Beverage dripper assemblies and methods
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage drippers lack versatility in accommodating different beverage container sizes and often fail to maintain a sealed engagement, leading to inefficient brewing and potential vacuum issues during the brewing process.
Innovation Solution
A monolithic injection molded plastic beverage dripper with a base portion having two tiers of different diameters and ring seals, along with a content portion featuring ribs and conical surfaces, allowing it to fit and seal with various vessel sizes and preventing vacuum formation by creating air pockets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a beverage dripper is designed with a single fixed size, then the manufacturing complexity is low, but the adaptability to different container sizes is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The base portion is divided into two distinct tiers: a first tier with a first outer diameter and a second tier with a second outer diameter less than the first outer diameter. Each tier can independently engage with beverage containers of different sizes, allowing the dripper to adapt to multiple container dimensions without requiring multiple separate devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The dripper is designed with multi-functional capability to engage with both larger beverage containers using the first tier and smaller beverage containers using the second tier. This universal design allows a single dripper structure to serve multiple functions across different container sizes, eliminating the need for separate drippers for each container type.
2Reliability
If a beverage dripper uses a simple engagement structure, then the manufacturing is easy, but the sealing reliability is poor
Solution Approach 1:
A ring seal is provided that engages with the base portion to create a sealed interface between the dripper and the beverage container. The ring seal acts as a flexible element that can deform to conform to the container surface, ensuring reliable sealing without requiring complex rigid sealing structures. The ring seal may be integrated into the base portion or provided as a separate component.
3Productivity
If water flows directly across grounds without controlled dripping, then the brewing speed is fast, but the beverage quality is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The base portion includes a plurality of openings distributed across its structure. These openings segment the water flow into multiple discrete streams that pass through the coffee grounds, ensuring controlled dripping rather than uncontrolled pouring. This segmentation maintains brewing quality by allowing proper water-ground contact while achieving efficient brewing through parallel flow paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The dripper maintains continuous sealed engagement with the beverage container throughout the brewing process, ensuring that water consistently flows through the coffee grounds and drips into the container without interruption. The sealed engagement prevents air ingress and maintains continuous liquid flow, ensuring reliable brewing quality while achieving efficient productivity through uninterrupted brewing.
Data Source
AI summary
A beverage dripper includes a base portion, including a first tier having a first outer diameter and a second tier having a second outer diameter less than the first outer diameter. A content portion extends from the base portion. The content portion includes an inner surface, and a plurality of ribs protrude from the inner surface.