Device for extracting a substance to be brewed
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing devices for brewing beverages, particularly those using ground coffee in pods, face complexity in opening and closing the extraction chamber, making the filling and emptying processes cumbersome for users.
Innovation Solution
A device with a movable second portion relative to a first portion, utilizing a linking device with an articulation joint and kinematic links to facilitate a rotational motion that enables sequential tilting motions for easy emptying and filling, allowing for the operation of the extraction compartment to switch between closed and open positions with a single user motion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the extraction chamber is formed with two movable portions that can be opened and closed, then the filling and emptying operations are facilitated, but the device complexity increases due to the need for linking devices and kinematic mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into the second portion: it serves as both the movable extraction chamber cover and the receptacle for spent coffee grounds. The linking device integrates both the articulation joint for opening/closing motion and the tilting mechanism for emptying into a single coordinated system, reducing the need for separate mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The second portion performs multiple functions: it closes the extraction chamber during brewing, tilts forward to eject spent pods, and tilts backward to open the chamber for refilling. The articulation joint serves both as a hinge for opening/closing and as a pivot for tilting operations, maximizing functional efficiency.
2Ease of operation
If the second portion tilts forward to eject spent pods, then the emptying process is simplified, but the device complexity increases due to the articulation joint mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The second portion transitions from a static chamber cover to a dynamic component capable of multiple motion sequences: closing motion, forward tilting for ejection, and backward tilting for opening. The articulation joint enables these dynamic transformations, allowing the system to adapt its configuration based on the operational phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The extraction chamber is pre-configured with an ejection opening positioned to receive spent pods when the second portion tilts forward. The articulation joint is designed with predetermined motion paths that automatically guide the second portion through the correct sequence of movements, eliminating the need for complex control systems.
3Productivity
If a single user motion operates the extraction chamber, then the productivity increases, but the device complexity increases due to the kinematic linkage requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The articulation joint and linking device are designed to automatically guide the second portion through the correct sequence of movements (closing, tilting forward, tilting backward, opening) based on the user's initial motion. The mechanism self-regulates the operation sequence without requiring additional controls, sensors, or automated systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The articulation joint employs curved or spherical motion paths that naturally guide the second portion through its operational sequence. The geometry of the linking device creates inherent mechanical guidance, where the shape of the joint and linkage paths dictate the motion sequence, simplifying the control mechanism.
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
This design simplifies the filling and emptying process by enabling the sequence of operations with a single motion of the user, improving the practicality and efficiency of handling coffee pods, allowing for easy ejection and repositioning without direct front-facing handling.
Implementation Method 1
a linking device between the first portion and the second portion, comprising a holder with a first kinematic link so configured as to produce a rotational motion of the holder relative to the first portion, and a second kinematic link relative to the second portion
Implementation Method 2
an articulation joint so configured as to successively produce, upon a rotational motion of the holder about the first kinematic link in a first direction of rotation, from the closed position of the compartment, a first tilting motion of the second portion in the first direction of rotation, then a second tilting motion of the second portion in a second direction of rotation opposite the first direction
Data Source
AI summary
A device for extracting a substance to be brewed comprising: an extraction compartment in a first and a second portion, movable relative to the first portion to switch the compartment between a closed position and an open position; a linking device between the first and the second portion, comprising a holder with a first link so configured as to produce a rotation of the holder relative to the first portion, and a second link relative to the second portion, and the device comprises an articulation joint so configured as to successively produce, during a rotational motion of the holder about the first link in a first direction of rotation, a first tilting of the second portion in the first direction, then a second tilting of the second portion in a second direction opposite the first direction.