Capsule Orienting Rotor and Aperture Layout for Reliable Feeding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing capsule orienting devices for beverage producing machines are inefficient, costly, and prone to failure due to complex mechanical components and unreliable operation, especially when handling large quantities of randomly oriented capsules in vending machines.

Innovation Solution

A capsule orienting device with a rotating container and capsule receiving pockets that ensure capsules are oriented correctly before exiting through specific apertures, using gravity to guide capsules into a collector, eliminating the need for additional advancement means and reducing mechanical complexity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If capsules are manually introduced one at a time by the user, then correct orientation is ensured, but time consumption increases and productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecapsule orientation accuracyVSAvoidbrewing cycle speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The capsule magazine pre-loads multiple capsules in the correct orientation before brewing begins. The feeding mechanism advances capsules one at a time in the proper orientation, eliminating the need for manual orientation during brewing cycles and thus maintaining both reliability and productivity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If a capsule magazine stores multiple pre-oriented capsules, then productivity increases, but the device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of brewing cyclesVSAvoidmechanical components

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The capsule magazine is divided into multiple compartments or levels, each capable of holding capsules. This segmentation allows efficient storage and systematic feeding of capsules through a simplified mechanical advancement mechanism, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high productivity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Ease of operation

If randomly oriented capsules are received from a magazine, then ease of loading improves, but orientation reliability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecapsule loading simplicityVSAvoidcapsule orientation accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The feeding mechanism employs a rotating or reciprocating motion that dynamically adjusts capsule orientation during the advancement process. This dynamic action transforms randomly oriented capsules into correctly oriented positions automatically, maintaining both ease of loading and orientation reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Reliability

If peripherally arranged slots are used to filter capsule orientation, then orientation control improves, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecapsule orientation controlVSAvoidmechanical components

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The capsule magazine employs an asymmetric geometry where the capsule holder or advancement path is shaped to accommodate only correctly oriented capsules. This asymmetric design passively filters out misoriented capsules without requiring complex active sensing or adjustment mechanisms, thus improving reliability while minimizing device complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

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 device efficiently and reliably orients capsules for beverage preparation, reducing operational time and costs by ensuring consistent orientation without the risk of blockages, making it simpler and more reliable than existing solutions.

Implementation Method 1

allowing then several brewing cycles to be performed without the need for introducing a new capsule each time

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentEP2830467B1Device for orienting capsules in a beverage producing machine

Publication Date: 2015.12.30 KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS NV

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AI summary

A device (1) for orienting capsules (C) is described. The device comprises a container (9) for receiving randomly oriented capsules (C), which has a bottom wall (11), provided with at least two apertures (17A, 17B). A rotor (13) is rotatingly arranged in the container and above the bottom wall (11). The rotor is provided with capsule receiving pockets (15). Under the apertures of the bottom wall (11), a capsule collector (19) is arranged, for receiving capsules discharged from the capsule receiving pockets (15) through either one or the other of the two apertures (17A, 17B). The capsule receiving pocket (15), the two apertures (17A, 17B) and the capsule collector (19) are shaped and arranged such that the capsules (C) randomly contained in the container (9) exit the capsule collector (19) with a predetermined orientation.