Spray head assembly, foaming device and beverage equipment
By setting multiple connection holes and installing jet nozzles on the steam pipe assembly head, the problem of foaming device failure caused by nozzle blockage was solved, and the high reliability and stability of the foaming device were achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202422828378.2
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-19
- Publication Date
- 2025-12-02
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-11-19
AI Technical Summary
The nozzles of existing nozzles are prone to clogging, which prevents the formation of steam jets and affects the normal operation of the foaming device.
Multiple connection holes are provided on the assembly head of the steam pipe, and a jet nozzle is installed at each connection hole. The jet nozzle has a jet flow channel to ensure that even if one jet flow channel is blocked, a steam jet can still be formed through the other flow channels.
It reduces the risk of malfunction of the foaming device, improves its reliability and stability, and ensures continuous operation for foaming and latte art effects.
Smart Images
Figure CN223614593U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of beverage equipment technology, and in particular to a nozzle assembly, a foaming device, and a beverage equipment. Background Technology
[0002] Milk-based coffees are becoming increasingly popular, as the rich milk foam enhances the flavor and allows for latte art. The related technology typically involves a nozzle with an orifice at the bottom to create a steam jet, which is used for frothing and latte art. However, if this orifice becomes clogged, the steam jet cannot be formed. Utility Model Content
[0003] The main purpose of this invention is to provide a nozzle assembly that reduces the risk of malfunction in foaming devices equipped with the nozzle assembly.
[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the nozzle assembly proposed in this utility model includes:
[0005] A steam pipe includes a pipe body and an assembly head located at the end of the pipe body, the assembly head having multiple connection holes on a side opposite to the pipe body; and
[0006] Multiple jet heads are provided, with one jet head correspondingly installed in one of the connecting holes, and the jet head is provided with a jet flow channel.
[0007] Optionally, the jet nozzle is detachably connected to the connection hole.
[0008] Optionally, the jet nozzle is connected to the connection hole via a threaded pair or a snap-fit structure.
[0009] Optionally, a sealing structure is provided at the connection between the jet nozzle and the connecting hole.
[0010] Optionally, the number of connecting holes is three or four, and correspondingly, the number of jet nozzles is three or four; and / or
[0011] The plurality of connecting holes are evenly spaced around the circumference of the assembly head.
[0012] Optionally, the assembly head is provided with a flow guiding protrusion, and a plurality of the connecting holes are arranged circumferentially around the flow guiding protrusion, and the cross-sectional area of the flow guiding protrusion gradually decreases in the protrusion direction.
[0013] Optionally, the assembly head is integrated with the tube body.
[0014] Optionally, the nozzle assembly has a nozzle axis extending in a first direction, a plurality of jet nozzles are spaced apart around the nozzle axis, the jet flow channel extends in a direction away from the nozzle axis, and the outlet of the jet flow channel away from the jet axis is a jet outlet, the jet outlet having a jet centerline extending in a second direction.
[0015] On a reference plane passing through the jet center point of the jet outlet and perpendicular to the nozzle axis, the line connecting the projection point of the nozzle axis and the jet center point forms an angle with the jet center line or its projection line.
[0016] Optionally, the jet centerline is set at an angle to the reference plane.
[0017] This utility model also proposes a foaming device, including the aforementioned nozzle structure.
[0018] This utility model also proposes a beverage device, including the aforementioned nozzle assembly and / or the aforementioned foaming device.
[0019] The technical solution of this utility model is to set multiple connection holes on the assembly head of the steam pipe and install a jet nozzle corresponding to each connection hole. Each jet nozzle is provided with a jet flow channel. In this way, even if the jet flow channel on one jet nozzle is blocked during use, a steam jet can still be formed through the jet flow channels on other jet nozzles. The steam jet can still be used to achieve foaming and drawing, thereby reducing the failure risk of the foaming device equipped with the nozzle assembly. Attached Figure Description
[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.
[0021] Figure 1 This is an exploded structural diagram of an embodiment of the nozzle assembly of this utility model;
[0022] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the longitudinal section of the central nozzle structure;
[0023] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A bottom-view schematic diagram of the central nozzle structure.
