A milk frother for a coffee machine

Abstract

This utility model provides a milk frother for a coffee machine, including a milk container, an inner lid mounted on top of the milk container, a foaming component disposed on the inner lid, and an upper lid covering the inner lid. The upper lid is detachably connected to the inner lid via a quick-release structure. The quick-release structure includes an upper lid pivot on one side of the inner wall of the upper lid and an elastic buckle on the other side of the inner wall. One end of the inner lid has an inwardly recessed groove that matches the upper lid pivot, and the other end has a slot that engages with the elastic buckle. To disassemble, the upper lid is flipped over to disengage the elastic buckle from the slot, and then the upper lid pivot is moved out of the inner lid groove. This utility model provides a milk frother for a coffee machine that overcomes the shortcomings of existing milk frothers, which are inconvenient to disassemble and clean, making it difficult to clean the internal foaming component.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of coffee machines, and in particular to a milk frother for a coffee machine. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of modern beverage making equipment, coffee machines and beverage machines, as common household and commercial devices, provide people with a wide variety of beverage choices. Among them, the milk frother, as a key component for making milk-frozen beverages (such as lattes and cappuccinos), directly affects the quality of the beverage and the user experience in terms of its performance and ease of cleaning.

[0003] Many milk frothers in coffee and beverage machines currently on the market have significant structural design flaws, primarily in their difficulty to disassemble and clean, especially the internal foaming components. Existing milk frothers generally use screws to secure the top and bottom covers together. This method makes it difficult for users to manually disassemble the frother and separate the foaming chamber from the connecting tubing for thorough cleaning during routine maintenance.

[0004] During use, milk residue can remain inside the foaming chamber and tubing of a milk frother. If these areas are not thoroughly cleaned promptly and effectively, the milk residue can easily deteriorate under suitable temperature and humidity conditions. This deterioration not only produces an unpleasant odor, affecting the taste of subsequently made beverages, but more seriously, using a milk frother containing this contaminated residue to make and drink beverages may pose a potential health threat, such as causing gastrointestinal discomfort. Therefore, developing a milk frother structure that is easy to disassemble and effectively cleans the internal foaming components is crucial for improving the overall performance of beverage making equipment and enhancing the user experience. Utility Model Content

[0005] (a) Technical problems to be solved

[0006] The problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a milk frother for a coffee machine, so as to overcome the defect of existing milk frothers that are inconvenient to disassemble and assemble, making it difficult to clean the internal foaming components.

[0007] (II) Technical Solution

[0008] To solve the aforementioned technical problem, this utility model provides a milk frother for a coffee machine, comprising a milk container, an inner lid mounted on the top of the milk container, a foaming component disposed on the inner lid, and an upper lid covering the inner lid. The upper lid is detachably connected to the inner lid via a quick-release structure. The quick-release structure includes an upper lid pivot on one side of the inner wall of the upper lid and an elastic buckle on the other side of the inner wall. One end of the inner lid has an inwardly recessed groove adapted to the upper lid pivot, and the other end has a slot that engages with the elastic buckle. For disassembly, the upper lid is flipped to disengage the elastic buckle from the slot, and then the upper lid pivot is moved out of the inner lid groove.

[0009] In some embodiments, the foaming assembly includes a foaming chamber disposed on the upper end of the inner cover of the milk carton and a cover member covering the upper side of the foaming chamber. The inner wall of the upper cover of the milk carton is provided with a downward pressing protrusion similar to the outer contour of the foaming chamber. The downward pressing protrusion is used to press down the cover member to seal the foaming chamber.

[0010] In some embodiments, a first inclined baffle is provided on the upper wall of the slot and / or on the elastic buckle, the first inclined baffle being configured to allow the elastic buckle to smoothly enter the slot when the milk carton lid is closed.

[0011] In some embodiments, a second inclined baffle is provided on the upper side of the inner wall of the slot and / or on the elastic buckle, the second inclined baffle being configured to allow the elastic buckle to smoothly disengage from the slot when the top cover of the milk carton is flipped open.

[0012] In some embodiments, a plurality of protruding ribs are provided at circumferential intervals on the outer peripheral wall of the inner cover of the milk box. The protruding ribs are configured to ensure a tight fit between the inner cover and the milk box when the inner cover is fitted inside the top of the milk box.

[0013] In some embodiments, the foaming chamber includes a steam chamber and a mixing chamber located on both sides, with a steam nozzle formed between the steam chamber and the mixing chamber; the foaming chamber is provided with a milk inlet and an air inlet, the milk inlet being connected to the steam nozzle and the air inlet being connected to the mixing chamber.

