Dissolving Chamber with Piston Unit for Precise Cleaning Agent Dosing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning devices for beverage preparation machines face challenges in achieving complete dissolution and precise dosing of cleaning agents, leading to inconsistent cleaning solutions and waste generation from single-use cartridges.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising a dissolving chamber with a piston unit and a liquid line system that ensures complete dissolution of active substances in solvents, allowing for precise control of active substance concentration and automatic operation with a control device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a cartridge with cleaning agent is used, then operator safety is improved, but dissolution completeness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The device divides the cleaning agent supply system into separate functional components: a storage container for the cleaning agent, a dissolving chamber for dissolution, and a dosing mechanism. This segmentation allows the cleaning agent to be stored safely in a sealed container while enabling complete dissolution in the dissolving chamber, resolving the contradiction between operator safety and dissolution completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a dissolving chamber as an intermediary component between the cleaning agent storage and the beverage preparation system. This intermediary chamber allows the cleaning agent to be completely dissolved in water under controlled conditions, ensuring both operator safety (through sealed storage) and dissolution completeness (through the dissolving chamber design).
2Manufacturing precision
If water flows through the cartridge, then cleaning agent dissolution is improved, but dosing precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The device performs preliminary dissolution of the cleaning agent in the dissolving chamber before introducing it to the beverage preparation system. The cleaning agent is completely dissolved in water in advance, and then the resulting solution is precisely dosed. This preliminary action separates the dissolution process from the dosing process, achieving both dissolution completeness and dosing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical flow-through cartridge system with a controlled dissolution system using a dissolving chamber and a dosing mechanism. Instead of relying on water flow through a cartridge to dissolve and dose the cleaning agent simultaneously, the system uses a dissolving chamber for complete dissolution followed by a controlled dosing mechanism, achieving both dissolution completeness and dosing precision.
3Ease of operation
If single-use cartridges are used, then ease of operation is improved, but waste generation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The device enables recovery and reuse of the cleaning agent supply system. Instead of discarding single-use cartridges, the system uses a refillable storage container and a dissolving chamber that can be cleaned and reused. The cleaning agent is completely dissolved and utilized, minimizing waste generation while maintaining ease of operation through automated dosing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates an automated dosing mechanism that performs the dosing function without manual intervention. The device automatically doses the cleaning agent solution, eliminating the need for operators to manually handle and replace cartridges, thereby maintaining ease of operation while reducing waste through complete utilization of the cleaning agent.
4Measurement precision
If a dosing device is added, then dosing precision is improved, but device complexity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the storage container, dissolving chamber, and dosing mechanism into an integrated device. The storage container is positioned to gravity-feed the cleaning agent into the dissolving chamber, which is connected to the beverage preparation system. This merging of functions into a single integrated device achieves dosing precision while minimizing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The device utilizes gravity flow and fluid pressure to automate the dosing process. The storage container is positioned above the dissolving chamber, allowing gravity to feed the cleaning agent into the chamber. Water is introduced to dissolve the cleaning agent, and the resulting solution is delivered to the beverage preparation system through fluid pressure. This use of pneumatic and hydraulic principles automates dosing without requiring complex mechanical dosing mechanisms.
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 device achieves complete dissolution and homogeneous mixing of active substances, enabling precise dosing and optimal concentration distribution, while minimizing active substance consumption and allowing for fully automatic operation.
Implementation Method 1
a solvent line connectable to a solvent supply for supplying the solvent and a drain line connected to the dissolving chamber, which can be connected to the beverage preparation machine
Implementation Method 2
a first piston insertable into the dissolving chamber, after the active substance has been dosed into the dissolving chamber, the solvent is introduced into the dissolving chamber, and during the solvent supply the first piston is introduced into the dissolving chamber and pressed into the dissolving chamber by a pressure generated by the introduced solvent
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2(a)~2(d)
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for producing a solution from an active substance and a solvent and for supplying the solution to a drinks preparation machine (15), in particular to a coffee machine, comprising a dissolving chamber (4) for receiving the active substance (8), a supply device (12) for supplying a determined amount of the active substance (8) to the dissolving chamber (4), and a fluid-guiding channel (1, 13) coupled to the dissolving chamber (4) and having a solvent line (1) that can be connected to a solvent store (20) for supplying the solvent and a discharge line (13) that is connected to the dissolving chamber (4) and can be connected to the drinks preparation machine (15). In order to achieve a complete dissolution and an optimal concentration of the active substance in the solvent with a homogeneous concentration distribution over the volume of the solution, the device comprises a piston unit (5, 6, 18) including a first piston (6) that can be introduced into the dissolving chamber (4), a second piston and a connecting line (18) arranged between the first piston (6) and the second piston (5).