WO2015142273A1

WO2015142273A1 - Automated apparatus and method for preparing therein a nutritious drink of powder and water

Info

Publication number: WO2015142273A1
Application number: PCT/SE2015/050321
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rickard ÅKERFALK
Original assignee: Jprt Förvaltning Ab
Priority date: 2014-03-19
Filing date: 2015-03-19
Publication date: 2015-09-24
Also published as: SE1450303A1; SE538328C2

Abstract

In order to enable an automated preparation apparatus for dosing and preparing a nutritious drink by mixing a nutritional powder, e.g. gruel powder, and water together, to be controlled to operate within a narrow temperature range and under safe conditions for the users, the apparatus has a control unit (65) designed to allow a user to control the apparatus according to at least one of the following two options A) and B), namely, so that a portion of a desired serving size of water is heated to a temperature of 25-55 °C, alternatively to a temperature of at least 70 °C, and is brought to a mixer housing (27) where the powder is mixed into the water, whereupon the obtained drink is transferred to the bottle (36), that the remaining portion of the serving size of water is supplied to the mixer housing (27) for rinsing the mixer housing (27) from any remaining powder; and that the remaining portion of the serving size of water and any remaining powder in the mixer housing are transferred to the bottle (36) and added to the previously obtained mixture for cooling thereof and forming a nutritious drink at desired temperature. Preferably, the control unit (65) is connected to an external network unit (B, D, E, F, F'), which is linked to a mobile device (C) for remote control of the preparation apparatus (A).

Description

AUTOMATED APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PREPARING THEREIN A NUTRITIOUS DRINK OF POWDER AND WATER

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention pertains to an automated preparation apparatus for dosing and preparing a nutritious drink by mixing a nutritional powder and water, said apparatus comprising:

- a container for the water;

- a powder container having a dosing screw for the nutritional powder which is to be mixed with the water;

- a heating vessel with heating elements for heating the water which is to be mixed with the powder;

- a mixer housing for mixing the heated water and powder together to form a hot, nutritious drink;

- a connection for a bottle for receiving the heated, nutritious drink; and

- a control unit, which controls the amount of water, the amount of powder and the temperature in accordance with the wishes of the user of the apparatus.

The invention also pertains to method for dosing and preparing a nutritious drink in an automated preparation apparatus by mixing a nutritional powder and water, which apparatus comprises:

- a container for the water;

- a holder for a bottle for receiving the heated, nutritious drink; and

- a control unit, which controls the amount of water, the amount of powder and the temperature in accordance with the wishes of the user of the apparatus. In the present context, "nutritional powder" primarily refers to such powder which is intended to be mixed with water for preparation of infant formula or gruel for babies, but also to such powder or formula of a soft consistency which after mixing with water is intended to provide a nutritious so-called sports drink, such as for example a "protein shake".

STATE OF THE ART

Preparation apparatuses in which water is mixed with a nutritional powder are widely known. For instance, US 6,71 1 ,990 Bl (Harrison) pertains to the preparation of baby formula with a preparation apparatus. No range is specified for the water temperature when mixing with the powder, for which reason it must be assumed that the range includes temperatures from 0 °C up to the boiling point of water (100 °C). There is an indication of the use of a function remotely controlled by radio waves in the apparatus, but a detailed communication protocol for how this should occur is missing.

EP 1 520 498 Bl (Kim) discloses a making appliance comprising a pot-shaped cooking vessel, into which a predetermined amount of water and ingredients in the form of e.g. rice, nuts, vegetables such as beans, root vegetables, clams, meat, etc. are filled. The appliance has a motor-driven pulverizing blade for pulverizing the ingredients, a heating coil for heating the mixture of water and pulverized ingredients to boiling, and a controller for controlling the motor and the heating coil. The appliance is not suitable for preparing e.g. gruel, since the water temperature is too high and ruins the nutritional value in the gruel. Furthermore, the appliance has no possibility of automated dosing or cleaning. The control of the appliance is entirely manual.

Furthermore, US 8,360,279 Bl (Giles) discloses a preparation appliance for dispensing and preparing a nutritious drink, such as e.g. baby gruel or infant formula. The appliance comprises a powder reservoir with a dosing screw, a heating reservoir with heating elements for heating water, a mixer housing with an impeller for mixing water and powder together, a holder for a bottle, and a control module, which allows the user to control the appliance so that a desired amount of water is heated to approx. 37 °C and is transferred to the mixer housing. The appliance lacks a water container, since the water is supplied from an external supply pipe directly to the heating vessel. The dosing screw discharges a predetermined amount of powder to the mixer housing, where a motor rotates the impeller for mixing powder and water together to form a drink at desired temperature, which is transferred to the bottle. The preparation appliance is provided with manual control means for manual control and rinsing by water flushing.

An alternative automated machine for preparation of a nutritious drink such as e.g. a baby gruel or infant formula is disclosed in US 8,261,656, B2 (Nijboer et al.). In that case, water is heated to a temperature below 100 °C for a period of time sufficient to sterilize the water. The warm water is then mixed with cooler water to the desired temperature, whereupon the powder is mixed in.

Normally, it is taken for granted that the water used for preparation of a nutritious drink for babies is sterile, and thus does not need to be sterilized. In certain climates, e.g. in the tropics, it may happen that a powder for preparing e.g. infant formula is not sterile when filled into the powder reservoir, which may cause the child to become ill. The child may also be stricken with colic caused by air bubbles in the nutritious drink. Furthermore, US 2012/0285986 Al (Irvin) discloses a beverage preparation machine of coffee vending machine type (gruel and/or infant formula are not mentioned), where a control unit can be connected to a network unit, which is linked to a mobile device for remote control and transfer of information. The mixing of powder and water takes place in a cup, into which an agitator is lowered for mixing. The cup does not constitute a part of the machine, but is intended for drinking from.

