Pressure relief valve configuration for beverage machine
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Solution Overview
Problem
Beverage forming systems that use liquid to create beverages, such as coffee brewers, face challenges in efficiently delivering heated liquid to the brew chamber without causing pressure relief valves to open, leading to potential contamination and operational inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
The system incorporates a heater tank with a permanently open orifice for ambient pressure venting, an air pump to deliver liquid to the brew chamber, and a pressure relief valve positioned upstream to vent excess pressure, along with an air filter and orifice assembly to prevent contamination, ensuring efficient liquid delivery and pressure management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a liquid pump is used to deliver liquid to the heater tank at high pressure, then liquid delivery speed is improved, but the pressure relief valve opens causing contamination and operational inefficiencies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an air pump as an intermediary device to deliver liquid to the brew chamber instead of using a liquid pump that creates excessive pressure. The air pump pressurizes air in the heater tank, which then gently pushes liquid through the system without triggering the pressure relief valve, thereby maintaining reliability while achieving adequate delivery speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the liquid pump mechanical system with a pneumatic system (air pump). Instead of mechanically forcing liquid through high pressure, the system uses compressed air to indirectly move liquid, reducing pressure spikes that would open the relief valve and cause contamination.
2Reliability
If a pressure relief valve is installed to vent excess pressure, then system safety is improved, but liquid is vented to atmosphere causing potential contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The air pump acts as a mediator between the liquid source and the brew chamber, allowing pressure control that prevents excessive pressure buildup. This eliminates the need for the pressure relief valve to open, thereby preventing liquid from being vented to atmosphere and avoiding contamination while maintaining system safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of pressure buildup into a beneficial controlled pneumatic pressure system. By using air pressure instead of liquid pump pressure, the system achieves the necessary force for liquid delivery without creating the harmful high-pressure conditions that would trigger the relief valve and cause contamination.
3Stress or pressure
If an air pump is used to deliver liquid to the brew chamber, then pressure control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The air pump serves multiple functions: it pressurizes the heater tank to deliver liquid, provides pressure control to prevent relief valve activation, and can be integrated with existing air filtration systems. This multi-functionality justifies the added component by eliminating the need for a separate liquid pump and pressure relief mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies pneumatic principles by using compressed air to control liquid delivery pressure. The air pump creates a controlled pneumatic environment in the heater tank, allowing precise pressure management that prevents contamination while maintaining adequate flow to the brew chamber.
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
This configuration allows for effective heating and delivery of liquid to the brew chamber without opening the pressure relief valve, maintaining system efficiency and preventing contamination, while ensuring safe operation by venting excess pressure and filtering air to prevent unwanted materials from entering the liquid.
Implementation Method 1
a permanently open orifice may be fluidly coupled to the heater tank and arranged to permanently vent the heater tank to ambient pressure
Implementation Method 2
an air pump may be fluidly coupled to the heater tank and arranged to deliver air to the heater tank to move liquid from the heater tank to the brew chamber
Implementation Method 3
A heater tank may have an inlet to receive liquid and an outlet fluidly coupled to the liquid inlet via a delivery line to deliver heated liquid from the heater tank to the brew chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for venting a liquid supply of a beverage machine, e.g., by permanently open orifice and/or pressure relief valve. The orifice may always vent a heater tank, even while liquid is delivered to the tank by a liquid pump and/or while the tank is pressurized by an air pump to deliver liquid from the tank. A filter may be positioned between a heater tank and orifice and/or air pump. The pressure relief valve may be positioned between the liquid pump and the inlet side of the heater tank, e.g., so relatively cool water is released by the pressure relief valve when open.