Coffee Filter Holder Cleaning with Plough Blades and Suction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coffee machine filter cleaning devices require rotation of the filter holder, leading to potential coffee grounds detachment and mess, and either expensive suction-based systems or ineffective manual scraping.
Innovation Solution
A device that uses a rotor with centrifugal force and plough blades to remove coffee grounds without rotation, combined with a suction force and a brush for complete cleaning, ensuring the filter holder is always positioned to prevent coffee grounds from dropping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the filter holder is rotated by 180° to be introduced in the housing for cleaning, then the used coffee grounds can drop by gravity into the collection member, but the wet coffee grounds detach and drop on the support surface or device, causing dirtiness
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of rotating the filter holder 180° to achieve cleaning, the invention inverts the approach by maintaining the filter holder in its original orientation and using a rotor with plough blades to mechanically remove coffee grounds along a different direction, preventing gravity-induced detachment
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the coffee grounds removal function from the gravity-dependent rotation mechanism and implements it through a dedicated rotor with plough blades that actively scrape and remove grounds along a controlled path, separating the cleaning action from the orientation change
2Object-generated harmful factors
If suction is used to remove used coffee grounds without rotating the filter holder, then coffee grounds detachment is prevented, but the device becomes expensive and easily malfunctions due to blocked ducts
Solution Approach 1:
The invention incorporates a suction system that uses pneumatic principles to assist the mechanical rotor in removing coffee grounds, combining the benefits of non-rotational handling with effective grounds removal while managing the complexity through integrated design
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the mechanical action of the rotor with the pneumatic action of the suction system into a unified cleaning mechanism, where both work together to remove coffee grounds without requiring filter holder rotation, thereby preventing detachment while maintaining reliability
3Manufacturing precision
If manual scraping with a brush is used to clean the filter holder, then complete cleaning is achieved, but the process is noisy and causes spurts of coffee grounds all over
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the manual mechanical scraping operation with an automated rotor system that uses controlled mechanical action combined with suction, eliminating the uncontrolled spurts and noise associated with manual brushing while maintaining cleaning effectiveness
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 effectively cleans the filter holder without rotating it, preventing coffee grounds from dropping and ensuring complete removal, reducing operator fatigue and maintaining a clean environment.
Implementation Method 1
allows the removal of the used coffee grounds by using, for this purpose, the centrifugal force made by a rotor provided with various blades
Implementation Method 2
optimizing the cleaning by combining the centrifugal force expelling the used coffee grounds also with a suction force still generated by the same rotor
Implementation Method 3
used coffee grounds are removed from the filter contained in the filter holder and can directly drop by gravity in a specific collection member for collecting the same
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The device for cleaning a filter holder of a coffee machine comprises a support body for supporting the filter holder, a motor on whose shaft scraping means are assembled for removing the used coffee grounds contained in the internal chamber of the filter holder and at least one brush with a plurality of bristles to collect the residual of said used coffee grounds not collected by said scraping means, activation means for activating the motor and controlled by the correct positioning of the filter holder adapted to receive within it the scraping means and said at least one brush, a collection member being provided for collecting the used coffee grounds extracted from the filter holder by the scraping means, the support body having a housing in which the filter holder is positioned so as to always have at least one wall of the chamber placed below the used coffee grounds and the scraping means having at least one plough blade to remove the used coffee grounds from the chamber along at least one direction different from that in which the used coffee grounds drop by gravity into the collection member.