Beverage Machine Milk Pipeline Automatic Cleaning Using Air Discharge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fully automatic coffee machines face challenges in cleaning their frothing apparatuses, leading to milk accumulation, spoilage, and safety hazards, requiring manual disassembly and time-consuming cleaning processes, which affect beverage quality and user experience.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning pipeline system with a milk supply pipeline, liquid supply pipeline, liquid outlet pipeline, and pumps that allow for automatic cleaning modes using liquid and air to discharge remaining milk and cleaning water, ensuring the frothing apparatus is thoroughly cleaned without manual intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual disassembly and cleaning of the frothing apparatus is performed, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but operation complexity and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automatic cleaning of the frothing apparatus through a control unit that coordinates pumps and valves to circulate cleaning liquid and air through the milk supply pipeline and emulsifying device, eliminating the need for manual disassembly and cleaning operations
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a pump to circulate cleaning liquid through the milk supply pipeline and employs air introduction to discharge remaining liquid from the emulsifying device, utilizing fluid dynamics to achieve thorough cleaning without manual intervention
2Reliability
If manual cleaning is performed frequently, then milk accumulation and spoilage are prevented, but user time and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically performs cleaning operations continuously after each beverage preparation cycle, ensuring milk residue is immediately flushed from the pipelines and emulsifying device, preventing accumulation and spoilage without requiring user intervention
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit automatically initiates and manages the cleaning process, coordinating the pump, valves, and air introduction to perform maintenance functions without user involvement, eliminating time loss to manual cleaning operations
3Productivity
If remaining water is not dried in the frothing apparatus, then cleaning speed is improved, but beverage quality deteriorates due to milk residue
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs a two-stage cleaning process: first circulating cleaning liquid to remove milk residue, then introducing air to discharge remaining liquid from the emulsifying device, ensuring complete drying while maintaining high cleaning speed
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses air introduction through the emulsifying device to create airflow that discharges remaining cleaning liquid from the apparatus, ensuring complete drying without requiring additional manual drying steps
4Ease of operation
If the milk tube is exposed outside the milk tank, then milk delivery is simplified, but cleaning effectiveness deteriorates due to remaining water on the exposed part
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the cleaning function from manual operations and implements it through an automated pump and valve system that circulates cleaning liquid through the entire milk supply pipeline, including the exposed milk tube portion
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning system is designed to handle multiple cleaning scenarios simultaneously, flushing both the internal pipeline and the exposed external milk tube through a unified automated cleaning cycle
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 enables efficient and automatic cleaning of the frothing apparatus, preventing milk and cleaning water residue, thus maintaining beverage quality and reducing user effort and operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
the first pump is connected between the liquid outlet pipeline and the milk supply joint, and the first pump selectively introduces air from the liquid outlet into the milk supply pipeline
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are a cleaning pipeline system, a beverage machine, and a cleaning control method. The cleaning pipeline system includes a milk supply pipeline, a liquid supply pipeline, a liquid outlet pipeline and a first pump. The milk supply pipeline is connected between a milk supply joint and an emulsifying device, a milk supply source is in fluid communication with the milk supply pipeline by the milk supply joint. The liquid supply pipeline is connected between a liquid supply source and the milk supply joint, the liquid supply pipeline is in fluid communication with the milk supply pipeline by the milk supply joint. The liquid outlet pipeline is connected between the liquid supply pipeline and a liquid outlet, the first pump is connected between the liquid outlet pipeline and the milk supply joint, and the first pump selectively introduces air from the liquid outlet into the milk supply pipeline.