Milk froth stirring structure and milk frother

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of milk frother, in particular to a milk froth stirring structure and a milk frother, which comprises a driving assembly and a stirring wheel, the driving assembly is drivingly connected with the stirring wheel, the stirring wheel is composed of a ring gear and a center disc, the surface of the ring gear is circumferentially spaced with a plurality of axial anti-flow teeth, the axial anti-flow teeth extend towards the center of the ring gear to connect the ring gear with the center disc, an annular gap is arranged between the ring gear and the center disc, and the plurality of axial anti-flow teeth are circumferentially distributed in the annular gap to form a plurality of backflow holes. Compared with the prior art, the annular gap backflow hole is formed between the ring gear and the center disc through the axial anti-flow teeth, a local negative pressure area is formed in the backflow hole when the stirring structure rotates at a high speed, air is automatically sucked in and cut into micron-level bubbles, and excellent silkiness milk froth with excellent flowability is generated without steam high-pressure assistance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of milk frother technology, and in particular to a milk frothing and stirring structure and a milk frother. Background Technology

[0002] With coffee culture becoming increasingly popular, consumers' demand for high-quality coffee continues to grow. Lattes, cappuccinos, and other coffee varieties that require thick milk foam are very popular, but making these drinks at home still presents many challenges.

[0003] In the field of home milk frothing equipment, existing technologies (espresso machine steam units, stand-alone steam milk frothers, and electric milk frothers with coil and filter structures) generally suffer from inherent mechanical defects: steam-powered models are complex to operate and expensive, while electric mixer models, due to their single coil or filter design, result in thick, coarse milk foam that is difficult to clean. These technological bottlenecks lead to insufficient milk foam density and poor flowability, failing to meet the silky microbubble layer required for professional latte art at home. Utility Model Content

[0004] This application provides a milk foam stirring structure and a milk frother to solve the technical problems of insufficient milk foam density and poor fluidity in the prior art, which cannot meet the requirements of the silky microbubble layer needed for making professional latte art at home.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a milk foam stirring structure, comprising: a driving component and a stirring wheel, wherein the driving component is drivenly connected to the stirring wheel, the stirring wheel is composed of a ring gear and a central disk, the surface of the ring gear is circumferentially distributed with a plurality of axial anti-flow teeth, the axial anti-flow teeth extending toward the center of the ring gear to connect the ring gear and the central disk, an annular gap is provided between the ring gear and the central disk, and the plurality of axial anti-flow teeth are circumferentially distributed in the annular gap to form a plurality of reflux holes.

[0006] Furthermore, a gear hub is provided at the center of the central disk, and the drive assembly includes a drive component and a transmission shaft. One end of the transmission shaft is drivenly connected to the drive component, and the other end is fixedly connected to the gear hub.

[0007] Furthermore, the central disk is a solid closed structure or a hollow closed structure.

[0008] Furthermore, the bottom of the central disk is located below the bottom of the annular gear component, and a turbulence mixing groove is provided at the height difference between the two.

[0009] Furthermore, the shape of the axial anti-flow teeth is straight teeth / helical teeth / curved teeth / saw teeth.

[0010] Furthermore, the outer diameter of the ring gear component is 16-24 mm.

[0011] Furthermore, a height gauge is provided on the drive shaft.

[0012] Furthermore, when the central disk is a hollow closed structure, the interior of the central disk is filled with a phase change material.

[0013] Furthermore, the drive shaft is a telescopic adjustable rod, and the drive shaft includes an outer sleeve, an inner spindle, and a ball locking structure. One end of the outer sleeve is driven to the drive component, and the other end is sleeved on the inner spindle. The bottom end of the inner spindle is fixedly connected to the gear hub. The ball locking structure is located inside the outer sleeve to lock the telescopic length of the inner spindle.

[0014] Secondly, this application also provides a milk frother, including a cup body and the milk frothing and stirring structure described in the first aspect, wherein the milk frothing and stirring structure is detachably installed with the cup body, and the outer edge of the annular gear is spaced apart from the inner wall of the cup body to form a tangential vortex channel.

