dispensed through the outlet and some returned to the reservoir. This could be achieved by only opening a corresponding valve at the outlet part-way and/or by opening it only for part of the sterilisation cycle.
  • a valve is operated to direct steam into a receptacle such as a baby bottle for the last part of the sterilisation phase.
  • the cooling means is still at an elevated temperature following the steam sterilisation.
  • the outlet liquid temperature may therefore be allowed to reduce to equilibrium at a natural rate rather than trying to achieve equilibrium as quickly as possible by controlling the flow rate using a feed-back loop.
  • the equilibrium temperature may be chosen to take the initially higher temperature into account.
  • the apparatus may be provided with means for interrupting its operation prior to dispensing the warm liquid. This allows the user add formula powder to the bottle if not already done, shake the bottle, stir the bottle etc.
  • a separate outlet could be provided for this purpose or a single outlet could be provided for both sterilisation and subsequent liquid dispensing.
  • the apparatus comprises an
  • valve which may be opened or closed to permit or prevent respectively dispensing of liquid via the dispensing outlet. This can be used to ensure that liquid is only dispensed at the appropriate temperature, which is of course important in applications where it is to be used for infant feed.
  • a valve can advantageously also be used during the sterilisation phase either to permit steam or other sterilising fluid to pass through the outlet (in order to sterilise it), or to prevent it from doing so (if the outlet is sterilised by other means).
  • a divert valve is provided upstream of the outlet in order to allow liquid which has not been dispensed to be drained into a suitable reservoir. Allowing draining of the system in this way is beneficial in facilitating sterilisation of the cooling means and possibly other parts of the apparatus in the next operation.
  • the cooling means and the parts of the system downstream are arranged such that liquid therein can drain out automatically - either via the outlet or to a reservoir such as the main water reservoir. This ensures that any condensation which forms during the sterilisation procedure does not collect, but rather is allowed to drain out.
  • a fluid return path is provided for returning fluid to the reservoir or a further reservoir which does not pass out of the outlet.
  • the fluid return path is arranged so as to collect condensate formed within the cooling means.
  • the fluid return path is preferably controlled by a valve so as selectively to permit liquid or steam to pass out of the outlet or through the return path.
  • the valve and outlet are so arranged that condensate forming in the cooling means drains towards the valve rather than the outlet even when the valve is set to allow heated liquid or steam out of the outlet.
  • the cooling means is provided with an inlet which is configured to allow air displaced by liquid entering the cooling means to exit therethrough. This can conveniently be achieved simply by ensuring that cross- sectional area of the inlet is sufficiently large.
  • the inlet has a diameter of greater than 10 mm or greater than 12 mm to ensure this.
  • liquid is heated to a first temperature before being cooled to a second temperature and dispensed.
  • the first temperature can be chosen to suit the application and need not be boiling.
  • the heating means is adapted to heat the liquid to boiling, at least during a dispensing phase of operation.
  • the heating means could be a batch heater in which the required volume of liquid is heated to the first temperature before exiting the heating means.
  • the heating means comprises a flow heater in which liquid is permitted to enter and exit the heating means while heating is taking place.
  • a flow heater is the "dual tube” variety in which a liquid conduit and a tube containing a sheathed heating element are provided adjacent one another.
  • the heating means comprises a flow heater having a boiling zone in which steam escaping from the liquid being heated is permitted to exit separately from the heated liquid.
  • the heater is arranged such that liquid exits the boiling zone automatically upon reaching a predetermined level. This is achieved in preferred embodiments by weir means at the liquid outlet so that when the predetermined level is reached, the liquid spills over the weir and is able to exit the boiling zone.
  • the invention provides a liquid heating apparatus comprising a heating chamber having an electric heating element for heating liquid therein to boiling or near boiling, said heating chamber comprising a space above the liquid surface for allowing the escape of steam from the liquid surface; a liquid inlet for allowing liquid into the heating chamber; a liquid outlet configured to maintain a substantially constant level of liquid as the inlet flow rate varies between a predetermined maximum and a predetermined minimum; and means downstream of the heating chamber for cooling said liquid.
