Beverage Cooling Circuit with Pre-Cooled Piercing Closure

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wine preparation systems require significant anticipation and time to achieve optimal serving conditions, including temperature and oxidation, which can be cumbersome and inefficient due to the need for fractional drink circulation.

Innovation Solution

An installation with a temperature-controlled liquid circulation circuit and a closure member that prevents container access until the circuit reaches the desired temperature, ensuring the wine is served at the correct temperature without split flow, featuring a control unit, Peltier effect cooling/heating, and a piercing member with an air intake.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If the beverage is circulated fractionally within the liquid circulation circuit to achieve temperature control, then the temperature of the beverage can be adjusted, but the preparation time increases and the circulation circuit length increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebeverage temperatureVSAvoidpreparation time
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-cools or pre-heats the liquid circulation circuit before the beverage is introduced. The closure member remains in the closed position during this preliminary temperature adjustment, ensuring the circuit is ready to receive and rapidly cool/heat the beverage without requiring fractional circulation, thus reducing preparation time

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If the closure member is always accessible to the perforation device, then the container can be opened at any time, but the beverage temperature cannot be controlled before opening

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontainer opening accessibilityVSAvoidbeverage temperature control
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The closure member is positioned to prevent the container from accessing the perforation device until the liquid circulation circuit has reached the desired temperature. This preliminary blocking action ensures that the beverage will be at the correct temperature when the container is opened, preventing premature opening that would result in incorrect serving temperature

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

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 solution allows for rapid preparation of wine by ensuring the liquid circulation circuit is at the optimal temperature before opening the container, guaranteeing the final drink temperature meets serving recommendations and reducing preparation time.

Implementation Method 1

Peltier effect cooling/heating

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPeltier effect: Peltier Effect

Data Source

PatentEP3386908B1Device for preparing a beverage tasting and method for opening a beverage container using such a device
Publication Date: 2019.08.07 10 VINS
  • EP3386908B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3386908B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3386908B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

A facility (1) comprising an area (5) for storing the container (40) of the beverage to be prepared, a liquid circulation circuit (2) provided with at least one supply inlet (3) for supplying the beverage to be prepared extending into said storage area (5) and being provided with a piercing member (7), cooling and/or heating means (8) arranged along the liquid circulation circuit (2), a sensor (13) for measuring the circuit temperature of the liquid circulation circuit (2), means (14) for providing a setpoint temperature corresponding to the desired temperature for tasting the beverage. The facility (1) comprises a sensor (6) for measuring the temperature of the container (40), a control unit (17) configured to control the cooling and/or heating means (8) depending on the setpoint temperature and the measured temperatures, a closing member (18) for at least partially closing access via the storage area (5) to the piercing member (7), said closing member (18) being mounted movable between a closed position at least depending on the measured circuit temperature.