Integrated Coffee Bean Cartridge Grinder for Compact Dosing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coffee beverage systems are often large, cumbersome, and expensive, with inefficiencies in bean handling and grinding, particularly in compact designs that can be easily assembled and operated.
Innovation Solution
A compact coffee beverage system featuring a coffee bean packaging cartridge with a metering chamber integrated into the grinder, allowing for efficient dosing and grinding of coffee beans, combined with a brewing device that utilizes a conical bottom portion for rotating and grinding coffee beans, and a snap connection mechanism for easy assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a large hopper and separate grinder components are used, then coffee bean storage and grinding capacity are sufficient, but the overall device size becomes large and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the hopper, metering chamber, and grinder into a single integrated cartridge assembly. The cartridge contains the coffee bean storage chamber, metering mechanism, and grinder components all in one removable unit, eliminating the need for separate large hopper and grinder assemblies in the main device.
Solution Approach 2:
The metering chamber is nested within the grinder housing, and the grinder components are nested within the cartridge structure. The conical bottom portion of the metering chamber serves dual purposes as both a dosing mechanism and a grinder component, with grinding elements positioned within the conical structure.
2Reliability
If a complex assembly mechanism is used, then connection reliability is improved, but ease of assembly and operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into modular segments: a removable cartridge containing the hopper, metering chamber, and grinder, and a separate brewing device. The cartridge can be easily detached and replaced without complex tools or procedures, while maintaining reliable connections during use.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having the grinder fixed to the device with beans fed from above, the invention inverts the approach by placing a self-contained cartridge with integrated grinder at the front, where the grinding mechanism is accessible and the cartridge can be simply inserted and removed like a magazine in a firearm.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple separate components are used for dosing and grinding, then functional precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The metering chamber and grinder are merged into a single integrated cartridge assembly. The conical bottom portion serves both as the dosing mechanism and houses the grinding elements, eliminating the need for separate dosing and grinding components while maintaining precise dosing capability through the conical geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The conical bottom portion of the metering chamber serves multiple functions: it acts as a dosing funnel, houses the grinder, and provides structural support. The cartridge itself is a universal component that can be removed and replaced to change coffee blends, while the same cartridge structure handles both dosing and grinding operations.
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 system provides a compact, cost-effective, and user-friendly solution for preparing coffee by ensuring efficient bean dosing and grinding, reducing the overall height of the device and preventing contamination between coffee blends.
Implementation Method 1
a bottom portion which forms a part of the grinder, said bottom portion being arranged in the coffee brewing apparatus for rotating around a first axis extending in a vertical direction wherein the coffee brewing apparatus is arranged such that upon activation of the grinder the bottom portion is rotating around the vertical axis for transporting the coffee beans from the metering chamber into the grinder and for grinding the coffee beans
Data Source
AI summary
A coffee beverage system is described including a coffee bean packaging cartridge and a coffee brewing apparatus. The packaging cartridge includes a container holding coffee beans and transportation component for transporting the coffee beans towards an exit opening of the cartridge. The coffee apparatus comprises a grinder for grinding the coffee beans from the cartridge and a brewing device for brewing coffee on the basis of ground coffee obtained by means of the grinder. The system is further provided with a metering chamber for receiving coffee beans which are transported with the aid of the transportation component into the metering chamber. In use, the metering chamber will hold a predetermined amount of coffee beans. The metering chamber comprises a bottom portion which forms a part of the grinder, said bottom portion being arranged in the coffee apparatus for rotating around an axis extending in a vertical direction.