Beverage whipper

Abstract

A beverage whipper, including a whipper disk configured for spinning within the whipper and having a radius is disclosed. The whipper disk further includes a front surface and a plurality of forward-facing concave surfaces that divide the front surface into a plurality of front surface sections. The concave surfaces extend generally radially over more than half the radius and have a circumferential width and a depth, wherein the width is larger than the depth. The front surface sections have a total area that is at least 4-times the total area of the concave surfaces. Also, a beverage dispenser that includes the whipper for forming beverages having crema such as espresso or cappuccino.

1 . A beverage whipper, comprising a whipper disk having a configuration for whipping a beverage mixture to produce a crema, the configuration being such that the whipper disk defines a transverse radius and includes a front surface and a plurality of forward-facing concave surfaces that divide the front surface into a plurality of front surface sections, the concave surfaces extending radially over more than half the radius and having a circumferential width and a depth, wherein the width is larger than the depth, and wherein the front surface has an area that is at least 4 times the area of the concave surfaces. 
     
     
         2 . The whipper of  claim 1 , wherein the whipper disk comprises a relatively sharp transition between the front surface and the concave portions for promoting cavitation when the whipper is spinning. 
     
     
         3 . The whipper of  claim 2 , wherein the relatively sharp transition is disposed on both circumferential sides of each of the concave surfaces. 
     
     
         4 . The whipper of  claim 1 , wherein the concave surfaces are substantially semi-cylindrical. 
     
     
         5 . The whipper of  claim 1 , wherein the front surface is domed in a convex direction. 
     
     
         6 . The whipper of  claim 5 , wherein the front surface has a generally elliptical cross-section. 
     
     
         7 . The whipper of  claim 1 , wherein the front surface has a radially inner portion and an outer edge, the concave portion extending substantially from the inner portion to the outer edge. 
     
     
         8 . The whipper of  claim 1 , wherein the concave surfaces have a width-to-depth ratio of at least about 1.5. 
     
     
         9 . The whipper of  claim 1 , operatively associated with an outlet for delivering a whipped beverage mixture that contains the crema, wherein the outlet comprises a restrictor associated for restricting the flow of the whipped beverage mixture therethrough. 
     
     
         10 . The whipper of  claim 9 , wherein the restrictor is configured for prolonging a dwell time in which the beverage mixture is acted on by the whipper disk. 
     
     
         11 . The whipper of  claim 9 , wherein the restrictor is configured to increase fluid back pressure for prolonging a dwell time in which the beverage mixture is acted on by the whipper disk. 
     
     
         12 . The whipper of  claim 11 , wherein the restrictor includes a tapered portion for providing the fluid back pressure. 
     
     
         13 . The whipper of  claim 1 , operatively associated with an outlet for delivering a whipped beverage mixture that contains the crema, wherein the outlet comprises a filter disposed therein and configured for breaking up bubbles of the crema larger than a predetermined size within the fluid, thereby reducing the number of bubbles present within the fluid over the predetermined size. 
     
     
         14 . The whipper of  claim 13 , wherein the filter defines a plurality of holes having diameter and a length along a direction of flow that is at least as long the diameter for reducing larger bubbles of the crema. 
     
     
         15 . The whipper of  claim 13 , wherein the filter comprises a spiral filter disposed within the outlet for disrupting the reducing larger bubbles in the crema. 
     
     
         16 . A method of preparing a beverage mixture with a layer of high-quality crema, which comprises:
 whipping a beverage mixture with the whipper of  claim 1 , wherein the whipper spins sufficiently fast to produce a crema in the beverage mixture; and   dispensing the whipped beverage mixture through an outlet that is associated with the whipper.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the beverage mixture comprises coffee and the whipper prepares an espresso or cappuccino.