It may occur that the known preparation machines heat the water to such an extent that it reaches the boiling point, thus no consideration is given to the nutritional value of the powder or formula of a soft consistency. It is obvious that such preparation machines therefore cannot control the temperature as accurately and efficiently as required for the preparation of e.g. gruel. High temperatures ruin the nutritional value and may also inflict burns on the child or the user. When preparing e.g. baby gruel in a microwave oven, the heating cannot be controlled, why there, in the absence of slow heating and careful supervision, is a risk that the gruel gets so hot that the nutritional value is reduced.

Especially children younger than three months are sensitive in this respect.

Accordingly, it is desirable to have a preparation apparatus which stays within a narrower temperature range, closer to the body temperature of the child, during the water heating, wherein the risk of bums is also minimized.

BRIEF DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

It is a first object of the present invention to produce a preparation apparatus that can be controlled to operate within a narrow temperature range and under safe conditions for the users.

This object is achieved by the automated preparation apparatus mentioned in the first paragraph above in that the control unit, according to the present invention, is designed to allow a user to control the apparatus according to at least one of the following two options A) and B), namely so that:

A) a portion of a desired serving size of water is heated to a temperature of 25-55 °C and is brought to the mixer housing which has a mixing impeller;

- that the dosing screw discharges an amount of the nutritional powder, adapted to the desired serving size, into the mixer housing;

- that a motor rotates the mixing impeller for mixing the powder into the water,

- that the obtained finished drink is transferred to the bottle;

- that the remaining portion of the serving size of water is supplied to the mixer housing for rinsing the mixer housing from any remaining powder; and

- that the remaining portion of the serving size of water and any remaining powder in the mixer housing are transferred to the bottle and added to the previously obtained mixture for cooling thereof and forming a nutritious drink at desired temperature, and/or so that:

B) a portion of a desired serving size of water is heated to a temperature of at least 70 °C and is brought to the mixer housing which has a mixing impeller;

- that a motor rotates the mixing impeller for mixing the powder into the hot water to sterilize the powder,

- that the obtained mixture is transferred to the bottle;

- that the remaining portion of the serving size of water and any remaining powder in the mixer housing are transferred to the bottle and added to the previously obtained hot mixture for cooling thereof and forming a nutritious drink at desired temperature.

By heating the desired serving size of water in option A to a temperature of 25-55 °C, the nutritional value is maintained and the risk of burns on the child or user is eliminated. Furthermore, the apparatus dispenses the correct serving size and amount of water automatically. The users do not have to dispense water nor powder themselves, neither do they have to regulate the temperature manually, since a portion of the water is not heated but is mixed into the finished drink when it has been transferred to the bottle to regulate the temperature of the finished drink. The preparation apparatus is controlled fully

automatically, simply and safely, without any major additional tasks for the parents, who can focus completely on the children.

By heating a portion of the desired serving size of water in option B) to at least 70 °C, any possibly existing bacteria in the powder will be eliminated when the powder is mixed with the hot water. The resulting mixture is then cooled down to desired drinking temperature by mixing in the remaining portion of the serving size of water, which is at room temperature or is cooler if it e.g. has been stored in a refrigerator or a cool cupboard, or a similar storage space at a low temperature. Option B) is particularly suitable when preparing infant formula in hot climates, e.g. in the tropics.

A further increased certainty of maintaining the nutritional value and reducing the risk of burns on the child or the user is achieved in option A, if the desired serving size of water is heated so that a final temperature of the finished drink amounts to a temperature of 30- 40 °C.

If, when feeding babies with infant formula prepared according to option B), it is desired to reduce the risk of the child being stricken with colic due to excessive gases in his/her digestive system, the preparation apparatus is preferably designed for mixing the powder and water together so carefully, and for transferring the obtained mixture to the bottle so carefully, that occurrence of air bubbles in the bottle is avoided as far as possible. The air bubbles are conveniently avoided in that the control unit drives the mixing impeller at a reduced rpm and that the formed mixture is caused to flow into the bottle along the inside thereof.

Conveniently, the automated preparation apparatus comprises controls for manual actuation.

Considering the risk of growth of harmful organisms in the automated preparation apparatus, it conveniently has a rinsing function for internal water flushing, which is manually actuatable.

Preferably, the control unit is connected to an external network unit, which is linked to a mobile device for remote control of the preparation apparatus. In this way, a user can issue instructions under safe conditions to the preparation apparatus at any time of the day even when he/she is at a different location than the preparation apparatus. In the present context, "mobile device" refers to a mobile device for receiving and sending information, for example a mobile telephone of smartphone type or a tablet phone, which in principle is a combined surf tablet and smartphone.

It is convenient that the preparation apparatus transfers information about the size of prepared servings to the mobile device, and that the mobile device has an application, a so- called app, which saves this information and associated points of time, and offers the user a possibility to supplement weight data at corresponding points of time, if desired, for a child who has eaten the servings. In this way, the growth curve of the child can be calculated, and all these numbers enable a simple follow-up of the child's health and can, when needed, be forwarded to a child welfare centre, a hospital, or the like.

