Patent Application
20160227960
The present invention relates to devices for frothing milk, particularly to manually operated devices, and most particularly to a milk frothing device having at least two fine mesh screens in essentially parallel and spaced relationship, constructed and arranged to create a high volume, thick and long-lasting foamy froth from milk.
Coffee beverages combined with hot or steamed milk and a foam or froth have been enjoyed for centuries. For example, a cappuccino is a coffee drink composed of espresso and hot milk, with the surface topped with foamed milk. Cappuccinos are most often prepared on an espresso machine. The espresso is extracted into the bottom third of the cup, followed by a similar amount of hot milk, which is prepared by heating and texturing the milk using the espresso machine steam wand. The top third of the drink consists of milk foam; this foam can be decorated with artistic drawings made with the same milk, called latte art.
A latte is a coffee drink made with espresso and steamed milk. The term as used in English is a shortened form of the Italian caffe latte, which means “milk coffee”. The latte or cafe latte is one of the most popular coffees. It is, just like the cappuccino, an espresso based drink topped with milk. The difference between the cappuccino and the latte is mainly the amount of foam.
The crowning touch for either the cappuccino or cafe latte is the foam or froth. Much attention is devoted to proper milk frothing and there are a variety of devices devoted to producing such foams or froths.
The most popular types of stand alone Milk Frothers & Milk Steamers are:
1) Fully Automatic Electric Milk Frothers like the AEROCCINO from NESPRESSO which are capable of making hot steamed milk and producing a rich froth. They use a base similar to an electric kettle for the heat source and a small stainless whisk that stirs and froths the milk while it is heating.
2) Wand Frothers such as the AEROLATTE which will produce foam but will not heat or steam the milk. They operate on batteries and require that the milk be heated on the stove top or in the microwave.
3) Plunger Type Frothers, such as the BODUM LATTEO MILK FROTHER work with cold milk and feature a stainless mesh plunger that is pumped up and down to create the froth. If a hot froth is desired, one can preheat the milk prior to producing the froth.
The problem with current plunger type frothers is that they do not produce a sufficient volume of foam, and the foam is not long-lasting.
The present inventors have developed an improved plunger type frother which includes at least two fine mesh screens in an essentially parallel and spaced relationship, constructed and arranged to create a high volume, thick and long-lasting foamy froth from milk.
U.S Design Patent 401,466 to Joergensen is directed toward a cappuccino maker of the plunger type, having a single screen.
United States Patent Application 20030041739 to Cai, is directed towards a device and method for making beverage from flavor-containing materials and comprises a body connected to a container for allowing the formation of a dispersion of flavor-containing materials in liquid and the extraction of the flavor-containing materials to produce a beverage, a porous filter connected to the body and having a first surface for contacting the dispersion, filtration openings for allowing the beverage in the dispersion to pass through but blocking the flavor-containing materials and a second surface in communication with a beverage outlet from which the beverage may be poured or drunk, and a cling-on chamber on the body adapted to form a vacuum therein to suck to the interior surface of the container, thereby allowing the container to be tilted to generate a liquid head to drive the beverage out of the container through the filtration openings. The device may further include a blending/mixing mechanism to stir or break the flavor-containing materials and liquid for generating a visually appealing crema layer on the dispersion and/or facilitating the extraction of the flavor-containing materials by the liquid, and a flow facilitator having a selective opening for increasing the beverage flow through the filtration openings and preventing the flavor-containing materials in the dispersion from getting out of the container in the event that the dispersion covers the selective opening under a liquid head or force.
