Patents Assigned to Niro-Plan AG
  • Patent number: 8661968
    Abstract: A device for foaming a liquid foodstuff, in particular, milk, including a foaming chamber (5), a foodstuff feed line (4), a steam feed line (7), and an air feed line (8) is provided. The foodstuff, steam, and air feed lines are connected in a fluid-conducting manner to the foaming chamber (5). The air feed line (9) includes an air valve (10) that can be controlled by a control unit (9), and the air valve (10) is an intermittent air valve in which, by use of the control unit (9), at least one state with a high air flow and a state with relatively lower air flow and/or with no air flow can be specified selectively. The control unit (9) and air valve (10) have an interacting construction such that the average air flow of the air valve (10) can be controlled by repeated switching between the at least two states of the air valve (10). The invention further includes a method for foaming the liquid foodstuff.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Niro-Plan AG
    Inventors: Mariano Turi, Heinz Vetterli, Michel Loetscher
  • Patent number: 8657262
    Abstract: A device for foaming a liquid foodstuff, especially milk, is provided including a pump (2) that has, on the suction side, a feed line (3) that can be connected in a fluid-conducting way to a storage container for the liquid foodstuff. An air feed line (3a) by which air can be fed to the foodstuff is arranged in a path of flow of the liquid foodstuff on the suction side of the pump (2) and, a throttle (4a) is arranged in the path of flow of the foodstuff on the downstream side of the pump (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Niro-Plan AG
    Inventors: Adrian Burri, Andreas Kaiser, Heinz Vetterli, Mariano Turi
  • Patent number: 8403306
    Abstract: A device for foaming liquid foods in a container, particularly milk, is provided having a vapor generator for generating vapors, particularly steam, and a vapor lance to be at least partially inserted into the container, with the vapor lance being connected to the vapor generator in a fluid-guiding fashion and including at least one vapor outlet opening such that steam can be discharged from the vapor generator via the vapor lance out of the vapor outlet opening. The device further includes at least one motion element which is connected to the vapor lance and/or a holder for the container such that the vapor lance and the container are movable relative to each other via the motion element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Niro-Plan AG
    Inventors: Stefan Stahl, Corinne Keiser, Jochen Ganz, Adrian Burri
  • Publication number: 20110238489
    Abstract: A system and method of determining point-of-purchase placement locations for printed promotional materials on a retail structure includes loading, by a processing device from a database, data representative of a retail structure; determining a plurality of advertisement placement locations on the retail structure; determining a point-of-placement priority value for each of the plurality of advertisement placement locations; receiving an advertising campaign comprising data representing a plurality of advertising campaign items, each item including an associated item priority value; determining a location on the retail structure for each of the advertising campaign items based upon the item priority values and the point-of-placement priority values; and providing a report to an operator of the retail structure indicating where each of the advertising campaign items is to be displayed on the retail structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2010
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Applicant: NIRO-PLAN AG
    Inventors: Dan Chris Pulos, Jack Stines Wilson
  • Publication number: 20110226799
    Abstract: An assembly for holding cup-shaped objects. The assembly includes an outer retaining tube, an inner retaining tube having a diameter smaller than that of the outer retaining tube, wherein the inner retaining tube engages the outer retaining tube in a telescoping manner, a spring positioned inside the tubes, a piston positioned at a first end of the spring, and a head assembly that engages the outer retaining tube, the head assembly containing a ring assembly operably connected to a plurality of flippers that, in response to rotation of the ring assembly, provide a varying diameter within the head assembly. The telescoping feature provides for adjustable length of the assembly while the varying diameter of the head assembly provides for cups of various diameters to be used in the assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2009
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Applicant: NIRO-PLAN AG
    Inventors: Jeffrey Craig Watson, Steven Alan Haug, Guo De Huang
  • Publication number: 20110070349
    Abstract: A device for foaming a liquid foodstuff, especially milk, is provided including a pump (2) that has, on the suction side, a feed line (3) that can be connected in a fluid-conducting way to a storage container for the liquid foodstuff. An air feed line (3a) by which air can be fed to the foodstuff is arranged in a path of flow of the liquid foodstuff on the suction side of the pump (2) and, a throttle (4a) is arranged in the path of flow of the foodstuff on the downstream side of the pump (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2010
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Applicant: NIRO-PLAN AG
    Inventors: Adrian Burri, Andreas Kaiser, Heinz Vetterli, Mariano Turi
  • Publication number: 20110056479
    Abstract: A system and method for providing variable ventilation for a cooking environment. The system includes a plurality of cooking appliances, wherein each appliance has various operating parameters indicative of a cooking level of each appliance; a cooking event monitor operably connected to each of the cooking appliances and configured to: (1) determine a level of ventilation for each of the plurality of appliances based upon the cooking level of each appliance, (2) determine a control signal based upon the determined level of ventilation, and (3) transmit the control signal; a motor speed controller operably connected to the cooking event monitor and configured to receive the control signal; and at least one exhaust fan operably connected to the motor speed controller, wherein the motor speed controller adjusts a speed of the exhaust fan based upon the control signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2010
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Applicant: NIRO-PLAN AG.
