Continuous Drink Cooling in Coffee Machines Without Added Ice
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hot-drinks-preparing devices are not well-suited for rapidly and efficiently producing high-taste-quality drinks at desired temperatures, either hot or cold, without impairing the taste, especially in catering or domestic quantities, due to the need for elaborate cooling processes and inadequate cooling agent management.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that continuously cool hot drinks to cold drink temperatures using a compact cooling device integrated within the drinks machine, without direct addition of cooling agents like ice, and allowing for flexible production of either hot or cold drinks by controlling the flow through a single housing with a hot-drinks-preparing device and a cooling device, using active or passive cooling methods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a continuous-flow cooling device with a thermally insulated container and cooling coil is used to cool down hot drinks, then the cooling speed is improved, but the cooling effect diminishes over time as the cooling agent cannot release heat efficiently from the insulated container
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cooling agent from the thermally insulated container to a separate cooling chamber. The cooling agent is no longer confined within the insulated container but circulates externally through a cooling coil, allowing continuous heat release without being constrained by the insulated container's thermal isolation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a cooling coil as an intermediary heat exchange element between the hot drink and the cooling agent. The cooling coil transfers heat from the drink to the cooling agent circulating in the cooling chamber, enabling efficient heat transfer while maintaining the thermal insulation of the container.
2Speed
If a cooling device with a cooling coil and thermally insulated container is used, then the cooling speed is improved, but the device complexity increases due to multiple components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cooling chamber with the existing thermally insulated container structure. The cooling coil is integrated into the container wall or base, combining the insulation function with the heat exchange function in a single integrated component rather than separate elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermally insulated container serves multiple functions: it provides thermal insulation for the drink, houses the cooling coil for heat exchange, and acts as the cooling chamber when the cooling agent is introduced. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components.
3Duration of action of moving object
If hot drinks are stored in a vessel prior to cooling to allow cooling agents to act on them, then the cooling process can be initiated, but the taste quality is impaired due to extended dwelling times
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-chills the cooling agent before it contacts the hot drink. The cooling chamber is pre-filled with cooled agent, so when the hot drink is introduced, immediate heat transfer begins without requiring the drink to dwell in a storage vessel beforehand. This eliminates extended dwelling times that would compromise taste quality.
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
Enables rapid and efficient production of high-taste-quality drinks at desired temperatures, maintaining taste quality by continuous cooling without storage, and reducing cooling agent requirements, thus addressing the limitations of prior art methods.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling device (23, 37) which is suited for continuous cooling down of a hot drink, without direct addition of cooling agents, in a continuous flow
Implementation Method 2
a cooling coil of heat conductive material disposed in the cooling agent through which the drink to be cooled down should flow
Data Source
AI summary
According to a method of producing a drink, a cold drink, in particular iced coffee is produced from a hot drink, in particular a coffee/espresso, which is produced in a drinks machine by means of a hot-drinks-preparing device (2-6). In order for optionally the hot drink or the cold drink to be produced in portions with a high taste quality, as are typical for catering and domestic use, in the case of the cold drink desired the latter is produced on a continuous basis directly after the hot drink has been prepared, without the direct addition of cooling agents, in particular ice, iced water or cooling bodies, in the same drinks machine using a cooling device (16, 23, 23′, 37, 39).