United States Patent Application 20100295194, to Bodum et al. discloses a milk frothing apparatus comprising a drive unit (10) which drives a shaft (30). An elongate, flexible, bent frothing element (40) that has an adjustable shape which preferably adjusts to the surface of the liquid to be frothed during operation is connected to the shaft. In a particular embodiment, the frothing element is designed as a flexible helical coil. In addition, another frothing element (32) can be provided at the lower end of the shaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,283,625 to Frankel, et al. teaches an apparatus to automatically heat and froth milk for beverages. The apparatus includes a container, a lower paddle group and upper paddle group located above the container bottom. Each paddle group includes at least two paddles. The lower paddle group is adapted to rotate in a direction that is counter to the rotation of the upper paddle group. The apparatus further includes a heater disposed firmly against and below the container bottom.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,796,705 to Khubani is directed toward a frothing mug which includes a mug portion holding a first liquid, a whisk extending into the mug portion, a means for rotating the whisk and a base supporting the mug portion and the whisk and providing the means for rotating the whisk to aerate the liquid. A method of frothing a liquid using the mug includes pouring a quantity of a first liquid into the mug portion such that a portion of the whisk is, or will be, exposed to the air and a portion of the whisk is, or will be, immersed in the first liquid, activating the means for rotating the whisk to froth the liquid and deactivating the means for rotating the whisk after the first liquid is sufficiently frothy.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,669,517 to Boussemart , et al. teaches an appliance for preparing a froth from a milk-based liquid which includes a tank for receiving liquid that is to be frothed, and in which liquid a rotatable stirrer is positioned, a stand associated with the tank, and a system for driving the stirrer. The stirrer drive system and the stirrer include magnetic elements allowing the stirrer to be rotationally driven magnetically in the tank. At least one disturbance member is also provided to break or prevent symmetric circulation of the liquid about the median vertical axis of the tank.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,042,456 to Elissen is directed toward methods and device for frothing milk. The device includes a main body forming a container for the milk, a cover fitting onto the main body, agitation means and drive means for driving the agitation means. The drive means are received at least partially in the cover. The device further includes a base plate provided with a first electric contact. The main body is provided with a second electric contact, which makes electrical contact with the first electric contact when the main body is placed on the base plate. The drive means are provided with a third electric contact. The main body is provided with a fourth electric contact, which makes electrical contact with the third electric contact when the cover is placed on the main body. The main body is provided with an electric conductor which forms an electrical connection between the second electric contact and the fourth electric contact.
U.S Design Patent D382,764 to Brady describes an ornamental design for a container for foaming or frothing milk or milk products.
U.S Design Patent D409,045 to Brady the ornamental design for an in-cup frother.
U.S Design Patent D514,883 to Tardif, et al. describes the ornamental design for a cap and a handle with a stem of a manual milk frother.
The prior art references fail to disclose a milk frothing device having at least two fine mesh screens in essentially parallel and spaced relationship, constructed and arranged to create a high volume, thick and long-lasting foamy froth from milk.
The present invention discloses a milk frothing device having at least two fine mesh screens in essentially parallel and spaced relationship, constructed and arranged to create a high volume, thick and long-lasting foamy froth from milk.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with any accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. Any drawings contained herein constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof.
The invention is directed toward an improved plunger type milk frothing device. The milk frothing device has at least two fine mesh screens disposed in essentially parallel and spaced relationship, and constructed and arranged to create a high volume, thick and long-lasting foamy froth from milk when the screens are moved through the milk in a repetitive up-and-down or back-and-forth linear motion, termed a reciprocating motion.
With reference to
While the overall shape of the components 12,14 and 16 of the plunger assembly are illustrated as being circular, as is the beverage containment vessel 20, as illustrated in
The spacing of the multiple fine mesh screen assemblies 12 enable the production of a higher volume, longer lasting foam than that produced by a single screen plunger. The arrangement of the mesh screen assemblies 12 should be in a spaced relationship effective to provide a markedly and surprisingly improved degree of aeration and mixing over that which can be realized from a single screen arrangement. In an illustrative, albeit non-limiting embodiment, the spacing between mesh screen assemblies 12 can be in the range of about ¼″-¾″.
In our comparative testing against a single screen assembly embodiment, such as that depicted in the Joergensen Design Patent 401,466, the volume of foam produced by the device of the instant invention was more than double that of the '466 device, and the resultant foam lasted more than four times as long.
The following test was repeated three times, and results were equivalent each time. We conducted a test between a prior art device, substantially similar to the device shown in the '466 design patent, having a single screen assembly, versus the device in accordance with the instant invention containing two screen assemblies in essentially parallel and spaced relationship.
Initially, two 8 oz. glasses of 2% low fat milk were heated for 1 minute 25 seconds each in a microwave oven;
Next, the single screen assembly unit was placed in one glass and the double screen unit in the other;
The plungers were pumped 10 times for each test device, in a reciprocating fashion, after which each screen was removed from the glass.
Then the foam that was produced was measured;
The foams were observed to measure the length of time it took for the foam to dissipate:
Referring to
Referring to
All patents and publications mentioned in this specification are indicative of the levels of those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. All patents and publications are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.
It is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and any drawings/figures included herein.
One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The embodiments, methods, procedures and techniques described herein are presently representative of the preferred embodiments, are intended to be exemplary and are not intended as limitations on the scope. Changes therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and are defined by the scope of the appended claims. Although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments. Indeed, various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention which are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the following claims.