    Inventors: Christopher Thompson, Alan Dean Greer, Eric W. Scheidemantel
  • Publication number: 20110014329
    Abstract: A device for foaming a liquid foodstuff, in particular, milk, including a foaming chamber (5), a foodstuff feed line (4), a steam feed line (7), and an air feed line (8) is provided. The foodstuff, steam, and air feed lines are connected in a fluid-conducting manner to the foaming chamber (5). The air feed line (9) includes an air valve (10) that can be controlled by a control unit (9), and the air valve (10) is an intermittent air valve in which, by use of the control unit (9), at least one state with a high air flow and a state with relatively lower air flow and/or with no air flow can be specified selectively. The control unit (9) and air valve (10) have an interacting construction such that the average air flow of the air valve (10) can be controlled by repeated switching between the at least two states of the air valve (10). The invention further includes a method for foaming the liquid foodstuff.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Applicant: NIRO-PLAN AG
    Inventors: Mariano Turi, Heinz Vetterli, Michel Loetscher
  • Publication number: 20110014339
    Abstract: A device (1, 10) and method for the production of cooled coffee are provided. The device has a brewing unit (4) for the production of coffee, a cooling assembly (11) and a coffee cooler (14) formed as a heat exchanger. The coffee cooler (14) has at least one first and one second flow path that are connected thermally but not in a fluid-conducting manner. A coolant can flow through the first flow path and the second flow path is connected in a fluid-conducting manner with a coffee outlet (5) of the brewing unit (4). The device also has a fresh-water supply (2) and a fresh-water cooler (13) formed as an additional heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Applicant: NIRO-PLAN AG
    Inventors: Stefan Stahl, Mariano Turi, Heinz Vetterli
  • Publication number: 20100237517
    Abstract: A device for foaming liquid foods in a container, particularly milk, is provided having a vapor generator for generating vapors, particularly steam, and a vapor lance to be at least partially inserted into the container, with the vapor lance being connected to the vapor generator in a fluid-guiding fashion and including at least one vapor outlet opening such that steam can be discharged from the vapor generator via the vapor lance out of the vapor outlet opening. The device further includes at least one motion element which is connected to the vapor lance and/or a holder for the container such that the vapor lance and the container are movable relative to each other via the motion element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2010
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Applicant: NIRO-PLAN AG
    Inventors: Stefan Stahl, Corinne Keiser, Jochen Ganz, Adrian Burri
  • Patent number: 7654190
    Abstract: Many kinds of dispensing devices for drinks or similar fluid foodstuffs, especially for coffee and/or milk are already known. Said devices comprise supply means for supplying at least two different hot drinks, filling outlets for dispensing hot drinks into at least one cup and valve means for stopping and releasing drink pipelines between the supply devices and the filling devices. According to the invention, in order to improve hygiene and product quality, the valve means are embodied in such a manner that additional pipelines for supplying and/or discharging flushing agents for cleaning, hot water or steam for preheating or other similar fluids, can be connected to the valve means instead of to the drinks pipelines in order to treat the valve means in the areas through which hot drinks flow. As a result, a rinsing process can be automatically controlled between two dispensing steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Niro-Plan AG
    Inventor: Hansdieter Greiwe
  • Patent number: 7637205
    Abstract: The invention relates to dispensing devices for drinks or similar dosable liquid foodstuffs, e.g. coffee, milk or soft drinks, comprising manually actuatable selector switches for determining the type and quantity of the foodstuff to be dispensed. The aim of the invention is to simplify the use of one such dispensing device. To this end, said device is provided with an identification device for identifying different types of containers for receiving the foodstuff with subsequent consumption from the container, and for emitting an identification signal describing the container. The dispensing device is also provided with a valve device which, on the basis of the identification signal, connects at least one of a plurality of supply devices for supplying a defined foodstuff or a mixture of defined foodstuffs by means of a filling device, and fills the container with a predetermined quantity of the defined foodstuff or the mixture thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: Niro-Plan AG
    Inventors: Hansdieter Greiwe, Rainer Herrmann
  • Publication number: 20090214742
