Espresso milk frother probe

Abstract

To improve performance of a milk frother for an espresso machine.SOLUTION: A milk frothing device includes a milk probe 10 comprising: an inner tube 14; an outer tube 15 separated from the inner tube in a circumferential direction and surrounding the inner tube; and an end 20 fitted to an end of the outer tube adjacent to an exit end of the inner tube adjacent to an outlet end and provided with a steam outlet 21. An air space 18 between the inner tube and the outer tube insulates the outer tube from heat generated in the inner tube during a steam cycle. By using stainless steel, milk does not stick to a cool outer tube surface, so that an outer surface of the probe does not need to be washed. The steam itself keeps the inner surface of the probe clean.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an improved milk frother for an espresso machine. [Background technology]

[0002] Coffee consumption is on the rise worldwide, in both developed and emerging countries. European-style coffee, in which milk is added to the coffee, is the most popular, particularly caffè latte, cappuccino, and flat white coffee. Making European-style coffee takes longer because the milk must be heated with the injection of steam to create the froth or foam that is an essential component of this coffee style's overall taste, mouthfeel, and appearance.

[0003] The inventor has developed an automatic milk frother, as disclosed in WO2014 / 165911, which includes a sensor for determining the depth of the milk in the jug, a steam probe or jug ​​support movable preferably by a stepper motor to maintain the tip of the probe below the surface of the milk, a temperature sensor for monitoring the temperature of the milk in the jug, and a microcontroller for initiating the process and maintaining the position of the steam probe relative to the surface of the milk. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The object of the present invention is to improve the performance of this device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] To this end, the present invention provides a milk frother comprising a steam probe consisting of an inner steam pipe, an outer pipe spaced annularly from the inner pipe and surrounding the inner pipe, and a nozzle attached to the end of said outer pipe adjacent the outlet end of said inner pipe.

[0006] The air gap between the inner and outer tubes insulates the outer tube from the heat generated within the inner tube during the steam cycle. The use of stainless steel prevents milk from sticking to the cold outer tube surface, making cleaning the exterior of the probe unnecessary; the steam itself keeps the interior of the probe clean.

[0007] Thus, the probe of the present invention may be used in the milk frother disclosed in WO2014 / 165911, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0008] In this milk frother, the temperature of the milk is detected by a temperature sensor that monitors the temperature of the bottom wall of the milk jug. To improve the accuracy of temperature detection, a proprietary jug is used in which the base and lower wall of the jug are matte black.

[0009] Next, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the tip of a vapor probe. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a side view of a milk jug according to the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the position of a non-contact temperature sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The described embodiments may be used in the milk frother described in WO2014 / 165911.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the milk probe 10 is connected to the steam line 11 by a threaded connection. The probe consists of a double-walled tube. An inner tube 14 is connected to the steam line, and an outer tube 15 is coaxial with the inner tube 14 and spaced from the inner tube 14 by a spacer 16. An air space 18 separates and insulates the outer tube 15 from the inner tube 14. This air space may be filled with any insulating material as an alternative to air. A tip 20 is welded or threaded to the end of the outer tube 15 adjacent the end of the inner tube 14. The tip 20 has a steam outlet 21. The temperature of the outer tube is kept low during the steam injection step so that milk does not stick to the outer wall surface and cleaning of the surface between steam injections is not required. As is customary in milk probe designs, the milk probe may be curved or serpentine along its length.

[0013] The temperature of the milk in the jug 30 is sensed by an infrared sensor 35 on the body of the milk frother 40. The lower surface 31 of the jug 30 is coated to have a matt black surface to ensure an accurate temperature reading.

[0014] A preferred coating is black chrome, which is slightly harder than nickel chrome and provides a matte black finish that can withstand normal cleaning processes. Stainless steel jugs can also be spray painted with a matte black epoxy coating or material such as "ironstone," a non-stick coating.

[0015] Whatever the material chosen, it is preferably thin to allow for the fastest heat transfer. The coating may be applied using vapor deposition with direct current or plasma chemical vapor deposition. A two-step process is required to anodize the surface: ion deposition, followed by anodization in the conventional manner.

[0016] From the above, it can be seen that the present invention provides a unique means of increasing barista productivity without compromising the milk frothing quality necessary for a quality espresso coffee product. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention may be practiced in embodiments other than those described without departing from the core teachings of the present invention.

Claims

[Claim 1] 1. A milk frothing device comprising: a. an inner steam pipe attachable to a steam line; b) an outer steam pipe surrounding the inner steam pipe and spaced annularly from the inner steam pipe by a spacer, an air space separating the inner and outer pipes and insulating the outer steam pipe from the inner steam pipe; c. a tip attached to the end of the outer steam pipe adjacent the end of the inner steam pipe, the tip including a steam outlet; a steam probe including: during the injection of steam into the inner tube to froth the milk, the temperature of the outer tube is effectively kept low by the insulation of the outer tube by the space so that the milk does not substantially stick to the outer surface; conventional cleaning of the surface of the outer tube is significantly minimized between steam injections, which keeps the interior surface of the probe clean; Milk frothing device.

Images