Patent ID: 7600467

Claim:
An automatic apparatus for treating milk by means of steam, the apparatus comprising: a steam-generating source, a reservoir containing the milk to be treated, a mixing chamber, a milk duct connecting said milk reservoir to said mixing chamber, a peristaltic pump operating on said milk duct for bringing a milk flow at a predetermined flow-rate to said mixing chamber, an electric motor, with adjustable speed, being connected to said peristaltic pump to drive the same, a steam duct connecting said steam-generating source to said mixing chamber, a first solenoid valve on said steam duct, said steam-generating source providing a steam flow at a predetermined flow-rate to said mixing chamber through said steam duct, a delivery opening provided in said mixing chamber, a central control unit with at least one microprocessor having functions, obtainable by means of dedicated buttons, at least for adjusting a rate of rotation of said electric motor and hence for adjusting the flow-rate of the peristaltic pump according to the temperature to be adopted by the flow of milk in the mixing chamber as a result of the admission of the predetermined flow of steam through said first solenoid valve.