EP2000065 (A1)
Dispositivo y método para producir una bebida mezclando ingredientes solubles y un diluyente..
Un dispositivo para mezclar un ingrediente soluble de alimento o bebida y un diluyente comprende: - una cámara de mezcla (13) (13) que tiene una entrada (17) para el ingrediente, una entrada (18) para el diluyente y una salida (20) para la bebida o alimento comestible resultante de la mezcla del ingrediente con el diluyente, - un depósito (3) para el ingrediente, estando conectado el depósito (3) a la cámara de mezcla (13) a través de una trayectoria de flujo de ingrediente, y - medios generadores de corriente de aire diseñados para generar una corriente de aire desde fuera del dispositivo mezclador y que cruza la trayectoria de flujo de ingrediente, comprendiendo los medios generadores de corriente de aire medios para generar una zona de baja presión (101) por encima de la abertura de entrada de ingrediente (17).
- Publicación
- EP2000065 (A1)
- Fecha de publicación
- 2008-12-10
- Fecha de prioridad
- 2007-06-05
- Inventores
- THULIEZ JEAN-LUC [CH]; KISSLING IWAN [CH]
- Solicitantes
- NESTEC SA [CH]
- Clasificación
- Classification: - internationale A47J31/40 - coopérative A47J31/401 (EP)
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Imágenes del proyecto
Descripción
[0001] The invention relates to a device for producing a beverage by mixing soluble ingredients with a diluent.
[0002] Beverage production apparatuses exist for producing beverage liquids that utilize a diluent for dissolving a soluble ingredient such as coffee powder.
[0003] For instance, patent applications WO 03/068039 and EP 1639924 relate to rotary mechanical solutions to produce a beverage from a mixture of soluble ingredients and a diluent.
[0004] It has turned out that dosing of coffee powder (especially when non-agglomerated) in a mixing chamber is difficult because coffee powder is very hygroscopic. Therefore, during dosing in the mixing chamber, the powder tends to stick on surfaces when the powder falls from a reservoir through a funnel and into the mixing chamber. This results in a part of the powder messing the device and in inaccurate dosing because part of the coffee powder remains on the surfaces.
[0005] This disadvantage is the more important when an open mixing chamber is used for receiving the coffee dose from above via a powder dosing system and the mixing of the powder and water is carried out by water jets entering the chamber with high velocity. In this example there is no mechanical mixer in the chamber and the mixing is the result of the hydraulic swirl created in the mixing chamber. As a result, powder must fall correctly on the bottom of the mixing chamber where it mixes with the injected water. If the mixing chamber is too humid, the ingredient powder tends to stick on the surfaces of the mixing chamber, and it creates mess and dosing issues.
[0006] Thus there is a need to keep the mixing chamber dry and/or to evacuate humidity from the mixing chamber.
[0007] US 2,755,000 proposes an air blower generating an air stream which, in its first section is coaxial to the vertically dropping ingredient powder and which air flow then traverses the upper opening of a mixing bowl for mixing the ingredient and hot water fed from an inlet. In view of a removal of steam or humidity from the interior of the mixing bowl there is the disadvantage that the air flow arrives vertically at the upper opening of the mixing bowl.
[0008] The present invention targets at an improved drying technique for a mixing device for dry ingredients with a diluent.
[0009] This object is achieved by means of the features of the independent claims. The dependent claims develop further the central idea of the present invention.
[0010] According to a first aspect of the invention a device for mixing a soluble food or beverage ingredient and a diluent is proposed. The device comprises a mixing chamber having an inlet opening for the ingredient, an inlet for the diluent and an outlet for the beverage or comestible food resulting from the mixing of the ingredient with the diluent, means for generating a low pressure zone above the ingredient inlet opening of the mixing chamber, the low pressure generating means comprising means for guiding air across the inlet opening. The perpendicular flow of air vis-A-vis the center axis of the inlet opening generates a Venturi effect sucking off steam or other humidity from the interior of the mixing chamber.
[0011] The low pressure generating means can comprise guiding means guiding the air stream through an enlarged section across the ingredient inlet of the mixing chamber. The expansion of the air stream improves the sucking off of steam from the interior of the mixing chamber
[0012] The low pressure generating means can comprise guiding means guiding the air stream through a restriction before the air stream reaches the ingredient inlet opening of the mixing chamber.
[0013] The air stream generating means may comprise a blowing device for actively generating an air stream.
[0014] The air stream generating means can comprise air stream separation means arranged for producing: a first partial air stream flowing across the ingredient inlet opening, and a second partial air stream directed towards the outlet of an ingredient reservoir and/or ingredient dosing means arranged above the ingredient inlet opening of the mixing chamber.
[0015] A funnel can be provided between the reservoir and the ingredient inlet opening of the mixing chamber, wherein at least a portion of the air stream is guided through the funnel. This allows for a drying of the funnel in case inadvertently it has been contaminated with diluent from the mixing chamber arranged below the funnel.
[0016] A further aspect of the invention relates to a device for mixing a soluble food or beverage ingredient and a diluent. The device comprises a mixing chamber having an inlet for the ingredient, an inlet for injecting the diluent and an outlet for the beverage or comestible food resulting from the mixing of the ingredient with the diluent, a reservoir for the ingredient, a dosing device for dosing a portion of the ingredients into the mixing chamber, air stream generating means, comprising blowing means, designed for generating a stream across the ingredient inlet opening in order to produce a low pressure zone over the ingredient inlet opening, and a controller for synchronizing the operation of the blowing means and the operation of the dosing device such that the blowing means are not active when the dosing device allows an ingredient portion drop into the mixing chamber through the ingredient inlet opening.
