Beverage Machine Closure Seal Design for Parallel Sealing Force
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Beverage preparation machines face challenges in efficiently handling and mixing flavoring ingredients, particularly solid portions, to produce consistent beverage servings, as existing systems often require pre-conditioned ingredients and lack efficient mechanisms for crushing and mixing without shear forces.
Innovation Solution
A machine with a mixing unit featuring a stationary support, a movable seat, and a piston-like wall part, capable of geometric translation and rotation, which includes a closure part to form a mixing chamber with a valve for air release and a thermal conditioner, allowing for the mixing of solid flavoring ingredients with water under controlled compression and temperature conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a piston-like wall part is used to crush and mix solid flavoring ingredients, then mixing efficiency and beverage consistency are improved, but shear forces may damage the ingredient structure
Solution Approach 1:
The wall part is designed to be movable relative to the seat, enabling dynamic compression and mixing actions. The wall part can translate and rotate within the seat, creating variable compression forces that effectively mix solid ingredients without excessive shear forces, resolving the contradiction between mixing efficiency and ingredient structure preservation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical parameters of the mixing process by controlling the position, speed, and compression force of the movable wall part. By dynamically adjusting these parameters, the system achieves effective mixing while controlling shear forces to prevent ingredient damage.
2Productivity
If the seat is configured for geometric translation and rotation, then mixing effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seat combines multiple functions into a single component: it provides the mixing chamber, guides the movable wall part, and enables both translation and rotation movements. This merging of functions achieves effective mixing while avoiding the need for separate complex mechanisms for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The seat is designed as a multi-functional component that accommodates the movable wall part, defines the mixing chamber volume, and enables complex motion patterns (translation and rotation). This universal design achieves mixing effectiveness without proportionally increasing device complexity.
3Manufacturing precision
If a closure part is used to form a sealed mixing chamber, then beverage preparation consistency is improved, but air trapped during mixing may affect quality
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts air from the mixing chamber through a dedicated air removal mechanism. The closure part includes an air removal opening or valve that allows trapped air to be evacuated during or after the mixing process, eliminating the harmful effect of air bubbles while maintaining the sealed environment needed for consistent beverage preparation.
4Adaptability or versatility
If solid flavoring ingredients are handled without pre-conditioning, then operational flexibility is improved, but mixing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The movable wall part enables the system to self-process solid flavoring ingredients through compression and mixing actions. The ingredient is crushed and mixed in-situ within the mixing chamber without requiring external pre-conditioning equipment, achieving operational flexibility while keeping the mixing mechanism relatively simple.
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 preparation and dispensing of beverages by effectively crushing and mixing solid flavoring ingredients with water, reducing shear forces and ensuring consistent beverage quality across various serving sizes and types.
Implementation Method 1
via a thermal conditioner, e.g. a water heater and/or a cooler
Implementation Method 2
capable of geometric translation and rotation, which includes a closure part to form a mixing chamber with a valve for air release and a thermal conditioner, allowing for the mixing of solid flavoring ingredients with water under controlled compression and temperature conditions
Data Source
AI summary
A machine (1) for serving a beverage (7) via a dispensing outlet (8) to a consumer receptacle (9) by mixing water (3) from a water source (3) with a flavouring ingredient (2), has a mixing unit (10) that comprises: a stationary support (11); a seat (12) having an ingredient opening (120); a closure part (13) configured to close and open the ingredient opening (120); and a wall part (14) that is movable inside the seat (12). The seat (12), the closure part (13) and the wall part (14) are: mounted to the support (11); and relatively movable between a transfer configuration and a mixing chamber configuration in which the seat (12) and the closure part (13) and the wall part (14) form a mixing chamber (12′) fluidically connected with the water source (3′). The mixing unit (10) has a closure seal (15) which is located between the closure part (13) and the seat (12) when closed by the seat (12) so that the closure seal (15) is urged between the seat (12) and the closure part (13) in a direction that is substantially parallel to a direction of opening and/or closing the seat (12) by the closure part (13).