Beverage Outlet Venting Structure for Splash-Free Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Beverage preparation machines, such as coffee makers, experience turbulent beverage streams leading to splashes and contamination due to trapped air in the fluid path, which expands and bursts at the outlet, causing unrest and brown scatter stains on surfaces.
Innovation Solution
The beverage outlet features an outlet tube with three or more notches to facilitate lateral air discharge and a beverage guide element with radially extending wings to calm and center the stream, reducing bubble formation and splash effects. The notches and wings are designed to allow trapped air to escape quickly, minimizing bubble creation and bursting, while the guide element's second section projects to carry away any residual bubbles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a beverage guide element with wings is used to calm the beverage stream, then the stream stability is improved, but trapped air remains in the fluid path causing bubble formation and splashes
Solution Approach 1:
The outlet tube is segmented with multiple notches (at least three) distributed around its circumference, creating multiple air discharge paths. This segmentation allows trapped air to escape through multiple locations simultaneously, effectively removing the harmful air bubbles before they can form large splashes, while the beverage guide element with wings maintains stream stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The notches in the outlet tube act as intermediary structures that facilitate the transition of air from the internal fluid path to the external environment. These notches serve as controlled escape points that mediate between the trapped air and the beverage stream, allowing air to discharge laterally without disrupting the overall beverage flow stability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the outlet tube has a large inner diameter to calm the beverage stream, then the stream stability is improved, but trapped air expands more leading to larger bubbles and splashes
Solution Approach 1:
The outlet tube incorporates multiple notches (at least three) distributed around its circumference to segment the air discharge function. This segmentation allows trapped air to escape through multiple smaller openings rather than one large opening, effectively removing air from the system while maintaining a relatively large inner diameter for beverage flow stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The notches provide an additional dimensional pathway (lateral direction) for air discharge, perpendicular to the main beverage flow direction. This dimensional change allows air to escape laterally through the notches while the beverage continues to flow forward, effectively separating the air removal function from the beverage flow path.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If air is allowed to escape through the outlet opening, then bubble formation is reduced, but the beverage stream becomes more turbulent
Solution Approach 1:
The outlet tube features multiple notches (at least three) distributed around its circumference, segmenting the air discharge function into multiple locations. This segmentation allows air to escape at different points along the tube, reducing the concentration of air bubbles in any single location and minimizing turbulence in the beverage stream while effectively removing trapped air.
Solution Approach 2:
The notches serve as intermediary structures that provide controlled air discharge paths separate from the main beverage flow. These notches mediate between the trapped air and the beverage stream, allowing air to escape laterally without directly disrupting the beverage flow, thus reducing bubble formation while maintaining stream stability.
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 solution significantly calms the beverage stream, reduces splash effects, and minimizes contamination by ensuring air escapes before bubble formation, resulting in a more controlled and centered dispensing of beverages, thereby reducing unwanted splashes and stains.
Implementation Method 1
the outlet tube (110, 210) has three or more notches (115, 215), each of which extends frontally from the outlet opening-side end (112, 212) opposite to the beverage dispensing direction (D) and which forms a passage opening between inner and outer area of the outlet tube (110, 210)
Implementation Method 2
a beverage guide element (120, 220), which runs coaxially to the outlet tube (110, 210) and a first section (121, 221) of which is arranged inside the outlet tube (110, 210) and a second section (122, 222) of which projects out of the outlet opening (111, 211) of the outlet tube (110, 210)
Data Source
AI summary
A beverage outlet for a beverage preparation machine, for example for a coffee maker, may include an outlet tube, one end of which can be connected to the beverage preparation machine and the other end of which may have an outlet opening for dispensing a beverage from the beverage preparation machine. The beverage outlet furthermore may have a beverage guide element, which runs coaxially to the outlet tube and a first section of which is arranged inside the outlet tube and a second section of which projects out of the outlet opening of the outlet tube. Provision is made for the outlet tube to have at least one notch, which extends frontally from the outlet opening-side end of the outlet tube opposite to the beverage dispensing direction (D) and which forms a passage opening between inner and outer area of the outlet tube.