  • substantially constant level of liquid in the heating chamber are preferably operable in a sterilisation mode in which the heating chamber is filled with a volume of liquid which is insufficient to bring the level of liquid in the heating chamber to said substantially constant level.
  • the water does not leave the water outlet, but it is boiled and so produces steam which can act as the sterilising fluid. The steam exits the water outlet and therefore passes into the cooling means in order to sterilise it.
  • the heating means comprises a heating element formed on or mounted to the underside of a heater plate.
  • the heating element could, for example, comprise a sheathed heating element mounted to the plate, or a thick film element formed on or mounted to the plate.
  • the apparatus is adapted to dispense water at a temperature of between 30 and 50°C, more preferably between 35 and 45°C.
  • the apparatus is provided with temperature sensing means at the outlet in order to allow control of the outlet temperature.
  • control over the outlet temperature is exercised by controlling the rate of flow of liquid into the heating means. This could be controlled either by a suitable valve (which could be a valve previously mentioned) or by altering the speed of a pump.
  • the outlet temperature is varied during the dispense cycle. Where the volume of liquid to be dispensed is known, it can still be ensured that the overall average temperature has the desired value.
  • the apparatus is provided with level detecting means for detecting when the cooling means is filled to a predetermined level.
  • the level detecting means detects when the cooling means is filled sufficiently that the liquid is backed up to the outlet of the heating means.
  • the level detecting means comprises an electrically conductive portion of the casing of a temperature sensor such as a thermistor. This allows a single component to provide a dual function of detecting the temperature of liquid at the outlet of the heating means and detecting the presence or absence of liquid which has backed up from the cooling means.
  • the apparatus is arranged so that dispensing cannot commence until the cooling means has been adequately filled.
  • this is achieved by arranging the dispense outlet at height relative to the cooling means such that a predetermined liquid level in the cooling means or upstream thereof is necessary to give sufficient hydrostatic pressure to dispense liquid.
  • the outlet height is likely to be a little lower than the aforementioned predetermined liquid level to account for pressure losses in the cooling means and elsewhere in the system.
  • sterilisation is intended to refer to the process of killing potentially harmful bacteria and germs. It should not be interpreted as implying a particular level of sterility - e.g. meeting a definition of clinically sterile or indeed any other particular definition or effectiveness.
  • Fig. 1 is a highly schematic diagram illustrating the principle features of an embodiment of the invention
  • Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the major components of the heating and cooling system
  • Fig. 3 is an exploded, cross-sectional view of the heating chamber shown in
  • Fig. 4 is a perspective view from beneath of the upper housing of the heating chamber
  • Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the upper housing member from above;
  • Fig. 6 is a sectional view through the heat exchanger
  • Fig. 7 is a highly schematic diagram illustrating the principle features of another embodiment of the invention.
  • Figs. 8a to 8d are schematic illustrations showing the operation of the valve arrangement of Fig. 7.
  • Fig. 1 there may be seen a schematic representation of an apparatus for producing warm, sterilised water suitable for preparing infant feed.
  • a cold water storage reservoir 2 On the lower part of the diagram is a cold water storage reservoir 2 having an outlet 4 communicating with a pump 6.
  • the reservoir may be provided with a filter cartridge such as one of the Applicant's Aqua Optima
  • a conduit 8 communicates with the inlet 10 of the cold side of a heat exchanger 12.
  • the heat exchanger is described in greater detail hereinbelow with reference to Fig. 6.
  • the outlet 14 of the cold side of the heat exchanger 12 is connected to an inlet tube 16 of the heating chamber 18.
  • the heating chamber 18 is described in greater detail hereinbelow with reference to Figs. 3 to 5.
  • the heat exchanger 12 and heating chamber 18 may also be seen, in isolation, in Fig. 2.