Reivindicaciones
- 1. A device for mixing a soluble food or beverage ingredient and a diluent, the device comprising - a mixing chamber (13) having an inlet opening (17) for the ingredient, an inlet for the diluent and an outlet for the beverage or comestible food resulting from the mixing of the ingredient with the diluent,- means for generating a low pressure zone above the ingredient inlet opening (17) of the mixing chamber (13),the low pressure generating means comprising means for guiding an air stream across the inlet opening (17).
- 2. The device according to claim 1,wherein the air guiding means are arranged for guiding the air in a flow direction perpendicular to the center axis of the inlet opening (17), such that steam or other humidity from the interior of the mixing chamber (13) is sucked off through the ingredient inlet opening (17).
- 3. The device according to any of the preceding claims;wherein the low pressure generating means comprise means for guiding the air stream through an enlarged section (101) across the ingredient inlet of the mixing chamber (13).
- 4. The device according to any of the preceding claims,wherein the low pressure generating means can comprise guiding means guiding the air stream through a restriction before the air stream reaches the ingredient inlet opening (17) of the mixing chamber (13).
- 5. The device according to any of the preceding claims,wherein the air stream generating means comprise a blowing device (103) and/or a sucking device (103') for actively generating an air stream.
- 6. The device according to any of the preceding claims,wherein the air stream generating means comprise air stream separation means arranged for producing: - a first partial air stream (110) flowing across the ingredient inlet opening (17), and- a second partial air stream (111) directed towards the outlet of an ingredient reservoir (3) and/or ingredient dosing means (4) arranged above the ingredient inlet opening (17) of the mixing chamber (13).
- 7. The device according to any of the preceding claims,wherein a funnel (107) is provided between the reservoir and the ingredient inlet opening (17) of the mixing chamber (13), wherein at least a portion of the air stream is guided through the funnel (107).
- 8. A device for mixing a soluble food or beverage ingredient and a diluent,wherein the device comprises - a mixing chamber (13) having an inlet opening (17) for the ingredient, an inlet (18) for injecting the diluent and an outlet (20) for the beverage or comestible food resulting from the mixing of the ingredient with the diluent,- a reservoir (3) for the ingredient,- a dosing device (4) for dosing a portion of the ingredients into the mixing chamber (13),- air stream generating means, comprising blowing means, designed for generating an stream across the ingredient inlet opening (17) in order to produce a low pressure zone over the ingredient inlet opening (17), and- a controller (11) for synchronizing the operation of the blowing means and the operation of the dosing device such that the blowing means are not active when the dosing device allows an ingredient portion drop into the mixing chamber (13) through the ingredient inlet opening (17).
- 9. The device according to any of the preceding claims,wherein the inlet for the diluent is the same opening (17) as for the ingredient.
- 10. The device according to claims 1 to 8,wherein the inlet for the diluent is arranged separately to the opening (17) as for the ingredient.
- 11. A method for evacuating humidity in a device for mixing a soluble food or beverage ingredient and a diluent, the device comprising - a mixing chamber (13) having an inlet opening (17) for the ingredient, an inlet for the diluent and an outlet for the beverage or comestible food resulting from the mixing of the ingredient with the diluent, the method comprising the step of- generating a low pressure zone above the ingredient inlet opening (17) of the mixing chamber (13), the low pressure being produced by guiding an air stream across the inlet opening (17).
- 12. The method according to claim 11,wherein the air is guided in a flow direction perpendicular to the center axis of the inlet opening (17), such that steam or other humidity from the interior of the mixing chamber (13) is sucked off through the ingredient inlet opening (17).
- 13. The method according to claim 11 or 12,wherein the air is guided through an enlarged section across the ingredient inlet of the mixing chamber (13).
- 14. The method according to claim 11, 12 or 13,wherein the air stream through a restriction before the air stream reaches the ingredient inlet opening (17) of the mixing chamber (13).
- 15. The method according to any of claims 11 to 14,wherein the air stream is actively generated.
- 16. The method according to any of claims 11 to 15,wherein the air stream is divided into - a first partial air stream flowing across the ingredient inlet opening (17), and- a second partial air stream directed towards the outlet of an ingredient reservoir and/or ingredient dosing means arranged above the ingredient inlet opening (17) of the mixing chamber (13).
- 17. The method according to any of claims 11 to 16,wherein at least a portion of the air stream is guided through the funnel provided below an ingredient reservoir and over the ingredient inlet opening (17) of the mixing chamber (13).
- 18. A method for evacuating humidity in a device for mixing a soluble food or beverage ingredient and a diluent, the device comprising - a mixing chamber (13) having an inlet for the ingredient, an inlet for injecting the diluent and an outlet for the beverage or comestible food resulting from the mixing of the ingredient with the diluent,- a reservoir for the ingredient,- a dosing device for dosing a portion of the ingredients into the mixing chamber (13),comprising the step of: - actively generating an stream across the ingredient inlet opening (17) in order to produce a low pressure zone over the ingredient inlet opening (17),wherein the air stream is not generated in periods in which dosed ingredient drops into the mixing chamber (13) through the ingredient inlet opening (17).