Infusion Chamber Closure for Jam-Resistant Coffee Packaging
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coffee machines face reliability issues due to incorrect relative positioning of upstream and downstream closing means, leading to jamming and malfunction, which increases maintenance needs and packaging integrity risks.
Innovation Solution
A beverage production system with a closure device where upstream and downstream closing means are integral and have a mutual offset, allowing sequential operation to ensure precise positioning, reducing the number of moving parts and complexity, and incorporating a servo-controlled pump and guide means to maintain packaging integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate upstream and downstream closing means are used, then the system can perform multiple functions, but the relative positioning control becomes unreliable and jamming occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the upstream closing means and downstream closing means into a single integrated closure device. This merging eliminates the relative positioning control issues between separate components while maintaining both the upstream closing function and downstream closing function within one unified structure, thereby improving reliability without sacrificing functional versatility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate components are used for closing means, then the system can handle complex operations, but the device complexity and number of moving parts increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple closing functions into a single closure device structure, reducing the number of separate moving parts and simplifying the overall mechanical structure. The unified design maintains the ability to perform both upstream and downstream closing operations while eliminating the complexity associated with coordinating multiple independent components.
3Manufacturing precision
If integral closure device with sequential operation is used, then the positioning precision is improved, but the ease of manufacture decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent presents the integral closure device as a unified structure where the upstream and downstream closing means are formed as one piece. This integration inherently ensures precise relative positioning between the closing surfaces, and the patent implies that this unified design can be manufactured as a single component, which may actually simplify certain aspects of manufacturing compared to assembling multiple precision-aligned parts.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a system (10) and a method for preparing beverages by infusing a material in a packaging (1). The system (10) includes an infusion chamber (7), a sealing device (60) with an upstream sealing means (61) for selectively preventing or enabling access to the chamber (7) from a position upstream thereof, and a downstream sealing means (62) for selectively receiving the packaging (1) in the chamber (7) or enabling egress of the packaging (1) from the chamber (7) by gravity, wherein the position of the upstream sealing means (61) determines the position of the downstream sealing means (62), and vice versa. The invention can be used for coffee machines such as espresso machines.