Beverage Brewer Reservoir Lid Feedback for Fresh Water Dosing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of beverage forming devices, such as coffee brewers, may not be aware of the need to provide water, leading to user frustration or suboptimal operation, especially in applications where the brewer is used infrequently, and maintaining the brewer empty between uses is desirable for quality purposes.
Innovation Solution
The device automatically opens the water reservoir lid when the brew chamber is closed, providing a visual and possibly auditory reminder to add water, and uses a pneumatic seal to deliver water to the brew chamber when heated, ensuring efficient and controlled water delivery without the need for venting mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the brewer requires a user to provide water manually at each use, then the user may forget or be unaware of the need to add water, but this requires user attention and operation
Solution Approach 1:
The reservoir lid is designed to automatically open when the brew chamber lid is closed, providing visual and auditory feedback to the user that water needs to be added. This feedback mechanism eliminates the need for users to remember to add water by making the requirement obvious through the lid's automatic opening action.
2Productivity
If the brewer maintains water in the reservoir between uses, then the device is ready for immediate use, but water quality deteriorates over time
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts water from the reservoir for use, and the reservoir lid automatically opens after each brew cycle to indicate that fresh water should be added. This ensures the brewer remains empty of water between uses, maintaining water quality while being ready for the next brew cycle.
3Ease of operation
If the reservoir lid opens automatically with brew chamber closure, then user attention is drawn to add water, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reservoir lid opening mechanism is merged with the brew chamber lid closing action. The same mechanical motion of closing the brew chamber simultaneously triggers the reservoir lid to open, eliminating the need for a separate complex control system while providing the user reminder function.
4Productivity
If the reservoir is pneumatically sealed for water delivery, then water delivery efficiency is improved, but the risk of heater damage from improper water delivery increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary heating of water to the required temperature before pneumatic delivery to the brew chamber. This ensures water is properly heated and ready for delivery, preventing heater damage by ensuring water is present and at correct temperature before the high-pressure pneumatic delivery cycle begins.
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 solution ensures that users are reminded to add water, maintaining the brewer empty between uses and providing a higher quality beverage by ensuring fresh water is used for each brew cycle, while preventing damage to the heater by controlling water delivery based on temperature detection.
Implementation Method 1
A heater may heat the precursor liquid that is provided to the brew chamber
Implementation Method 2
The reservoir may be vented during heating of the water, e.g., to allow steam or other gases to escape, and during pressurization of the reservoir and delivery of the brew water
Data Source
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AI summary
A method and apparatus for forming a beverage. Provision of a beverage precursor liquid may be enabled based on initiating closure of a brew chamber (1) that is arranged to at least partially enclose a beverage cartridge. A lid control mechanism may lock a reservoir lid in a position to block access to a reservoir (5) and release the lid to allow access to the reservoir (5) in response to closure of the brew chamber (1). A reservoir lid may be opened simultaneously and automatically with opening of the brew chamber (1). The reservoir lid may pneumatically seal the reservoir, e.g., to allow the reservoir (5) to be pressurized to force water to the brew chamber (1). Water in the reservoir (5) may be provided to the brew chamber (1) in response to detection that the water has been sufficiently heated, e.g., based on a thermal cut off switch opening that cuts power to the heater (94).