A coffee machine
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coffee machines suffer from a decline in coffee quality due to the filter holder cooling down between uses, leading to inconsistent brewing temperatures and organoleptic characteristics.
Innovation Solution
A coffee machine with a heating support element that maintains the filter holder at optimal temperature, using a combination of resistive heating and automatic coffee powder filling, ensuring consistent brewing conditions without interfering with beverage delivery operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the filter holder is kept attached to the infusion unit to maintain temperature, then the filter holder temperature is maintained, but only one filter holder can be heated at a time while multiple filter holders are needed for different beverage types
Solution Approach 1:
The heating support element heats the filter holder in advance before it is needed for brewing, ensuring the filter holder reaches optimal temperature before use. This preliminary heating action allows the filter holder to be detached and reheated between uses, maintaining temperature consistency without limiting the number of filter holders available for different beverage types.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple filter holders are provided for different beverage types, then versatility is improved, but most filter holders will be at room temperature when not in use
Solution Approach 1:
The heating support element enables filter holders to heat themselves when placed on it, eliminating the need for continuous heating of all filter holders. Each filter holder can be individually heated on demand before use, ensuring temperature consistency while maintaining versatility with multiple filter holders for different beverage types.
3Ease of operation
If the filter holder is detached between uses, then versatility and ease of cleaning are improved, but the filter holder cools down during detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The heating support element provides preliminary heating of the filter holder before it is detached for use or cleaning. This ensures that even though the filter holder is detached between uses, it maintains optimal temperature through reheating, preventing quality degradation while preserving the benefits of detachment for accessibility and cleaning.
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 solution maintains the filter holder at optimal temperature, preserving the quality of coffee made, regardless of usage frequency, and allows for standardized coffee production without manual reheating, ensuring consistent organoleptic characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
A coffee machine with a heating support element that maintains the filter holder at optimal temperature
Data Source
Figure 1A~2
Figure 1B~1C
Figure 3~5
AI summary
The coffee machine has at least one infusion unit and at least one filter holder that is manually connected to and disconnected from the infusion unit for preparation of coffee, and it comprises at least one added support element of the filter holder for keeping it attached to the coffee machine when the filter holder is not connected to the infusion unit, said added support element comprising heating means for heating said filter holder to a predetermined temperature. The additional support element can be implemented also as a standalone element and, therefore, not connected to the coffee machine.