Beverage Machine Mixing Unit with Piston Compression and Waste Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Beverage preparation machines face challenges in efficiently handling and mixing flavoring ingredients, particularly solid portions of ground coffee, tea, cacao, and chocolate, due to limitations in compression forces and mixing mechanisms, which affect the quality and consistency of beverages prepared.
Innovation Solution
A machine with a mixing unit that includes a stationary support, a movable seat with a piston, and a closure part, capable of compressing and mixing solid flavoring ingredients with water, using actuators and a control unit to manage the compression force and water supply for precise beverage preparation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a piston is used to compress flavoring ingredients in the seat, then the compression force and mixing efficiency are improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional actuators and control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the compression function and mixing function into a single piston component. The piston performs both compression of the flavoring ingredient and agitation/mixing with water during its movement cycles, eliminating the need for separate compression and mixing mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The piston serves multiple functions: it compresses the flavoring ingredient against the seat wall, agitates the ingredient during water injection, and facilitates drainage. This multi-functional design reduces the number of components needed in the brewing unit.
2Manufacturing precision
If adjustable compression forces are applied to solid flavoring ingredients, then the beverage quality and consistency are improved, but the control system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The compression force is made dynamic and adjustable through the control unit, which can vary the piston movement parameters (speed, pressure, duration) based on the selected beverage type and ingredient characteristics. This allows optimization of extraction for different beverages without requiring multiple fixed compression mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit receives input about the selected beverage type and ingredient properties, then adjusts the piston compression parameters accordingly. This feedback-based control ensures consistent beverage quality by adapting compression forces to specific preparation requirements.
3Ease of operation
If the seat is moved between mixing chamber configuration and transfer configuration, then the ease of operation is improved, but the loss of time during configuration transitions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seat undergoes periodic movement between mixing chamber configuration and transfer configuration in a cyclic manner. This periodic action allows the system to efficiently alternate between ingredient loading, brewing, and dispensing operations, minimizing idle time between cycles.
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 of various beverages by effectively crushing and mixing flavoring ingredients with water, ensuring consistent quality and volume control, from ristrettos to larger servings, with adjustable compression forces and thermal conditioning for optimal beverage production.
Implementation Method 1
a piston (14') that is movable inside seat (12) by a piston actuator (17)
Implementation Method 2
via a thermal conditioner, e.g. a water heater and/or a cooler
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) further comprises a waste ingredient remover (20) configured to remove a waste ingredient (2″) from the ingredient opening (120) upon beverage preparation.