Coffee Grinder Adjustment Ring for Flexible Machine Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coffee machine grinders require multiple designs to accommodate different types of coffee machines, leading to increased production and storage costs due to a fixed removal opening and actuator position, which limits their adaptability.
Innovation Solution
The adjusting wheel is mounted on a ring-shaped holder that can be adjusted and fixed in any position relative to the housing, allowing for a standard grinder to be used across various coffee machines by positioning the adjusting wheel optimally with respect to the removal opening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the actuator and adjusting wheel are fixed in a specific position relative to the removal opening, then the grinder can be properly adjusted, but multiple grinder designs are required for different coffee machine types, increasing production and storage costs
Solution Approach 1:
The adjusting wheel is mounted on a ring-shaped holder that can be rotated and fixed at different angular positions relative to the removal opening. This dynamic positioning allows a single grinder design to adapt to different coffee machine types by adjusting the wheel's angular position to match available space and drive wheel locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The ring-shaped holder with adjustable angular positioning enables the adjusting wheel to serve multiple functions across different coffee machine configurations. A single grinder design can be universally applied to various machine types by simply rotating the holder to the appropriate angle, eliminating the need for multiple specialized designs.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the adjusting wheel is fixed in position, then the structure is simple, but it cannot be adapted to different space configurations in various coffee machines
Solution Approach 1:
The ring-shaped holder allows the adjusting wheel to be dynamically positioned at different angular orientations. The holder can be rotated to match the available space in different coffee machine installations, providing adaptability without significantly increasing operational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjusting wheel is pre-mounted on the ring-shaped holder, which is designed to be easily rotatable and fixable at various positions. This preliminary configuration allows for quick adaptation to different machine types without requiring complex assembly or disassembly operations during installation.
Data Source
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AI summary
The grinder has an adjusting unit formed by a drive wheel (15) e.g. worm wheel, that is arranged coaxial to a screw part (7). The drive wheel cooperates with a setting wheel (16) e.g. worm gear. The setting wheel is fastened to a housing (2), and a supply opening is arranged at the housing for supplying coffee beans. A path guide opening (13) guides path of coffee beans grinded between grinding disks, and the setting wheel is arranged at a holder (17) that is attached at the housing, where the holder is adjustable and fixed in any position with respect to the housing.