Machine for the preparation of liquid products via capsules
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage preparation machines with capsule delivery assemblies face issues due to large metal torsion springs used for fluid-tightness, which can contaminate the fluid and cause significant water stagnation, and alternative solutions with multiple small springs complicate production and increase encumbrance.
Innovation Solution
A beverage preparation machine utilizing a bending spring, extending transversely to the axis of sliding, housed outside the chamber between the injector body and lid, to maintain fluid-tightness and compactness, preventing spring contact with the preparation fluid and reducing chamber volume.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a large diameter metal torsion spring is used to maintain fluid-tightness, then the pre-loading force is sufficient to guarantee fluid-tightness of the lid, but the spring may release contaminating substances into the fluid and causes significant water stagnation due to large chamber volume
Solution Approach 1:
The spring is extracted from the chamber that communicates with the fluid source. The patent places the spring outside the chamber, eliminating direct contact between the spring and the fluid. This resolves the contamination issue while maintaining the spring's function of providing pre-loading force for fluid-tightness through the lid.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring is repositioned from a longitudinal arrangement (inside the chamber) to a transverse arrangement (outside the chamber, perpendicular to the fluid flow path). This dimensional change allows the spring to maintain its mechanical function while eliminating its harmful interaction with the fluid, reducing both contamination risk and water stagnation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple small diameter metal helical springs are used instead of a single large spring, then water stagnation is reduced, but production is complicated and lateral encumbrance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the spring system by using a single spring with optimized transverse positioning rather than multiple springs. This parameter change maintains the necessary elastic force while simplifying the structure, reducing production complexity, and minimizing lateral encumbrance compared to multi-spring configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using multiple separate springs, the patent merges the function into a single spring arranged transversely. This consolidation simplifies the overall structure, reduces the number of components, and decreases lateral encumbrance while still providing sufficient elastic force to maintain fluid-tightness and reduce water stagnation.
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
The solution provides a simple, compact, and reliable design that minimizes fluid stagnation and contamination, maintaining fluid-tightness without increasing production complexity or encumbrance.
Implementation Method 1
Operative between the injector body and the lid is at least one bending spring, which extends in a direction transverse to the direction of axial sliding of the lid with respect to the injector body
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A machine (1) for the preparation of liquid products via capsules (6) comprising a delivery assembly (2) with a preparation chamber (4-5), which comprises a first part (4) and a second part (5). The second part of chamber comprises an injector device (5), which is configured for introducing a preparation fluid into a capsule (6) and has a hollow body (20-21) and includes a first body part (20) and a second body part (21). Defined between the two body parts (20, 21) is a chamber (23), housed in which is a perforation device (24) having at least one front perforation element (24b) that is axially aligned to a respective through hole (26), defined in a front wall (21a) of the second body part (21) of the injector device (5). The second body part (21) is slidable, against the action of elastic means (30), from an advanced position, in which the at least one perforation element (24b) does not project substantially beyond the front wall (21a), to a retracted position, where the at least one perforation element (24b) projects substantially beyond the front wall (21a). The elastic means comprise a bending spring (30) that extends in a direction transverse to the direction of axial sliding (X) of the second body part (21) with respect to the first body part (20).