Coffee Machine Spindle Drive With Coupled Brewing Chamber
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fully automatic coffee machines have a high height due to the need for a deep brewing head to press coffee powder, which limits their compactness and increases the complexity of the drive mechanism.
Innovation Solution
A detachable coupling between the brewing chamber and a T-piston allows for the T-piston to move towards the brewing head during pressing, reducing the overall height and simplifying the drive mechanism by using a contactless magnetic clutch and a spring-loaded plunger for locking and unlocking, enabling a more compact design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If the brewing head is made deep to press coffee powder, then the pressing function is improved, but the overall height of the brewing unit increases
Solution Approach 1:
The brewing chamber is made movable instead of fixed, allowing it to be displaced vertically by the T-piston. This dynamic configuration enables the pressing function to be achieved through relative movement between the T-piston and brewing chamber, rather than requiring a deep fixed brewing head, thereby reducing the overall height while maintaining pressing capability
Solution Approach 2:
The brewing chamber is separated from the fixed brewing head and made independently movable. This segmentation allows the pressing action to be performed by the T-piston moving the brewing chamber vertically, eliminating the need for a deep integrated brewing head structure and reducing the overall unit height
2Reliability
If a fixed brewing head is used to press coffee powder, then the pressing function is reliable, but the drive mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing function is extracted from the fixed brewing head and transferred to the T-piston. By making the brewing chamber movable and coupling it to the T-piston, the pressing action is performed by the piston's vertical movement rather than by a complex gate control mechanism, simplifying the drive system while maintaining reliable pressing through direct mechanical coupling
Solution Approach 2:
The complex gate control mechanism is replaced with a simpler direct drive system where the T-piston is directly coupled to the brewing chamber. This substitution maintains reliable pressing through direct mechanical action while eliminating the complexity of gate control linkages and reducing the number of moving parts
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
This design reduces the overall height of the brewing unit, improves coffee beverage quality by shortening the lines to the vessel, and enhances the coffee transportation speed, while simplifying the mechanical structure and eliminating the need for additional control lines or mechanical unlocking devices.
Implementation Method 1
The clutch can be contactless, e.g. B. be generated by magnetic force
Implementation Method 2
A spring-loaded plunger for locking and unlocking
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a fully automatic coffee machine, in particular for household use, for preparing a plurality of different coffee beverages, having a displaceable brewing chamber (10) comprising an opening (38) for filling with ground coffee (16), a brewing head (12) for closing off the opening (38) of the brewing chamber (10), and a displaceable T-piston (14) for pressing the ground coffee (16) in the brewing chamber (10) closed off by the brewing head (12). According to the invention, a coupling (58) is provided for coupling the brewing chamber (10) to the T-piston (14) for displacing in a coupled manner the brewing chamber (10) coupled to the T-piston (14).