Beverage distribution system with composed drinking recipients, and process of operation thereof
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage distribution systems face challenges in maintaining beverage quality, particularly for aromatic beverages like espresso, due to issues with flow regulation and retention during discharge against gravity, affecting crema production and temperature control.
Innovation Solution
A beverage distribution system comprising a drinking recipient with a base region that integrates flow regulation, constraining, and sealing means, allowing for reliable and effective retention and pressurized injection of beverages into the recipient, ensuring a continuous fluid connection without variations in flow passageway form or dimension, and accommodating various recipient types for ergonomic retention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If beverage discharge is performed against gravity through a flow regulation valve, then beverage quality and crema production are improved, but flow regulation complexity and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the flow regulation valve, flow constrain means, and flow sealing means into an integrated base region assembly. This merging of functions into a single integrated component maintains reliable beverage quality control while reducing overall device complexity compared to separate components for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The base region assembly serves multiple functions simultaneously: it regulates flow through the valve, constrains the beverage flow path, and provides sealing. This multi-functionality approach maintains beverage quality while minimizing the number of separate components needed.
2Ease of operation
If flow regulation means are integrated on the beverage recipient wall, then beverage discharge control is improved, but manufacturing complexity and assembly difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flow regulation means are integrated directly into the base region of the beverage recipient, combining multiple functions (flow regulation, constraining, and sealing) into a single manufactured unit. This integration improves beverage discharge control while simplifying manufacturing compared to assembling separate components.
3Productivity
If pressurized injection is used to open the flow regulation valve, then beverage discharge speed and crema production are improved, but energy consumption and temperature loss increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent provides a continuous fluid connection through the base region with integrated flow regulation means, allowing continuous pressurized injection of beverage. This maintains discharge speed and crema production while minimizing air exposure and temperature loss through the continuous sealed flow path.
4Reliability
If the base region provides retention on the beverage discharge disposition, then operational reliability is improved, but device complexity and assembly requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The retention function is integrated directly into the base region structure that also houses the flow regulation, constraining, and sealing means. This merging of retention functionality with the existing base region assembly improves operational reliability while avoiding additional separate retention components and assembly steps.
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 system ensures reliable and effective beverage discharge against gravity, maintaining beverage quality by regulating flow and retention, enhancing crema retention and temperature control, while allowing for ergonomic handling and use with different recipient types.
Implementation Method 1
pressurized injection of beverage discharge flow into the interior of a drinking recipient along a direction opposite the gravity force direction
Implementation Method 2
flow regulation means, with a flow passageway when actuated by a corresponding projection in the beverage discharge support to allow flow passageway
Data Source
AI summary
A beverage distribution system for preparation of espresso coffee and similar aromatic beverages, including a drinking recipient (1, 1′), for example of type glass, cup, or similar, a beverage discharge disposition (2) operatively associated with a beverage preparation device (3), whereby the beverage discharge disposition is provided so that the beverage discharge flow impinges, with a given flow pressure, a flow regulation disposition (12) on the base region (11) of the drinking recipient (1, 1′) along a direction opposite gravity, whereby the drinking recipient has first and second recipient parts (11, 12) adapted to be removably retained and that, in an assembled condition, provide fluid connection through a flow passageway (110) that develops along a single direction and to confine the beverage flow downstream of flow constrain means (16) and upstream of the entry of beverage flow in the region of the base wall (111) of the collection space.