Brewing Chamber Rinsing After Capsule Removal

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing brewing devices fail to achieve effective rinsing results due to residue contamination from capsules during the brewing process, leading to unsatisfactory cleaning outcomes, especially in the lower areas of the infusion container.

Innovation Solution

A method and device where the capsule is removed before rinsing, allowing rinsing liquid to pass through a lateral opening and be collected, with the brewing chamber moved to a rinsing position to ensure the rinsing liquid hits a guide element and is drained, preventing contamination. The device includes a nozzle with multiple openings for efficient rinsing and a drive mechanism for positioning changes, ensuring thorough cleaning.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If the capsule remains in the brewing chamber during rinsing, then the brewing chamber can be sealed and structurally simple, but the rinsing liquid becomes contaminated with capsule residues leading to unsatisfactory cleaning results

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverinsing qualityVSAvoidcapsule removal mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The capsule is removed from the brewing chamber before the rinsing process begins. This preliminary action prevents capsule residues from contaminating the rinsing liquid, thereby ensuring high rinsing quality without requiring complex sealed structures or automated removal mechanisms

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The capsule is extracted from the brewing chamber prior to rinsing. By taking out the capsule before the rinsing operation, the system avoids the technical contradiction of maintaining capsule presence for structural simplicity versus achieving clean rinsing results

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Manufacturing precision

If cleaning agent is introduced into the brewing chamber before capsule removal, then the brewing chamber structure remains simple, but the cleaning result is unsatisfactory due to contamination of rinsing liquid with infusion beverage residues

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning resultVSAvoidrinsing effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The capsule is removed before introducing cleaning agent or rinsing liquid into the brewing chamber. This sequence ensures that the rinsing liquid remains pure and effectively cleans the chamber without being contaminated by infusion beverage residues from the capsule

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of introducing cleaning agent first and then removing the capsule (which causes contamination), the process is inverted: the capsule is removed first, then cleaning agent is introduced, ensuring effective cleaning without contamination

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Duration of action of stationary object

If the brewing chamber is rinsed immediately after brewing, then tea brewing quality is maintained by avoiding drying out, but capsule residues contaminate the rinsing liquid unless the capsule is removed first

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebrewing freshnessVSAvoidrinsing purity
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of stationary objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The capsule is removed as a preliminary step before immediate rinsing of the brewing chamber. This allows the chamber to be rinsed immediately after brewing to prevent drying out and maintain tea freshness, while ensuring the rinsing liquid remains pure without capsule residue contamination

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

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 ensures improved rinsing results by preventing capsule residue contamination and allowing immediate cleaning post-brewing, particularly beneficial for tea brewing, with reduced liquid loss and enhanced cleaning efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

a nozzle having a plurality of openings distributed over the circumference being provided on the inlet. As a result, both hot water for initiating the brewing process and hot water for a rinsing process can be introduced via the nozzle

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFluid spray: Fluid Spray

Implementation Method 2

The injection of rinsing liquid above the lateral opening leads to only small losses of rinsing liquid at the lateral opening, since part of the rinsing liquid film flows around the opening. In addition, the injection of rinsing liquid above the lateral opening leads to only small losses of rinsing liquid at the lateral opening, since part of the rinsing liquid film flows around the opening. In addition, the parabolic upper area of the brewing chamber and enables a very good rinsing result

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectParabolic flow guidance:

Implementation Method 3

the brewing chamber is moved together with a filler neck in order to move the filler neck from a filling position above a passage for filling the vessel into a rinsing position above a guide element in order to then rinse the brewing chamber. This ensures that the rinsing liquid hits the guide element and can be drained from there into a collection basin

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentEP3166450B1Method and apparatus for preparing a brewed beverage
Publication Date: 2018.10.03 MELITTA SINGLE PORTIONS GMBH & CO KG
  • EP3166450B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3166450B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3166450B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method for preparing a brewed beverage comprises the following steps: a capsule (15) with contents for brewing the beverage is positioned at a lateral opening (20) of a brewing chamber (6), water is heated and delivered to the brewing chamber (6), the heated water is let into the brewing chamber (6), the beverage is prepared in the brewing chamber (6), the capsule (15) being filled with heated water in the process, a valve at an outlet (22) is opened and a vessel (4) is filled with the brewed beverage, the capsule (15) is removed from the lateral opening (20) of the brewing chamber (6), and the brewing chamber is rinsed. The invention also relates to an apparatus which is intended for preparing a brewed beverage and readily allows the brewing chamber to be rinsed.