System for dispensing ground coffee
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Solution Overview
Problem
Full automatic beverage preparation machines face challenges in maintaining coffee bean freshness due to oxidation and in adjusting grinder settings for different coffee beverages, leading to compromised quality.
Innovation Solution
A system with receptacles, dosing devices, and a grinder that allows for different grinding positions and precise control to dispense coffee beans with specific particle sizes for various coffee beverages, preventing oxidation and ensuring optimal extraction yield.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If coffee beans are stored in a receptacle in direct contact with the grinder, then the system structure is simple, but the coffee beans oxidize and degrade over time
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the coffee storage and grinding process into separate stages: coffee beans are stored in a receptacle, then a dosing device dispenses a portion of beans to the grinder. This segmentation prevents the entire supply of coffee beans from being exposed to oxidation risks, as only the small amount needed for each beverage is transferred to the grinder area.
Solution Approach 2:
The dosing device extracts or separates the required amount of coffee beans from the main storage receptacle and delivers them to the grinder. This extraction process isolates the coffee beans from the harmful oxidation environment in the receptacle, allowing the majority of beans to remain protected while only the necessary portion is exposed for grinding.
2Productivity
If the grinder is filled with coffee beans, then continuous grinding is enabled, but the grinder cannot be adjusted for different grinding degrees
Solution Approach 1:
The dosing device performs preliminary action by dispensing a small, controlled amount of coffee beans to the grinder just before grinding occurs. This allows the grinder to be emptied and repositioned for different grinding degrees between beverages, while maintaining continuous productivity through automated refilling from the receptacle.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces dynamic adjustment capability to the grinder, allowing it to change grinding positions and degrees between beverages. The dosing device dynamically refills the grinder with small portions, enabling the grinder to transition between different grinding settings without being permanently filled, thus achieving both adaptability and continuous operation.
3Device complexity
If a single grinding degree is used for all beverages, then the grinder setup is simple, but the quality of different coffee beverages is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The grinder is designed with dynamic adjustment capability, allowing it to move between different grinding positions and degrees. Combined with the dosing device that supplies small portions of beans, this enables precise control of particle size for each beverage type (espresso, lungo, etc.) without requiring complex permanent configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the grinding parameter (grinding degree) dynamically between beverages based on the required beverage type. The dosing device enables this by providing small, manageable portions of coffee beans that can be ground with different settings, allowing precise control of particle size distribution for optimal extraction in each beverage category.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a system (110) for dispensing ground coffee, in particular for preparing a coffee beverage. The system (110) comprises: one or more receptacles (13, 14) for storing one or different types of roasted coffee beans, one or more dosing devices (60, 70) for dispensing coffee beans, which are stored in the one or more receptacles (13, 14), and a grinder (30) for receiving coffee beans, which are dispensed by the one or more dosing devices (60, 70), in order to grind said coffee beans and subsequently dispense the so ground coffee beans, the grinder (30) being configured to move into different grinding positions for different grinding degrees, respectively. The one or more dosing devices (60, 70) are arranged between the one or more receptacles (13, 14) and the grinder (30) such that the one or more dosing devices (60, 70) can act as one or more retaining elements for retaining coffee beans inside of the one or more receptacles (13, 14). The system (110) further comprises a control unit (91) for controlling the one or more dosing devices (60, 70) and the grinder (30), wherein the control unit (91) is configured to control one or more of the one or more dosing devices (60, 70) so that a specific amount of coffee beans is dispensed to the grinder (30), and to control the grinder (30) so that the grinder (30) grinds said specific amount of coffee beans and, thus, dispenses the so ground coffee beans until the grinder (30) is free from coffee beans so that the grinder (30) can subsequently be moved in one of the different grinding positions.