Preferably, the preparation apparatus is adapted to allow the user to predetermine and adjust the child's daily requirement of gruel, via suggestions from the application, guided by information received from the application. In this way, the user can control the preparation of gruel for the child under safe conditions and without any unnecessary risks. It is also possible to finely adjust the gruel to fit different tastes or mixtures. The consistency and temperature of the gruel can be adjusted by the connection of the application to the preparation apparatus. Accordingly, additional functions are obtained, as compared with analogue control directly on the preparation apparatus. In a preferred embodiment, the automated preparation apparatus is adapted for the preparation of gruel and/or infant formula for babies. If desired, the application can handle data from several babies, who may be of different ages and who, accordingly, are at different points along their growth curve. A second object of the present invention is to produce a method by means of which an automated preparation apparatus can be controlled to operate within a narrow temperature range and under safe conditions for the users.

In the method mentioned in the second paragraph above, this object is achieved in that, according to the present invention, the apparatus is controlled via the control unit according to one of the following two options A) and B), namely, in option A so that:

- a portion of a desired serving size of water is heated to a temperature of 25-55 °C and is brought to the mixer housing which has a mixing impeller;

- that a motor rotates the mixing impeller for mixing the powder into the water;

- that the obtained ready drink is transferred to the bottle;

- that the remaining portion of the serving size of water and any remaining powder in the mixer housing are transferred to the bottle and added to the previously obtained mixture for cooling thereof and forming a nutritious drink at desired temperature, and in option B) so that: - a portion of a desired serving size of water is heated to a temperature of at least 70 °C and is brought to the mixer housing which has a mixing impeller;

- that a motor rotates the mixing impeller for mixing the powder into the hot water to sterilize the powder;

- that the obtained mixture is transferred to the bottle;

By heating the desired serving size of water in option A to a temperature of 25-55 °C, the nutritional value is maintained and the risk of burns on the child or the user is eliminated. Furthermore, the correct serving size and amount of water are dispensed automatically. The users do not have to dispense water nor powder themselves, neither do they have to regulate the temperature manually, since a portion of the water is not heated but is mixed into the finished drink when it has been transferred to the bottle to regulate the temperature of the finished drink. By means of the specified method, the preparation apparatus is controlled fully automatically, simply and safely, without any major additional tasks for the parents, who can focus completely on the children.

In option A), a further increased certainty of maintaining the nutritional value and reducing the risk of burns on the child or the user is achieved if the desired serving size of water is heated so that a final temperature of the finished drink amounts to a temperature of 30- 40 °C.

By heating a portion of the desired serving size of water in option B) to at least 70 °C, any possibly existing bacteria in the powder will be eliminated when the powder is mixed with the hot water. The resulting mixture is then cooled down to desired drinking temperature by mixing in the remaining portion of the serving size of water, which is at room temperature, or is cooler if it e.g. has been stored in a refrigerator or cool cupboard, or a similar storage space at a low temperature. Option B) is particularly suitable when preparing infant formula in hot climates, e.g. in the tropics.

If, when feeding babies with infant formula prepared according to option B), it is desired to reduce the risk of the child being stricken with colic due to excessive gases in his/her digestive system, the powder and the water are preferably mixed together so carefully and the obtained mixture is transferred to the bottle so carefully that occurrence of air bubbles in the bottle is avoided as far as possible. The air bubbles are conveniently avoided in that the control unit drives the mixing impeller at a reduced rpm and the formed mixture is caused to flow into the bottle along the inside thereof. Alternatively, the formed mixture is caused to flow into the bottle via a flow conduit, e.g. a hose or the like, extending down to a level slightly above the bottom of the bottle.

It is convenient that an application, a so-called app, is installed in the mobile device and is capable of receiving information about the size of prepared servings from the preparation apparatus and saving this information and associated points of time, and of offering the user a possibility to supplement weight data at corresponding points of time, if desired, for a child who has eaten the servings, and that said information is transferred to the mobile device. In this way, the growth curve of the child can be calculated, and all these numbers enable a simple follow-up of the child's health and can, when needed, be forwarded to a child welfare centre, a hospital, or the like.

Preferably, the user predetermines and adjusts the child's daily requirement of gruel, via suggestions from the application, guided by information received from the application. In this way, the user can control the preparation of the gruel or infant formula for the child under safe conditions and without any unnecessary risks. It is also possible to finely adjust the gruel or infant formula to fit different tastes or mixtures. The consistency and temperature of the gruel or infant formula can be adjusted by the connection of the application to the preparation apparatus. Accordingly, additional functions are obtained, as compared with analogue control directly on the preparation apparatus. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

In the following, the invention will be described more closely with reference to preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preparation apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the preparation apparatus of Figure 1, as viewed from another angle.

Figure 3 is a flow chart showing how a portion of water is heated and brought to a mixer, in which a portion of powder is mixed in, after which the hot mixture is transferred to a bottle.

Figures 4a, 4b and 4c are exploded views, which together show various components included in the preparation apparatus of Figure 1 and 2.

Figure 5 is a view of a preferred schematic communication protocol from the

preparation apparatus, via a router and a wireless network to the mobile device, on the one hand, and via Internet to a load balancer with two cloud servers, on the other hand.

Figure 6 is an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of a bottle bracket.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the automated preparation apparatus comprises an upper housing 71, which via two box-shaped, separated legs 83, a forward one and a rearward one, is supported on a base plate 42, which also supports a water container 62 inserted between the legs 83. In Figure 2, the water container 62 has been removed from the preparation apparatus for refilling of water, after which a lid 68 shown in Figure 4 is put on and the water container 62 is put back in place in the preparation apparatus. A float 66 disposed in the housing detects whether the water level in the water container 62 is sufficient for preparing a desired serving size and indicates that the water container is in place.

