Rotating Coffee Dispenser Nozzle for Uniform Extraction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional coffee makers struggle to uniformly supply water to ground coffee, leading to inconsistent coffee quality and nozzle clogging due to the limited movement of the water dispenser nozzle.

Innovation Solution

A coffee maker with a dispenser featuring a rotatable and revolvable nozzle mechanism, supported by first and second actuators, allowing for high-degree freedom of motion to uniformly distribute water and avoid coffee grounds, ensuring efficient extraction and preventing clogging.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If the dispenser nozzle is fixed in position, then the device structure is simple, but water cannot be uniformly supplied to ground coffee

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuniformity of water distributionVSAvoidcomplexity of dispenser mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the dynamics principle by transforming the fixed nozzle into a movable one. The dispenser nozzle is equipped with rotation and revolution capabilities through mechanical mechanisms including a turntable, arm, and linkage system. This allows the nozzle to dynamically adjust its position and orientation to uniformly distribute water across the ground coffee surface, resolving the contradiction between uniform water distribution and structural simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If the nozzle remains stationary, then the mechanism is simple, but the nozzle becomes clogged by coffee grounds

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresistance to cloggingVSAvoidcomplexity of movement mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses the dynamics principle to make the nozzle movable through a combination of turntable rotation and arm revolution mechanisms. This dynamic positioning allows the nozzle to avoid accumulated coffee grounds and prevents clogging, improving reliability while accepting increased mechanical complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The self-service principle is applied through the automatic rotation and revolution of the nozzle mechanism. The system autonomously moves the nozzle to prevent clogging without requiring manual intervention, thereby improving reliability while the automated movement mechanism adds controlled complexity to the system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Manufacturing precision

If water is supplied intensively to a specific portion, then the dispenser structure is simple, but coffee extraction quality is poor

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvequality of coffee extractionVSAvoidcomplexity of water distribution system
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements the dynamics principle by enabling the nozzle to rotate and revolve, allowing water to be distributed across multiple portions of ground coffee rather than intensively to one spot. This dynamic water distribution improves coffee extraction quality by ensuring uniform contact between water and coffee grounds, while the mechanical rotation and revolution mechanisms provide the necessary complexity to achieve this uniform distribution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3909478B1Coffee maker
Publication Date: 2024.01.17 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP3909478B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3909478B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3909478B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

Disclosed is a coffee maker configured to uniformly supply water to ground coffee. The coffee maker includes an extractor configured to receive ground coffee and water and extract coffee from the ground coffee, and a dispenser configured to uniformly supply water to the ground coffee in the extractor. The dispenser includes an arm rotatably disposed above an inlet of the extractor, including a nozzle for supplying water, a first actuator configured to rotatably support the arm and cause the arm together with the nozzle to revolve around a center of the inlet along an edge of the inlet, and a second actuator connected to the arm and configured to rotate the arm together with the nozzle about one point of the first actuator.