  • the heating chamber 18 is provided with a sheathed heating element 19 on the underside thereof as may be seen in further detail in Figs. 3 to 5 as mentioned above.
  • the liquid outlet 20 of the heating chamber is connected to the inlet 22 of the hot side of the heat exchanger 12.
  • a temperature sensor e.g. a thermistor is disposed in the heating chamber outlet 20, the purpose of which will be described later.
  • a further outlet 26 is provided at the top of the heating chamber which is closed by a pressure valve 28 which could comprise a weight, spring bias, or a combination thereof.
  • a small bleed drain aperture could be provided in the heating chamber to allow the chamber to empty back into the reservoir 2 between uses.
  • the outlet 30 of the hot side of the heat exchanger 12 is connected to a diverter valve arrangement 32 which is able selectively to communicate the outlet 30 with an external dispensing nozzle 34 or a drain tube 36 which is directed into the cold water reservoir 2.
  • a further temperature sensor e.g. a thermistor, is provided at the outlet 30 of the hot side of the heat exchanger.
  • the cold water pump 6, the heating element 19, the temperature sensors 24, 38 and the diverter valve arrangement 32 are all connected to a control circuit (not shown).
  • Fig. 2 shows in isolation the heat exchanger 12 and heating chamber 18 some of the inlets and outlets of these parts are shown using the same reference numerals as used in Fig. 1 , although the connections between them are not shown.
  • Fig. 3 is an exploded and sectioned view of the heating chamber 18. From this it may be seen between an upper housing part 40 which is closed off from below by a circular and substantially planar heater plate 42.
  • the heater plate 42 is sealed to the upper housing part 40 by means of a peripheral annular channel 44 which receives a corresponding annular downwardly depending wall portion 48 of the upper housing part 40, with the walls of the channel 44 being clamped or crimped to retain the downwardly depending wall portion 48 securely.
  • An annular seal 50 is provided in the channel 44 between the inner wall of the channel and the downwardly depending wall portion 48.
  • the heater plate 42 is attached to the upper housing part 40 using the applicant's well-established Sure Seal sealing system. Of course, any other suitable sealing system could be employed instead.
  • a conventional sheathed heating element 19 is attached to an aluminium heat diffuser plate 52 which is, in turn, fixed to the underside of the heater plate 42.
  • the liquid outlet of the heating chamber comprises a cylindrical tube 20 which projects through the plate 42 so as to be somewhat proud of the heater surface. This effectively forms a weir so that when the liquid level inside the heating chamber reaches the top of the outlet tube 20, it tends to overflow down into it.
  • the upper housing part 40 will now be described with continuing reference to Fig. 3 but also with reference to Figs. 4 and 5. From these Figures it may be seen that the upper housing part 40 comprises a further downwardly depending wall 54 which, as may be seen most clearly in Fig. 4 is approximately Omega shaped. As Fig. 3 shows, the opening formed by the shape of the wall is located in the vicinity of the liquid outlet 20. Diametrically opposite to this, there is an indented portion of the wall 54a which accommodates the water inlet tube 16. The wall 54 thus creates two semi-circular channels on either side of the inlet 16 around which water entering through the inlet 16 must pass before it reaches the outlet 20.
  • the position of the wall 54 means that the two semi-circular channels which are formed are substantially aligned with the heating element 19 provided on the underside of the plate 42.
  • a connector 58 for the inlet tube 16 is provided on the outer face of the upper housing part 40. The connector 58 receives the end of a connecting hose (not shown) connected to the cold side outlet 14 of the heat exchanger.
  • Fig. 6 shows a cross section through the heat exchanger 12.
  • the heat exchanger comprises a stack of six alternating interleaved plates 66, 68.
