Apparatus for making a drink
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cocktail-making machines face challenges with hygiene, ingredient preservation, and efficiency due to frequent cleaning needs, rapid ingredient deterioration after opening, and lengthy preparation times, as well as the requirement for frequent container changes and machine reconfiguration.
Innovation Solution
A machine that uses increased pressure to extract ingredients from sealed containers, minimizing contact points and enabling rapid cleaning, while preserving ingredients through one-way valves that limit external exposure, and allows for quick container replacement and efficient drink preparation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If frequent cleaning is performed to maintain hygiene, then hygiene quality is improved, but labor time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the ingredient storage function into sealed containers that are replaced rather than cleaned. The container system is separated from the mixing mechanism, allowing the container to be discarded and replaced with a new sealed container, eliminating the need to clean the storage compartments while maintaining hygiene.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs disposable sealed containers for ingredient storage. These containers are designed to be used once and then discarded, replacing the need for cleaning reusable storage containers. The sealed design maintains hygiene throughout use, and replacement is simpler and faster than cleaning.
2Ease of operation
If containers are opened to access ingredients, then ingredient accessibility is improved, but ingredient preservation deteriorates due to rapid deterioration after opening
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the ingredient storage into individual sealed containers, each containing a specific ingredient. This allows the system to access only the specific container needed for each cocktail preparation, keeping all other containers sealed and preserving their ingredients. The segmentation enables selective access without compromising the integrity of unused ingredients.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses pre-sealed containers that are prepared and sealed before use. The sealing action is performed in advance during manufacturing, creating a barrier that preserves the ingredient until the moment of use. This preliminary sealing prevents deterioration from occurring until the container is intentionally opened for dispensing.
3Reliability
If multiple cleaning components and water containers are added to improve hygiene, then hygiene quality is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the hygiene maintenance function from the machine's cleaning system by using replaceable sealed containers. Instead of requiring water containers, hoses, and cleaning mechanisms within the machine, the hygiene function is transferred to the disposable container system, simplifying the machine's internal structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex reusable cleaning infrastructure with simple disposable sealed containers. The containers themselves provide the hygiene barrier, eliminating the need for water storage, pumping systems, and cleaning cycles, thereby dramatically reducing device complexity.
4Reliability
If ingredient containers are changed regularly to maintain quality, then ingredient preservation is improved, but preparation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments ingredients into pre-filled sealed containers that are designed for quick interchange. Each container is a self-contained unit that can be rapidly removed and replaced without affecting other components or requiring complex操作流程, minimizing the time penalty of regular container changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses disposable containers that are designed for rapid replacement. The containers are simple in design with quick-connect mechanisms that enable fast exchange, making the regular replacement necessary for ingredient preservation a minimal time investment compared to the benefits of maintaining fresh ingredients.
5Adaptability or versatility
If machine reconfiguration is performed for each ingredient change, then ingredient versatility is improved, but preparation time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs universal container interfaces and standardized mounting positions that allow any container type to be used in any position. The system is designed with multi-functionality in mind, where a single dispensing mechanism can handle various ingredients without reconfiguration, as long as they use the standardized container format.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the ingredient delivery system into independent, interchangeable container units with standardized interfaces. This segmentation allows the container selection and positioning to be done quickly without affecting the core dispensing mechanism, enabling ingredient versatility without requiring time-consuming reconfiguration of the machine's internal systems.
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
The machine ensures optimal hygiene, preserves ingredients, and reduces preparation time by minimizing contact points and using efficient pressure-based extraction, allowing for rapid and effective cleaning and flexible container use.
Implementation Method 1
an upstream emptying valve allowing said ingredient to be caused to exit to the outside of the receptacle by an increased pressure generated inside said receptacle by said pressure source
Data Source
AI summary
A machine for making an individual drink. The machine includes a pressure source, a store defining a plurality of housings, a plurality of removable containers each immobilized, in a service position, in a respective housing. Each container includes a receptacle containing an ingredient, and an upstream emptying valve allowing the ingredient to be caused to exit to the outside of the receptacle by an increased pressure generated inside the receptacle by the pressure source. The machine includes a chamber to receive the ingredients extracted from the containers, via the upstream emptying one-way valves, because of the increased pressure, so as to make the drink. The machine includes a control module able to command the increased pressures in the containers as a function of a desired composition for the drink.