A brewing device for a beverage preparation machine, in particular coffee or tea
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing brewing devices with cam transmissions lack precision and control in the movement of their closing bodies, affecting the trajectories and final positions reached during the brewing process.
Innovation Solution
The brewing device incorporates a barrel cam with cam followers and a rack-and-pinion mechanism, along with a sinusoidal track profile, to provide precise and controlled movement of the closing body, allowing for accurate positioning and operation between opening, closing, and intermediate positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional cam transmissions are used to move the closing body, then the device structure is relatively simple, but the precision and control of the closing body movement trajectory and final position are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission mechanism is divided into multiple functional components: a first cam transmission system for vertical movement control, a second cam transmission system for rotational movement control, and a locking mechanism. Each component handles a specific aspect of the closing body's motion, enabling precise control of the complex trajectory through segmented functional responsibilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The closing body's movement is controlled in multiple dimensions: vertical translation (first degree of freedom) managed by the first cam transmission, and rotational movement (second degree of freedom) managed by the second cam transmission. This multi-dimensional control approach enables precise positioning in complex spatial trajectories.
2Reliability
If the closing body movement control is improved for greater precision, then the brewing performance is enhanced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism provides a form of feedback control by engaging at specific positions to secure the closing body. This ensures that the brewing process maintains reliable positioning, and the scraper mechanism provides feedback on the ejection process to ensure complete discharge of used material.
Solution Approach 2:
The scraper mechanism is automatically actuated by the closing body's own movement during the ejection phase. The scraper is carried by the closing body and automatically engages to eject used material without requiring separate actuation, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining reliability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enhances the precision and reliability of the brewing device's movement, ensuring accurate brewing and discharge processes, improving the overall performance and control of the brewing apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
The transmission comprises a barrel cam (36) arranged around the brewing chamber (10) between the cylindrical tubular body (8) and the lateral walls (6) of the frame (4), in a position coaxial to the axis (9), which defines, on its lateral wall, a track (37)
Implementation Method 2
The transmission also comprises a rack-and-pinion mechanism (40) and a cam control device (33) that are configured to transform the linear motion, along the slots (39), of the cam followers (38) into a movement of the closing body (26)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A brewing device for a beverage preparation machine, in particular coffee or tea, the brewing device (1) comprises a frame (4); a brewing chamber (10) carried by the frame (4) and having a longitudinal axis (9) and a loading/unloading aperture (11) for a brewable material; a closing body (26) movable relative to the frame (4) from and to a closing position for the aperture (11); and an actuator device (32) to move the closing body (26) and comprising a motor and a transmission (35) arranged between the motor (34) and the closing body (26); the transmission (35) comprising rack-and-pinion mechanism (40) comprising a driving toothing (38 A) carried by the frame (4), and a driven toothing (38B) carried by the closing body (26) and meshing with the driving toothing (38 A) to move the closing body (26) from and to its closing position.