Improved coffee brewing apparatus comprising an extraction sleeve
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cartridge-based coffee systems are limited by pre-roasted, pre-ground coffee beans, which compromise the organoleptic quality of brewed coffee, and generate environmental waste due to non-recyclable materials.
Innovation Solution
A system that allows users to grind and roast unroasted or part-roasted coffee beans within a coffee cartridge, using a blade grinder and fluidized bed roasting, and an infuser head that delivers hot water preferentially to the periphery of the coffee grounds for improved extraction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If pre-roasted, pre-ground coffee powder is used in cartridges, then convenience and operational simplicity are improved, but the organoleptic quality and freshness of brewed coffee deteriorate due to loss of volatile aromatic components
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs roasting and grinding actions in advance but only immediately before brewing. Whole coffee beans are roasted and ground within the extraction sleeve just prior to water injection, ensuring volatile aromatic components are preserved while maintaining operational convenience through automation.
Solution Approach 2:
The extraction sleeve is inserted into the cartridge holder, which contains the coffee cartridge. The blade grinder is positioned within the extraction sleeve, creating a nested structure where multiple functions (storage, roasting, grinding, extraction) are integrated in a compact hierarchical arrangement.
2Productivity
If blade grinding is used to fragment coffee beans, then grinding speed and productivity are improved, but centrifugal forces cause uneven distribution of coffee grounds within the extraction sleeve
Solution Approach 1:
The blade grinder is configured to vibrate during operation, which counteracts the centrifugal forces generated by high-speed rotation. This vibration prevents coffee grounds from accumulating on the inner walls of the extraction sleeve and ensures more uniform distribution of grounds throughout the extraction chamber.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of the blade grinder by introducing vibrational motion in addition to rotational motion. This parameter modification allows the grinder to maintain high speed for productivity while simultaneously achieving uniform grounds distribution through the vibrational component.
3Ease of operation
If hot water is delivered uniformly across the coffee grounds, then extraction simplicity is maintained, but extraction efficiency deteriorates due to preferential flow paths and channeling
Solution Approach 1:
The infuser head is designed with non-uniform water distribution characteristics, delivering hot water preferentially to specific regions of the coffee grounds where it is most needed. This localized water delivery approach optimizes extraction efficiency by targeting areas with higher coffee ground concentration or better extraction potential.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms to monitor extraction progress and adjust water delivery patterns accordingly. By sensing conditions within the extraction chamber, the infuser head can modify its water distribution to maintain optimal extraction efficiency throughout the brewing process.
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 system enhances the quality of brewed coffee by preserving volatile aromatic components and reduces environmental impact through the use of compostable materials and efficient coffee extraction.
Implementation Method 1
a blade grinder adapted to rotate within the extraction sleeve, thereby levitating the beans off the inner surface of the slidable wall and fragmenting them to form coffee grounds within the extraction chamber
Implementation Method 2
an infuser head in fluid communication with the source of hot water for delivering hot water to the grounds within the extraction chamber whereby coffee is extracted to yield a coffee brew
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3(a)~3(d)
AI summary
A system for roasting, grinding, brewing and dispensing coffee comprises a coffee cartridge ( 100 ) containing unground coffee beans, said cartridge ( 100) having walls defining a chamber in which the beans (108) are confined, wherein one wall ( 110 ) openable, and the openable wall ( 110 ) is opposed to a bottom wall ( 106 ) supporting the beans, the bottom wall comprising a central portion comprising a screen; wherein said cartridge ( 100 ) is secured in a cartridge holder of an apparatus comprising a a collector head (104) adapted to contact and support the outer surface of the slidable bottom wall ( 106 ) of the cartridge thereby permitting a flow of water through said wall;means for bringing the collector head into contact with the outer surface of the slidable wall and for sliding said slidable wall towards the openable wall of the cartridge, thereby opening the wall to produce an opened wall and exposed beans; means (102) for roasting the exposed beans; an extraction sleeve(114) having inner and outer surfaces and a sealing rim (140), the extraction sleeve being adapted to enter the cartridge chamber (18) via the opened wall (16) such that the sealing rim forms a face pressure seal with the peripheral sealing portion of the slidable wall of the cartridge, which seal isolates the exposed beans from the rest of the cartridge and contains them within an extraction chamber formed by the inner surface of the extraction sleeve and the central portion of the slidable wall; a blade grinder (118) adapted to rotate within the extraction sleeve (114), thereby levitating the beans off the inner surface of the slidable wall and fragmenting them to form coffee grounds within the extraction chamber; a source of hot water; an infuser head (116) in fluid communication with the source of hot water and comprising infuser means comprising one or more outlets for the hot water, the infuser head being adapted to deliver hot water to the extraction bed within the extraction chamber, whereby coffee is extracted to yield a coffee brew; and means for delivering said coffee brew to a drinking vessel for consumption. The infuser head is adapted to deliver hot water preferentially to coffee grounds located on the periphery of an inner surface of a central portion of a slidable wall of a coffee cartridge and/or the inner surface of an extraction sleeve.