Patent Description:
Milk froth can make coffee have smooth and full mouthfeel, which is one of the indispensable important elements of coffee. The creamy and dense extent of the milk froth affects the mouthfeel of a cup of coffee, and whether the pattern of latte art is liable to maintain. Therefore, the use of a milk frothing machine is required for producing creamy dense milk froth. At present, the commercially available milk frothing machines can be divided according to the drive manners thereof into two types, which are electric and manual types. The electric milk frothing machines can be further divided into two types, which are 'electric stirring rod' and 'electric milk frother'. The suitable product can be chosen according to the user's own requirement. <CIT> discloses a milk foam making device comprising a shell, a stirring module comprising a stirring rod, the stirring rod is provided with a through channel having an air inlet and an air outlet; a steam generation module installed on the shell and used for generating steam. The air inlet is used for receiving the steam generated by the steam generation module. The air outlet is used for outputting the steam to the outside of the stirring module.

Wherein, the electric stirring rod generally includes a driving unit, a connecting rod, a fan, and a sieve disposed with an interval from the fan. When the driving unit of the electric stirring rod is switched on, the driving unit drives the fan to rotate, and creamy dense milk froth is produced by the sieve disposed in front of the fan. However, after the electric stirring rod finishes producing the milk froth, a part of the milk froth will remain on the sieve and uneasy to drop. Besides, the milk froth remaining on the sieve makes it uneasy to clean the sieve well. When the electric stirring rod is used once again by the user to produce milk froth, the sieve not cleaned well will bring hygienic doubt. Therefore, the presently available electric stirring rods still need improvement.

The present invention has been accomplished in view of the above-noted circumstances. It is a primary objective of the present invention to provide an electric frothing device which makes milk froth easy to drop from the electric frothing device and makes it easy to clean the milk froth remaining on the electric frothing device well.

To attain the above objective, the present invention provides an electric frothing device which includes a driving unit, a connecting rod, and a frothing unit. The driving unit has a housing, and a drive motor disposed in the housing. The drive motor has a power outputting shaft. The connecting rod is fixed to the power outputting shaft of the drive motor. The frothing unit has a fan fixed to the connecting rod and having blades, and a coil spring disposed with an interval from the blades of the fan.

By the aforementioned technical feature of the coil spring disposed with an interval from the blades of the fan, the milk froth remaining on the coil spring is easy to drop from the coil spring. Besides, the coil spring is quite simple in structure, thereby easier to clean well than the sieve.

The fan furthermore has an annular body portion, and the blades disposed in the annular body portion at intervals; the annular body portion has a top and a bottom, and the bottom has two positioning members disposed oppositely; two ends of the coil spring are detachably fixed to the positioning members of the fan respectively. In this way, if there is milk froth sticking to the coil spring and thereby having to be cleaned specially, or the coil spring is damaged and thereby requires replacement, two ends of the coil spring can be easily detached from the positioning members of the fan.

Preferably, the frothing unit includes a fixing ring detachably sleeved and fixed to the bottom of the annular body portion and covering the positioning members and the two ends of the coil spring. In this way, the fixing ring can effectively make the positioning members and two ends of the coil spring fixed, thereby making the coil spring disposed between the annular body portion of the fan and the fixing ring.

Preferably, each of the positioning members has a rod-shaped body portion and a head portion connected with the rod-shaped body portion; the two ends of the coil spring are each formed with a fixing loop; the fixing loops are sleeved onto the rod-shaped body portions of the positioning members respectively; the fixing ring has a top and a bottom; the top of the fixing ring has two positioning holes disposed oppositely; the head portions of the positioning members are inserted in the positioning holes of the fixing ring respectively. In this way, by the fixing loops of the coil spring being sleeved onto the rod-shaped body portions of the positioning members, the coil spring can be steadily disposed on the annular body portion of the fan. By the positioning members being inserted in the positioning holes of the fixing ring, the fixing ring can be fixed to the fan, so that the fixing ring can cover the fixing loops of two ends of the coil spring completely and can be easily detached from the bottom of the annular body portion.

