Capsule-holder device for beverage preparation machines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing capsule-holder devices for beverage preparation machines often experience issues with capsule alignment and piercing, leading to poor quality infusion and leakage due to excessive tearing of capsule walls, especially when using capsules with dimensions slightly larger than intended or due to manual misalignment.
Innovation Solution
A capsule-holder device with a receiving assembly featuring a disk-shaped support for the lower perforation arrangement that rotates during angular movement, preventing torsion and using multiple tips for controlled piercing, along with sealing elements to minimize leakage, and a micro-perforated plate for efficient water flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the capsule-holder device uses a fixed lower perforation arrangement during angular movement, then the piercing function is simple, but the capsule experiences torsion causing excessive tearing and poor infusion quality
Solution Approach 1:
The lower perforation arrangement is designed to rotate together with the receiving assembly during angular movement relative to the dispensing unit. This dynamic adaptation ensures that the piercing tips maintain proper alignment with the capsule outlet wall throughout the coupling process, preventing torsion and excessive tearing while preserving infusion quality.
2Manufacturing precision
If the capsule-holder device uses a rotating disk-shaped support for the lower perforation arrangement, then capsule alignment and piercing quality improve, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The lower perforation arrangement is mounted on a disk-shaped support that rotates with the receiving assembly during angular movement. This dynamic rotation ensures continuous proper alignment of the piercing tips with the capsule outlet wall throughout the coupling process, maintaining manufacturing precision without requiring complex external alignment mechanisms.
3Reliability
If the capsule-holder device uses multiple piercing tips, then piercing reliability improves, but the risk of capsule wall tearing increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple piercing tips are arranged on the lower perforation arrangement, which rotates with the receiving assembly during angular movement. This dynamic configuration ensures that all tips engage the capsule outlet wall simultaneously and uniformly, distributing the piercing force evenly across multiple points. This prevents excessive concentration of force that could cause tearing, while maintaining high piercing reliability through the multi-tip design.
Data Source
AI summary
A capsule-holder device for a beverage preparation machine comprises an axially hollow annular supporting body having a central axis, with a peripheral wall provided with a lateral attachment, for fixing a handle, and coupling means, for coupling with a hot-water dispensing unit of the beverage preparation machine. Within the supporting body a receiving assembly is mounted. having a respective central axis substantially coinciding with the central axis of the supporting body. The receiving assembly includes a container body having a respective peripheral wall and a bottom which define a chamber able lo receive a capsule. At the bottom of the container body a lower perforation arrangement is provided, able to cause perforation of an outlet wall of a capsule contained in the chamber. The lower perforation arrangement comprises a plurality of lips which are borne by a disk-shaped support that is mounted in an angularly rotatable way inside the chamber, for rotating about the central axis of the receiving assembly.