[0015] The technical solution provided in this application has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0016] The stirring structure of this application precisely connects the ring gear and the central disk through axial anti-flow teeth, forming an annular slit reflux hole between them. This simultaneously solves the core defects of the prior art: the anti-flow teeth directly apply multiple shear force fields to the milk, replacing the traditional filter structure and completely avoiding the risk of clogging and cleaning dead corners; the annular slit reflux hole and the guide channel below the central disk induce the milk to generate radial-axial dual circulation flow, and the lipoproteins are repeatedly broken and refined between the teeth, avoiding the stratification of coarse foam; when rotating at high speed, the reflux hole forms a local negative pressure zone, autonomously drawing in air and cutting it into micron-sized bubbles, generating silky smooth milk foam with excellent fluidity without the need for high-pressure steam assistance. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application.

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference numerals in the accompanying drawings. These illustrations do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings are denoted as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings are not to be limited by scale.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a milk foam stirring structure provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the stirring impeller;

[0022] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Another perspective structural diagram;

[0023] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Cross-sectional view;

[0024] Figure 5 This is an exploded view of another embodiment of the stirring wheel.

[0025] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0026] 1. Drive assembly; 11. Drive component; 12. Drive shaft;

[0027] 2. Agitator wheel; 21. Ring gear; 211. Axial anti-flow teeth; 22. Central disc; 221. Gear hub; 222. Turbulent mixing tank; 23. Annular gap; 231. Return hole. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0029] The following disclosure provides numerous different embodiments or examples for implementing various structures of this application. To simplify the disclosure, specific examples of components and arrangements are described below. These are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, reference numerals and / or letters may be repeated in different examples. Such repetition is for simplification and clarity and does not in itself indicate a relationship between the various embodiments and / or arrangements discussed.

[0030] For ease of description, spatial relative terms may be used in the text to describe the relative position or movement of one element or feature relative to another element or feature, as shown in the figure. These relative terms include, for example, "inside," "outside," "middle," "outer," "below," "below," "above," "front," "back," etc. Such spatial relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation, other than those depicted in the figure. For example, if the device in the figure undergoes a positional flip, orientation change, or change of motion, these directional indications will change accordingly. For instance, an element described as "below other elements or features" or "below other elements or features" will subsequently be oriented "above other elements or features" or "above other elements or features." Therefore, the example term "below" can include both upper and lower orientations. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or in other directions), and the spatial relative descriptors used in the text will be interpreted accordingly.

[0031] To address the technical problems of insufficient foam density and poor flowability in existing technologies, which fail to meet the silky microbubble layer requirements for professional latte art at home, this application provides a milk foam stirring structure and a milk frother. The stirring structure precisely connects a ring gear and a central disc via axial anti-flow teeth, forming an annular slit return hole between them. This simultaneously solves the core defects of existing technologies: the anti-flow teeth directly apply multiple shear forces to the milk, replacing the traditional filter structure and completely avoiding the risk of clogging and cleaning dead zones; the annular slit return hole and the guide channel below the central disc induce radial-axial dual circulation of the milk, repeatedly breaking down and refining lipoproteins between the teeth, preventing coarse foam stratification; during high-speed rotation, the return hole forms a local negative pressure zone, autonomously drawing in air and cutting it into micron-sized bubbles, generating silky smooth milk foam with excellent flowability without the need for high-pressure steam assistance.

[0032] Please see Figures 1 to 5 In a first aspect, the milk foam stirring structure provided in the embodiments of this application includes: a driving component 1 and a stirring wheel 2. The driving component 1 and the stirring wheel 2 are drivenly connected. The stirring wheel 2 is composed of a ring gear component 21 and a central disk 22. A plurality of axial anti-flow teeth 211 are circumferentially distributed on the surface of the ring gear component 21. The axial anti-flow teeth 211 extend toward the center of the ring gear component 21 to connect the ring gear component 21 and the central disk 22. An annular gap 23 is provided between the ring gear component 21 and the central disk 22. The plurality of axial anti-flow teeth 211 are circumferentially distributed in the annular gap 23 to form a plurality of reflux holes 231.

