Beverage Capsule Injection Head With Sequential Liquid-Gas Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage preparation devices with capsule-based systems face challenges in accurately and efficiently activating liquid and gas injection mechanisms, leading to cumbersome and space-intensive designs.
Innovation Solution
A head assembly with a driving gear that converts rotational movement into translational movement for both liquid and gas injection means, allowing for coordinated and sequenced activation with a single drive unit, and a linear movement mechanism that ensures accurate engagement with the capsule injection face, reducing the need for complex activation means and optimizing space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a hinged cam means is used to sequentially activate liquid and gas injection means, then the injection process can be controlled, but the activation mechanism becomes cumbersome and occupies large space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the liquid injection means and gas injection means into a single integrated injection head assembly. Both injection mechanisms are activated by a single drive unit that rotates a common drive gear, merging what were previously separate activation systems into one unified mechanism. This reduces overall device complexity while maintaining reliable sequential control.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive gear serves multiple functions: it activates both the liquid injection means and the gas injection means through different portions of its rotation. The first portion of rotation activates the liquid injection, while the second portion activates the gas injection, making the single drive mechanism universal for both injection functions.
2Ease of operation
If separate activation mechanisms are used for liquid and gas injection means, then each can be controlled independently, but the device occupies more space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the activation of liquid and gas injection means into a single rotational mechanism. The drive gear rotates to sequentially engage both injection systems, combining what would traditionally require separate mechanisms into one compact unit. This significantly reduces the volume of the head assembly while preserving independent control capability through the sequential rotation phases.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive gear utilizes periodic rotational action to activate different injection means at different phases. The first portion of rotation activates liquid injection, and the second portion activates gas injection, enabling independent control of each function through time-sequenced periodic action within a compact space.
3Volume of moving object
If a hinged injection means is used, then the mechanism can be compact, but the movement accuracy and linear engagement with capsule is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a hinged mechanism that rotates to achieve injection, the patent employs a linearly movable injection plate that moves perpendicular to its surface. This inverts the traditional hinged approach, achieving both compact size and high precision linear engagement with the capsule injection face through direct perpendicular movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The injection plate moves in a dimension perpendicular to its surface (linear movement), rather than rotating around a hinge axis. This dimensional change from rotational to linear movement enables precise engagement with the capsule while maintaining a compact overall structure, as the movement is directly along the injection axis.
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 enables precise and efficient interaction between liquid and gas injection means with the capsule, improving the preparation process while minimizing the device's spatial requirements, resulting in a more accurate and simplified operation.
Implementation Method 1
activation means comprise a driving gear adapted to be driven in a rotational movement by the drive means
Implementation Method 2
first transmission means, associated with the activation means and capsule opening means, to convert a first portion of said rotational movement of the driving gear into a translational movement of the injection plate
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a head assembly for a beverage preparation device for preparing a nutritional composition upon interaction of ingredients provided in a capsule with liquid supplied to the capsule, the assembly comprising capsule opening means(10) which are adapted to interact with an injection face of the capsule, the opening means comprising a liquid injection means (1) for injection of liquid into the capsule and a gas injection means (2) for injecting of gas into the capsule, activation means (20) designed for interacting with the opening means and for moving the liquid injection means and the gas injection means with respect to the injection face of the capsule. The head assembly also comprises a drive unit (70) for driving the activation means (20) and the activation means comprises a driving gear (20b) adapted to be driven in rotational movement by the drive unit (70) for sequentially moving the liquid injection means (1) and gas injection means (2).