[0014] In some embodiments, the inner cover of the milk box is provided with a steam inlet pipe and a milk foam outlet pipe along the outer periphery, and a milk suction tube is inserted into the lower end of the inner cover of the milk box; the steam inlet pipe is connected to the steam chamber, the milk foam outlet pipe is connected to the mixing chamber, and the milk suction tube is placed inside the milk box and is connected to the milk inlet hole.

[0015] In some embodiments, the inner cover of the milk box is provided with a connecting pipe communicating with the mixing chamber, and the connecting pipe is arranged perpendicularly to the steam inlet pipe; the milk foam outlet pipe includes an L-shaped adapter pipe that can be inserted into the connecting pipe, a connector seal installed at one end of the L-shaped adapter pipe, and a milk foam outlet pipe that can be detachably installed at the other end of the L-shaped adapter pipe.

[0016] In some embodiments, the inner cover of the milk box is provided with a plug on one side of the steam inlet pipe, and the upper cover of the milk box is provided with two receiving slots for accommodating the plug and the steam inlet pipe. The elastic buckle is disposed between the two receiving slots, and the slot is disposed between the plug and the steam inlet pipe.

[0017] In some embodiments, the cover component is a silicone pad, the connector seal is a sealing ring, and the milk foam outlet tube is detachably connected to the L-shaped adapter tube by means of a rotating buckle.

[0018] (III) Beneficial Effects

[0019] The milk frother for a coffee machine provided by this utility model has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0020] 1) It adopts a quick-release structure. The upper cover hinge and the inner cover hinge groove cooperate, and the elastic buckle engages with the groove, so as to realize the detachable connection between the upper cover and the inner cover of the milk box. When disassembling, simply flip the upper cover of the milk box to disengage the elastic buckle from the groove, and then remove the upper cover hinge. The operation is simple and convenient, without the need for tools. It allows users to manually disassemble the milk frother, so as to thoroughly and meticulously clean the internal foaming chamber and connected pipes. It effectively solves the problem of inconvenient disassembly and cleaning of existing milk frothers, and greatly improves the convenience of cleaning.

[0021] 2) By pressing down on the protrusion, the cover component and the foaming chamber cooperate, after the top cover of the milk carton is closed, the protrusion presses down on the cover component to seal the foaming chamber, ensuring the normal production of milk foam; when the top cover of the milk carton is flipped open, the cover component can be directly removed to expose the foaming chamber, making it convenient to thoroughly and meticulously clean the foaming chamber. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a milk frother installed on a coffee machine according to the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of a milk frother for a coffee machine according to the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of a milk frother for a coffee machine according to the present invention.

[0026] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the milk frother / milk container lid of a coffee machine after it has been flipped open according to this utility model.

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the milk frother / milk container lid of a coffee machine after it is flipped open according to the present invention.

[0028] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the upper cover and the inner cover of the milk frother in a coffee machine according to the present invention.

[0029] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of the milk frother / milk container cover for a coffee machine according to the present invention.

[0030] Figure 8 This is a perspective view of the milk frother / milk container cover of a coffee machine according to this utility model.

[0031] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a milk frother foaming component for a coffee machine according to the present invention;

[0032] Figure 10 This is a perspective view of a milk frother foaming component for a coffee machine according to the present invention.

[0033] Figure 11 This is a perspective view of a milk frother foaming component for a coffee machine according to the present invention.

[0034] Figure 12 This is an exploded view of a milk frother installed at the rear of a coffee machine, according to the present invention.

[0035] The component names corresponding to the various labels in the figure are as follows: 1. Milk box; 2. Inner lid of milk box; 201. Inner lid shaft groove; 202. Slot; 203. Protruding rib; 204. Insertion post; 3. Upper lid of milk box; 301. Upper lid pivot; 302. Elastic buckle; 303. Press-down protrusion; 304. Receiving groove; 401. Foaming chamber; 402. Steam chamber; 403. Mixing chamber; 404. Steam nozzle; 405. Milk inlet hole; 406. Air inlet hole; 407. Connecting pipe; 41. Lid component; 42. Steam inlet pipe; 43. Milk foam outlet pipe; 431. L-shaped adapter pipe; 432. Joint seal; 433. Milk foam outlet pipe; 44. Milk suction tube; 5. First inclined baffle; 6. Second inclined baffle. Detailed Implementation

[0036] The present application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0037] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of this application. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this application from the content disclosed in this specification. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. This application can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and the details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of this application. It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and features in the embodiments can be combined with each other. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0038] It should be noted that various aspects of embodiments within the scope of the appended claims are described below. It will be apparent that the aspects described herein can be embodied in a wide variety of forms, and any particular structure and / or function described herein is merely illustrative. Based on this application, those skilled in the art will understand that one aspect described herein can be implemented independently of any other aspect, and two or more of these aspects can be combined in various ways. For example, any number and aspects set forth herein can be used to implement the device and / or practice the method. Additionally, this device and / or method can be implemented using structures and / or functionalities other than one or more of the aspects set forth herein.

