Agitating apparatus having a coil member for agitating contents in a cup

Abstract

 In an agitating apparatus for agitating contents contained in a cup (21), a coil member (16) is fixed to an output shaft (2) of a driving unit (1) and has a helical portion (16a) which is placed in the cup on agitating the contents. The output shaft extends along an axis and is rotated with respect to the axis. The helical portion helically extends around the axis. It is preferable that the coil member further comprises a portion (16c) extending along a plane perpendicular to the axis.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to an agitating apparatus for agitating contents contained in a cup.

[0002] Such an agitating apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (JP-A) No. 247494/1987. The agitating apparatus comprises a motor and an agitator vane of a propeller type connected to an output shaft of the motor.

[0003] Recently, a wide variety of beverages are supplied by an automatic beverage dispenser. As one of the beverages, a whipped cream beverage is prepared by pouring whipped cream and hot water into a cup, agitating the whipped cream and the hot water to finely whip the whipped cream, and pouring a beverage such as coffee and soda water into a cup.

[0004] The above-mentioned agitating apparatus having the agitator vane of a propeller type is effective in agitating a powdery beverage and hot water to dissolve the powdery beverage into the hot water. However, this apparatus is not useful in agitating the whipped cream and the hot water to finely whip the whipped cream.

[0005] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an agitating apparatus which can be used as a whipping apparatus for producing a whipped cream beverage.

[0006] It is another object of the present invention to provide an agitating apparatus which is capable of effectively agitating whipped or whipping cream and hot water poured into a cup.

[0007] Other objects of the present invention will become clear as the description proceeds.

[0008] According to this invention, there is provided an agitating apparatus for agitating contents contained in a cup. The agitating apparatus comprises a driving unit having an output shaft which extends along an axis and is rotated with respect to the axis and a coil member fixed to the output shaft and comprising a helical portion helically extending around the axis. The helical portion is placed in the cup on agitating the contents.

[0009] In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of an agitating apparatus according to an embodiment of this invention.

[0010] Referring to Figure 1, description will be made as regards an agitating apparatus according to an embodiment of this invention. The agitating apparatus is suitable for producing a whipped cream beverage and will be called hereinunder a whipping apparatus.

[0011] The whipping apparatus is included in an automatic vending machine for vending the whipped cream beverage and comprises a driving unit 1 having an output shaft 2 which extends along an axis in a vertical direction and is rotated with respect to the axis. More particularly, the driving unit 1 comprises an electric motor 3 and a joint member 4 in addition to the output shaft 2. The joint member 4 is engaged with a motor shaft 5 of the electric motor 3 via a first spring pin 6 in a rotation direction and with the output shaft 2 via a second spring pin 7 in the rotation direction. Therefore, the output shaft 2 is rotated in accordance with rotation of the motor shaft 5.

[0012] The whipping apparatus further comprises a fixing plate 11 fixed to a stationary portion 12 included in the automatic vending machine. The electric motor 3 is fixedly mounted on an upper portion of the fixing plate 11. The output shaft 2 is rotatably held through a bearing 13 by a holding plate 14 fixed to a lower portion of the fixing plate 11. An O-ring 15 is inserted between the output shaft 2 and the joint member 4. A combination of the bearing 13 and the O-ring 15 serves to prevent the output shaft 2 from being oscillated.

[0013] The whipping apparatus further comprises a coil member 16 fixed to a lower portion of the output shaft 2. The coil member 16 comprises a helical portion 16a helically extending around the axis, a first end portion 16b connected to an upper end of the helical portion 16a, and a second end portion 16c connected to a lower end of the helical portion 16a. The helical portion 16a has a diameter gradually increased from the upper end towards the lower end as a free end. The helical portion 16a has a clockwise spiral direction as seen from the upper end towards the lower end. The first end portion 16b is fixed to the lower portion of the output shaft 2. The second end portion 16c extends along a horizontal plane perpendicular to the vertical direction. The coil member 16 is made of a stainless steel and/or a resin such as a polyethylene resin or the like.

[0014] Next, the description will be directed to an operation of the whipping apparatus.

[0015] At first, hot water is poured as one of contents into a cup 21 placed on a support table (not shown) until a predetermined level is reached. As illustrated in the figure, the hot water has a static or first water surface W1. Then, an appropriate amount of whipped cream is supplied as another of the contents into the cup 21.

