Disposable foaming device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for producing fluid foams, such as milk foam, face challenges in achieving controlled and repeatable foaming while maintaining stability, often requiring complex configurations and time-consuming cleaning processes.
Innovation Solution
A disposable foaming device with a foaming compartment featuring concentric inner and outer cylinders that apply shear stress to a mixture of fluid and air, allowing for controlled emulsification and expansion, connected to a machine that monitors and regulates foaming parameters to produce high-quality foam without the need for cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a rotating whisk is used to foam milk, then the milk can be foamed by agitation, but the device requires cleaning after each use and the geometry control is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a disposable foaming cup that is discarded after a single use, eliminating the need for cleaning operations. The cup integrates the foaming mechanism in a single-use structure that is thrown away after foam generation, solving the cleaning complexity issue while maintaining ease of operation.
2Manufacturing precision
If a pressurized milk reservoir with mixing area is used, then milk can be mixed with gas, but the regulation and control is complicated and requires complex configuration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the foaming function into a self-contained disposable cup that integrates all necessary components (reservoir, mixing chamber, and foaming mechanism) in one unit. This segmentation simplifies the overall system configuration while maintaining precise foam control through the integrated design of the cup's internal structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The disposable cup acts as an intermediary device that mediates between the milk source and the final foam product. It contains the complex mixing and foaming mechanisms within itself, allowing precise control of foam characteristics without requiring complex external system configuration.
3Manufacturing precision
If high shear stress is applied between rotating cylinders, then controlled emulsion and foaming can be achieved, but the device is relatively complex and requires frequent cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the complex rotating cylinder mechanism with a disposable cup that achieves controlled emulsion and foaming through its internal geometry and a simple rotating element. The disposable nature eliminates cleaning requirements while maintaining foam quality control through precise design of the cup's internal structure.
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 consistently produces high-quality fluid foam with improved stability and efficiency, eliminating the need for cleaning operations and providing precise control over the foaming process.
Implementation Method 1
the foaming compartment 10 comprising two parts movable with respect to each other such that the mixture of air and fluid 1 is driven in between under certain level of shear stress so that it allows the mixture of air and fluid 1 to be emulsified
Implementation Method 2
the container compartment 20 being pressurized by primary incoming air 14' so that the fluid 1 is driven into the foaming compartment 20
Implementation Method 3
with a later foaming effect once expansion occurs
Data Source
AI summary
Disposable foaming device (100) for foaming a fluid (1) comprising a container compartment (20) and a foaming compartment (10), the container compartment (20) being pressurized by primary incoming air (14′) so that the fluid (1) is driven into the foaming compartment (20), wherein the foaming compartment (20) is provided with secondary incoming air (15′) to be mixed with the fluid (1) coming from the container compartment (20), the foaming compartment (10) being designed in such a way that the mixture of air and fluid (1) is moved under certain level of shear stress calculated so that it allows the mixture of air and fluid (1) to be emulsified in the foaming compartment (10). Typically, the foaming compartment (20) comprises an inner cylinder (11) and an outer cylinder (12), the inner cylinder (11) and the outer cylinder (12) being arranged concentrically so that a gap (13) is formed between them, the inner cylinder (11) being rotatable with respect to the outer cylinder (12), such that the mixture of fluid (1) and air is emulsified when driven through the gap (13).