[0039] It should also be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are only schematic representations of the basic concept of this application. The illustrations only show the components related to this application and are not drawn according to the number, shape and size of the components in actual implementation. In actual implementation, the form, quantity and proportion of each component can be arbitrarily changed, and the layout of the components may also be more complex.

[0040] Additionally, specific details are provided in the following description to facilitate a thorough understanding of the examples. However, those skilled in the art will understand that practice can be carried out without these specific details.

[0041] The technical solutions provided by the various embodiments of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0042] See Figures 1 to 12This utility model provides a milk frother for a coffee machine, including a milk container 1, an inner lid 2 mounted on the top of the milk container 1, a foaming component disposed on the inner lid 2, and an upper lid 3 covering the upper side of the inner lid 2. The milk container 1 is cylindrical with an opening at the top and is used to hold milk. The milk container 1 may be made of a transparent material to facilitate observation of the remaining milk level. The inner lid 2 fits inside the opening of the milk container 1, and the upper lid 3 covers the foaming component.

[0043] See Figures 5 to 8 , Figure 10 and Figure 11 The milk carton lid 3 is detachably connected to the inner lid 2 via a quick-release structure. This quick-release structure allows for rapid disassembly of the lid 3, facilitating cleaning of the foaming components. The quick-release structure includes a lid hinge 301 on one side of the inner wall of the lid 3 and an elastic buckle 302 on the other side. One end of the inner lid 2 has a recessed inner lid shaft groove 201 that fits the lid hinge 301. Both ends and the outer side of the inner lid shaft groove 201 are open to the outside, facilitating the insertion and removal of the lid hinge 301. The other end of the inner lid 2 has a slot 202 that engages with the elastic buckle 302. When installing the lid 3, the lid hinge 301 is inserted into the inner lid shaft groove 201, and then the lid 3 is flipped over so that the elastic buckle 302 engages with the slot 202. Installation is simple and convenient. During disassembly, flip the top cover 3 of the milk carton to disengage the elastic buckle 302 from the slot 202, and then move the top cover pivot 301 out of the inner cover pivot slot 201 to disassemble the top cover 3 of the milk carton. Disassembly is very convenient.

[0044] This milk frother features a quick-release structure. The hinge on one side of the milk container's inner lid engages with the inner lid's groove, while the elastic buckle on the other side engages with the inner lid's slot, allowing for a detachable connection between the top and bottom lids. Disassembly is simple: just flip the top lid to disengage the elastic buckle, then remove the hinge. The operation is straightforward and tool-free, allowing users to easily disassemble the frother for thorough cleaning of the internal foaming chamber and connecting tubing. This effectively solves the problem of inconvenient disassembly and cleaning in existing milk frothers, greatly improving cleaning convenience.

[0045] In some embodiments, such as Figures 3 to 7As shown, the foaming assembly includes a foaming chamber 401 located on the upper part of the inner lid 2 of the milk carton, and a cover component 41 that covers the upper side of the foaming chamber 401. The cover component 41 is a silicone gasket, providing a good seal. A downward-pressing protrusion 303, similar in outline to the outer contour of the foaming chamber 401, is provided on the inner wall of the upper lid 3 of the milk carton. The downward-pressing protrusion 303 is used to press down on the cover component 41 to seal the foaming chamber 401. When the upper lid 3 of the milk carton is installed, the downward-pressing protrusion 303 presses against the cover component 41, sealing the foaming chamber 401. When the upper lid 3 of the milk carton is removed, the cover component 41 can be directly removed, exposing the foaming chamber 401 for easy cleaning. This structure ensures a stable mixing environment of steam, milk, and air during the foaming process, preventing steam leakage or milk spillage and ensuring the normal production of milk foam, while also ensuring that the foaming chamber 401 can be exposed for easy cleaning.

[0046] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 , Figure 7 and Figure 10 As shown, a first inclined baffle 5 is provided on the upper wall of the slot 202 and / or on the elastic buckle 302. The first inclined baffle 5 is configured to allow the elastic buckle 302 to smoothly enter the slot 202 when the milk carton lid 3 is closed. In this embodiment, a first inclined baffle 5 is provided on both the upper wall of the slot 202 and the elastic buckle 302. During the process of flipping and closing the milk carton lid 3, the first inclined baffle 5 causes the elastic buckle 302 to deform towards the outside of the inner lid 2 of the milk carton, thereby allowing the elastic buckle 302 to smoothly enter the slot 202 by passing over the upper wall of the slot 202.

