Bottom-Load Beverage Dispenser With Removable Sanitary Assemblies
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water dispensers face challenges in sanitization due to complex water contact components and the inability to efficiently dispense both water and flavored beverages, with Top-Loading systems struggling with heavy water bottles and Bottom-Loading systems being difficult to sanitize and costly to produce.
Innovation Solution
A liquid dispenser design featuring a removable water dispensing assembly and flavored beverage dispensing assembly, allowing for easy cleaning and replacement, with a single water pump and control system to supply water at lower pressure to the flavored dispensing assembly, and a pod receiving member for single-serving beverages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If Top-Loading water dispensers are used, then water can be dispensed using gravity, but heavy water bottles are difficult to mount and the system is expensive to produce
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional Top-Loading design by implementing a Bottom-Loading configuration where the water bottle is positioned at the bottom of the housing rather than the top. This inversion allows the pump to draw water upward from the bottle, eliminating the need for manual lifting of heavy bottles while maintaining cost-effective manufacturing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the gravity-based mechanical system of Top-Loading dispensers with a pump-based system. The pump mechanically draws water from the bottom-positioned bottle through tubing to the dispensing location, substituting gravitational force with mechanical pumping action to achieve water delivery
2Ease of operation
If Bottom-Loading water dispensers are used, then heavy water bottles are easier to install, but the system employs significantly more water contact components making sanitization difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the water dispensing system into distinct modular components: a removable manifold assembly with tubing, a pump assembly, and a bottle support structure. This segmentation allows the water contact components to be easily detached and sanitized separately from the main housing, addressing the sanitization difficulty while maintaining the Bottom-Loading configuration
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the water contact components (manifold, tubing, dispensing nozzle) as a removable assembly that can be taken out from the main housing for sanitization. This extraction allows thorough cleaning of all water-contact surfaces without disassembling the entire dispenser, resolving the sanitization challenge
3Adaptability or versatility
If traditional liquid dispensers are used, then water can be dispensed, but the system cannot dispense flavored beverages
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal dispensing system where the same pump and manifold assembly can dispense both water and flavored beverages. The system achieves multi-functionality by allowing the bottle to contain either water or flavored beverage concentrate, with the pump delivering the liquid through the same tubing and nozzle infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic flexibility by allowing the bottle contents to be changed between water and flavored beverages. The system adapts to different beverage types through controllable pumping parameters and optional mixing mechanisms, enabling the same hardware to serve multiple beverage functions
4Ease of repair
If removable assemblies are implemented for sanitization, then cleaning becomes easier, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the dispensing system into a removable manifold assembly that includes all water contact components (tubing, manifold body, nozzle). This segmentation enables the entire water contact pathway to be detached as one unit for sanitization, making cleaning easier while keeping the segmentation straightforward and manageable
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 effective sanitization and replacement of dispensing assemblies while providing a cost-effective solution for dispensing both water and flavored beverages, such as coffee, at various temperatures, improving user convenience and reducing production costs.
Implementation Method 1
a pump operably connected to the water bottle to deliver water from the water bottle to the water dispensing assembly and the flavored beverage dispensing assembly
Implementation Method 2
a heating element housed in the housing and operably connected to the water bottle to heat water to a predetermined temperature
Implementation Method 3
Existing water dispensers use gravity as the driving force to dispense water from the water dispenser. In this type of water dispenser, the water bottle is positioned above the dispensing location.
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid dispensing apparatus for dispensing water and a flavored beverage. The dispensing apparatus may dispense chilled drinking water, hot drinking water and/or ambient temperature drinking water. The dispensing apparatus may further dispense a chilled, ambient temperature and/or hot flavored beverage. The flavored beverage may be coffee, tea, hot chocolate or another flavored beverage. The dispensing apparatus may include a replaceable five (5) gallon water bottle stored in a lower portion of the dispensing apparatus or an external source of water. Preferably, the liquid dispensing apparatus dispenses chilled drinking water and hot coffee from a replaceable five (5) gallon water bottle stored in a lower portion of the dispensing apparatus wherein the replaceable five (5) gallon water bottle is stored in an upright orientation, i.e., the discharge port of the replaceable five (5) gallon water bottle is oriented above a bottom of the replaceable five (5) gallon water bottle.