Steam generating device for heating and/or frothing liquids

US6561079B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• The Braun Corporation · DE

Inventors

• Roland Muller · Weiling, DE
• Manfred Klawuhn · Frankfurt am Main, DE
• Jürgen Zils · Kronberg, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 21, 2000
• Grant date: May 13, 2003
• Expiry date: Nov 9, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A47J31/545
• WIPO field: Furniture, games
• WIPO sector: Other fields

Abstract

The steam generating device (1) is used to heat and/or froth liquids, especially milk. It includes an electrically driven pump (3) supplied with water from a water source (2), which pump delivers water in a controlled fashion to a continuous flow heater (6) heated by an electrically operated heating (22) by way of a conduit (13). The continuous flow heater (6) heats the water it receives in its steam pipe (18) to steam that is subsequently supplied to a steam tapping point, preferably a steam nozzle (7), where the steam exits under pressure. An intermediate tank (5) with an overflow chamber (53) which stores a defined quantity of water is provided in the conduit (13) between the pump (3) and the steam pipe (18). When the steam generating device (1) is switched on, the pump (3) is switched on simultaneously with the heating (22), and after the switch-on the water delivered by the pump (3) flows into the chamber (53) of the intermediate tank (5) and is retained there so long and is not delivered further to the continuous flow heater (6) until the continuous flow heater (6) has reached a temperature sufficient to evaporate water.