[0033] Specifically, the milk foam stirring structure drives the stirring wheel 2 to rotate at high speed via the drive component 1. The stirring wheel 2 consists of a ring gear component 21 and a central disk 22. The axially anti-flow teeth 211, evenly distributed around the circumference of the ring gear component 21, extend towards the center and directly connect to the central disk 22, forming an annular gap space between them. This gap is divided into several independent return holes 231 by the axial anti-flow teeth 211. During operation, the rotation of the ring gear component 21 propels the milk through the anti-flow teeth, while the return holes 231 simultaneously guide the fluid to circulate in both directions. The extended layout of the axial anti-flow teeth 211 converts the radial shear force of the milk into axial mixing energy. The annular gap 23 and the return holes 231 simultaneously induce swirling and counter-current flow, eliminating dead zones in the liquid flow. At the same time, the edges of the anti-flow teeth perform multiple cuts on the air bubbles, and the negative pressure zone of the return holes 231 autonomously draws in air and breaks it into microbubbles, replacing the traditional filter structure.

[0034] It is understood that the stirring structure in this embodiment is suitable for both milk and plant-based milk (oat milk, almond milk, soy milk, etc.), and can be used to make both hot and cold milk foam.

[0035] In another embodiment, such as Figure 5 As shown, the ring gear component 21 and the central disk 22 are designed as separate units, with each being an independent component. A positioning post is set on the top of the gear hub of the central disk 22, and the positioning post is fitted into the center hole of the ring gear component 21 to achieve coaxial alignment. After assembly, they are rigidly fixed by threaded fasteners to form a complete stirring wheel. The separate structure allows for the individual replacement of worn parts (such as gear tooth damage), reducing maintenance costs and avoiding overall scrapping and waste.

[0036] like Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, a gear hub 221 is provided at the center of the central disk 22. The drive assembly 1 includes a drive member 11 and a transmission shaft 12. One end of the transmission shaft 12 is drivenly connected to the drive member 11, and the other end is fixedly connected to the gear hub 221.

[0037] Specifically, a gear hub 221 is located at the center of the central disk 22. One end of the drive shaft 12 in the drive assembly 1 is rigidly connected to the output end of the drive component 11 (such as a motor), and the other end is coaxially fixed to the gear hub 221 through a mechanical locking method (such as interference fit, thread fastening, or keyway engagement), forming a torque transmission path without relative motion. As the load-bearing core of the central disk 22, the gear hub 221 transmits rotational kinetic energy to the entire stirring wheel 2 without loss through its rigid connection with the drive shaft 12, eliminating the energy loss from sliding friction in traditional assembly. The drive assembly 1 eliminates intermediate mechanisms such as reduction gearboxes by directly connecting the single shaft to the gear hub 221, significantly reducing the axial installation space.

[0038] It is understood that the driving component 11 in this embodiment is a motor. In other embodiments, the driving component 11 may also be a cylinder driving component 11, a hydraulic driving component 11, etc. The specific configuration can be made according to the actual situation, and no limitation is made here.

[0039] In an optional embodiment, the central disk 22 is a solid closed structure or a hollow closed structure.

[0040] Specifically, the central disc 22 can be implemented in two forms: a solid closed structure, with no internal cavity, and integrally molded from a single material (such as metal cutting or plastic injection molding); and a hollow closed structure, with a pre-reserved sealed cavity inside the disc, completely isolated from the outside. The central closed structure can prevent excessive air intake and splashing caused by liquid surface vortices generated by centrifugal force during rotation, while also preventing the formation of deep vortices and maintaining liquid surface stability.

[0041] like Figure 3-4 As shown, the bottom of the central disk 22 is located below the bottom of the ring gear component 21, and a turbulence mixing groove 222 is provided at the height difference between the two.

