Cold Beverage Dispensing Assembly Using Venturi Foam Generation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cold beverage dispensing systems, particularly for coffee, are complex, noisy, and inefficient in generating uniform foam, often requiring pressurized gases like nitrogen or air, which can be undesirable and lead to non-homogeneous foam distribution.
Innovation Solution
A dispensing assembly that uses a Venturi segment and ambient air injection to create foam within the beverage, eliminating the need for pressurized gas systems and allowing for easy regulation of foam formation and quality, while reducing noise and simplifying maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If pressurized nitrogen or air is injected into the beverage to create foam, then foam formation is improved, but device complexity and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the pressurized gas system from the beverage dispensing device, eliminating nitrogen or air tanks, compressors, and associated control mechanisms. Instead, the device uses a simple injection nozzle that introduces ambient air or nitrogen at atmospheric pressure directly into the beverage stream, where the kinetic energy of the flowing beverage creates the necessary mixing and foam formation without requiring pressurized gas infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The beverage itself serves the dual function of both the liquid to be dispensed and the pressurizing medium. The high-velocity beverage stream flowing through the injection nozzle automatically draws in ambient air or nitrogen and mixes it to create foam, eliminating the need for external pressurized gas systems. The system uses the beverage's own flow characteristics to perform the pressurizing and mixing functions that would otherwise require complex gas handling equipment.
2Quantity of substance
If pressurized gas systems are used for foam creation, then foam volume is increased, but operational noise increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical pressurized gas system with a fluid dynamic solution. Instead of using compressors, tanks, and pressure regulators that generate operational noise, the device uses the kinetic energy and flow characteristics of the beverage itself to draw in and mix ambient air or nitrogen. The foam generation occurs through the interaction of fluid streams rather than through pressurized gas injection, significantly reducing mechanical noise while maintaining foam volume.
3Ease of operation
If nitrogen is injected into the beverage, then foam formation is improved, but dissolvability issues arise making it undesirable for some consumers
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of injecting pressurized nitrogen or air into the beverage to create foam, the patent inverts the approach by allowing ambient air or nitrogen to be drawn into the high-velocity beverage stream. The beverage actively pulls in the gas rather than the gas being forced into the beverage, creating a more gentle mixing process that produces foam with better integration and fewer undesirable characteristics associated with aggressive gas injection.
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 generates a dense, long-lasting, and uniformly distributed foam, simplifies the production and use of cold beverages with or without foam, and significantly reduces operational noise by avoiding the use of gas pressurizing devices.
Implementation Method 1
accelerating the flow of the cold beverage downstream of the tap by means of a Venturi segment; injecting ambient air into the Venturi segment
Data Source
AI summary
A dispensing assembly for cold beverages includes a beverage supply conduit, an opening and closing tap for closing or opening the beverage supply conduit, a beverage dispensing conduit delimiting a fluid passage, a dispensing outlet arranged at the end of the dispensing conduit, an air supply conduit delimiting an air passage. The tap is directly connected to the dispensing outlet by providing a connecting coupling which connects the air supply conduit to the beverage dispensing conduit, the beverage dispensing conduit comprising a Venturi segment between the tap and the outlet in which, by flowing through the Venturi segment, the fluid passage reduces the cross section thereof and then increases the cross section thereof as in a Venturi conduit. An air passage regulating valve is provided in said air supply conduit for regulating the width of the air passage.