As is best shown in Figure 4b, the upper housing 71 encloses a powder container 4 with a lid 1, a dosing screw 80 and an agitator 2. Conveniently, the agitator is a diagonal, circular disc having a toothed periphery as shown in Figure 3, and which counteracts any lump formation of the powder and is conveniently driven by meshing with the feed thread of the dosing screw 80, and the screw 80 is driven by a geared motor 77, which stops when the selected/desired serving size of powder has been reached. A resilient flap 43, 44 is located adjacent to a distribution pipe 45, 46 disposed at the discharge opening of the powder container. The flap 43, 44 is closed as soon as the powder container 4 is removed from its position, e.g. for refilling of powder, to thus avoid unnecessary waste of powder.

Inside the upper housing 71, there is also a mixer housing 27 for receiving the powder discharged by the dosing screw 80. The mixer housing 27 is substantially funnel-shaped and contains a mixing impeller 26 driven by a motor 20 for mixing the powder into water, which is supplied or has been previously supplied to the mixer housing 27. The water is supplied tangentially to an upper portion of the funnel, which is covered by a lid 21 with an opening for the supply of the powder.

From the mixer housing 27, the gruel or the like is conducted through a hose or a pipe 28 to a holder, suitably a bracket 29 with a threaded insert 35 suitable for a feeding bottle, or another bottle 36 with a screw closure. Below the space for the bottle 36, there is conveniently a waste tray 38, covered by a net or grate 37, projecting from the side of the base plate 42. The bottle bracket can also be designed with a gripping claw 35a (Fig. 6), which resiliently surrounds the opening of the bottle. Such a solution is advantageous since it enables use of bottles with different opening sizes, and also because it is simpler from a user's point of view. In this advantageous embodiment, the bracket 29a comprises an integrated lid 35a which covers the opening of the bottle when it has been placed in the holder. The lid 35a comprises a connection for the supply hose 28. Like in the first embodiment, a microswitch 33 indicating presence/absence of the bottle 36 is disposed in the bottle holder 29a, 35a.

If, when feeding babies with infant formula prepared according to option B), it is desired to reduce the risk of the child being stricken with colic due to excessive gases in his/her digestive system, the preparation apparatus is preferably designed to mix the powder and water together so carefully and to transfer the obtained mixture to the bottle 36 so carefully that occurrence of air bubbles in the mixture in the bottle 36 is avoided as far as possible. The air bubbles are conveniently avoided in that the control unit 65 drives the mixing impeller 26 at a reduced rpm and the formed mixture is caused to flow into the bottle 36 along the inside thereof, e.g. in that the hose 28 from the mixer housing 27 leads to side- mounted funnel (not shown here) disposed in the bracket for the threaded insert 35.

Alternatively, the formed mixture is caused to flow into the bottle 36 via a not-shown flow conduit, e.g. a hose or the like, extending down to a level slightly above the bottom of the bottle 36.

Before a set/desired serving size of water has been brought from the water container 62 to the mixer housing 27, the water has to be heated so that it, in the above-mentioned option A, after having been mixed with the powder and transferred to the bottle, will be at a desired temperature in the range of 25^ -5 °C, usually between 30 °C and 40 °C, preferably approx. 37 °C. The heating is performed in a heating vessel 41 enclosed by a lower chassis 39 of the base part 42. As is best shown in Figure 4c, the heating vessel 41 comprises an electric heating coil 51 and a temperature sensor 47. The water flows by gravity from the water container 62 to the heating vessel 41, from which it is pumped after heating by a pump 59 (Figure 4b) to the mixer housing 27, which is located approx. 0.3 m higher, where the mixing impeller 26, after mixing in the powder, brings the formed mixture forward through the hose/pipe 28 to the bottle 36. Accordingly, the heating vessel 41 is refilled automatically as soon as the pump 59 starts to pump heated water from the water container 62 to the mixer housing 27, which is important, among other things, from a fire safety point of view. The float 66 in the water container 62 indicates to the control unit 65 that the water container 62 is in place and that the amount of water in the container is sufficient to replace the amount of water consumed for the desired serving size. Conveniently, the heating vessel has a volume that is substantially smaller than a normal serving size, which brings the advantage that when the portion of water of the desired serving size to be heated has been pumped up to the mixer housing 27, the remaining portion of water which is to be used for cooling the finished drink to desired temperature can be pumped through the heating vessel 41 without being mixed with heated water to any greater extent.

Furthermore, the remaining amount of heat in the actual heating vessel 41 is small and does not contribute unnecessarily to heating the remaining amount of water. Still another advantage is that as small an amount of water as possible remains in the heating vessel 41 between the preparation occasions. In a preferred embodiment, the water is heated in a flow-through heater of conventional type (not shown). A flow-through heater has an even smaller volume than the above- described heating vessel 41 and thus allows an even faster changeover between heated and non-heated water which is pumped forward to the mixer housing 27. In this embodiment, the pump 59 pumps the water from the water container 62 through the flow-through heater at a flow adapted to the desired temperature and amount of water and directly on to the mixer housing 27. In this embodiment, the pump 59 is placed between the water container 62 and the flow-through heater. The check valve 60, disposed below the water container 62 may be omitted in this embodiment. The float 66 indicates to the control unit 65 that the water container 62 is in place and that there is a sufficient amount of water in the container for the serving size to be prepared.