[0047] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5 As shown, a second inclined baffle 6 is provided on the upper inner wall of the slot 202 and / or on the elastic buckle 302. The second inclined baffle 6 is configured to allow the elastic buckle 302 to smoothly disengage from the slot 202 when the milk carton lid 3 is flipped open. In this embodiment, the second inclined baffle 6 is located on the upper inner wall of the slot 202. During the process of flipping open the milk carton lid 3, the elastic buckle 302 can smoothly disengage from the slot 202 through the second inclined baffle 6. This structure, using the design of the first inclined baffle 5 and the second inclined baffle 6, optimizes the opening and closing operation of the milk carton lid, making the installation and disassembly process smoother and improving the user's operating experience.

[0048] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 11As shown, multiple protruding ribs 203 are arranged in a ring at intervals on the outer peripheral wall of the inner lid 2 of the milk box. The protruding ribs 203 are arranged vertically and are configured to ensure a tight fit between the inner lid 2 and the milk box 1 when the inner lid 2 is fitted inside the top of the milk box 1. This structure, through the multiple protruding ribs 203, allows the inner lid 2 and the milk box 1 to achieve a tight fit, facilitating disassembly and assembly; furthermore, the milk box 1 can communicate with the outside air through the gap between two protruding ribs 203, facilitating milk feeding and also allowing the air inlet 406 to communicate with the outside air.

[0049] In some embodiments, such as Figure 9 As shown, the foaming chamber 401 includes a steam chamber 402 and a mixing chamber 403 located on both sides. The mixing chamber 403 is a mixing chamber for milk, steam, and air. A steam nozzle 404 is formed by the contraction between the steam chamber 402 and the mixing chamber 403. The foaming chamber 401 is provided with a milk inlet 405 and an air inlet 406. The milk inlet 405 is connected to the steam nozzle 404, and the air inlet 406 is connected to the mixing chamber 403. The air inlet 406 is also connected to the milk container 1. This structure facilitates the rational flow and mixing of steam, milk, and air within the foaming chamber, promoting efficient foam generation and improving the quality and yield of milk foam.

[0050] In some embodiments, such as Figures 9 to 11 As shown, the inner lid 2 of the milk carton has a steam inlet pipe 42 and a milk frothing pipe 43 arranged along its outer periphery. A milk suction tube 44 is inserted into the lower end of the inner lid 2. The steam inlet pipe 42 is connected to the steam chamber 402, the milk frothing pipe 43 is connected to the mixing chamber 403, and the milk suction tube 44 is placed inside the milk carton 1 and connected to the milk inlet hole 405. The above layout ensures the smooth delivery of steam and milk, realizing the smooth production and output of milk froth.

[0051] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 and Figure 9 As shown, the inner cover 2 of the milk box is provided with a connecting pipe 407 that communicates with the mixing chamber 403. The connecting pipe 407 is arranged perpendicularly to the steam inlet pipe 42. For easy cleaning, the milk foam outlet pipe 43 adopts a split structure. The milk foam outlet pipe 43 includes an L-shaped adapter pipe 431 that can be inserted into the connecting pipe 407, a connector seal 432 installed at one end of the L-shaped adapter pipe 431, and a milk foam outlet pipe 433 that can be detachably installed at the other end of the L-shaped adapter pipe 431. The connector seal 432 is a sealing ring, which helps to ensure the sealing of the connection between the L-shaped adapter pipe 431 and the connecting pipe 407. The milk foam outlet pipe 433 is detachably connected to the L-shaped adapter pipe 431 by a rotating buckle, which is convenient for disassembly and assembly.

[0052] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 11As shown, the inner cover 2 of the milk carton has a connector 204 on one side of the steam inlet pipe 42. The connector 204 is parallel to and spaced apart from the steam inlet pipe 42. When the milk frother is installed on the coffee machine, both the steam inlet pipe 42 and the connector 204 are connected to the coffee machine. The connector 204 is used to fix the milk frother. A locking rod is provided inside the coffee machine to lock the connector 204. The steam inlet pipe 42 is used to allow steam to enter. The upper cover 3 of the milk carton has two receiving slots 304 for accommodating the connector 204 and the steam inlet pipe 42. An elastic buckle 302 is located between the two receiving slots 304. Since the upper cover 3 of the milk carton is made of plastic and is located between the two receiving slots 304, the elastic buckle 302 has a certain degree of elasticity. The slot 202 is located between the connector 204 and the steam inlet pipe 42.

