Air inlet structure applied to steam milk suction foam maker

Abstract

The utility model discloses an air inlet structure applied to a steam milk suction foam maker, which comprises a shell and a suction pipe connected to the bottom of the shell, a cavity is arranged in the shell, and the top and the bottom of the shell are respectively provided with an air inlet and a milk suction inlet which are communicated with the cavity. A waterproof air inlet structure which allows air to freely pass through is plugged in the air inlet, and the air inlet structure is detachably arranged on the shell. The milk bottle is reasonable in structural design, the air inlet plug capable of preventing water and allowing air to freely pass through is blocked at the air inlet, and the microporous structure on the air inlet plug blocks liquid water but allows air molecules to freely diffuse, so that milk or clear water is effectively prevented from overflowing, and air inlet blockage caused by caking after the milk is dried is prevented.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of milk foaming devices, and in particular to an air intake structure for use in a steam milk foaming device. Background Technology

[0002] Coffee, as a beverage, has gradually become a part of people's daily work, study, and life. In today's fast-paced world, brewing a cup of rich, aromatic coffee can greatly boost one's spirits. With the increasing frequency of coffee consumption, more and more people are using coffee machines to make coffee while traveling outdoors or at home. In daily life, the specialty coffees we often drink are beverages made by mixing milk foam with coffee. To create milk foam, air needs to be drawn into the milk and steam stream, generally using the siphon principle to draw the milk into a vacuum chamber. This effect is caused by the high speed of the pressurized steam.

[0003] In existing steam milk frothers, during the milk pumping or cleaning process, milk and water can easily overflow through the air inlet, causing the milk to dry and clump, resulting in air blockage and failure of the air intake structure. Consequently, the amount of air introduced into the cavity is insufficient to support the full mixing of milk foam, affecting the taste of the milk foam. Utility Model Content

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide an air intake structure for use in a steam milk pump frother, based on the current state of the technology.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to solve the above-mentioned technical problems is as follows: an air intake structure for a steam milk frother, including an outer shell and a straw connected to the bottom of the outer shell. The outer shell has a cavity. The top and bottom of the outer shell are respectively provided with an air inlet and a milk inlet communicating with the cavity. The air inlet is blocked by a waterproof air intake structure that allows air to pass freely. The air intake structure is detachably mounted on the outer shell.

[0006] Preferably, the air intake structure includes an air intake plug, the surface of which is provided with a microporous structure for blocking liquid water from passing through but allowing air molecules to diffuse freely, the pore size of the microporous structure being in the range of 0.1 micrometers to 10 micrometers, and the surface of the air intake plug being provided with an oleophobic coating for preventing grease from adhering and clogging.

[0007] Preferably, the top of the outer casing extends upward to provide an air intake channel, an air intake plug is disposed in the air intake channel, the bottom of the air intake channel is an adjustment section in the shape of a cone with a larger top and a smaller bottom, the air inlet is located at the bottom of the adjustment section, and the outer wall of the air intake plug and the inner wall of the air intake channel are in close contact.

[0008] Preferably, the top of the air intake plug extends upward to provide a handle portion, and a fixing clip for fixing the air intake plug is snapped onto the handle portion. The outer wall of the air intake channel has a through hole that cooperates with and abuts against the fixing clip.

[0009] Preferably, the outer shell includes an upper shell and a lower shell, and the cavity includes a steam inlet chamber, a negative pressure chamber and a stirring chamber arranged coaxially and laterally. The negative pressure chamber is located between the steam inlet chamber and the stirring chamber. The steam inlet chamber and the negative pressure chamber are connected by a steam nozzle, which is a small channel. The negative pressure chamber and the stirring chamber are connected by an ejector channel. An air inlet and a milk inlet are respectively opened on the upper and lower sides of the negative pressure chamber and are both connected to the negative pressure chamber.

[0010] Preferably, the upper shell side extends in a direction perpendicular to the cavity and is provided with a steam supply channel communicating with the steam inlet cavity, and the lower shell side extends in a direction coaxial with the cavity and is provided with a milk foam outflow channel communicating with the stirring cavity.

[0011] Preferably, the inner wall of the lower shell has an upwardly protruding partition wall, the top of which is engaged with the inner wall of the upper shell, and the steam nozzle is opened on the partition wall, which is arranged between the steam inlet chamber and the negative pressure chamber.

[0012] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of this utility model are: by blocking the air inlet with a waterproof plug that allows air to pass freely, the microporous structure on the air inlet plug blocks liquid water but allows air molecules to diffuse freely, effectively preventing milk or water from overflowing and preventing milk from drying and clumping, thus preventing air blockage. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model;

[0014] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the present invention.

[0015] Reference numerals: 1. Straw; 2. Air inlet; 3. Milk inlet; 4. Air inlet plug; 5. Air inlet channel; 6. Adjustment section; 7. Handle; 8. Fixing clip; 9. Through hole; 10. Upper shell; 11. Lower shell; 12. Steam inlet chamber; 13. Negative pressure chamber; 14. Stirring chamber; 15. Steam nozzle; 16. Ejector channel; 17. Steam supply channel; 18. Milk foam outlet channel; 19. Partition. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The following drawings will disclose several embodiments of this utility model. For clarity, many practical details will be described in the following description. However, it should be understood that these practical details should not be used to limit this utility model. That is, in some embodiments of this utility model, these practical details are not essential. In addition, for the sake of simplicity, some conventional structures and components will be shown in the drawings in a simple schematic manner.