If the apparatus is to be used for the preparation of infant formula, in hot climates, e.g. in the tropics, there is some risk that the powder may contain bacteria. In order to avoid that the infant formula given to the child contains such bacteria, the above-mentioned option B) is used for the preparation. Accordingly, a portion of the water in the serving is heated to a temperature of at least 70 °C. When the powder is mixed with the hot water, the bacteria are killed after which the remainder of the water portion is added to cool down the warm infant formula so much that it has a temperature of about 37 °C after transferring to the bottle.

As shown in Figure 4b, between the upper housing 71 and the powder container 4, there are a power supply unit (PSU) 70 and a control unit 65 with control electronics for the preparation apparatus. The PSU 70 converts alternating current from the grid into low voltage direct current adapted to the needs of the control unit 65. The power supply to the preparation apparatus is regulated by a circuit breaker 64. A microswitch 8 detects whether the powder level in the powder container 4 is sufficient for preparation of the desired serving size and sends a signal to the control unit 65 if the level becomes too low. The float 66 in the water container 62 detects whether the water level is sufficient for the serving size to be prepared and sends signals indicating this to the control unit 65. The control unit controls switching on and off of the heating coil 51 guided by signals from the temperature sensor 47, which detects the water temperature in the heating vessel 41 and regulates the flow rate of the water pump 59 so that the desired water temperature is obtained. At the flow rate in question, the control unit 65 also regulates the operating time of the water pump 59 to thus regulate the amount of water pumped to the mixer housing 27. The control unit also receives a signal if the temperature of the remaining portion of the water, used for cooling the prepared mixture in the bottle to desired temperature, is too cold. In that case, the control unit regulates the temperature to the one required to obtain desired cooling and thus the desired temperature of the finished drink by switching on the heating in the heating vessel 41 and regulating the flow rate of the water pump 59. The control unit 65 also starts the driving motor 77 for the dosing screw 80 and the driving motor 20 for the mixing impeller 26. Preferably, these units are started simultaneously as, or shortly after having started the water pump.

The mixing of water and powder can be performed while simultaneously supplying water and powder, or also by pumping the water up to the mixer housing 27 before the powder starts to be fed into it. The first alternative is preferable. The heated portion of the desired serving size of water and powder is mixed while simultaneously supplying the water and powder to the mixer housing 27, which means that the transfer of the formed mixture to the bottle occurs substantially during the same period as the pump 59 pumps heated water forward to the mixer housing 27. The size of the mixer housing can therefore be kept comparatively small. Typically, the mixer housing 27 holds about 50 ml, whereas a normal serving size can amount to up to 300 - 350 ml. The mixing operation is finished by supplying the non-heated, remaining portion of the desired serving size of water to the mixer housing 27 for rinsing the mixer housing 27 from any remaining powder. The remaining portion of the serving size of water and any remaining powder in the mixer housing are transferred to the bottle and added to the previously obtained hot/warm mixture for cooling thereof and forming a nutritious drink at desired temperature. The total pumping time for supplying heated and non-heated water to the mixer housing normally amounts to 15-20 seconds, sometimes up to 30 seconds, when a large serving according to option B) is to be prepared, which, in other words, is the time it takes to prepare a serving at the right temperature, which is thus ready to be consumed.

An appropriate temperature of the water is usually reached after a time of the order of 5 - 20 seconds, more preferably of 8 - 15 seconds. The water heated in the heating vessel 41 is pumped up to the mixer housing 27, which is located approx. 0.3 m higher. As a rule, the powder is conveyed from the powder container 4 to the mixer housing 27 in 5 - 15 seconds, more preferably 7 - 12 seconds. Preferably, the feeding of powder to the mixer housing 27 and the supply of heated water to the mixer housing 27 are mutually synchronized so that the powder is supplied during the period it takes to supply the water, alternatively only during an initial portion of the period. The next step is supply of non-heated water to the mixer housing 27, which takes approximately an additional 5 - 15 seconds, more preferably 7 -12 seconds. This water is on the one hand used for rinsing the mixer housing 27, and on the other hand, for cooling the finished mixture to desired temperature. The non-heated water carries any remaining powder from the mixer housing 27 to the bottle 36, wherein the risk of powder remaining in the mixer housing is avoided or at least minimized. This guarantees a desired quality of the prepared mixture. Furthermore, this contributes to an improved hygiene and to enabling the intervals between separate rinsing operations to be increased. Normally, the time interval for supplying non-heated water is shorter than the time interval for supplying heated water, but for reasons described further on herein, the respective time intervals must be controlled. Normally the total time for preparing a finished serving amounts to 20 - 60 seconds, more preferably 20 - 40 seconds.

If using a flow-through heater, the temperature of the heated water is regulated by means of the flow rate of the water pump and the power on the heater elements. Normally, an appropriate temperature of the water is reached with a flow rate of the water pump allowing the portion of the serving size of water to be heated to be pumped through the heating vessel 41 in a period of time of the order of 5 - 20 seconds, more preferably of 8 - 15 seconds. In this embodiment, water is pumped continuously through the heater and directly on to the mixer housing. Powder is also added to the mixer housing 27, according to the above-described method, during this initial heating and forward-pumping time.

Accordingly, the time consumed for pumping the heated water from the heater 41 to the mixer housing in the described method is saved. After this, the supply of non-heated water to the mixer housing occurs according to the above-described method. Normally the total time for preparing a finished serving amounts to 15 - 40 seconds, more preferably 15 - 27 seconds.

