Coffee Grinder Entrainer Wheel Geometry to Prevent Powder Clogging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional grinders experience inefficiencies in conveying coffee powder due to entrainer wheels with radial vanes that lead to clogging and reduced delivery capacity, resulting in stale coffee powder mixing with freshly ground coffee.
Innovation Solution
A grinder with a rotatable entrainer wheel featuring a tapered edge region and concave profile, equipped with radially extending entrainer vanes that prevent clogging and ensure efficient coffee powder transport directly into the exit channel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If radial entrainer vanes are used on the entrainer wheel, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the coffee powder is not conveyed efficiently and clogging occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the entrainer wheel by introducing a tapered edge region with concave profile instead of a cylindrical shape. This parameter change creates an inner high edge and outer low edge, forming a slope that directs coffee powder radially outward and prevents it from sliding onto the upper side of entrainer vanes, thereby eliminating clogging while maintaining efficient conveyance
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies curvature by creating a concave profile on the entrainer wheel's edge region. This curved surface guides the coffee powder flow along the tapering slope, preventing the powder from accumulating on the vanes and ensuring smooth, continuous conveyance to the exit channel
2Productivity
If the transport region of the entrainer wheel is slightly conical, then the radial outward movement of coffee powder is assisted, but the coffee powder remains in the transport region for multiple revolutions before reaching the exit channel
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces asymmetry through the tapered edge region with concave profile, creating an inner high edge and outer low edge. This asymmetric geometry creates a unidirectional slope that actively directs coffee powder toward the exit channel, preventing swirling and ensuring rapid conveyance in a single revolution rather than allowing multiple revolutions
3Device complexity
If ground coffee powder falls onto the upper side of the entrainer vane, then the vane structure is simple, but clogging occurs and the entrainer wheel becomes blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary anti-action by designing the tapered edge region with concave profile that prevents coffee powder from ever reaching the upper side of the entrainer vanes. The geometric configuration creates a slope that directs powder away from the vanes before clogging can occur, eliminating the harmful effect in advance
Solution Approach 2:
By changing the geometric parameters of the entrainer wheel to include a tapered edge region with specific concave profile, the invention creates a surface that naturally directs coffee powder flow away from the vanes, preventing contact and subsequent clogging while maintaining structural simplicity
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 design enhances delivery capacity and minimizes residual coffee powder, ensuring rapid and complete conveyance of ground coffee into the exit channel, maintaining freshness and improving grinder efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
Through rotation of the entrainer wheel, coffee powder located on the transport region is on the one hand carried along around the rotational axis of the entrainer wheel and on the other hand moves radially outwards due to a centrifugal force
Implementation Method 2
The edge region of the entrainer wheel is constituted tapered towards the grinding elements with a concave profile, in such a way that an inner high edge and an outer low edge are formed
Data Source
AI summary
A new grinder is described which is used to grind coffee beans, with a first grinding element and a second grinding element, wherein the two grinding elements are rotatable relative to one another, in such a way that coffee beans are ground by the grinding elements into a coffee powder, and with an entrainer wheel rotatable with the first grinding element, said entrainer wheel being used to convey, on its edge region, the ground coffee powder out of the grinding elements via an exit channel. The edge region of the entrainer wheel is constituted tapered towards the grinding elements with a concave profile, in such a way that an inner high edge (Ri) and an outer low edge (Ra) are formed, and the entrainer wheel comprises a plurality of entrainer vanes distributed in the edge region over the periphery.