[0016] The whipping apparatus is located at an initial position above the cup 21 and is moved down towards the cup 21 to insert the coil member 16 into the hot water to a lower position below the first water surface W1. In this state, the electric motor 3 is activated to rotate the coil member 16 in a counterclockwise rotating direction as seen from the above. Following the rotation of the coil member 16, the hot water is rotated. Due to centrifugal force, the hot water forms a dynamic or second water surface W2 of a funnel-like shape having a flat bottom portion. In the vicinity of the flat bottom portion of the second water surface W2, the whipped cream, the hot water, and ambient air are agitated by a second end portion 16c of the coil member 16 being rotated. Thus, the whipped cream is very finely whipped.

[0017] After the whipped cream is finely whipped as mentioned above, the whipping apparatus is moved up to the initial position apart from the cup 21. Finally, a beverage such as coffee and soda water is poured into the cup 21 to obtain a whipped cream beverage.

[0018] In the above-mentioned apparatus, the second end portion 16c of the coil member 16 is rotated in the vicinity of the flat bottom portion of the second water surface W2 within the cup 21. As a result, the whipped cream, the hot water, and the ambient air are agitated in the vicinity of the flat bottom portion of the second water surface W2. Thus, the whipped cream is finely whipped.

[0019] The second end portion 16c of the coil member 16 is generally coplanar with the flat bottom portion of the second water surface W2 and, during the rotation, strokes the flat bottom portion of the second water surface W2. In addition, the coil member 16 is rotated in the counterclockwise rotating direction opposite to the clockwise spiral direction. This means that a terminal end at the second end portion 16c of the coil member 16 is a trailing end in the rotational movement. Therefore, the coil member 16 does not so intensely disturb the hot water as an agitator vane does. Therefore, the whipped cream and the hot water are prevented from splashing out of the cup 21.

[0020] The diameter of the helical portion 16a is gradually increased from the one end to the other end as described above so that the second end portion 16c has a relatively large diameter. Therefore, an increased area of the second water surface W2 is agitated by the second end portion 16c of the coil member 16. Thus, the whipped cream can be finely whipped in a short time.

[0021] When the whipping apparatus is incorporated in an automatic coffee dispenser or the like, the coil member 16 as an agitator can readily be cleaned in the following manner. Specifically, while the electric motor 3 is activated to rotate the coil member 16 in the counterclockwise rotating direction as seen from the above, wash water is poured over the first end portion 16b of the coil member 16, i.e., an upper end portion of the coil member 16. The wash water flows down along the coil member 16 to clean a whole of the coil member 16. Than, the wash water is splashed and discharged from the other end of the coil member 16. In case of the agitator vane of a propeller type, it is impossible to clean its lower surface by pouring the wash water over the agitator vane while it is rotated.

[0022] In the whipping apparatus, the coil member 16 is rotated in the vicinity of the water surface within the cup 21. Therefore, the whipped cream, the hot water, and the ambient air are mixed in the vicinity of the water surface so that the whipped cream is finely whipped. The helical portion 16a increased in diameter from the one end towards the other end agitates an increased area of the water surface. Thus, the whipped cream can be finely whipped in a short time.

[0023] While the present invention has thus far been described in connection with a single embodiment thereof, it will readily be possible for those skilled in the art to put this invention into practice in various other manners. For example, the helical portion of the coil member may be formed to have a constant diameter between the one end and the other end of the helical portion. Although the whipped cream is supplied as one the contents into the cup in the embodiment, liquid cream or whipping cream may supplied together with the hot water into the cup. In this event, the whipping apparatus agitates the liquid cream and the hot water to produce the whipped cream.

Claims

1. An agitating apparatus for agitating contents contained in a cup, said agitating apparatus comprising:

a driving unit having an output shaft which extends along an axis and is rotated with respect to said axis; and

a coil member fixed to said output shaft and comprising a helical portion helically extending around said axis, said helical portion being placed in said cup on agitating said contents.

2. An agitating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said coil member further comprising:

a first end portion connected to one end of said helical portion; and

a second end portion connected to another end of said helical portion, said first end portion being fixed to said output shaft.

3. An agitating apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said second end portion extends along a plane perpendicular to said axis.

4. An agitating apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said helical portion has a diameter gradually increased from the one end towards the other end of said helical portion.

5. An agitating apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said helical portion has a diameter which is constant between the one end and the other end of said helical portion.

6. An agitating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said contents include whipped cream and hot water, said helical portion agitating said whipped cream and said hot water in said cup to finely whip said whipped cream when said output shaft is rotated.

7. An agitating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said contents include whipping cream and hot water, said helical portion agitating said whipping cream and said hot water in said cup to whip said whipping cream when said output shaft is rotated.

Drawing