An alternative embodiment, in which a larger heating vessel 41 holds the whole portion of the serving size of water to be heated, is also conceivable. This results in a slower method of preparation since the heating vessel 41 will initially heat the entire amount of water, which takes between 10 - 30 seconds, more preferably between 10 - 20 seconds, depending on whether option A) or B) is chosen. Normally, the portion of the serving size of water to be heated amounts to about 50 - 80 % of the full serving size, for which reason an appropriate volume of the heating vessel in this embodiment amounts to about 150 - 200 ml. In this context, it should be pointed out that, in the tests reported here, in some cases the full serving size has been heated, which has resulted in longer operating times of the heater than would be the case in practice. The water heated in the heating vessel 41 is then pumped up to the mixer housing 27, taking an additional 10 - 20 seconds. The conveyance of powder to the mixer housing 27 is performed in same way as described above. This embodiment is less suitable when preparing infant formulas according to the above- mentioned option B), since the larger heating vessel 41 stores a larger amount of heat. Thus the remaining portion of the serving size of water will be heated to a greater extent and the cooling of the finished drink to the desired temperature will be made more difficult. The time for supplying heated and non-heated water, respectively, is dependent on a number of parameters which are evident in the following, inter alia, from the summary of performed tests. In addition to parameters directly connected to the included components, consideration must be given to such parameters that are dependent of the drink to be prepared. For instance, some types of powder have a stronger tendency to stick in the mixer housing, and in that case a larger amount of water must be used for rinsing the mixer housing. It will be appreciated that the temperature of the heated water may have to be raised to compensate for this larger amount of non-heated water in order to reach the desired temperature of the finished drink. Another case may be when someone desires to make a thicker drink and therefore adds a larger amount of powder, resulting in a comparatively larger temperature decrease in connection when mixing in the powder. Also here, the temperature of the heated water may have to be raised in order to reach the desired temperature of the finished drink. Naturally, the opposite is true as well, and the skilled person will therefore appreciate that different formulas may change the ratio between powder and water and that the respective time intervals have to be adapted to this. The relative temperature difference between powder and water will also have an influence on this. As an example, it may be mentioned that the temperature will be lowered about 5 °C when mixing in powder in option B), wherein a portion of the desired serving size of water is heated to at least 70 °C. Instead of raising the temperature of the heated water, the remaining portion of the water, which is normally unheated, can be heated slightly. For this purpose, a temperature sensor measuring the temperature of the prepared drink can be disposed adjacent to the mixer housing or the bottle, and send a signal about it to the control unit.

The preparation apparatus A also has a function for internal rinsing which can be initiated manually or automatically at regular intervals. A rinsing operation is done in such a way that the water pump 59 pumps hot water, at least at 70 °C, up to the mixer housing 27 during a predetermined time interval, for example 20 seconds. During the time the water pump is running, the mixing impeller 26 is operated intermittently in sequences of 2- 4 seconds, with approximately equally long-lasting interruptions depending on the flow rate of the pump. At a low flow rate, the duration of the respective sequence is increased. Since the mixing impeller constitutes a substantial flow restriction in the outlet of the mixer housing when it stands still, the mixer housing is filled with hot water. When the mixing impeller is operated, the mixer housing is emptied of water. Since the water is introduced tangentially into the mixer housing, a rotating water flow is generated in the mixer housing. When the mixer housing has been filled, or at least substantially filled with water, the turbulence is accelerated when the mixing impeller starts, wherein an efficient rinsing of the mixer housing is obtained. Approximately 200 ml of hot water flushes through the mixer housing in this way.

The desired dose of powder is controlled in that the driving motor 77 operates for a certain time, or rotates a certain number of revolutions. The control unit 65 also controls a plurality of not-shown valves and receives signals from a microswitch 33 disposed in the bottle holder 29, 29a, 35, 35a indicating presence/absence of bottle 36. Furthermore, the control unit 65 can be adapted to indicate when the warm mixture/gruel is transferred from the mixer housing 27 to the bottle 36, for example by illuminating a not-shown lamp or a light emitting diode, or by a message to the mobile device. Removal of the bottle 36 from its holder 29, 29a, 35, 35a returns the preparation apparatus to a standby position.

A second printed circuit board 31, intended for button electronics for manual control of the preparation apparatus, is also connected to the control unit 65. As shown in Figure 4a, this second printed circuit board 31 is mounted in a cover door 30 disposed at the front side of the upper housing 71 and having three push buttons 24 with light guides 22 around each button 24. The light guides 22 provide an indication of the selected function by brighter illumination around the selected button 24. An outer front door 32 with openings for the push buttons 24 is disposed on the outside of the cover door 30. One of the buttons 24 starts the preparation of a full serving, another one starts the preparation of a half serving, and the third one is for manually starting internal rinsing of the preparation apparatus.

Conveniently, also buttons for selecting the above-mentioned options A) and B) can be arranged here. In the preparation apparatus A, the control unit 65 further contains, or is connected to, a not-shown transceiver for wireless communication with a router B, shown in Figure 5, to which a user having a mobile device C, for example a mobile phone of smartphone type or a tablet phone, can connect. By means of the mobile device C, the user can remotely control the preparation apparatus, not only start and stop, but also when serving size for water and for powder, and the temperature to which the water is to be heated, are concerned. In the above-described preparation apparatus, it is not possible to manually change serving sizes and temperature, but, if desired, it is of course possible to provide manual controls for making these changes. Furthermore, servicing of the preparation apparatus can be performed from a distance in that the preparation apparatus continuously logs its activity to a cloud server, and, should a malfunction occur in the apparatus, which it is capable of self-diagnosing, also this malfunction is logged. As an example, it may be mentioned that a short circuit or an interruption in the temperature sensor generates corresponding fault codes. Statistics can be extracted from the cloud server, which can be used for optimizing process parameters, which then are automatically downloaded to the apparatus.

