Helical Boiler Heating Layout for Faster Beverage Water Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage heating devices with tubular heating elements, such as those described in EP-A-0262273 and EP-A-1502532, face inefficiencies due to the need for a large boiler chamber to accommodate the heating element and ensure effective water heating, which results in a larger volume than necessary for brewing a predetermined quantity of hot beverage, leading to prolonged heating times and potential overheating risks.
Innovation Solution
A device with a boiler chamber featuring a tubular heating element wound in a helical shape around a horizontal axis, where the bottom wall is shaped like a cylindrical surface to focus heating near the water inlet, and end portions of the heating element extend through the upper wall with fuses to prevent overheating, allowing for efficient heating of a smaller water volume and ensuring safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the boiler chamber is made large enough to accommodate the tubular heating element and ensure effective water heating, then the heating effectiveness is improved, but the device volume and heating time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element is configured in a helical shape around a horizontal axis rather than a vertical axis, utilizing horizontal space within the boiler chamber. This dimensional reconfiguration allows the heating element to be effectively positioned near the bottom of the chamber without requiring excessive vertical height, thereby reducing the overall boiler chamber volume while maintaining heating effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The bottom wall of the boiler chamber is shaped with a cylindrical surface configuration that concentrates water flow and heating activity in the lower region near the heating element. This local structural modification ensures that heating occurs predominantly where needed (near the bottom where cold water enters), improving thermal efficiency without requiring a larger chamber volume.
2Loss of time
If the boiler chamber volume is reduced to shorten heating time, then the heating time is reduced, but the heating element cannot be properly accommodated
Solution Approach 1:
By winding the heating element in a helix around a horizontal axis, the design efficiently packs the heating element into a compact volume. This configuration allows the heating element to be positioned near the bottom of a smaller boiler chamber without compromising its functional requirements, thus reducing heating time while maintaining proper accommodation.
3Volume of stationary object
If the tubular heating element is wound into a helical coil around a vertical axis, then the space utilization is improved, but the heating effectiveness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of winding the heating element around a vertical axis (conventional approach), the invention inverts the configuration by winding it around a horizontal axis. This inversion repositions the heating element to lie horizontally near the bottom of the boiler chamber, which is the optimal location for heating cold water as it enters, thereby improving heating effectiveness while maintaining compact space utilization.
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 configuration enables efficient heating of water near the bottom of the boiler chamber, reducing heating time and ensuring safety by preventing overheating, while maintaining a compact boiler chamber size, suitable for brewing a predetermined quantity of hot beverages.
Implementation Method 1
a tubular heating element inside the boiler chamber near the bottom of the boiler chamber, whereby a main portion of the tubular heating element extends along a substantial helical line around a substantial horizontal axis
Implementation Method 2
the heating of the water should preferably take place near the bottom of the boiler chamber near the location where the cold water enters the boiler chamber
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
A device for making a predetermined quantity of a hot beverage comprising a boiler chamber (5) for heating water and a tubular heating element (6) inside the boiler chamber (5) near the bottom (16) of the boiler chamber (5). A main portion (7) of the tubular heating (6) element extends along a substantial helical line around a substantial horizontal axis. The bottom of the boiler chamber (5) comprises a wall (16) substantially having the shape of a part of cylindrical surface around said horizontal axis.