Adjustable Coffee Grinder with Slanted Inner Burr
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing capsule-based coffee machines lack the ability to customize brewing settings for different coffee varieties, resulting in limited flavor extraction and a quality gap between boutique café and home-brewed coffee due to fixed brewing options and pre-ground coffee freshness issues.
Innovation Solution
A single-serving beverage brewing system with an electronic reader, adjustable grinder, and brewer that reads identification tags on coffee pods to adjust grind size, water temperature, and pouring patterns, allowing for customizable brewing recipes and fresh grinding of coffee beans.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If capsule-based coffee machines use fixed brewing settings, then device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but adaptability to different coffee varieties deteriorates and manufacturing precision of flavor extraction deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The brewing machine transitions from fixed, static brewing parameters to dynamically adjustable settings. The system allows users to modify grind size, water temperature, brewing time, and coffee-to-water ratio based on the specific coffee variety being used, enabling the machine to adapt its brewing profile to match the characteristics of different coffee beans while maintaining ease of operation through automated adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention implements variable brewing parameters that can be changed according to the coffee variety. The system adjusts multiple parameters simultaneously including grind coarseness, water temperature, brewing duration, and agitation intensity, allowing optimization of extraction for each specific coffee type while keeping the interface simple for users.
2Ease of operation
If capsule-based coffee machines use pre-ground coffee, then ease of operation is improved and device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision of flavor extraction deteriorates and loss of time deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary grinding of coffee beans immediately before brewing, ensuring the coffee is ground fresh and uniformly just prior to extraction. This preliminary action maintains the convenience of capsule-based operation while dramatically improving flavor extraction precision by eliminating the time degradation that occurs with pre-ground coffee storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the static mechanical system of pre-ground coffee capsules with an integrated grinding mechanism that converts whole beans to grounds on-demand. This substitution maintains the simplicity of capsule operation while achieving café-quality extraction precision through fresh, uniformly ground coffee.
3Device complexity
If capsule-based coffee machines use fixed brewing options, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability to different coffee varieties deteriorates and productivity of flavor extraction deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The brewing machine is designed with multi-functionality to handle various coffee varieties and brewing styles within a single device. It incorporates adjustable parameters for grind size, temperature, time, and agitation, allowing the same machine to optimize extraction for different coffee types (espresso, drip, French press styles) without requiring multiple specialized devices, thus maintaining reasonable complexity while achieving high adaptability.
4Ease of operation
If capsule-based coffee machines lack customization, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision of brewing parameters deteriorates and loss of information about coffee characteristics deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms that allow users to input or select coffee variety information, and the machine automatically adjusts brewing parameters based on this feedback. The system may also include sensors that monitor brewing conditions and provide real-time feedback for optimization, maintaining simple operation while achieving precise, customized brewing for each coffee type.
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
Enables the production of high-quality, café-like coffee at home by allowing users to customize brewing parameters, ensuring optimal flavor extraction and freshness through adjustable grind size and tailored brewing processes.
Implementation Method 1
any stray particles that escape during the grinding process are collected by a magnetic tunnel situated below the outer burr
Implementation Method 2
the burr assembly is made of stainless steel treated with nitriding
Data Source
AI summary
A grinder for grinding whole coffee beans into coffee grounds with automatically adjustable coarseness. The grinder comprise a burr assembly for grinding whole coffee beans, which comprises an inner burr having a side surface that is slanted and abrasive or serrated, and an outer burr surrounding the inner burr. The side surface of the inner burr and the outer burr define a gap. The grinder comprise a main motor configured to provide a first rotational movement to the inner burr. A second motor is configured to adjust a vertical position of the inner burr relative to the outer burr, wherein changes in the vertical position of the inner burr relative to the outer burr changes the gap between the inner burr and the outer burr. A coarseness of the coffee grounds depends on the gap between the inner burr and the outer burr.