[0024] Explanation of icon numbers:
[0025] 20. Steam pipe; 21. Pipe body; 23. Assembly head; 231. Guide protrusion; 50. Jet nozzle; 11. Jet flow channel; 111. Jet outlet
[0026] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of this utility model will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation
[0027] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.
[0028] It should be noted that if the embodiments of this utility model involve directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.
[0029] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this utility model involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the use of "and / or" or "and / or" throughout the text includes three parallel solutions. For example, "A and / or B" includes solution A, solution B, or a solution where both A and B are satisfied simultaneously. Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this utility model.
[0030] This utility model proposes a nozzle assembly.
[0031] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 In one embodiment of this utility model, the nozzle assembly includes:
[0032] Steam pipe 20 includes a pipe body 21 and an assembly head 23 located at the end of the pipe body 21. The assembly head 23 has multiple connection holes on the side opposite to the pipe body 21.
[0033] Multiple jet heads 50, one of which is installed in a corresponding connection hole, and the jet head 50 is provided with a jet flow channel 11.
[0034] The technical solution of this utility model is to provide multiple connection holes on the assembly head 23 of the steam pipe 20, and install a jet nozzle 50 corresponding to each connection hole. Each jet nozzle 50 is provided with a jet flow channel 11. In this way, even if the jet flow channel 11 on one of the jet nozzles 50 is blocked during use, a steam jet can still be formed through the jet flow channels 11 on the other jet nozzles 50. The steam jet can still be used to achieve foaming and drawing, thereby reducing the failure risk of the foaming device equipped with the nozzle assembly.
[0035] Optionally, the assembly head 23 is integrally connected to the tube body 21; it is understood that the integral structure has reliable sealing performance, which can prevent the reduction of foaming efficiency due to air leakage. In this utility model, the assembly head 23 and the tube body 21 can be integrally formed, or, but not limited to, welded together.
[0036] Optionally, the jet nozzle 50 is detachably connected to the connecting hole to facilitate maintenance or replacement of the jet nozzle 50 if it becomes clogged or damaged. Alternatively, the jet nozzle 50 and the connecting hole can also be connected via, but are not limited to, a riveting or adhesive structure. Further, the jet nozzle 50 and the connecting hole are detachably connected via a threaded pair. Specifically, the jet nozzle 50 has an external thread, and the connecting hole has an internal thread; the detachable connection is achieved through the engagement of the external and internal threads. In particular, the threaded pair structure also provides a certain degree of sealing capability. A sealing structure can also be optionally provided between the jet nozzle 50 and the connecting hole to prevent reduced foaming efficiency due to air leakage. The sealing structure can be an O-ring or a washer, etc. Additionally, the jet nozzle 50 and the connecting hole can also be detachably connected via, but are not limited to, a snap-fit structure.
[0037] It is understood that if the number of air jet heads 50 is too small, the foaming effect of the liquid bubbles will be weak; if the number of air jet heads 50 is too large, the processing will be more difficult. In this embodiment, in order to balance good foaming effect and easy processing, the number of air jet heads 50 can be selected as 3 or 4, and correspondingly, the number of connecting holes is 3 or 4.
[0038] Alternatively, the plurality of connecting holes are evenly spaced around the circumference of the assembly head 23, that is, the plurality of jet nozzles 50 are evenly spaced around the circumference of the assembly head 23, so as to make the liquid bubbles at each position more uniform.
[0039] Furthermore, the assembly head 23 is provided with a flow guiding protrusion 231, and a plurality of connecting holes are arranged circumferentially around the flow guiding protrusion 231. The cross-sectional area of the flow guiding protrusion 231 gradually decreases in the protruding direction. In this way, the steam entering the assembly head 23 can be guided to each connecting hole through the circumferential surface of the flow guiding protrusion 231, so as to flow smoothly into each jet nozzle 50. This is conducive to forming a steam jet with stronger kinetic energy through each jet nozzle 50, improving the foaming success rate and increasing the foaming effect.
[0040] Reference Figure 2 In this embodiment, the guide protrusion 231 is cone-shaped, and the tip of the cone can effectively divert steam. However, this design is not limited to this; in other embodiments, the guide protrusion 231 may also be partially spherical or frustum-shaped.