[0042] Specifically, the bottom of the central disk 22 is located below the bottom of the ring gear component 21, forming a stepped difference, and its exposed portion has a radially extending turbulent mixing groove 222. During operation, external gas is guided by the axial anti-flow teeth 211 and drawn into the return hole 231 by negative pressure, descending to the mixing groove area below the stepped difference, forming strong turbulence, which makes the gas and liquid fully mixed, enhances the microscopic chemical reaction, and the local high-pressure environment generated by the turbulence promotes the unfolding of milk protein molecular chains, accelerates the bonding of hydrophobic groups with the bubble interface, and enhances the foam structure strength; the groove wall applies radial turbulent kinetic energy to the gas and liquid flow, forming a high-speed shear vortex.

[0043] In an optional embodiment, the axial anti-flow tooth 211 is shaped as a straight tooth / helical tooth / curved tooth / sawtooth.

[0044] Specifically, the tooth profile of the axial anti-flow tooth 211 can be independently achieved by selecting any of the following forms: straight tooth, with the tooth surface parallel to the axis of rotation and a vertical edge of equal width from the tooth tip to the tooth root; helical tooth, with the tooth surface at an angle to the axis and the tooth body extending spirally in the circumferential direction; curved tooth, with the tooth surface being a continuous smooth curved surface and the cross-section having an involute or parabolic configuration; serrated tooth, with periodic sharp corners and notches on the tooth edge to form a discontinuous cutting edge.

[0045] Among them, straight teeth can guide the fluid to flow axially, enhance the impact shear force, and quickly break up lipid clumps; oblique teeth can induce the milk to spiral forward, extend the mixing path of the flow channel, and improve the aerosol efficiency; curved teeth and curved surface structures smoothly transition the flow state, eliminate turbulent abrupt changes, and reduce energy dissipation; serrated sharp corner notches generate high-frequency micro vortices, which perform nanoscale cutting on bubbles to generate ultra-fine and dense foam.

[0046] In an alternative embodiment, the outer diameter of the ring gear 21 is 16-24 mm.

[0047] Specifically, in this embodiment, the outer diameter of the ring gear component 21 is limited to the range of 16mm to 24mm. This size range is mass-produced using standardized processing techniques (such as precision injection molding or CNC turning) to accommodate the internal space ratio of common household milk makers. The lower limit of 16mm ensures sufficient shear flow in small-capacity cups (100ml level), avoiding a central dead zone; the upper limit of 24mm matches the liquid envelope of large-capacity cups (300ml level), eliminating edge stagnant layers. In this way, the device can meet different needs from small espresso cups to large lattes, enhancing the user experience.

[0048] In an alternative embodiment, a height gauge is provided on the drive shaft 12.

[0049] Specifically, a scale structure with precise graduations is directly etched or embedded on the outer surface of the drive shaft 12. This scale extends axially and marks a height reference line. By visually reading the scale value, the vertical position of the stirring wheel 2 relative to the bottom of the cup can be located in real time. At the same time, the addition of a height gauge allows users to observe the amount of air intake and the liquid level when stirring milk, thus achieving precise control over the thickness of the milk foam.

[0050] In an optional embodiment, when the central disk 22 is a hollow closed structure, the interior of the central disk 22 is filled with a phase change material.

[0051] Specifically, when the central disc 22 adopts a hollow closed structure, its internal sealed cavity is filled with a solid-liquid phase change material (such as paraffin-based or fatty acid-based organic compounds). The filling process is completed in a vacuum environment to ensure that the phase change material completely fills the cavity and makes seamless contact with the inner wall. Finally, it is sealed by the gear hub 221 to form a heat exchange unit. The phase change material absorbs the heat of friction from stirring and melts (endothermic), inhibiting the local temperature rise of the milk; after stopping, it coagulates and releases heat, delaying the sudden drop in milk foam temperature and maintaining the optimal taste range of 60℃±2℃.

[0052] In an optional embodiment, the drive shaft 12 is a telescopic adjustable rod. The drive shaft 12 includes an outer sleeve, an inner spindle, and a ball locking structure. One end of the outer sleeve is driven and connected to the drive member 11, and the other end is sleeved outside the inner spindle. The bottom end of the inner spindle is fixedly connected to the gear hub 221. The ball locking structure is located inside the outer sleeve to lock the telescopic length of the inner spindle.

