Beverage Pump Control for Consistent Flowmeter-Free Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Beverage preparation machines face variability in dispensed liquid volume due to pump operational history, leading to inconsistent beverage quality and increased costs from the use of flowmeters for consistency.
Innovation Solution
A beverage preparation machine with a pump controller that adjusts operational parameters based on previous pump operations, eliminating the need for a flowmeter by compensating for factors like time elapsed since last use and frequency of operations to maintain consistent volume.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a flowmeter is used to monitor and feedback the volume of liquid dispensed, then the consistency of the dispensed volume is improved, but the cost and complexity of the beverage preparation machine increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the flowmeter from the system entirely, extracting the problematic component that caused increased cost and complexity. Instead of using a flowmeter to measure and feedback liquid volume, the invention uses a pump with controlled operational parameters (time, frequency, duty cycle) to directly achieve consistent dispensing volumes without the need for continuous measurement and feedback hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump controller automatically adjusts pump operational parameters based on predetermined relationships between operational history and dispensed volume. The system self-regulates by using the pump's own operational characteristics (time since last operation, frequency of operations) to control the dispensing process, eliminating the need for external measurement devices like flowmeters.
2Productivity
If the pump operates continuously without adjustment, then the productivity is improved, but the consistency of dispensed volume deteriorates due to pump operational history effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the pump operational parameters dynamic rather than static. The pump controller continuously adjusts parameters such as pump operation time, frequency, and duty cycle based on the pump's operational history (time since last operation, number of previous operations). This dynamic adjustment maintains consistent dispensed volume even as the pump operates continuously, preventing the degradation that would occur with fixed parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a form of feedback by monitoring the pump's operational history and using that information to adjust subsequent pump operations. The pump controller tracks parameters such as the time elapsed since the last pump operation and the frequency of previous operations, then uses this feedback to optimize the current pump operation for consistent volume dispensing.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a beverage preparation machine comprising a housing; a reservoir for containing a liquid, wherein the reservoir is situated within the housing; a dispensing outlet for dispensing the liquid; a pump situated between the reservoir and the dispensing outlet; a user input means situated on an outer surface of the housing; and a pump controller configured to operate the pump for conveying liquid from the reservoir to the dispensing outlet for dispensing the liquid, wherein the input means is capable of communicating with the pump controller in order to initiate an operation of the pump; and the pump controller is configured to operate the pump based on a characteristic of the previous operation of the pump.