Dispensing assembly for dispensing a flowable food product
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dispensing assemblies for flowable food products, such as coffee and foamed milk, face challenges in accommodating the spatial arrangement with dispensing machines, leading to difficulties in design integration and hygiene maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A dispensing assembly with a bag-in-box type container and a flexible duct connecting the container to a mixing unit, allowing for adjustable spatial arrangement and easy conversion from a sealed to a flow-enabled state, while maintaining hygiene through sealing elements and aseptic design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed spatial arrangement is used between container, mixing unit, and spout, then hygiene can be maintained through short product flow path, but versatility and ease of integration with dispensing machines is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the duct flexible rather than rigid, allowing the spatial arrangement between container, mixing unit, and spout to be dynamically adjusted. The flexible duct can be configured in different shapes and lengths to accommodate various dispensing machine designs while maintaining a short product flow path for hygiene.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameter of the duct from rigid to flexible, enabling adaptation to different spatial configurations. This parameter change allows the system to maintain optimal hygiene conditions (short flow path) while being versatile enough to integrate with different dispensing machine architectures.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid connection is used between container and mixing unit, then structural stability is improved, but ease of installation and adaptability to different machines is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible duct provides both flexibility for easy installation and adequate structural stability for product delivery. The duct can be easily routed and connected during installation, then maintains sufficient stability to convey product concentrate under pressure from the container to the mixing unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a flexible duct (flexible shell) to connect the container and mixing unit. This flexible connection is easy to install and adapt to different configurations while maintaining the structural integrity needed for product flow under pressure.
3Reliability
If the mixing unit is positioned close to the concentrate outlet, then product flow path length is reduced for hygiene, but spatial constraints with dispensing machine components increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible duct allows the mixing unit to be positioned at an optimal distance from the concentrate outlet, balancing hygiene requirements (short flow path) with spatial constraints of the dispensing machine. The duct can be configured to achieve the shortest practical path while accommodating other machine components.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible duct enables three-dimensional routing of the product flow path, allowing the mixing unit to be positioned in spatial configurations that minimize flow path length while avoiding interference with other machine components through vertical, horizontal, or diagonal arrangements.
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 enhances versatility, hygiene, and user-friendliness by allowing flexible installation and reducing contamination risks, while enabling efficient dispensing of flowable and foamed food products.
Implementation Method 1
a duct (9) arranged for guiding a flow of product concentrate along a flow path from the concentrate outlet (3) of the container (2) to the concentrate inlet (5) of the mixing unit (4)
Implementation Method 2
the mixing unit (4) being configured for mixing the product concentrate with a liquid, e.g. water
Implementation Method 3
a spout (7) for dispensing as a flowable food product the product concentrate mixed with the liquid
Data Source
AI summary
Dispensing assembly for dispensing a flowable food product, comprising: a bag-in-box type container for holding a product concentrate, the container having a concentrate outlet for releasing product concentrate from the container; a mixing unit spaced apart from the concentrate outlet, the mixing unit being configured for mixing the product concentrate with a liquid, the mixing unit having a concentrate inlet for receiving product concentrate released from the container, a liquid inlet for receiving the liquid, and a spout for dispensing as a flowable food product the product concentrate mixed with the liquid; and a duct arranged for guiding a flow of product concentrate along a flow path from the concentrate outlet of the container to the concentrate inlet of the mixing unit, wherein at least a section of the duct is flexible for flexibly adjusting the flow path.