Coffee Machine Valve Segmentation for Precise Taste Fraction Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional coffee machines limit the user's ability to precisely control beverage properties such as sourness, bitterness, and body fullness, as the brewing process cannot be individually influenced, leading to suboptimal flavor profiles.
Innovation Solution
A coffee machine with a valve device controlled by a microcontroller that divides the brewed beverage into fractions based on specific time segments, allowing for precise selection and disposal of taste components, enabling the user to set desired flavor characteristics by adjusting the flow paths during the brewing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the brewing process is fixed and cannot be individually influenced, then the operation is simple, but the beverage taste precision is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The brewing process is divided into multiple time segments (first time segment, second time segment, third time segment) with different flow path configurations. This segmentation allows precise control over when different fractions of the brewed beverage are directed to the beverage outlet versus the waste container, enabling fine-tuned adjustment of taste properties without requiring complex manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow path configuration is made dynamic through automated switching between different valve states during the brewing process. The control device automatically adjusts which flow path is active at each time segment, transforming a static brewing process into a dynamic one that adapts throughout the brewing cycle to optimize taste characteristics.
2Measurement precision
If all brewed liquid is directed to the beverage outlet, then the beverage volume is maximized, but the taste properties cannot be optimized
Solution Approach 1:
Specific fractions of the brewed beverage are extracted and directed to the waste container during time segments when undesirable taste components are being extracted. By removing these specific portions from the final beverage, the system optimizes taste properties while maintaining adequate beverage volume from the remaining fractions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the flow path configuration parameter at different time segments during brewing. By switching between different flow path states (first flow path to beverage outlet, second flow path to waste container, third flow path configuration), the system optimizes the extraction and delivery of different taste components throughout the brewing process.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the user manually adjusts mixing ratios and ingredients, then customization is possible, but the operation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control device automatically manages the brewing process and flow path switching without requiring manual user intervention. The system self-adjusts the flow paths and timing based on pre-programmed sequences, providing customized beverage taste profiles while maintaining simple operation for the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The brewing process employs periodic switching of flow paths at predetermined time intervals. This periodic action automatically distributes different fractions of the brewed beverage to appropriate destinations (beverage outlet or waste container) throughout the brewing cycle, achieving taste optimization through automated temporal sequencing rather than manual adjustment.
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 the user to achieve precise and reliable control over beverage taste, allowing for individual adjustments to flavor properties and caffeine content, resulting in a customized taste experience without requiring detailed knowledge of coffee bean properties.
Implementation Method 1
a pump
Implementation Method 2
a water heater
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
A coffee machine is described, comprising a flow line system (2) with a water supply (14), a pump (8), a valve assembly (3) for controlling the flow paths, a flow heater (7), and at least one dispensing nozzle (21, 22); a brewing chamber (41) for brewing a predetermined quantity of dry substance placed in the brewing chamber; at least one storage container (71) for holding a type of dry substance, such as coffee beans; a control device (18, µC) for activating and deactivating the pump (8), the valve assembly (3), and the flow heater (7) in such a way as to effect the brewing of the dry substance and the production of a beverage, wherein the control device (18, µC) comprises: a memory (MEM) for storing specific beverage parameters for a selected or configured beverage.In order to reliably obtain a predefined taste in a simple way, the valve assembly (3) includes a valve (3a) controlled by the control unit (18, uC) which is configured to sequentially connect the flow line (2a) for the prepared or brewed beverage liquid to the dispensing nozzle (31).