[0041] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 Furthermore, the nozzle assembly has a nozzle axis extending in a first direction, a plurality of jet nozzles 50 are spaced apart around the nozzle axis, the jet flow channel 11 extends in a direction away from the nozzle axis, and the outlet of the jet flow channel 11 away from the jet axis is a jet outlet 111, the jet outlet 111 having a jet centerline extending in a second direction.
[0042] On a reference plane passing through the jet center point of the jet outlet 111 and perpendicular to the nozzle axis, the line connecting the projection point of the nozzle axis and the jet center point forms an angle α with the jet center line or its projection line. This ensures that the steam ejected from the jet outlet 111 has a tangential component of a circle centered on the projection point of the nozzle axis. This tangential component allows the steam to drive the liquid in a vortex-like flow. Therefore, when foaming, only the multiple jet nozzles 50 need to be inserted into the center or near the center of the liquid to be foamed, and the jet outlet 111 should be tilted towards the bottom of the frothing pitcher. This will create a vortex-like flow and cause the liquid to tumble inside and outside the pitcher, achieving a good foaming effect. In other words, the nozzle assembly provided by this invention enables foaming through simpler operation, thereby lowering the barrier to entry for using foaming devices equipped with this nozzle assembly.
[0043] It should be noted that when the jet centerline is located on the reference plane, the user only needs to adjust the tilt angle of the nozzle assembly, as long as the jet outlet 111 has a certain tilt angle with the bottom of the frothing pitcher cup; while when the jet centerline has an angle with the reference plane, the user only needs to vertically extend the multiple jet nozzles 50 to a position close to the liquid surface to make the jet outlet 111 have a certain tilt angle with the bottom of the frothing pitcher cup. In this case, the projection line of the jet centerline on the reference plane is set at an angle α with the aforementioned connecting line.
[0044] Reference Figure 3 Optionally, on the reference plane, the distance L from the projection point of the nozzle axis to the jet centerline or the reverse extension of its projection line is greater than or equal to 2 mm. It can be understood that the farther the tangential airflow is from the nozzle axis, that is, the farther the tangential airflow is from the center of the liquid to be foamed, the better the vortex effect. In this embodiment, L ≥ 2 mm to ensure a good vortex effect generated by the multiple jet nozzles 50. Further, L ≥ 3 mm to further improve the lower limit of the vortex effect generated by the multiple jet nozzles 50.
[0045] It is worth mentioning that, given a fixed diameter of the circle containing the jet outlet 111 (i.e., a fixed outer diameter of the assembly head 23), a larger included angle α results in a larger L, leading to a better vortex effect of steam on the liquid. However, a larger included angle α also increases the machining difficulty of the jet nozzle 50. Conversely, with a fixed included angle α, a larger distance between the jet nozzle 50 and the nozzle axis results in a larger L, further enhancing the vortex effect of steam on the liquid. However, a larger distance between the jet nozzle 50 and the nozzle axis requires a larger outer diameter of the assembly head 23, increasing the material cost of the assembly head 23 and potentially making it unsuitable for smaller drawing cylinders. To balance lower machining difficulty, lower cost, and wider product applicability, the included angle α can be selected from 10° to 45°, and the diameter of the circle containing the jet outlet 111 can be selected from 10mm to 30mm.
[0046] Reference Figure 2 Furthermore, the jet centerline is set at an angle β with the reference plane. In this way, the user only needs to vertically extend multiple jet nozzles 50 to a position close to the liquid surface to make the jet outlet 111 have a certain tilt angle with the bottom of the frothing pitcher cup (making the foaming operation simpler). This makes the steam ejected from the jet outlet 111 tilted relative to the liquid surface, so that the steam jet can create a local negative pressure cavity on the liquid surface and entrain outside air, thereby helping the liquid to produce better air intake and foaming effect.
[0047] It is worth noting that when the included angle β is closer to 90°, the liquid surface turbulence formed by the steam jet is weaker, the air entrainment effect is poor, and the sizing effect is not good; while when the included angle β is closer to 0°, the steam jet is prone to liquid overflow and splashing. To balance good sizing effect with reducing liquid overflow and splashing, the included angle β can be selected as: 20°≤β≤70°. To better balance good sizing effect with further reducing liquid overflow and splashing, the included angle β can be further selected as: 30°≤β≤60°.
