Coffee Brewing Piston Seal for Automatic Compaction and Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coffee brewing systems are expensive, require manual operation, and are difficult to clean, limiting consumer choices and accessibility to various coffee forms, with proprietary pods and complex maintenance requirements.
Innovation Solution
A beverage brewing apparatus with a housing, infusion chamber, and piston system that allows for automatic operation, easy cleaning, and flexibility in using ground coffee in various forms, featuring an active seal that expands to form a sealed brewing chamber and a motor-driven piston for compacting coffee grounds under pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a piston system with active seal is used to automate coffee compaction, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seal automatically expands and contracts in response to piston movement, eliminating the need for manual sealing operations. The biasing means automatically maintains seal pressure against the infusion chamber wall during compaction, and the seal self-retracts when the piston retracts, providing self-service sealing functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal transitions from a static sealing component to a dynamic one that actively changes state. The biasing means causes the seal to dynamically expand during piston insertion for sealing and compaction, then dynamically contract during piston retraction for easy removal, adapting its configuration to the operational phase.
2Ease of operation
If manual latching mechanisms are eliminated in favor of automatic piston operation, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The complex manual latching mechanism is completely removed from the system. The invention extracts the sealing and latching function from a separate manual mechanism and integrates it into the piston assembly itself through the biasing means and active seal, simplifying the overall operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing function and the compaction function are merged into a single piston operation. The biasing means integrates the sealing action with the piston's compaction motion, so that one automated movement performs both sealing and compaction, eliminating the need for separate latching and compaction steps.
3Reliability
If the seal remains expanded during piston retraction, then sealing is maintained, but ease of cleaning and maintenance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The seal dynamically changes its state based on piston position. During insertion and compaction, the seal is expanded for reliable sealing. During retraction, the seal automatically contracts to create clearance, enabling easy access for cleaning and maintenance without compromising sealing reliability during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal undergoes periodic expansion and contraction cycles synchronized with piston movement. It expands during the operational phase for sealing and contracts during the maintenance phase for accessibility, creating distinct operational and maintenance states that resolve the contradiction between sealing reliability and ease of cleaning.
4Manufacturing precision
If proprietary coffee pods are required, then manufacturing precision is improved, but adaptability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The piston compaction system serves multiple functions: it can compact proprietary coffee pods, loose ground coffee, and coffee grounds of various forms. The universal compaction mechanism eliminates the need for pod-specific mechanisms while maintaining manufacturing precision for sealed brewing chambers, enabling versatility in coffee form acceptance.
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 system provides an economical, user-friendly, and maintainable coffee brewing solution that eliminates manual latching, facilitates grinder integration, and accommodates different coffee forms, ensuring efficient brewing and easy cleaning without manual latch operation.
Implementation Method 1
intermediate biasing means for applying a force to the top and bottom disks whereby the top and bottom disks are displaced away from each other
Implementation Method 2
The active sealing means includes a seal, means for displacing the seal into an expanded state wherein the seal contacts the side wall when the piston means compacts the infusible material
Implementation Method 3
The piston means includes a piston rod, drive means for moving the piston rod between retracted and extended positions, and piston head means attached to the piston rod including the active sealing means for compressing the infusible material in the infusion chamber means
Implementation Method 4
supply for supplying a heated liquid, such as hot water, under pressure to an infusible material in an infusion chamber to produce a beverage
Data Source
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AI summary
A brewing apparatus (20) for infusing compacted ground coffee in a grounds cup (102) at a brewing station with heated water under pressure. At a brewing station, a piston head (97) with an active seal (96) that is spaced from the grounds cup wall during motion, extends into the grounds cup (102) . When the piston head (97) begins to compact the ground coffee it activates the seal (96) to form a sealed upper end of a brewing chamber. Hot water is admitted to the brewing chamber to produce the coffee. When the brewing cycle is completed, the piston head (97) displaces further to force additional coffee from the grounds. Then the piston head (97) retracts to allow the infusion chamber assembly (32) to be removed for cleaning.