Electrically connected single serve beverage dispenser for a refrigerator appliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional single serve beverage dispensers in refrigerators lack features for controlling the dispensing process, providing user interface, visibility, and improved user experience, making them less convenient for users seeking enhanced functionality.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator appliance with a brew module that includes a brew chamber for receiving brew pods, electrical contacts for coupling with the dispensing assembly, and features such as sensors, user interface panels, and RFID readers to control and monitor the brewing process, providing improved user interaction and performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional passive brew module is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the functionality and user experience are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The brew module is designed as a separate, removable component that can be independently configured with electronic features. This segmentation allows the control electronics to be isolated in the brew module while the main dispenser remains simpler, resolving the contradiction by distributing complexity to where it provides maximum functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The brew module is designed to work with multiple types of pods (coffee, tea, hot chocolate, lemonade) and can be equipped with various electronic features (sensors, displays, RFID readers). This multi-functionality approach allows a single modular component to provide diverse capabilities without requiring separate specialized devices.
2Ease of operation
If electrical contacts and control features are added to the brew module, then the user interface and control capabilities are improved, but the ease of manufacture decreases
Solution Approach 1:
By placing electrical contacts and control features on the removable brew module rather than integrating them into the main dispenser, the patent segments the manufacturing complexity. The brew module can be manufactured and tested independently, then assembled into the dispenser, making the overall manufacturing process more manageable despite the added electronic features.
Solution Approach 2:
The brew module is designed to be self-contained with its own electrical contacts, sensors, and control features. This self-service design allows the brew module to be manufactured, tested, and replaced as an independent unit, simplifying the overall manufacturing process despite the complexity of individual components.
3Measurement precision
If sensors and monitoring features are integrated into the brew module, then the measurement precision and control accuracy are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Measurement and control sensors are concentrated in the brew module, separating them from the main dispenser. This segmentation allows precise brewing parameter monitoring (temperature, flow rate, pod detection) to be achieved in a localized area while keeping the rest of the system relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The brew module incorporates sensors that provide real-time feedback on brewing parameters such as pod presence, water flow rate, and temperature. This feedback mechanism enables precise control of the brewing process while confining the complexity to the modular brew module where it directly serves the brewing function.
Data Source
AI summary
A brew module for use with a refrigerator appliance is provided. The brew module includes a brewing body removably mounted to a dispensing assembly of the refrigerator appliance. The brewing body defines a brew chamber configured to receive a brew pod and a flow of heated water from the dispensing assembly to mix with contents of the brew pod to create a beverage. Electrical contacts positioned on the brew module electrically couple the brew module and the dispensing assembly, e.g., to power a user interface panel and/or communicate data such as pod type, a desired temperature and volume of water, etc.