Cold brew coffee brewing system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cold brewing systems suffer from health concerns due to static coffee grounds at room temperature and inefficient coffee yield, as the retained coffee liquid is typically discarded with the used grounds.
Innovation Solution
A cold brew coffee brewing system with a coffee brewing machine that recirculates chilled coffee liquid through the grounds and an optional centrifugal extractor that spins the coffee slurry to separate and extract additional coffee liquid, enhancing yield and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If cold brewing is performed at room temperature without agitation, then the brewing process is simple to operate, but health concerns arise due to food products sitting at room temperature for extended periods
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter by introducing a refrigeration chamber that maintains the brewing environment at low temperatures (refrigeration temperatures) rather than room temperature. This allows the brewing process to continue simply without agitation while eliminating the health concerns associated with room temperature storage of coffee grounds and water.
2Ease of operation
If cold brewing is performed statically without agitation, then the process requires minimal intervention, but the extraction efficiency and coffee yield are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a refrigeration chamber as an intermediary device that actively circulates chilled water through the coffee grounds. This mediator enables continuous extraction and agitation without requiring manual intervention, thereby maintaining ease of operation while significantly improving extraction efficiency and coffee yield through continuous circulation and temperature-controlled extraction.
3Reliability
If the brewing process continues for several hours to achieve desired extraction, then flavor characteristics are improved, but the time required for brewing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous circulation of chilled water through the coffee grounds using a pump system within the refrigeration chamber. This continuous action maintains optimal extraction conditions throughout the brewing process, enabling high-quality flavor extraction to be achieved in a shorter time compared to static brewing methods that require extended contact time.
Solution Approach 2:
By changing the temperature parameter to low refrigeration temperatures and maintaining continuous circulation, the patent accelerates the extraction process. The cold circulation system creates optimal conditions for rapid extraction of flavor compounds, reducing the brewing time while maintaining or improving flavor quality compared to traditional room temperature static brewing.
4Device complexity
If used coffee grounds slurry is discarded after brewing, then the system is simple to clean and maintain, but significant amounts of usable coffee liquid are wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent recovers the coffee liquid that would otherwise be discarded by continuing to circulate the brewing water through the coffee grounds in the refrigeration chamber after the initial brewing process. This allows additional extraction of coffee compounds from the used grounds, recovering usable coffee liquid that would normally be wasted, while maintaining system simplicity through the same circulation mechanism.
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 effectively extracts maximum flavor and liquid yield while addressing health concerns by continuously percolating chilled coffee through the grounds and utilizing centrifugal force to recover additional coffee liquid, improving overall coffee yield and safety.
Implementation Method 1
The coffee liquid is supplied from the coffee reservoir by way of an inlet strainer to a coffee chiller where the coffee liquid is chilled.
Implementation Method 2
The chilled coffee liquid is pumped through U-shaped coffee circulation piping from the coffee chiller upwardly through the coffee collection container
Implementation Method 3
A motor is coupled to the rotatable coffee slurry container so as to apply a rotational force by which to cause the coffee slurry container to spin within the coffee pouring vessel. By virtue of the foregoing, coffee liquid that is retained by the slurry is centrifugally extracted therefrom.
Data Source
AI summary
A cold brew coffee brewing system is disclosed including a cold brew coffee brewing machine and an optional centrifugal coffee beverage extractor. The coffee brewing machine has a brewing basket within which water is added to ground coffee to create a coffee beverage. The coffee beverage is chilled and continuously circulated by a pump through U-shaped tubing from a coffee reservoir below the bottom of the brewing basket to the top of the brewing basket. The coffee slurry within the brewing basket of the coffee brewing machine is relocated to a coffee slurry container of the centrifugal coffee beverage extractor. The extractor includes a motor to impart a rotational force to the coffee slurry container and to the coffee slurry therewithin. Coffee beverage remaining in the slurry is centrifugally extracted and drained from the coffee slurry container to maximize the coffee beverage yield.