Device and method for foaming liquid food, in particular milk
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for frothing liquid foodstuffs, such as milk, struggle to consistently produce high-quality foam across different temperature modes, with existing solutions failing to optimize foam consistency and quality for both warm and cold froth.
Innovation Solution
A device with a pump, flow heater, and air supply system that allows for selective production of warm or cold foam by using different throttle cross-sections and air supply flows, with the option to bypass the flow heater in cold foam mode to prevent contamination and optimize foam quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single throttle cross-section is used for both warm and cold foam modes, then the device structure is simple, but the foam quality cannot be optimized for both temperature modes
Solution Approach 1:
The single throttle is divided into two separate throttles with different cross-sections: a first throttle for warm foam mode and a second throttle for cold foam mode. This segmentation allows each throttle to be optimized for its specific temperature mode, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The throttle configuration is made dynamic by providing multiple throttle cross-sections that can be selectively engaged based on the desired foam mode. The system transitions from a static single-throttle design to a dynamic multi-throttle design that adapts to different operating conditions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the flow heater is always in the flow path, then warm foam can be produced, but the heater may contaminate or degrade foam quality in cold foam mode
Solution Approach 1:
The flow heater is extracted from the common flow path and placed only in the first flow path for warm foam mode. This allows the heater to be removed from the system when cold foam is produced, eliminating the harmful effect of heat contamination on cold foam quality while maintaining the ability to produce both warm and cold foam.
Solution Approach 2:
A bypass flow path is introduced as an intermediary route that allows the food-air mixture to circumvent the flow heater when cold foam is desired. This mediator path enables temperature mode flexibility without exposing the cold foam to the heater's harmful thermal effects.
3Manufacturing precision
If different throttle cross-sections are used for cold and warm foam, then foam quality is optimized for each mode, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The first and second flow paths are merged into a common flow path downstream, allowing the system to use different throttle cross-sections for optimization while reducing the overall structural complexity. The merging point combines the separate optimized paths into a unified outlet structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The common flow path serves as a universal component that handles both warm and cold foam modes after the temperature-specific processing. This multi-functional path reduces redundancy and simplifies the overall device structure while maintaining the benefits of differentiated throttle optimization.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device achieves a higher quality of foam by allowing for optimized throttle and air supply parameters in both warm and cold modes, ensuring consistent and superior frothing performance for various applications, including coffee machines.
Implementation Method 1
a pump (2) for conveying the liquid foodstuff out of a container (1)
Implementation Method 2
a flow heater (5)
Implementation Method 3
at least one throttle (4a, 4a') and an air supply (3)
Implementation Method 4
air can be fed into the flow path of the food product upstream of the throttle (4a, 4a')
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device for frothing liquid food, in particular milk, which device has a pump for liquid food from a container, a flow heater, at least one throttle and an air supply, the throttle and the flow heater being arranged on the pressure side of the pump (2). and the air supply for supplying air into the flow path of the food is constructed and arranged upstream of the throttle. The invention is characterized in that the device is designed in such a way that either - in a cold foam mode, a flow path for the food-air mixture through the one throttle with a first throttle cross section or - in a warm foam mode a flow path for the food-air mixture through which a throttle with a second throttle cross-section or through a further throttle of the device with a second throttle cross-section, which is arranged on the pressure side of the pump (2), and through the continuous-flow heater can be specified, the first and second throttle cross-sections being different. The invention further relates to a method for foaming a liquid foodstuff, in particular milk.