Apparatus and method for obtaining personalized blends of coffee
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coffee blend preparation technologies lack precision, reliability, and speed in producing personalized blends of coffee beans, leading to inconsistent taste and aroma due to inadequate metering and weighing processes.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus comprising multiple supply units with volumetric and singularized feed devices, along with a weighing unit, to accurately and rapidly meter coffee beans into a collection container, allowing for precise control of coffee bean quantities and weights to achieve consistent blends.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a thruster is used to transfer coffee beans through pipes, then coffee beans can be moved along the transfer path, but dead times occur due to repetitive positioning of the thruster and metering precision is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the metering function from the transfer path by introducing a separate vibratory feeder that singularizes coffee beans before they enter the transfer pipe. This separation allows the thruster to focus solely on transfer while the vibratory feeder handles precise metering, eliminating the trade-off between transfer speed and metering precision
Solution Approach 2:
The vibratory feeder acts as an intermediary device between the coffee bean storage and the transfer pipe. It singularizes coffee beans one by one and feeds them to the transfer pipe, enabling both rapid transfer and precise metering without the thruster needing to perform both functions simultaneously
2Productivity
If coffee beans are fed through closely intercorrelated pipes in sequence, then all coffee beans pass through the transfer path, but rapid and precise metering is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the coffee bean feeding process into two independent stages: singularization/metering by the vibratory feeder and transfer by the thruster through the pipe. This segmentation allows each component to optimize for its specific function, achieving both high speed and high precision simultaneously
3Reliability
If complex operations are used to supply coffee beans, then coffee beans can be supplied, but time consumption and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The vibratory feeder is a self-contained device that automatically singularizes and meters coffee beans using vibration mechanisms. It requires no complex external control systems or manual operations, achieving reliable coffee bean supply through simple, automatic self-service operation
Data Source
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AI summary
Apparatus (10) for obtaining personalized coffee blends, said apparatus comprising a plurality of supply units (11) each configured to supply a specific type of coffee bean to a collection container (12) and each provided with at least a containing device (13) in which the coffee beans of the specific type of coffee are contained. Each supply unit comprises a first volumetric feed device (14) and a second volumetric feed device (15).