Coffee Machine Descaling Chamber for Clean Water-Line Dosing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fully automatic coffee machines face challenges in easy descaling and cleaning, with undissolved descaling agents often causing deposits in the water pipe system and requiring manual cleaning of the water tank to prevent contamination.
Innovation Solution
A dedicated chamber for chemical active substances is integrated or connectable to the water pipe system, allowing for complete dissolution and controlled distribution of descaling or cleaning agents, eliminating the need for direct addition to the water tank and simplifying the cleaning process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If descaling agent is added directly to the water tank, then the descaling process can be initiated, but undissolved descaling agent causes deposits in the water pipe system and requires manual cleaning of the water tank
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the water tank into two separate chambers: a first chamber for holding water and a second chamber for holding descaling agent. This segmentation prevents direct mixing of undissolved descaling agent with the water, eliminating deposits in the water pipe system while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
A connection channel with a dissolving chamber is introduced as an intermediary between the descaling agent chamber and the water tank. The descaling agent dissolves in this intermediate channel before entering the water tank, preventing undissolved agent from causing deposits while still allowing effective descaling.
2Reliability
If descaling agent is added to the water tank, then descaling can proceed, but the water tank requires manual cleaning to prevent contamination of coffee product
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the water storage chamber from the descaling agent storage chamber, the system ensures that descaling agent cannot contaminate the coffee product during normal operation. The segmented design maintains product purity while eliminating the need for manual cleaning to prevent contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection channel acts as an intermediary that allows controlled introduction of descaling agent into the water system without direct contact with the coffee brewing path. This intermediary structure ensures coffee product purity while simplifying operation by eliminating manual cleaning requirements.
3Productivity
If cleaning tablet is added directly to the brewing unit, then cleaning can proceed, but complete dissolution and mixing is not ensured
Solution Approach 1:
The connection channel serves as an intermediary dissolving chamber where cleaning tablets are introduced and allowed to fully dissolve before the cleaning solution enters the brewing unit. This ensures complete dissolution and mixing, improving cleaning reliability while maintaining efficiency.
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 ensures complete dissolution of chemical agents, reduces contamination risks, and streamlines the descaling and cleaning process by allowing controlled distribution within the coffee machine, eliminating the need for separate flushing of the water tank.
Implementation Method 1
a heating device for heating water
Implementation Method 2
a feed pump for feeding water from the water tank through the water pipe system
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~5b
AI summary
The invention relates to a coffee machine (10), in particular a fully automatic coffee machine, comprising a water tank (11), also a heating device (16) for heating up water, also a brewing unit (18) for subjecting ground coffee beans to extraction by means of the water heated by the heating device (16), also a water-line system (13) comprising at least one water line, and also a delivery pump (14) for delivering water out of the water tank (11) through the water-line system (13). According to the invention, it is provided that a chamber (25) is, or may be provided for a chemical active substance, in particular a descaling and/or cleaning agent, it being possible for this chamber to be connected and/or linked up to the water-line system (13), manually or automatically, such that water can be delivered out of the water tank (11), by means of the delivery pump (14), into the water-line system (13) through the chamber (25). The invention also concerns a method for operating a coffee machine (10).