Coffee Machine Stepped Funnel Container for Crema Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Coffee machines struggle to brew coffee quickly while minimizing the presence of unwanted crema, which forms unsightly deposits and is undesirable in some cultures, especially when dispensing espresso.
Innovation Solution
A coffee machine with a container designed to separate coffee foam from liquid using a funnel-like base with circumferential steps that allow crema bubbles to burst and release CO2, allowing the liquid to drain without altering its chemical composition, combined with adjustable geometry and surface roughness to enhance defoaming efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If coffee is brewed under high pressure to extract carbon dioxide and create crema, then coffee extraction quality is improved, but unwanted coffee foam forms that creates unsightly deposits
Solution Approach 1:
The container base is segmented into multiple circumferential steps that create distinct zones for foam separation. Each step acts as an independent barrier that progressively breaks and removes foam bubbles from the coffee liquid as it flows downward, allowing the liquid to be dispensed without unwanted foam deposits.
Solution Approach 2:
The device extracts and removes the harmful foam component from the coffee liquid through the stepped container structure. The steps physically separate foam bubbles from the liquid phase, allowing the foam to be left behind in the container while the clarified liquid is dispensed through the outlet.
2Productivity
If coffee is dispensed quickly to maintain freshness, then productivity is improved, but there is insufficient time to separate crema from the coffee liquid
Solution Approach 1:
The stepped container structure is pre-configured to automatically separate foam from liquid as coffee flows through it. The geometric arrangement of steps creates immediate foam disruption and separation upon coffee entry, eliminating the need for additional time-consuming separation steps or waiting periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The device allows the coffee liquid to rapidly flow through the separation zones created by the steps. The streamlined design enables quick passage of liquid through multiple separation stages in sequence, maintaining high brewing speed while achieving effective foam removal.
3Ease of manufacture
If a smooth-walled container is used for coffee collection, then ease of manufacture is improved, but coffee foam bubbles persist and form deposits on the container walls
Solution Approach 1:
The container base features localized geometric variations in the form of circumferential steps that create specific foam-disrupting zones. While the overall container remains simple and easy to manufacture, these localized structural features provide the necessary foam separation function without complicating the entire manufacturing process.
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 effectively eliminates coffee foam, ensuring a freshly brewed coffee drink is dispensed quickly without crema, maintaining the coffee's chemical integrity and preventing soiling, with the coffee liquid draining efficiently within 10 to 30 seconds.
Implementation Method 1
The coffee foam bubbles or crema bubbles released after the brewing process due to the pressure drop in the coffee liquid due to the reduced carbon dioxide absorption capacity are broken and burst on the circumferential step edges
Implementation Method 2
the container base converges towards the liquid outlet in the manner of a funnel
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an apparatus (1) for separating coffee foam (2) from coffee liquid (4), comprising: a container (6) having a container interior, which is delimited by a peripheral container wall (8) and a container base (10); an inlet (12) arranged above the container base (10), via which the container interior can be filled with coffee liquid (4); and a liquid outlet (14) arranged on the floor of the container base (10), from which the coffee liquid (4), freed of coffee foam (2), can be discharged from the container interior, characterized in that the container base (10) converges funnel-like toward the liquid drain (14) and has a plurality of peripheral steps (16) arranged terrace-like one atop the other, each step having a peripheral step face (16a) and a step wall (16b) running at an angle (a) thereto, which abut at a step edge (16c).