Automatic coffee and tea maker
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic coffee makers are not suitable for preparing both coffee and tea simultaneously due to differences in raw material texture and preparation methods, leading to cleaning challenges and filter blockages when switching between coffee and tea brewing.
Innovation Solution
An enhanced automatic coffee maker design incorporating a steam cleaning mechanism, extended tea dosing capabilities, and a control system that manages coffee grinding, tea dosing, milk, and condiment dispensing, with a steam control valve and additional control unit to prevent mechanical compression of dry tea, allowing for simultaneous coffee and tea preparation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the same making module is used for both coffee and tea preparation, then device complexity is reduced, but cleaning difficulty increases due to different raw material textures and preparation methods
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary steam cleaning of the making module between coffee and tea preparation cycles. The steam injection system activates automatically to clear residual coffee grounds before tea preparation and removes tea residues before coffee preparation, preventing cross-contamination and filter blockages while maintaining a single unified making module structure
2Productivity
If high pressure water flow is used for coffee brewing, then coffee extraction efficiency is improved, but tea preparation quality deteriorates due to different texture requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts water flow parameters based on the selected beverage type. For coffee brewing, high pressure flow is applied to efficiently extract flavors from compressed coffee grounds. For tea preparation, the system automatically reduces water flow pressure to appropriately extract flavors from loose tea leaves, ensuring optimal quality for each beverage type while using the same making module
3Productivity
If coffee grounds are compressed during brewing, then coffee extraction is improved, but tea preparation is hindered due to texture differences
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different local handling methods to different raw materials within the same making module. Coffee grounds are compressed into a briquette form during dosing to facilitate efficient extraction. Tea leaves are dosed in a loose, uncompressed state to allow proper water penetration and extraction. The dosing mechanism automatically adapts its compression force based on the detected raw material type, ensuring optimal preparation conditions for each beverage
4Device complexity
If a single dosing unit is used for both coffee and tea, then device complexity is reduced, but dosing precision deteriorates due to different dosing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The dosing unit changes its operational parameters based on the selected beverage type. For coffee dosing, the system applies higher compression force to create a compact briquette suitable for espresso extraction. For tea dosing, the system reduces compression force to maintain loose leaf structure. The encoder-controlled drive mechanism adjusts dosing speed, compression force, and chamber volume accordingly, achieving precise dosing for both beverage types with a single unified dosing unit
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 efficient and automatic preparation of both coffee and tea without cross-contamination, reducing the frequency of machine cleaning and ensuring seamless transitions between brewing cycles.
Implementation Method 1
the making module is further cleaned with steam or the making module is cleaned with steam by shifting from the tea making to the coffee and vice versa
Implementation Method 2
water heater
Implementation Method 3
steam generator
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention is attributed to professional coffee and tea maker devices. A fully automatic coffee and tea maker is offered. Apart from all coffee maker advantages it includes the improvements that enable it to make tea. The essence of the invention is that when tea is made, the mixture of tea leaves is accurately dosed, the making is carried out without mechanical compression of the tea leaves dose and after making each portion of tea and/or coffee, the machine net (29) and the making chamber (24a) of the making module (3) is steam cleaned. For this purpose, a coffee dosing device (7) in the coffee maker, an additional control unit (2a) is installed as well as a branch (26b) in the tea and coffee exit tube (26a) connected to the steam generator (13) via the control valve (14).