Preferably, the bottom of the annular body portion of the fan has an annular positioning groove, and the top of the fixing ring has an annular positioning flange; the annular positioning flange is embedded in the annular positioning groove. In this way, the bottom of the annular body portion of the fan can be relatively more closely fit to the top of the fixing ring.

Preferably, the bottom of the annular body portion of the fan has two protruding lugs disposed oppositely; each of the protruding lugs is provided with one of the positioning members and an embedding portion located at the annular positioning groove; the top of the fixing ring has two protruding lugs disposed oppositely, and embedding breaches corresponding to the protruding lugs of the fixing ring respectively; the embedding portions are embedded in the embedding breaches respectively. In this way, the bottom of the annular body portion of the fan can be relatively more closely fit to the top of the fixing ring.

Preferably, the fan further has a central axle provided with an axial hole; an inner end of each of the blades is fixed to the central axle, and an outer end of each of the blades is fixed to the annular body portion of the fan. In this way, the blades of the fan can stably rotate about the axis of the central axle.

Preferably, the axial hole of the central axle has two locking blocks disposed oppositely; an end of the connecting rod has two locking recesses; each of the locking recesses has a small path portion and a large path portion communicating with the small path portion; the locking blocks are respectively disposed into the locking recesses through the small path portions and embedded in the large path portions of the locking recesses. In this way, the connecting rod can be steadily fixed to the central axle of the fan, and can be easily detached.

Preferably, the connecting rod includes a tube, a first rod member combined with an end of the tube in a sleeved manner, and a second rod member combined with another end of the tube in a sleeved manner; the first rod member is fixed to the power outputting shaft of the drive motor; the second rod member is fixed to the central axle of the fan. In this way, the connecting rod can be easily assembled or disassembled.

Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

The electric frothing device provided by the present invention will be further described by the embodiment given herein below and the accompanying drawings, and wherein:.

First of all, it is to be mentioned that the technical features provided by the present invention are unlimited to the specific structure, usage and application thereof described in the detailed description of the invention. It should be understood by those skilled in the related art that all the terms used in the contents of the specification are for illustrative description. The directional terms mentioned in the specification, such as `front, upper, lower, rear, left, right, top, bottom, inner and outer', are also just for illustrative description on the basis of normal usage direction, not intended to limit the claimed scope.

Referring to <FIG>, an electric frothing device <NUM> provided by a preferred embodiment of the present invention is primarily composed of a driving unit <NUM>, a connecting rod <NUM> and a frothing unit <NUM>.

The driving unit <NUM> is primarily composed of a housing <NUM>, a drive motor <NUM> disposed in the housing <NUM>, a hanging lug <NUM>, a switch <NUM>, and an electric power source <NUM> electrically connected with the drive motor <NUM>. Specifically speaking, the housing <NUM> has a base <NUM>, a first covering plate <NUM> fitted on the base <NUM>, a second covering plate <NUM> fitted on the first covering plate <NUM>, and an outer reinforcing plate <NUM> fixed to the base <NUM>. The outer reinforcing plate <NUM> has a first end portion 113a and a second end portion 113b, and a protruding portion 113c located between the first and second end portions 113a and 113b. The drive motor <NUM> has a power outputting shaft <NUM>. The power outputting shaft <NUM> is inserted through the protruding portion 113c of the outer reinforcing plate <NUM>, so that a part of the power outputting shaft <NUM> is exposed out of the housing <NUM>. Two ends of the hanging lug <NUM> are fixed to the first and second end portions 113a and 113b of the outer reinforcing plate <NUM> respectively. The switch <NUM> is disposed on a bottom surface of the base <NUM>. The electric power source <NUM> is placed between the first covering plate <NUM> and the second covering plate <NUM> for driving the power outputting shaft <NUM> of the drive motor <NUM> to rotate.

