Device and method for grinding coffee beans
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coffee grinding devices fail to prevent contamination between different mixtures of coffee powder, leading to variations in organoleptic properties and inconsistencies in espresso preparation.
Innovation Solution
A device and method that utilize an air-powered powder removal system to eliminate residual coffee powder from the grinding chamber, ensuring each mixture is processed without carry-over from previous mixtures, maintaining its unique characteristics and organoleptic properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If coffee beans of different types or varieties are ground in sequence using the same grinding member, then productivity is improved by using a single grinding device, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to contamination between different coffee mixtures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes residual ground coffee from the grinding member using a stream of air generated by a fan. This extraction principle eliminates the contamination source while maintaining the single grinding member design, thus preserving productivity while improving manufacturing precision of coffee mixtures
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by removing residual coffee powder from the grinding member before grinding the next batch of coffee beans. The fan generates an air stream that clears previous mixture residues, ensuring that each new coffee mixture is ground without contamination from previous batches, thereby maintaining precise mixture composition
2Reliability
If essential oils are removed from un-ground coffee using an air stream, then reliability is improved by preventing oil contamination of the grinders, but device complexity increases due to additional fan and air flow path
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two functions into a single integrated system: the fan serves both to remove essential oils from un-ground coffee and to eliminate residual ground coffee from the grinding member. This consolidation achieves improved reliability through dual functionality while minimizing the increase in device complexity by using one component for multiple purposes
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 solution effectively prevents cross-contamination, allowing for the precise reproduction of desired coffee mixtures, ensuring each espresso shot corresponds to the selected recipe without influence from other mixtures, thus maintaining the unique taste and aroma profiles.
Implementation Method 1
at least one air-powered powder removal member (20) configured to generate a stream of air through the grinding member (14), so as to remove ground coffee powder (15) from the grinding member (14) and from the transit chamber (16)
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 5
Figure 6~9
AI summary
Device for grinding coffee beans (12), comprising a grinding member (14) configured to grind coffee beans (12) and produce a ground coffee powder (15), a transit chamber (16) configured to receive the ground coffee powder (15), a discharge member (18) configured to discharge the ground coffee powder (15) arriving from the transit chamber (16) toward the outside of the device, and an air-powered powder removal member (20) configured remove ground coffee powder (15) from the grinding member (14) and from the transit chamber (16).