Chilled beverage dispenser
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing chilled beverage dispensers face challenges in cleaning and sanitation due to complex and rigid component structures, making it difficult to install and remove components for maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A chilled beverage dispenser design featuring removable bowls, dispenser assemblies, and agitator/spray units with a locking assembly and quick-release mechanisms that allow for easy installation and removal, facilitating cleaning and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the dispenser uses a rigid and complex component structure to ensure stability and functionality, then the reliability and functionality are improved, but the ease of cleaning and sanitation deteriorates due to difficulty in installing and removing components
Solution Approach 1:
The dispenser is divided into separate removable components including bowls, dispenser assemblies, and agitator/spray units. Each component can be independently removed for cleaning, resolving the contradiction between maintaining system reliability and enabling easy cleaning through modular segmentation.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking assembly provides a dynamic mechanism that allows components to be securely fixed during operation but easily removed when cleaning is needed. The quick-release mechanism transitions the system between static (locked) and dynamic (removable) states, enabling both reliable functionality and ease of cleaning.
2Ease of operation
If the dispenser uses a simple and removable component structure to facilitate cleaning, then the ease of cleaning is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the need for locking and quick-release mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The locking assembly is segmented into distinct functional elements (locking members, catches, quick-release mechanisms) that can be independently manufactured and assembled. This segmentation reduces overall device complexity by allowing each component to be optimized separately while maintaining ease of cleaning through removable bowls and assemblies.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking assembly is designed to be self-actuating through spring-loaded locking members that automatically engage with catches when components are installed. This self-service mechanism reduces the need for complex manual locking procedures, simplifying the overall device while maintaining ease of component removal for cleaning.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the dispenser uses a secure locking mechanism to ensure components remain fixed during operation, then the stability is improved, but the ease of removing components for maintenance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism dynamically adapts between two states: a locked state with spring-loaded members engaging catches to provide stable fixed positioning during operation, and an unlocked state where quick-release mechanisms allow easy component removal for maintenance. This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction between stability and ease of removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-loaded locking members are pre-positioned to automatically engage with catches when components are installed, providing immediate stability without requiring manual intervention. The quick-release mechanisms are pre-configured to allow rapid disengagement, enabling easy removal for maintenance while maintaining stable operation during use.
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
Enables efficient and minimal-effort installation and removal of components, improving cleaning and sanitation processes while maintaining the dispenser's functionality.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchange surface positioned on the upper surface of the lower housing is received within the opening, so that the beverage stored in the bowl is in contact with and cooled by the heat exchange surface
Implementation Method 2
an impeller is preferably positioned adjacent to the heat exchange surface and configured to rotate in order to circulate the beverage within the bowl
Implementation Method 3
The locking assembly further includes a torsion spring that biases the locking member into the first (locked) position
Data Source
AI summary
A chilled beverage dispenser includes a lower housing, one or more bowls for storing a beverage positioned on the lower housing, and one or more locking members. Each locking member is rotatable between a first (closed) position, in which the locking member engages and prevents a bowl from being removed, and a second (open) position, in which the bowl may be readily removed from the lower housing. The chilled beverage dispenser may also include a bracket at the rear of the lower housing which engages a rear portion of a bowl, also preventing the bowl from being removed from the lower housing. The chilled beverage dispenser may also include a handle for engaging a dispensing valve, which is slidably removable from a cradle at the front of the bowl. The chilled beverage dispenser may also include a removable impeller cover and spray tube inside of the bowl.