[0053] The same or similar parts between the various embodiments in this specification can be referred to mutually. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments.

[0054] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A milk frother for a coffee machine, characterized in that: The device includes a milk carton (1), an inner lid (2) mounted on the top of the milk carton (1), a foaming assembly disposed on the inner lid (2), and an upper lid (3) covering the upper side of the inner lid (2). The upper lid (3) is detachably connected to the inner lid (2) via a quick-release structure. The quick-release structure includes an upper lid pivot (301) disposed on one side of the inner wall of the upper lid (3) and a spring on the other side of the inner wall of the upper lid (3). The inner cover (2) of the milk box has an inner cover groove (201) that is recessed at one end and adapted to the upper cover pivot (301). The other end of the inner cover (2) of the milk box is provided with a slot (202) that can engage with the elastic buckle (302). When disassembling, flip the upper cover (3) of the milk box to disengage the elastic buckle (302) from the slot (202), and then move the upper cover pivot (301) out of the inner cover groove (201).

2. The milk frother of the coffee machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The foaming assembly includes a foaming chamber (401) disposed on the upper end of the inner cover (2) of the milk carton and a cover component (41) covering the upper side of the foaming chamber (401). The inner wall of the upper cover (3) of the milk carton is provided with a downward protrusion (303) similar to the outer contour of the foaming chamber (401). The downward protrusion (303) is used to press down the cover component (41) to seal the foaming chamber (401).

3. The milk frother of the coffee machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that: A first inclined baffle (5) is provided on the upper wall of the slot (202) and / or on the elastic buckle (302). The first inclined baffle (5) is configured to allow the elastic buckle (302) to smoothly enter the slot (202) when the milk box lid (3) is closed.

4. The milk frother of the coffee machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that: A second inclined baffle (6) is provided on the upper inner wall of the slot (202) and / or on the elastic buckle (302). The second inclined baffle (6) is configured to allow the elastic buckle (302) to smoothly disengage from the slot (202) when the milk box lid (3) is flipped open.

5. The milk frother of the coffee machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The outer peripheral wall of the inner cover (2) of the milk box is provided with a plurality of protruding ribs (203) at intervals in a ring. The protruding ribs (203) are configured to make the inner cover (2) of the milk box and the milk box (1) fit tightly when the inner cover (2) of the milk box is fitted inside the top of the milk box (1).

6. The milk frother of the coffee machine as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The foaming chamber (401) includes a steam chamber (402) and a mixing chamber (403) located on both sides respectively. A steam nozzle (404) is formed between the steam chamber (402) and the mixing chamber (403). The foaming chamber (401) is provided with a milk inlet (405) and an air inlet (406). The milk inlet (405) is connected to the steam nozzle (404), and the air inlet (406) is connected to the mixing chamber (403).

7. The milk frother of the coffee machine as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The inner cover (2) of the milk box is provided with a steam inlet pipe (42) and a milk foam outlet pipe (43) arranged along the outer periphery. A milk suction tube (44) is inserted into the lower end of the inner cover (2). The steam inlet pipe (42) is connected to the steam chamber (402), the milk foam outlet pipe (43) is connected to the mixing chamber (403), and the milk suction tube (44) is placed inside the milk box (1) and is connected to the milk inlet hole (405).

8. The milk frother of the coffee machine as described in claim 7, characterized in that: The inner cover (2) of the milk box is provided with a connecting pipe (407) communicating with the mixing chamber (403), and the connecting pipe (407) is arranged perpendicularly to the steam inlet pipe (42); the milk foam outlet pipe (43) includes an L-shaped adapter pipe (431) that can be inserted into the connecting pipe (407), a connector seal (432) installed at one end of the L-shaped adapter pipe (431), and a milk foam outlet pipe (433) that can be detachably installed at the other end of the L-shaped adapter pipe (431).

9. The milk frother of the coffee machine as described in claim 7, characterized in that: The inner cover (2) of the milk box is provided with a plug (204) on one side of the steam inlet pipe (42). The upper cover (3) of the milk box is provided with two receiving slots (304) for accommodating the plug (204) and the steam inlet pipe (42). The elastic buckle (302) is disposed between the two receiving slots (304). The slot (202) is disposed between the plug (204) and the steam inlet pipe (42).

10. The milk frother of the coffee machine as described in claim 8, characterized in that: The cover component (41) is a silicone pad, the connector seal (432) is a sealing ring, and the milk foam outlet tube (433) is detachably connected to the L-shaped adapter tube (431) by means of a rotating buckle.

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