[0053] Specifically, the drive shaft 12 consists of an outer sleeve and an inner spindle forming a telescopic adjustment rod. The top end of the outer sleeve is rigidly fixed to the drive component 11, and the bottom end is sleeved on the outside of the inner spindle. The bottom end of the inner spindle passes through the sleeve and is fixedly connected to the gear hub 221, while the top end can slide axially within the sleeve. The inner wall of the sleeve is provided with radial ball grooves, housing balls and an elastic pressure ring. When the spindle extends or retracts to the target position, the balls are forced into the spindle grooves, mechanically locking the length. The telescopic structure allows for stepless adjustment of the working height of the stirring wheel 2, precisely adapting to liquid volume changes of 50-300ml and eliminating limitations due to cup height differences.

[0054] Secondly, this application also provides a milk frother, including a cup body and a milk frothing and stirring structure as described in the first aspect. The milk frothing and stirring structure is detachably installed with the cup body, and the outer edge of the ring gear 21 is spaced apart from the inner wall of the cup body to form a tangential swirling channel.

[0055] Specifically, the milk frother detachably installs the milk frothing and stirring structure to the bottom of the cup body via a snap-on or threaded structure. The outer edge of the annular gear 21 of the stirring wheel 2 maintains a 3-5mm annular gap with the inner wall of the cup body, forming a tangential swirling channel around the gear. When the stirring wheel 2 rotates, the milk is propelled by the gear and accelerates tangentially into the channel, creating a forced swirling field. The tangential swirling channel guides the milk to form a horizontal main swirling flow and a vertical secondary flow, achieving 360° mixing without dead angles within the cup body and completely eliminating edge lipid deposition.

[0056] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions in other embodiments.

[0057] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0058] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0059] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0060] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature being directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0061] 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 this application. The illustrative expressions of the above terms in this specification should not be construed as necessarily referring 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. In addition, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification.

[0062] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Since these modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims and their equivalents, this application also intends to include these modifications and variations.

[0063] The above description describes specific embodiments of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered 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 foam stirring structure, characterized in that, include: The driving assembly and the stirring wheel are driven and connected. The stirring wheel is composed of a ring gear and a central disk. The surface of the ring gear is circumferentially distributed with a plurality of axial anti-flow teeth. The axial anti-flow teeth extend toward the center of the ring gear to connect the ring gear and the central disk. An annular gap is provided between the ring gear and the central disk. The plurality of axial anti-flow teeth are circumferentially distributed in the annular gap to form a plurality of reflux holes.

2. The milk foam stirring structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The central disk has a gear hub at its center. The drive assembly includes a drive component and a transmission shaft. One end of the transmission shaft is driven to the drive component, and the other end is fixedly connected to the gear hub.

3. The milk foam stirring structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The central disk is either a solid closed structure or a hollow closed structure.

4. The milk foam stirring structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the central disk is located below the bottom of the annular gear, and a turbulence mixing groove is provided at the height difference between the two.

5. The milk foam stirring structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shape of the axial anti-flow teeth is straight teeth / helical teeth / curved teeth / saw teeth.

6. The milk foam stirring structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer diameter of the ring gear component is 16-24 mm.

7. The milk foam stirring structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, A height gauge is provided on the drive shaft.

8. The milk foam stirring structure according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the central disk is a hollow closed structure, the interior of the central disk is filled with phase change material.

9. The milk foam stirring structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The drive shaft is a telescopic adjustable rod. The drive shaft includes an outer sleeve, an inner spindle, and a ball locking structure. One end of the outer sleeve is driven to the drive component, and the other end is sleeved on the inner spindle. The bottom end of the inner spindle is fixedly connected to the gear hub. The ball locking structure is located inside the outer sleeve to lock the telescopic length of the inner spindle.

10. A milk frother, characterized in that, The device includes a cup body and a milk foam stirring structure as described in any one of claims 1-9, wherein the milk foam stirring structure is detachably installed with the cup body, and the outer edge of the annular gear is spaced apart from the inner wall of the cup body to form a tangential swirling channel.

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