Double Bean Container Locking and Closure to Prevent Bean Spillage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Unexperienced users often remove coffee bean containers from grinders or machines without closing the bean outlets, leading to coffee beans falling out and causing time-consuming cleaning, which is particularly challenging with larger multi-container systems.
Innovation Solution
A coffee bean container with multiple separate compartments featuring a simple and robust design, utilizing a single actuating element to simultaneously control closure and locking mechanisms for all bean outlets, allowing for easy operation by converting rotational movement into translational displacement through a rack and pinion gear, ensuring beans do not fall during removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple separate closing units are provided for multiple bean outlets in coffee bean multi-containers, then each bean outlet can be closed independently, but the device complexity and difficulty of operation increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple closing units into a single closing element that can close multiple bean outlets simultaneously. This single closing element is integrated with a single locking mechanism, allowing the user to perform both closing and locking operations with one action, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining the reliability of the closing function.
Solution Approach 2:
The closing element serves multiple functions: it closes all bean outlets and simultaneously activates the locking mechanism. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate closing units for each bean outlet, simplifying the overall structure while ensuring reliable closure of all outlets.
2Ease of operation
If users remove coffee bean containers without closing bean outlets, then removal is quick and easy, but coffee beans fall out causing time-consuming cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The system requires the closing operation to be performed automatically as part of the removal process. The single closing element ensures all bean outlets are closed before the container can be removed, preventing bean spillage while maintaining ease of operation through the integrated locking mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism provides feedback to the user that the container is properly secured. The interconnection between the closing element and locking mechanism ensures that closing action is confirmed through the locking engagement, giving users confidence that beans are contained before removal.
3Ease of operation
If a single actuating element controls both closure and locking mechanisms, then operation is simplified, but the mechanical coupling complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the actuation mechanisms for closing and locking into a single integrated actuating element. This element is mechanically coupled to both the closing element and the locking mechanism through a unified transmission system, simplifying user operation while managing mechanical complexity through integrated design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary mechanical elements that transfer motion from the single actuating element to both the closing and locking mechanisms. These intermediaries facilitate the coupled operation while isolating the complexity of the mechanical coupling from the user interface.
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
Enables easy and efficient operation of coffee bean containers by allowing all bean outlets to be opened or closed, and the locking mechanism to be unlocked or locked with a single actuation, preventing beans from falling and simplifying the removal process, even if beans are jammed.
Implementation Method 1
converting rotational movement into translational displacement through a rack and pinion gear
Data Source
AI summary
Coffee bean container, in particular a double bean container, for releasably fixing on a coffee grinder or a coffee machine with an integrated coffee grinder, with a first bean compartment (3) comprising a first bean outlet (6) and with at least one second bean compartment (4) comprising a second bean outlet (6), with closure means (12) assigned to the bean outlets (5, 6) for closing the bean outlets (5, 6), with locking means (13) for locking the bean container to the coffee grinder or to the coffee machine, and with an actuating element (8) actuatable by a user and moveable relative to the bean compartments (3, 4), wherein the actuating element (8) is designed and arranged for both opening all bean outlets (5, 6) and for locking the locking means (13), in particular with a single actuating movement, and/or both for closing all bean outlets (5, 6) and unlocking the locking means (12), in particular with a single actuating movement.