    Abstract: A device (1) for preparing aromatic hot drinks, particularly coffee, milk, tea, or mixed drinks, with a device (2) for preparing the hot drink, having a first outlet (5), via which the hot drink can be dispensed into a receiving vessel (6), such as a cup, a mug, or the like, is provided with at least one second outlet (14.1, 14.2), fluidly separated from the first outlet (5), that is connected to at least one reservoir (8.1, 8.2) for aromatic substances for dispensing at least one aromatic substance (9.1, 9.2), particularly a syrup, into the receiving vessel (6).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2008
    Publication date: August 27, 2009
    Applicant: NIRO-PLAN AG
    Inventors: Ray Peden, Roman Probst
  • Publication number: 20090183754
    Abstract: A cleaning module for machines for the production of liquid foods, particularly for coffee makers, including at least one reservoir for cleaning agents to accept cleaning agents, with at least one dosing device having a control connector and at least one discharge chamber, with the dosing device being connected to the cleaning reservoir and the discharge chamber such that cleaning agents can be fed by the dosing device from the reservoir for cleaning agents to the discharge chamber. The invention further relates to a device for the production of liquid foods and a method for its cleaning.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2009
    Publication date: July 23, 2009
    Applicant: NIRO-PLAN AG
    Inventors: Heinz Vetterli, Matteo Ioannone
  • Publication number: 20090165477
    Abstract: A fill level measuring device for measuring the fill level of liquid food in a container is provided which includes a sensor unit and a processing unit. The processing unit being is connected to the sensor unit and embodied such that the processing unit determines the fill level of the liquid food in the container depending on the measuring signals of the sensor unit, with the sensor unit comprising a container pressure sensor. The container pressure sensor is effectively connected with the liquid food in the container in order to measure the fluid pressure of the liquid food in the container and the processing unit is embodied such that it determines the fill level of the liquid food in the container depending on a difference of the fluid pressure measured in reference to the environmental pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2008
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Applicant: NIRO-PLAN AG
    Inventors: Holger Sturken, Hans-Peter Hoch
  • Patent number: 7523511
    Abstract: A kitchen mounting-part (3) is provided which is to be mounted in a cut-out (1a) of a countertop, with the mounting-part extending with its edge region (31) beyond the cut-out in the countertop and having numerous mounting elements (8) below the edge region, which can be made to engage the countertop (1). The above-mentioned edge region (31) merges into a sloped splash wall (32). Here, it is essential that the mounting elements (8) are arranged on said splash wall (32), and the edge region (31) is formed from a single layer and extends out above the countertop (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Niro-Plan AG
    Inventors: Duncan B. Marr, Christian Bomatter, Wolfgang Gross, Uli Jost
  • Publication number: 20090031901
    Abstract: A device and to a method for delivering drinkable liquid, in particular, milk or syrup, is provided wherein the device includes at least one pump, which can be connected to at least one container for drinkable liquid, so that, using the pump, the drinkable liquid can be delivered from the container. The device includes at least one sensor for measuring the fill level of the container, and the pumping process is stopped as a function of a measurement signal from the sensor when the measurement signal falls below or exceeds a given measurement signal limit. The sensor is constructed as a pressure sensor and the pressure sensor is arranged such that the pressure in the container for drinkable liquid can be measured by the pressure sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2008
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Applicant: NIRO-PLAN AG
    Inventors: Ray Peden, Roman Probst
  • Patent number: 7448314
    Abstract: A device is provided for producing milk foam, in particular in combination with an automatic coffee machine, which has a mixing chamber (13) to which milk, air, and rinsing medium can be supplied via various supply lines (11, 20, 21), wherein the supply of the rinsing medium to the mixing chamber takes place at least partially via the milk supply line (11). Here it is essential that the air supply line (20), at least with its end segment (20a) connected to the mixing chamber (13), can be selectively connected via a valve (22) to a line (23) having rinsing medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: Niro-Plan AG
    Inventors: Matteo Ioannone, Andreas Hubacher
  • Patent number: D647748
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Niro-Plan AG
    Inventors: Frank Beekhuis, Wim van der Linden
  • Patent number: D654302
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Niro Plan AG
    Inventor: Todd Shepherd