Accordingly, the router B is part of an external network unit B, D, E, F, F', where D denotes Internet, and E denotes a load balancer with two cloud servers F and F', said network unit being linked to the mobile device C for remote control of the preparation apparatus A. When requested by the mobile device C, information about the size of prepared servings is transferred from the control unit 65 to the mobile device C. The mobile device C preferably has an application, a so-called app, which saves this information and associated points of time in the cloud servers F, F', and offers the user a possibility to supplement weight data at corresponding points of time, if desired, for a child who has eaten the servings. In this way, the user can predetermine and adjust the child's daily requirement of gruel, via suggestions from the application, guided by information received from the application. In a preferred embodiment, the application offers commands for full and half serving. In addition to these commands, also the control panel of the apparatus is virtually included in the application, wherein the temperature and consistency of the prepared mixture can be finely adjusted. The preferred embodiment of the application can keep track of up to four children, with different temperature and consistency preferences for each child, this in order to enable gruel to be rapidly mixed to each child's likings.

Tests and tables

Tests have been performed in order to evaluate potential components of the apparatus, to ensure that the gruel can be mixed within the set time interval. The heating tests below ensure that it does not take too long to heat the water when the gruel is to be prepared. The fact that the temperature in the tables below rises up to 75 °C does not mean that the final product will be that hot, but the tests have been used to get a graph of the temperature increase in the water.

The same goes for the other components such as water pump and dosing screw. The tests indicate that sufficient volumes of water and the correct amount of powder are fed to the mixer, so that the gruel gets the right consistency, thickness and temperature.

With the exception of the test reported in Table 2, the tests below have been performed with a heating vessel 41 that holds the whole portion of the serving size of water which is to be heated.

Table 1. Testing of water heater. Initial temperature and final temperature in relation to amount of water and heating time are indicated below.

The heating tests have been performed with a predetermined amount of water, wherein the heating element is switched on for a predetermined period of time. The temperature before and after the specified time was observed. Table 2. Testing of flow-through heater. Initial temperature and final temperature in relation to amount of water, flow-through time and water flow are indicated below.

It is evident from Table 2 above that the temperature of the heated water can be regulated by varying the flow.

The tests of the water pump have been performed in a prototype apparatus, wherein the pump has been allowed to run for predetermined periods of time. The advantage of performing tests in the prototype apparatus is that the influence of the water level in the container is taken into account.

Table 3. Testing of water pump. The capacity of the water pump at a maximum and minimum level in the water container is indicated below for different operating times.

Operating time Amount of water Water level in container

[sec] [ml] (at start-up) [mm]

6 135 145

6 130 45

7 160 145

7 152 45

8 182 145

8 173 45

9 205 145

9 195 45

10 228 145

10 215 45 The powder screw has been tested in two ways, firstly with a full container at different operating times, and secondly at a predetermined operating time with different amounts of powder in the container, this in order to investigate the influence of the amount of powder in the container.

Table 4. Powder feed testing. The capacity of the powder screw with a full powder container is indicated at different operating times below.

Table 5. Testing of the capacity of the powder screw with different amounts of powder in the container at a given operating time.

When empty, the preferred glass bottle weighs approx. 270 g. In addition to this, approx. 250 g will be added when a full serving is prepared. This means that a maximum of just over 500 g will need lifting. However, any bottle having matching threads will do. When using an embodiment with a bottle holder in the form of a gripping claw, it is appreciated that the resilient force of the gripping claw has to be adapted to the above-mentioned load. The invention is not restricted to any specific type of bottle or type of material, but different bottle and material types can be used. Since many modifications and changes of the preferred embodiment of the automated preparation apparatus according to the invention, described above and shown in the drawings, can easily be appreciated by persons skilled in the technical field, the invention is not restricted to the specific design and operation disclosed and described herein, and consequently all suitable modifications and equivalents, within the scope of the invention as it is hereinafter defined in the following claims, may be resorted to.

Even though the automated preparation apparatus described above and shown in the drawings is particularly suitable for the preparation of infant formula and gruel for babies, it can naturally also be used for preparation of other nutritious drinks by mixing suitable powder and water together, such as for example a nutritious sports drink, so called "protein shake".

Claims

C L A I M S

An automated preparation apparatus for dosing and preparing a nutritious drink by mixing a nutritional powder and water, said apparatus comprising:

- a container (62) for the water;

- a powder container (4) having a dosing screw (80) for the nutritional powder which is to be mixed with the water;

- a heating vessel (41) with heating elements (51) for heating the water which is to be mixed with the powder;

- a mixer housing (27) for mixing the heated water and powder together to form a hot, nutritious drink;

- a holder (35) for a bottle (36) for receiving the heated nutritious drink; and

- a control unit (65), which controls the amount of water, the amount of powder and the temperature in accordance with the wishes of the user of the apparatus;

c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n

that the control unit (65) is designed to allow a user to control the apparatus according to at least one of the two options A) and B), namely, so that:

A) a portion of a desired serving size of water is heated to a temperature of 25-55 °C and is brought to the mixer housing (27) which has a mixing impeller (26),

- that the dosing screw (80) discharges an amount of the nutritional powder, adapted to the desired serving size, into the mixer housing (27),

- that a motor (77) rotates the mixing impeller (26) for mixing the powder into the water,