[0017] It should be noted that all directional indicators in this utility model embodiment, such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc., are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indicator will also change accordingly.

[0018] Furthermore, in addition to indicating orientation or positional relationship, the aforementioned terms may also be used to indicate other meanings. For example, the term "above" may also be used in some cases to indicate a certain dependency or connection relationship. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of these terms in this utility model can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0019] Furthermore, the terms "installation," "setting," "equipped with," "connection," "linking," and "socketing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral structures; they can refer to mechanical connections or electrical connections; they can refer to direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium, or internal connections between two devices, components, or parts. The connection methods described herein are existing technologies without any modifications and are common knowledge to those skilled in the art. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0020] Furthermore, in this utility model, the use of terms such as "first" and "second" is for descriptive purposes only and does not specifically refer to any order or sequence, nor is it intended to limit the utility model. They are merely used to distinguish components or operations described with the same technical terms and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the technical solutions of various embodiments can be combined with each other, but only if they are feasible for those skilled in the art. If a 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.

[0021] like Figures 1 to 2As shown, this utility model provides an air intake structure for a steam milk frother, including a shell and a straw 1 connected to the bottom of the shell. The shell has a cavity. Specifically, the top and bottom of the shell are respectively provided with an air inlet 2 and a milk inlet 3 communicating with the cavity. The straw 1 and the milk inlet 3 are connected. The air inlet 2 is blocked by a waterproof air intake structure that allows air to pass freely. The air intake structure is detachably mounted on the shell.

[0022] The air intake structure includes an air intake plug 4, which is resistant to chemical corrosion and has a long service life. The surface of the air intake plug 4 is provided with a microporous structure to block liquid water from passing through but allow air molecules to diffuse freely. Specifically, the pore size of the microporous structure ranges from 0.1 micrometers to 10 micrometers. Due to the high surface tension of water, it cannot pass through the tiny pores. The surface of the air intake plug 4 is provided with an oleophobic coating to prevent grease from adhering and clogging, preventing milk and other greases from adhering and clogging the air inlet 2, ensuring air permeability and service life, and eliminating the need for frequent pipe cleaning.

[0023] The top of the outer casing extends upward to form an air intake channel 5, and an air intake plug 4 is located inside the air intake channel 5. The bottom of the air intake channel 5 is a cone-shaped adjustment section 6 that is larger at the top and smaller at the bottom. Specifically, the air inlet 2 is located at the bottom of the adjustment section 6, and the outer wall of the air intake plug 4 and the inner wall of the air intake channel 5 are in close contact.

[0024] The top of the air intake plug 4 extends upward to provide a handle 7, and a fixing clip 8 for fixing the air intake plug 4 is snapped onto the handle 7; specifically, the outer wall of the air intake channel 5 is provided with a through hole 9 that cooperates with and abuts against the fixing clip 8.

[0025] The outer shell includes an upper shell 10 and a lower shell 11. The cavity includes a steam inlet chamber 12, a negative pressure chamber 13 and a stirring chamber 14 arranged coaxially and laterally. The negative pressure chamber 13 is located between the steam inlet chamber 12 and the stirring chamber 14. Specifically, the steam inlet chamber 12 and the negative pressure chamber 13 are connected by a steam nozzle 15, which is a small channel. The negative pressure chamber 13 and the stirring chamber 14 are connected by an ejector channel 16. The air inlet 2 and the milk inlet 3 are respectively opened on the upper and lower sides of the negative pressure chamber 13 and are both connected to the negative pressure chamber 13.

[0026] The upper shell 10 has a steam supply channel 17 extending perpendicularly to the cavity and communicating with the steam inlet cavity 12; specifically, the lower shell 11 has a milk foam outlet channel 18 extending coaxially with the cavity and communicating with the stirring cavity 14.

[0027] The inner wall of the lower housing 11 has an upwardly protruding partition 19, and the top of the partition 19 is engaged with the inner wall of the upper housing 10. Specifically, the steam nozzle 15 is opened on the partition 19, and the partition 19 is arranged between the steam inlet chamber 12 and the negative pressure chamber 13.