  • the top-most plate 66a defines (together with a cover, not shown) a chamber in the cold side of the heat exchanger. This is the first such chamber encountered by the cold water entering the cold water inlet 10, the mouth 70 of which opens into the chamber. Water entering from the mouth of the inlet tube 70 spreads across the surface of the plate 66a to exit the chamber through an outlet 71 in the diagonally opposite corner from where it passes into the next chamber formed between the second and third plates 68a and 66b. The water then flows in the opposite direction in this chamber through an outlet vertically aligned with the inlet 70 above and from there into the final chamber formed between third and fourth plates 68b and 66c. It then flows out of here through the cold side outlet 14.
  • the plates are designed so that the water flows in opposite directions in adjacent chambers and so that water near the inlet end of the cold side of the exchanger is near the water at the outlet end of the hot side of the exchanger and vice versa.
  • the plates 66, 68 are typically made of thin, non-corrosive material e.g. stainless steel.
  • the apparatus has three distinctive phases of operation. Initially, a user ensures that the cold water reservoir is adequately filled with cold water (or in another embodiment the device could be permanently plumbed in). When the user presses a button to request warm water, a sterilisation phase is commenced. In this phase, the pump 6 is operated for a fixed amount of time in order to deliver a fixed amount of water via the cold side 10-14 of the heat exchanger through the inlet 16 and into the heating chamber 18. The amount of water delivered into the heating chamber 18 is sufficient to cover the portion of the heater plate directly above the element 19 but is not sufficient to overflow into the outlet 20.
  • the pump 6 is switched off and the heater 19 is energised to heat the water to boiling (these two operations could overlap however - i.e. the heater could be energised before the pump is switched off).
  • the heater 19 is energised to heat the water to boiling (these two operations could overlap however - i.e. the heater could be energised before the pump is switched off).
  • steam is generated in the heating chamber 18, raising the pressure therein and forcing the steam out of the outlet 20 and into the hot side 22, 30 of the heat exchanger and from there via the diverter valve 32 to the outlet nozzle 34.
  • the valve 28 on the steam outlet 26 ensures that the pressure inside the heating chamber 18 is not allowed to rise too far.
  • the heating element 19 is energised so as to continue to produce steam until either a predetermined temperature is detected by the outlet temperature sensor 38 or after a predefined temperature has been exceeded for a
  • the sterilisation may be satisfactorily achieved by ensuring that all parts of the system reach 100°C, or that a
  • the vertical arrangement of the heat exchanger 12 and the configuration of the connecting pipes means that the heat exchanger and the valve arrangement 32 downstream of it are free-draining so that condensate forming within any of these parts can freely exit e.g. drip tray (not shown) beneath the outlet nozzle 34.
  • the diverter valve 32 is set to divert the steam to the drain pipe 36 and therefore back into the water reservoir 2. This has the advantage of avoiding steam exiting in the vicinity of a user, but means that the outlet nozzle 34 must be separately sterilised.
  • the apparatus enters its second, pre- dispense mode.
  • the pump 6 is once again operated to pump cold water into the heating chamber 18 via the heat exchanger 12.
  • the pump 6 is operated continuously so that the water in the heating chamber 18 overflows the top of the outlet tube 20 and thus starts to fill the hot side of the heat exchanger 12, via the inlet 22.
  • the heater 19 is energised so that the water in the heating chamber 18 is heated to boiling or near boiling by the time it exits the chamber through the outlet 20.
  • the rate at which the water is pumped by the pump 6 and/or the power of the heating element 19 are modulated to maintain boiling at the outlet 20 at all times whilst producing only a modest amount of excess steam.
  • the outlet valve 32 is closed either fully or partially so that the water backs up in the heat exchanger until it reaches nearly the top of the outlet tube 20 of the heating chamber.
  • This can be detected by an electrical conductivity level detection circuit (not shown) that comprises a conductive electrode formed by the stainless steel sheath of the temperature sensor 24 which is positioned close to the heater outlet 20.
  • the diameter of the outlet 20 and the hose connecting this to the heat exchanger inlet 22 is of sufficient diameter, e.g. greater than 12 mm, to ensure that the heat exchanger is flooded and that any air is allowed to escape back up into the heating chamber. This is advantageous in avoiding air remaining on the surfaces of the heat exchanger 12 which would otherwise compromise the heat transfer efficiency which it could achieve.
