Brew Chamber Disc Rotation for Even Tablet Dissolution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional on-demand beverage machines using compressed powder tablets face challenges in achieving rapid and even dissolution, often resulting in incomplete dissolution and a weak beverage due to inefficient energy distribution from single or multiple water jets.
Innovation Solution
A machine design featuring a spindle-mounted compressed disc of ingredients within the brew chamber, where a high-energy water jet impinges on the peripheral edge to rotate and disintegrate the disc, ensuring rapid and even dissolution with focused energy distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a single water jet is used to dissolve the tablet, then the energy consumption is low, but the dissolution is uneven and incomplete
Solution Approach 1:
The single water jet system is segmented into multiple jets arranged in a circular pattern. This segmentation allows the energy to be distributed across multiple impact points on the tablet surface, achieving both energy efficiency and uniform dissolution. The multiple jets work simultaneously to break up the tablet from different locations, ensuring complete and even dissolution without concentrating all energy in one spot.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a single-point jet impact to a distributed circular arrangement of jets. By adding the spatial dimension of circular distribution, the system achieves broader coverage of the tablet surface while maintaining the energy efficiency of individual jets. This dimensional change allows simultaneous multi-point contact with the tablet, resolving the contradiction between energy use and dissolution uniformity.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple water jets are used to improve dissolution coverage, then the dissolution uniformity improves, but the energy consumption and pressure requirements increase proportionately
Solution Approach 1:
The multiple jets are segmented and arranged in a circular pattern, allowing each jet to operate at lower individual pressure while collectively achieving comprehensive coverage. This segmentation enables the system to distribute the total energy requirement across multiple lower-power jets, maintaining dissolution uniformity without proportionally increasing overall energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The circular arrangement of jets provides multi-functionality by simultaneously achieving coverage of the entire tablet surface while maintaining energy efficiency. Each jet in the circular array contributes to both the uniformity of dissolution and the overall energy management, making the system universally effective for tablets of various sizes without requiring proportional increases in pressure or energy input.
3Productivity
If the jet velocity is increased to dissolve the tablet faster, then the dissolution speed improves, but the energy consumption increases and the jet must be moved to achieve even dissolution
Solution Approach 1:
The high-velocity jet concept is segmented into multiple lower-velocity jets arranged circularly. This segmentation achieves rapid dissolution through parallel action of multiple jets rather than relying on a single high-velocity jet that would consume excessive energy. The combined effect of multiple jets acting simultaneously provides both speed and energy efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The circular arrangement of jets provides continuous useful action across the entire tablet surface from the moment contact begins. Unlike a single moving jet that requires relocation to achieve even dissolution, the circular array of stationary jets simultaneously acts on multiple points, ensuring continuous and uniform dissolution throughout the tablet without energy-wasting movement or relocation.
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 approach enables rapid and complete dissolution of the compressed disc, maintaining low maintenance costs and producing a consistent beverage or food product with improved flavor and strength.
Implementation Method 1
a jet of liquid impinges on the peripheral edge of the compressed disc, causing the disc to rotate and disintegrate
Implementation Method 2
the jet of liquid impinges on the peripheral edge of the compressed disc, causing the disc to rotate and disintegrate
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3b
Figure 4~6
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to improvements in machines for the preparation of beverage and food products, and in particular, to such a machine (1) which utilizes a compressed tablet of food or beverage product (16), which is inserted into the brew chamber (22) of the machine (1), into which a liquid is directed to break up or dissolve the tablet (16). The machine (1) for preparing a beverage or food product from a compressed disc (16) of at least one ingredient comprises a sealable brew chamber (22) and said brew chamber comprises means (26) for mounting the disc so that it is able to spin freely around a central axis. The brew chamber (22) further comprises at least one nozzle (27) having an outlet in the brew chamber located to direct a jet of liquid at a peripheral edge of the disc mounted in the brew chamber.