[0028] The working principle of this invention is as follows: Steam enters the steam inlet chamber 12 from the steam supply channel 17, and is then pressurized and ejected at high pressure through the steam nozzle 15. The steam nozzle 15 and the ejector channel 16 are coaxially and laterally arranged. The high-pressure steam quickly passes through the ejector channel 16, causing a strong negative pressure and siphon effect to be rapidly generated around the inside of the negative pressure chamber 13. Under the action of negative pressure and siphon, and because the steam nozzle 15, air inlet 2, milk inlet 3, and ejector channel 16 are all directly connected to the negative pressure chamber 13, the negative pressure in the negative pressure chamber 13 can quickly draw in steam, air, and milk and quickly bring them into the stirring chamber 14 through the ejector channel 16. The mixture of milk, air, and steam is then drawn into the stirring chamber 14. After exiting the jet channel 16, the mixture suddenly diffuses within the mixing chamber 14, causing the mixed fluid to swirl and collide along the mixing chamber 14, thus better forming a vortex within the mixing chamber 14. During the rotation of the mixture, the steam, milk, and air within the mixing chamber 14 are further fully and evenly mixed, thereby forming fine milk foam. The unemulsified mixture has a high density and centrifugal force, so it will continue to rotate and remix and emulsify along the wall. The well-emulsified mixture has a low density and low centrifugal force, so it decelerates quickly and flows out of the milk foam outlet channel 18 before the unemulsified mixture. Finally, the emulsified milk with milk foam, under pressure, will flow out along the milk foam outlet channel 18 after its speed decreases.

[0029] The intake plug 4 has a microporous structure with a pore size ranging from 0.1 micrometers to 10 micrometers on its surface. It is waterproof while allowing air to pass freely, is resistant to chemical corrosion, and has a long service life. The main advantages of the intake plug 4 are:

[0030] 1. Waterproof: The microporous structure blocks liquid water. Due to the high surface tension of water, it cannot pass through the tiny pores. It effectively prevents milk or water from overflowing during milking or washing, and prevents milk from drying and clumping, which can cause air intake blockage and failure of the air intake structure.

[0031] 2. Breathable, allowing air molecules (approximately 0.3 nanometers) to diffuse freely;

[0032] 3. Anti-clogging design: The surface is coated with an oleophobic coating to prevent milk and other oils from adhering and clogging the air inlet 2, ensuring air permeability and service life, and eliminating the need for frequent pipe cleaning.

[0033] The advantages of this utility model are: by blocking the air inlet 2 with a waterproof air inlet plug 4 that allows air to pass freely, the microporous structure on the air inlet plug 4 blocks liquid water but allows air molecules to diffuse freely, effectively preventing milk or water from overflowing and preventing milk from drying and clumping, thus preventing air blockage.

[0034] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0035] All standard parts used in this invention can be purchased from the market, and irregular parts can be customized according to the description and drawings. The specific connection methods of each part adopt conventional methods such as bolts, rivets, welding, and bonding that are mature in the existing technology, and will not be described in detail here.

[0036] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and variations can be made in the specific implementation and application scope based on the idea of ​​this utility model. The content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of this utility model should be included within the scope of the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. An air intake structure for a steam breast milk frother, comprising a housing and a straw connected to the bottom of the housing, wherein the housing contains a cavity, characterized in that: The top and bottom of the outer shell are respectively provided with an air inlet and a milk intake inlet that communicate with the cavity. The air inlet is blocked by a waterproof but air-breathing structure that allows air to pass freely. The air-breathing structure is detachably mounted on the outer shell.

2. The air intake structure for a steam milk frother according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air intake structure includes an air intake plug, the surface of which is provided with a microporous structure for blocking liquid water from passing through but allowing air molecules to diffuse freely. The pore size of the microporous structure ranges from 0.1 micrometers to 10 micrometers. The surface of the air intake plug is provided with an oleophobic coating for preventing grease from adhering and clogging.

3. The air intake structure for a steam milk frother according to claim 2, characterized in that: The top of the outer casing extends upward to form an air intake channel, and an air intake plug is located inside the air intake channel. The bottom of the air intake channel is a cone-shaped adjustment section that is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom. The air inlet is located at the bottom of the adjustment section, and the outer wall of the air intake plug and the inner wall of the air intake channel are in close contact.

4. The air intake structure for a steam milk frother according to claim 3, characterized in that: The top of the air intake plug extends upward to provide a handle, and a fixing clip for fixing the air intake plug is engaged on the handle. The outer wall of the air intake channel has a through hole that cooperates with and abuts against the fixing clip.

5. The air intake structure for a steam milk frother according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer shell includes an upper shell and a lower shell. The cavity includes a steam inlet chamber, a negative pressure chamber and a stirring chamber arranged coaxially and laterally. The negative pressure chamber is located between the steam inlet chamber and the stirring chamber. The steam inlet chamber and the negative pressure chamber are connected by a steam nozzle, which is a small channel. The negative pressure chamber and the stirring chamber are connected by an ejector channel. An air inlet and a milk intake inlet are respectively opened on the upper and lower sides of the negative pressure chamber and are both connected to the negative pressure chamber.

6. The air intake structure for a steam milk frother according to claim 5, characterized in that: The upper shell side extends in a direction perpendicular to the cavity and is provided with a steam supply channel communicating with the steam inlet cavity, while the lower shell side extends in a direction coaxial with the cavity and is provided with a milk foam outflow channel communicating with the stirring cavity.

7. The air intake structure for a steam milk frother according to claim 5, characterized in that: The inner wall of the lower shell has an upwardly protruding partition wall, the top of which is engaged with the inner wall of the upper shell. The steam nozzle is located on the partition wall, which is positioned between the steam inlet chamber and the negative pressure chamber.

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