Drinking recipients with flow regulation means of minimal construction, systems and processes with said drinking recipients
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drinking recipients lack effective and simple flow regulation means that provide reliable liquid sealing and efficient beverage discharge, especially when used with pressurized beverages and automated beverage preparation systems.
Innovation Solution
The development of drinking recipients with flow regulation means, such as single-way valves, produced from elastic synthetic materials that open partially in response to increased flow pressure, ensuring efficient flow passage and reliable sealing, and can be easily retained and replaced without tools, using pressured-fitting mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If flow regulation means are added to drinking recipients, then liquid sealing and flow passage control are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible membrane as the flow regulation means within the drinking recipient. This membrane can deform under pressure to control flow passage while maintaining liquid sealing, achieving reliable sealing without complex mechanical components. The flexible film approach resolves the contradiction by providing effective flow control through material properties rather than complex structures.
2Productivity
If traditional valve mechanisms are used, then flow control is achieved, but construction complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential flow control function from complex traditional valve mechanisms and implements it through a simple flexible membrane that deforms under beverage pressure. This extracted approach maintains effective beverage discharge control while dramatically simplifying construction and manufacturing, resolving the contradiction between productivity and ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible membrane operates autonomously by deforming in response to beverage pressure itself, without requiring external actuation mechanisms or complex control systems. This self-service approach enables effective flow control while maintaining simple construction, addressing the contradiction between beverage discharge efficiency and manufacturing simplicity.
3Reliability
If flow regulation means are integrated into drinking recipients, then flow passage control is improved, but ease of replacement and maintenance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the flexible membrane as a separate, replaceable component within the drinking recipient assembly. This segmentation allows the flow regulation membrane to be easily removed and replaced without replacing the entire drinking recipient, resolving the contradiction between reliable flow regulation and ease of maintenance by making the critical component modular and serviceable.
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 provides enhanced flow regulation, extending the number of uses before material fatigue, ensuring efficient and ergonomic operation of beverage preparation systems, with improved liquid sealing and ease of maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
a flow passageway (134) extending in a generally transversal manner relative to the prevailing flow direction and adapted so that can be opened in at least partially elastic manner, preferentially in elastic manner, in case of being impinged with an upstream flow pressure that is bigger than a previously defined value of flow pressure
Implementation Method 2
adapted so that can be opened in at least partially elastic manner... in case of being impinged with an upstream flow pressure that is bigger than a previously defined value of flow pressure
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention discloses drinking recipients (1) such as for example glasses, cups and similar, that present flow regulation means (13) at a base region thereof, and are adapted so that provide better retention, use longevity and reliability thereof, and better regulation of the flow passage there through, at least for flow pressures of up to 20 bar, and so that simultaneously provide liquid sealing relative to an injection device upstream thereof. The present invention further discloses systems and processes for distributing beverages, in particular of espresso coffee and similar aromatic beverages, comprising at least one type of said drinking recipient (1), and an apparatus (10) comprising a beverage discharge disposition (2) adapted for operative retention of said drinking recipient (1) and for beverage discharge in a pressurized flow through the base region, at least for flow pressures of up to 20 bar.