Coffee Brewer Tank Drainage With Integrated Internal Reservoir
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Solution Overview
Problem
Single serve coffee brewers often have residual water in their tanks due to the arrangement of dispensing tubes, making it difficult for users to completely drain the tank, which can lead to issues like freezing damage and increased weight during storage.
Innovation Solution
An automatic and self-contained drain system is integrated into the beverage forming machine, allowing users to control the draining process electronically, either manually or automatically, by using a controller that operates in both beverage formation and drain modes, ensuring the tank can be emptied efficiently into a reservoir attached to the machine.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a dispensing tube arrangement is used in the tank, then beverage dispensing function is maintained, but residual water remains in the tank making complete draining difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The tank is divided into two functional zones: an upper beverage dispensing zone with the dispensing tube arrangement, and a lower draining zone with a drain port at the bottom. This segmentation allows the dispensing function to operate normally while enabling complete drainage by accessing the bottom-most water through the separate drain port, eliminating residual water accumulation.
2Ease of operation
If manual draining into external sink is used, then tank can be emptied, but user must move machine near sink and use external receptacles
Solution Approach 1:
The machine performs draining autonomously through its own integrated drain port and internal drainage pathway. The system serves itself by containing the drainage function within the machine housing, eliminating the need for external sinks or receptacles. Users simply activate the drain function and the machine handles the complete draining process internally.
3Reliability
If tank is not completely drained, then heating element remains submerged, but machine weight increases and freezing damage risk increases during storage
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs complete draining as a preliminary action before storage by providing a dedicated drain port at the tank bottom and controlling drainage to remove all water including residual amounts. This preliminary complete drainage prevents freezing damage and reduces weight during storage, while the heating element protection is maintained during operational periods when water is intentionally kept in the tank.
4Extent of automation
If automatic drain system is integrated into the machine, then complete draining is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The draining function is extracted as a separate, dedicated system component with its own drain port, valve, and control mechanism independent from the dispensing system. This extraction allows the automatic drain function to be implemented using simple, dedicated components rather than modifying the existing dispensing tube arrangement, thereby reducing overall system complexity while achieving complete automation.
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 convenient and complete drainage of the tank without the need for external receptacles, preventing freezing and reducing storage weight, while maintaining a submerged heating element to prevent burnout.
Implementation Method 1
A drain system is configured to substantially empty the tank of beverage precursor liquid... a pump or other mechanism may be used to force the liquid out of the tank through a drain line
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for draining a component of a beverage forming system such as a coffee brewer. A tank used for holding and/or heating a beverage precursor liquid may be automatically drained. A beverage forming machine including a drain system may be self-contained in that the liquid drained from the tank is held by another tank that is part of the beverage forming machine. The tank into which the drained liquid is deposited may be removable from the beverage forming machine.