- that the obtained finished drink is transferred to the bottle (36);

- that the remaining portion of the serving size of water is supplied to the mixer

housing (27) for rinsing the mixer housing (27) from any remaining powder; and

- that the remaining portion of the serving size of water and any remaining powder in the mixer housing are transferred to the bottle (36) and added to the previously obtained mixture for cooling thereof and forming a nutritious drink at desired temperature, and/or so that:

B) a portion of a desired serving size of water is heated to a temperature of at least 70 °C and is brought to the mixer housing (27) which has a mixing impeller (26),

- that the dosing screw (80) discharges an amount of the nutritional powder, adapted to the desired serving size, into the mixer housing (27)

- that a motor (77) rotates the mixing impeller (26) for mixing the powder into the hot water to sterilize the powder,

- that the obtained mixture is transferred to the bottle (36), - that the remaining portion of the serving size of water is supplied to the mixer housing (27) for rinsing the mixer housing (27) from any remaining powder; and

- that the remaining portion of the serving size of water and any remaining powder in the mixer housing are transferred to the bottle (36) and added to the previously obtained hot mixture for cooling thereof and forming a nutritious drink at desired temperature.

2. The automated preparation apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the desired serving size of water in option A) is heated to a temperature of 30- 40 °C.

3. The automated preparation apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it is designed for mixing the powder and water together so carefully and for transferring the obtained mixture to the bottle (36) so carefully that occurrence of air bubbles in the mixture in the bottle (36) is avoided as far as possible.

4. The automated preparation apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that air bubbles are avoided in that the control unit (65) drives the mixing impeller (26) at a reduced rpm and that the formed mixture is caused to flow into the bottle (36) along the inside thereof or through a flow conduit, extending down to a level slightly above the bottom of the bottle (36).

5. The automated preparation apparatus according to any one of the claims 1-4,

characterized in that it comprises controls for manual actuation.

6. The automated preparation apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that it has a rinsing function for internal water flushing, which is manually actuatable.

7. The automated preparation apparatus according to any one of the claims 1-6,

characterized in that the control unit (65) is connected to an external network unit (B, D, E, F, F'), which is linked to a mobile device (C) for remote control of the preparation apparatus (A).

8. The automated preparation apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that it transfers information to the mobile device (C) about the size of prepared servings, and that the mobile device (C) has an application, a so-called app, which saves (F, F') this information and associated points of time and offers the user a possibility to supplement weight data at corresponding points of time, if desired, for a child who has eaten the servings.

9. The automated preparation apparatus according to claim 8, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that it is adapted to allow that the user, via suggestions from the application,

predetermines and adjusts the child's daily requirement of gruel or infant formula guided by information received from the application.

10. The automated preparation apparatus according to claim 9, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that it is adapted for the preparation of gruel and/or infant formula for babies.

11. A method for dosing and preparing a nutritious drink in an automated preparation

apparatus by mixing a nutritional powder and water, which apparatus comprises:

- a container (62) for the water;

- a holder (35) for a bottle (36) for receiving the heated, nutritious drink; and

c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n

that the apparatus is controlled via the control unit (65) according to one of the following two options A) and B), namely, in option A) so that

- a portion of a desired serving size of water is heated to a temperature of 25-55 °C and is brought to the mixer housing (27) which has a mixing impeller (26);

- that the dosing screw (80) discharges an amount of the nutritional powder, adapted to the desired serving size, into the mixer housing (27);

- that a motor (77) rotates the mixing impeller (26) for mixing the powder into the water;

- that the obtained finished drink is transferred to the bottle (36);

housing (27) for rinsing the mixer housing (27) from any remaining powder; and

- that the remaining portion of the serving size of water and any remaining powder in the mixer housing are transferred to the bottle (36) and added to the previously obtained mixture for cooling thereof and forming a nutritious drink at desired temperature, and in option B) so that:

- a portion of a desired serving size of water is heated to a temperature of at least

70 °C and is brought to the mixer housing (27) which has a mixing impeller (26); - that the dosing screw (80) discharges an amount of the nutritional powder, adapted to the desired serving size, into the mixer housing (27);

- that a motor (77) rotates the mixing impeller (26) for mixing the powder into the hot water to sterilize the powder;

- that the obtained mixture is transferred to the bottle (36);

housing (27) for rinsing the mixer housing (27) from any remaining powder; and

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the desired serving size of water in option A) is heated to a temperature of 30-40 °C. 13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that that the

powder and water are mixed together so carefully and the obtained mixture is transferred to the bottle (36) so carefully that occurrence of air bubbles in the mixture in the bottle (36) is avoided as far as possible.

The automated preparation apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that air bubbles are avoided by causing the control unit (65) to drive the mixing impeller (26) at a reduced rpm and causing the formed mixture to flow into the bottle (36) along the inside thereof, or through a flow conduit extending down to a level slightly above the bottom of the bottle (36).

The method according to any one of the claims 11-14, characterized in that the control unit (65) is connected to an external network unit (B, D, E, F, F'), which is linked to a mobile device (C) for remote control of the preparation apparatus (A).

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that an application, a so- called app, capable of receiving information about the size of prepared servings from the preparation machine and saving (F, F') this information and associated points of time, is installed in the mobile device (C) and offers the user a possibility to supplement weight data at corresponding points of time, if desired, for a child who has eaten the servings, and that said information is transferred to the mobile device (C).

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that the user, via suggestions from the application, predetermines and adjusts the daily requirement of gruel or infant formula guided by information received from the application.