Referring to <FIG>, the connecting rod <NUM> has a first rod member <NUM>, a tube <NUM>, and a second rod member <NUM>. Specifically speaking, the first rod member <NUM> has a rod-shaped body portion <NUM> and a head portion <NUM> communicating with the rod-shaped body portion <NUM>. The tube <NUM> has a first end <NUM> and a second end <NUM>. The second rod member <NUM> has a rod-shaped body portion <NUM> and a head portion <NUM> communicating with the rod-shaped body portion <NUM>. The first end <NUM> of the tube <NUM> is sleeved onto the rod-shaped body portion <NUM> of the first rod member <NUM>. The second end <NUM> of the tube <NUM> is sleeved onto the rod-shaped body portion <NUM> of the second rod member <NUM>. Besides, the head portion <NUM> of the first rod member <NUM> has a fixedly connecting hole <NUM>. The fixedly connecting hole <NUM> of the first rod member <NUM> is sleeved and fixed to the power outputting shaft <NUM> of the drive motor <NUM>. The head portion <NUM> of the second rod member <NUM> has two locking recesses <NUM> corresponding to each other. Each of the locking recesses <NUM> has a small path portion 271a and a large path portion 271b communicating with the small path portion 271a. The small path portion 271a extends from the bottom end of the head portion <NUM> of the second rod member <NUM> inwardly along the axial direction. The large path portion 271b is located on the outer peripheral surface of the head portion <NUM> of the second rod member <NUM> and extends chordwise to perpendicularly communicate with the top end of the small path portion 271a.

The frothing unit <NUM> is primarily composed of a fan <NUM>, a coil spring <NUM>, and a fixing ring <NUM>. Specifically speaking, the fan <NUM> has an annular body portion <NUM>, a plurality of blades <NUM> disposed in the annular body portion <NUM> at intervals, and a central axle <NUM>. An inner end of each blade <NUM> of the fan <NUM> is fixed to the central axle <NUM>. An outer end of each blade <NUM> of the fan <NUM> is fixed to the annular body portion <NUM>. Besides, a bottom of the annular body portion <NUM> has two protruding lugs <NUM> disposed oppositely, and an annular positioning groove <NUM>. Each protruding lug <NUM> is provided with a positioning member <NUM>, and an embedding portion <NUM> located at the annular positioning groove <NUM>. Each positioning member <NUM> has a rod-shaped body portion 322a and a head portion 322b connected with the rod-shaped body portion 322a. It is to be mentioned that the central axle <NUM> has an axial hole <NUM>, and two locking blocks <NUM> disposed oppositely in the axial hole <NUM> and extending along the axial direction of the axial hole <NUM>. In this way, during the combining of the second rod member <NUM> with the fan <NUM>, the locking blocks <NUM> of the central axle <NUM> can respectively slide through the small path portions 271a of the locking recesses <NUM> of the second rod member <NUM> into the large path portions 271b, and then the second rod member <NUM> is rotated to make the locking blocks <NUM> embedded in the large path portions 271b of the locking recesses <NUM> and thereby prevented from coming off. In this way, the second rod member <NUM> is fixed to the fan <NUM>, and when it is to be detached for clean, the second rod member <NUM> can be separated from the fan <NUM> by the reverse operation of the above-described process.

The coil spring <NUM> is disposed with an interval from the blades <NUM> of the fan <NUM>. Specifically speaking, two ends of the coil spring <NUM> are each formed with a fixing loop <NUM>. The fixing loops <NUM> are sleeved onto the rod-shaped body portions 322a of the positioning members <NUM> respectively, so that two ends of the coil spring <NUM> are detachably fixed to the positioning members <NUM> of the fan <NUM> respectively and located below the blades <NUM>.

