Apparatus and method for preparation of a beverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Beverage preparation machines using cartridges struggle to allow users to customize beverage intensity without reducing beverage volume significantly, leading to increased waste, especially when producing beverages with added milk.
Innovation Solution
A beverage preparation machine with a brew head, code reader, and controller that allows users to select between standard and modified brewing parameters by actuating a single button, enabling increased intensity without substantial volume reduction through adjustments in pre-wet temperature, soak duration, and in-cup volume, while maintaining brewing temperature and flow rate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If existing machines substantially reduce the volume of liquid used to produce a more intense beverage, then beverage intensity is improved, but beverage volume is reduced and waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying brewing parameters (such as water temperature, pressure, and contact time) to extract more intensity from the same amount of coffee grounds. This allows achieving stronger beverage intensity without reducing the beverage volume, thereby avoiding waste while maintaining the desired intensity level.
2Device complexity
If a single activation element is used to select between operating modes, then device complexity is reduced, but ease of operation is improved through simplified user interaction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamics by enabling a single activation element to perform multiple functions based on different actuation patterns (e.g., single press vs. double press, or different holding durations). This dynamic behavior allows the system to offer multiple operating modes while maintaining a simple, unified control interface, thereby reducing device complexity and improving ease of operation simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
A beverage preparation machine (100) comprising: a brew head (101) for receiving in use a cartridge (200), the cartridge (200) being of a type that comprises one or more beverage ingredients and has a code (201) associated with the cartridge (200) for determining a standard set of brewing parameters; a code reader (104); an activation element (102); and a controller (103) configured to control operation of the beverage preparation machine to prepare a beverage from the one or more beverage ingredients of the cartridge (200) in response to actuation of the activation element (102); the controller (103) being configured to receive a user selection to prepare the beverage using at least a first operating mode or a second operating mode; in the first operating mode the beverage is prepared using the standard set of brewing parameters obtained at least in part from reading the code (201) associated with the cartridge (200) received in the brew head; and in the second operating mode the beverage is prepared using a modified set of brewing parameters based on, but modified compared to, the standard set of brewing parameters obtained at least in part from reading the code (201) associated with the cartridge (200) received in the brew head; wherein the activation element (102) comprises a single manually actuatable pushbutton, switch and/or button; and the controller (103) and the activation element (102) are configured to permit user selection of the first operating mode by a first type of actuation of the activation element (102) and the second operating mode by a second type of actuation of the activation element (102).