[0048] Optionally, in the direction away from the nozzle axis, the curvature of the portion of the jet channel 11 extending along the curve gradually increases; it can be understood that the greater the curvature, the greater the degree of bending, the faster the deflection angle increases, which is more conducive to achieving a larger included angle α.
[0049] Optionally, the jet channel 11 extends entirely along a curve. However, this design is not limited to this; in other embodiments, the jet channel 11 may also have a portion that extends in a straight line.
[0050] In this invention, the jet nozzle 50 is provided with a jet hole, and the jet flow channel 11 includes the channel of the jet hole.
[0051] In one embodiment, the jet flow channel 11 may consist only of the channel of the nozzle, in which case the channel of the nozzle extends at least partially along a curve and generally extends along a curve as a whole, in order to reduce the wall thickness of the jet head 50 required to achieve a larger included angle α, thereby reducing material and processing costs.
[0052] However, this design is not limited to this. In another embodiment, the nozzle structure may further include an extension tube disposed on the outer wall of the jet nozzle 50 and communicating with the nozzle orifice, and the jet flow channel 11 further includes the pipe of the extension tube. It is understood that the extension tube allows the jet flow channel 11 to be longer, thereby making it easier to achieve the desired orientation of the external jet outlet 111, because changing the direction of the extension tube is easier than changing the direction of the orifice within the wall of the jet nozzle 50. It should be noted that in this embodiment, at least a portion of the nozzle orifice may be configured to extend along a curve, or at least a portion of the extension tube may be configured to extend along a curve, or both at least a portion of the nozzle orifice and at least a portion of the extension tube may be configured to extend along a curve.
[0053] This utility model also proposes a foaming device, which includes a nozzle assembly. The specific structure of the nozzle assembly is as described in the above embodiments. Since this foaming device adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be described in detail here.
[0054] This utility model also proposes a beverage device, which includes a nozzle assembly and / or a foaming device. The specific structure of the nozzle assembly and / or foaming device is as described in the above embodiments. Since this beverage device adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be described in detail here. This beverage device can be a coffee machine or other equipment that requires foaming operations on the surface of the beverage liquid it is making.
[0055] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and does not limit the patent scope of the present utility model. All equivalent structural transformations made under the inventive concept of the present utility model using the contents of the present utility model specification and drawings, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present utility model.
Claims
1. A nozzle assembly, characterized in that, The nozzle assembly is used for a foaming device and includes: A steam pipe includes a pipe body and an assembly head located at the end of the pipe body, the assembly head having multiple connection holes on a side opposite to the pipe body; and Multiple jet heads are provided, with one jet head corresponding to one of the connecting holes. Each jet head is provided with a jet flow channel, and the steam jet formed through the jet flow channel is used to achieve foaming.
2. The nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The jet nozzle is detachably connected to the connection hole.
3. The nozzle assembly as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The jet nozzle is connected to the connecting hole via a threaded pair or a snap-fit structure.
4. The nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The connection between the jet nozzle and the connecting hole is provided with a sealing structure.
5. The nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The number of connection holes is three or four, and correspondingly, the number of jet nozzles is three or four; and / or The plurality of connecting holes are evenly spaced around the circumference of the assembly head.
6. The nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The assembly head is provided with a flow-guiding protrusion, and a plurality of connecting holes are circumferentially spaced around the flow-guiding protrusion. The cross-sectional area of the flow-guiding protrusion gradually decreases in the protruding direction; and / or The assembly head is integrated with the tube body.
7. The nozzle assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The nozzle assembly has a nozzle axis extending in a first direction, a plurality of jet nozzles are spaced apart around the nozzle axis, the jet flow channel extends in a direction away from the nozzle axis, and the outlet of the jet flow channel away from the nozzle axis is a jet outlet, the jet outlet having a jet centerline extending in a second direction. On a reference plane passing through the jet center point of the jet outlet and perpendicular to the nozzle axis, the line connecting the projection point of the nozzle axis and the jet center point forms an angle with the jet center line or its projection line.
8. The nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that, The jet centerline is set at an angle to the reference plane.
9. A foaming device, characterized in that, Includes the nozzle assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.
10. A beverage equipment, characterized in that, Includes the nozzle assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 8 and / or the foaming device as described in claim 9.