The fixing ring <NUM> is sleeved and fixed to the bottom of the annular body portion <NUM> of the fan <NUM> to cover the positioning members <NUM> and two ends of the coil spring <NUM>. Specifically speaking, a top of the fixing ring <NUM> has an annular positioning flange <NUM> and two protruding lugs <NUM> disposed oppositely. Besides, the annular positioning flange <NUM> has two embedding breaches 361a disposed separately, and the embedding breaches 361a correspond to the protruding lugs <NUM> respectively. Each protruding lug <NUM> is provided with a positioning hole 362a. When the fan <NUM> is combined with the fixing ring <NUM>, the annular positioning flange <NUM> is embedded in the annular positioning groove <NUM>, and the embedding portions <NUM> are embedded in the embedding breaches 361a respectively, so that the head portions 322b of the positioning members <NUM> can be inserted in the positioning holes 362a respectively, making the fan <NUM> and the fixing ring <NUM> tightly and closely fixed and clamping the coil spring <NUM> between the fan <NUM> and the fixing ring <NUM> steadily.

The structural features of the electric frothing device <NUM> provided by the preferred embodiment of the present invention are described above. The usage manner and effects of the electric frothing device <NUM> will be further described hereinunder. It can be known from the above description that the first rod member <NUM> of the connecting rod <NUM> is fixed to the power outputting shaft <NUM> of the drive motor <NUM> by the fixedly connecting hole <NUM>, and the second rod member <NUM> of the connecting rod <NUM> is fixed to the fan <NUM> by the locking recesses <NUM>. Therefore, through the connection of the connecting rod <NUM>, the power outputting shaft <NUM> of the drive motor <NUM> can drive the fan <NUM> to rotate.

When producing milk froth, the user firstly puts the electric frothing device <NUM> into a cup of milk (not shown), and uses a hand to press and release the switch <NUM> of the driving unit <NUM> for frothing the milk into milk froth. Specifically speaking, when the switch <NUM> is pressed, the electric power source <NUM> supplies electric power to drive the power outputting shaft <NUM> of the drive motor <NUM> to rotate the fan <NUM>, and the rotated frothing unit <NUM> can pump a lot of air into the milk to froth the milk. When the switch <NUM> is released, the electric power source <NUM> is cut off, so the power outputting shaft <NUM> of the drive motor <NUM> stops rotating, thereby stopping the rotation of the fan <NUM>. Therefore, by the actions of pressing and releasing the switch <NUM>, the user can make the power outputting shaft <NUM> of the drive motor <NUM> drive the fan <NUM> to rotate intermittently and stop it, and the time and frequency of pressing and releasing the switch <NUM> can be even self-decided by the user according to the requirement thereof.

In conclusion, when the electric frothing device <NUM> provided by the present invention is used for producing milk froth, the milk froth is easy to drop from the coil spring <NUM>, and the configuration design that the coil spring <NUM> is detachably fixed between the fan <NUM> and the fixing ring <NUM> is beneficial for the cleaning of the milk froth remaining on the coil spring <NUM>. Besides, the electric frothing device <NUM> is unlimited to the usage of frothing milk, but may be used in other frothable drinks for adding flavor of the drinks.

Claim 1:
An electric frothing device (<NUM>) comprising:
a driving unit (<NUM>) having a housing (<NUM>) and a drive motor (<NUM>) disposed in the housing (<NUM>), the drive motor (<NUM>) having a power outputting shaft (<NUM>);
a connecting rod (<NUM>) fixed to the power outputting shaft (<NUM>) of the drive motor (<NUM>); and
a coil spring (<NUM>);
characterized in that the frothing device further comprises:
a frothing unit (<NUM>) having a fan (<NUM>) fixed to the connecting rod (<NUM>) and having a plurality of blades (<NUM>), the coil spring (<NUM>) being disposed with an interval from the blades (<NUM>) of the fan (<NUM>), wherein the fan (<NUM>) has an annular body portion (<NUM>), and the blades (<NUM>) disposed in the annular body portion (<NUM>) at intervals, the annular body portion (<NUM>) has a top and a bottom, and the bottom has two positioning members (<NUM>) disposed oppositely, two ends of the coil spring (<NUM>) are detachably fixed to the positioning members (<NUM>) of the fan (<NUM>) respectively.