  • the pre-dispense stage is finished and the dispense stage commenced.
  • the outlet valve 32 is arranged to direct the water from the outlet 30 of the hot side of heat exchanger to dispensing nozzle 34.
  • the flow rate of the cold water pump 6 is now controlled by the temperature of the outlet temperature sensor 38 to maintain the optimum dispensed temperature.
  • the power of the heating element can be fixed, in which case it should normally be sufficient to match the flow rate of the water and ensure that it is brought to boiling under the "worst case" circumstances. Alternatively, it can be controlled to boil the water and provide a small safety margin in the form of excess steam production, which can be allowed to exit via the steam outlet 26 with the valve 28 being opened during this phase.
  • the cold water in the reservoir 2 may be at 20°C and may be heated via its passage through the heat exchanger 12 to 80°C.
  • the heating chamber 18 then raises the temperature of the water from 80°C to boiling or near boiling (e.g. 99°C+), from which it passes through the hot side of the heat exchanger 12 to be reduced in temperature to approximately 40°C.
  • This is an ideal temperature for producing baby milk since generally a temperature of 38°C is considered ideal for a baby bottle and a dispensed temperature of 2-4°C above this has been found to be sufficient to allow for warming a bottle and feed formula therein to achieve an optimum final temperature.
  • the pump speed is altered to compensate for variability in the performance of the heat exchanger 12.
  • the power of the heater is varied, as a consequence, to maintain boiling under all
  • the performance of the heat exchanger is strongly affected by the inlet water temperature. With very cold inlet water (say 10°C) the temperature difference across the heat exchanger for a nominal outlet temperature of 40°C is of course 30°C. With warm inlet water however, which could be for example at 30°C, the temperature difference is only 10°C. Since the heat energy transferred across the heat exchanger is proportional to the temperature drop, a change from 10 to 30 represents a potential 300% increase. To compensate for this, the flow rate can be increased or decreased to maintain a fixed 40°C outlet temperature. The effect of this is that the corresponding outlet power required from the heating element can vary from 200 W to 2000 W.
  • the heater and pump are switched off and the divert valve 32 is altered to close the outlet 34 and direct the remaining water back into the reservoir 2 by means of the drain tube 36.
  • a small bleed-back drain from the heating chamber to the reservoir may be provided. In this way, the entire system can be drained.
  • FIG. 7 A second embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. 7. In this
  • the cold water reservoir 2 and heat exchanger 12 are similar to those of the first embodiment.
  • the reservoir 2 may be provided with a filter cartridge such as one of the Applicant's Aqua Optima (registered trade mark) water cartridges.
  • the heating chamber 72 differs in that there is an additional ventilation tube 74 projecting through the underside thereof. The tube opens near the top of the chamber 72 and extends down to a dual valve arrangement 76 in the lower part of the appliance.
  • Fig. 7 shows, in this embodiment the tube 78 leading to the dispensing nozzle 80 rises up to a level H-i before curving back down to the nozzle 80.
  • H-i a head of water
  • H 2 The difference between H-i and H 2 is accounted for by pressure losses through the heat exchanger 12 and associated conduits.
  • the heat exchanger outlet 30 is connected to the outlet tube 78 via a three- way T valve 82.
  • the third port of the valve is connected to a drain path 84 back to the reservoir 2 by means of the dual valve arrangement 76.
  • the dual valve arrangement 76 is such that the valve controlling the heating chamber ventilation tube 74 and that controlling the drain path 84 are interconnected. This may be seen more clearly in Figs. 8a - 8d.
  • Fig. 8a shows schematically the body 86 of the valve arrangement with two separate bores 88, 90 for receiving the heating chamber ventilation tube 74 and the drain-back tube 84 respectively.
