Dispensing assembly for machines for preparing liquid products by means of capsules
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dispensing assemblies for liquid food products face challenges such as hygienic issues due to residue accumulation, complexity leading to potential wear and jamming, and limited flexibility in capsule discharge, which is often dependent on gravity and specific orientations.
Innovation Solution
A compact dispensing assembly with a stationary gripper device and a pusher member that allows for capsule retention and release, enabling capsule discharge through user-controlled thrust, facilitating operation in various orientations and reducing the risk of jamming.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If retention means are provided to temporarily support the capsule in an intermediate position, then the capsule can be properly retained during insertion, but the assembly becomes more complex and prone to wear and jamming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the retention function with the injector device by integrating retention arms into the injector structure. The retention arms are formed as integral parts of the injector body, eliminating separate retention mechanisms and reducing overall assembly complexity while maintaining reliable capsule retention during insertion and extraction operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The injector device is designed to perform multiple functions: it serves as both the injection mechanism for dispensing liquid products and the retention mechanism for holding the capsule in intermediate positions. The retention arms are elastically deformable components that provide both retention during insertion and automatic release during extraction, making the injector a multi-functional component.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the capsule discharge relies on gravity, then the discharge mechanism is simple, but the machine is limited in flexibility of positioning and operation orientations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs elastically deformable retention arms that dynamically change their position and function based on the relative movement between the injector and capsule holder. During insertion, the arms are pushed inward to retain the capsule; during extraction, the arms are spread outward to release the capsule. This dynamic behavior allows the mechanism to adapt to different operation orientations without requiring complex orientation-specific components.
Solution Approach 2:
The retention arms automatically perform both retention and release functions based on the mechanical interaction with the capsule holder during relative movement. The elastic deformation of the arms is self-actuating, requiring no additional actuators or complex control mechanisms. The system uses the movement itself to trigger the appropriate retention or release state, enabling operation in various orientations.
3Reliability
If gripping arms are used to retain and release the capsule, then the capsule can be securely held, but the mechanism is subject to wear and potential jamming in the long run
Solution Approach 1:
The retention arms are designed as simple, elastically deformable components made from resilient material that can withstand repeated deformation cycles. Rather than complex mechanical gripping arms with moving joints and contact surfaces prone to wear, the invention uses elastic arms that return to their original shape after each deformation cycle, significantly extending the mechanism's service life and reducing wear-related failures.
Data Source
AI summary
A dispensing assembly for a machine for preparing a liquid food product by means of capsules includinga casing having an inlet passage, suitable for enabling insertion of a capsule into the dispensing assembly, and an outlet passage, suitable for enabling discharge of the capsule from the dispensing assembly,an infusion chamber which comprises two chamber parts, at least one of which defines a housing for at least partially receiving the capsule,retention elements, for keeping the capsule in a retaining position, essentially coaxial to the two chamber parts, the retention elements being within the casing in an intermediate position between the inlet and outlet passages, to be operative between the two chamber parts when they are in a spaced-apart position,an actuation system, operable for causing relative movements between the two chamber parts according to an actuation axis, between the spaced-apart position and a close position,a guide member mounted at the inlet passage to be displaceable between an inoperative position and an operative position, in which access to the inlet passage is allowed or prevented, respectively,a longitudinally extended pusher member engaged in a respective guide of the guide member, to be displaceable according to a respective sliding axis between a first position and a second position, the sliding axis being generally transverse to the actuation axis when the guide member is in the operative position.With the guide member in the operative position and with the first chamber part and the second chamber part in the spaced-apart position, a displacement of the pusher member from the first position to the second position causes a thrust on the capsule towards the outlet passage, in order to free the capsule from the retention means.