  • Fig 8a also shows the valve piston 92 which is illustrated removed from its bore 94 for clarity.
  • the valve piston 92 comprises a shaft 96 and two enlarged diameter piston sections 98, 100. At one end of the shaft 96 is an actuating connector 102 to which a suitable actuator such as a solenoid (not shown) can be attached for moving the piston 92 along the bore 94 in use. As illustrated in Figs. 8b to 8d, there are three possible positions of the valve piston. In the first position shown in Fig. 8b, the valve piston is at its leftmost position in which the right piston section 100 is blocking the right bore 90 but the left bore 88 remains open. This means that the drain path tube 84 is closed, but the heating chamber ventilation tube 74 is open.
  • valve arrangement 76 is moved to the mid position shown in Fig. 8c. By thus closing the drain outlet more steam is forced into the bottle beneath the nozzle 80 so ensuring it and the milk powder are fully sterile. A short time later the valve 76 is moved to the position shown in Fig. 8b and the pump in the reservoir operated to continue with dispensing in the same way as in the first embodiment. Since the heating chamber ventilation tube 74 is open at this point the pump does not have to work against any pressure in the heating chamber 72.
  • the layout of this embodiment means that no artificial water level control is necessary; as the boiling water leaves the heating chamber 72 it will begin to flood the heat exchanger 12 and to fill the outlet riser tube 78. Once the water level reaches level H 2 in the hot inlet of the heat exchanger it reaches level H-i at the top of the outlet riser and so begins to flow out of the nozzle.
  • the user selects an amount of warm water to be dispensed. Sterilisation is carried out not by steam but by water heated to approximately 70°C. During the sterilisation phase the outlet valve is closed to allow the water to circulate. A bypass path might be provided to bypass the cold water reservoir. The flow rate of the pump and/or the power of the heater may be controlled to maintain the required water temperature.
  • a small volume of the hot water is dispensed - e.g. 10% of the volume requested by the user. This is sufficient to sterilise the milk powder if it has not been kept in sterile conditions. Thereafter ordinary dispensing is commenced at a lower temperature than is ultimately required. For example if the remaining 90% of the water is dispensed at approximately 37°C, the overall temperature will average approximately 40°C.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • Apparatus For Disinfection Or Sterilisation (AREA)
  • Food Preservation Except Freezing, Refrigeration, And Drying (AREA)

Abstract

Appareillage pour fournir un liquide chauffé comprenant un moyen de chauffage (18) pour porter le liquide à une première température, un moyen de refroidissement (12) pour refroidir le liquide à une seconde température inférieure et une sortie (34) pour distribuer le liquide après qu'il ait été refroidi. L'appareillage est en outre configuré pour faire passer un fluide stérilisateur à travers au moins le moyen de refroidissement (12) afin de stériliser le moyen de refroidissement (12) avant de distribuer le liquide.
PCT/GB2011/050098 2010-01-22 2011-01-21 Appareillage de chauffage de liquide WO2011089434A2 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB1001040.3 2010-01-22
GBGB1001040.3A GB201001040D0 (en) 2010-01-22 2010-01-22 Liquid heating apparatus

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2011089434A2 true WO2011089434A2 (fr) 2011-07-28
WO2011089434A3 WO2011089434A3 (fr) 2011-09-29

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GB (1) GB201001040D0 (fr)
WO (1) WO2011089434A2 (fr)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ES2424063R1 (es) * 2012-03-21 2014-02-05 Diseño Y Desarrollo De Matriceria, S.L. Máquina expendedora de leche
ITUA20162443A1 (it) * 2016-04-08 2017-10-08 Laica Spa Dispositivo per la preparazione di bevande
US10226152B2 (en) 2013-01-24 2019-03-12 Strix Limited Liquid heating apparatus and operating methods
CN112315325A (zh) * 2020-10-23 2021-02-05 佛山市顺德区美的饮水机制造有限公司 用于饮水机的装置、方法及饮水机、机器可读存储介质
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