Infusion Chamber Ejection Mechanism for Flexible-Pod Beverage Machines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage preparation machines face difficulties in expelling prepackaged charges with flexible material containers, such as coffee pods, due to their low structural consistency, leading to complex and often jam-prone mechanisms, and increased structural constraints in machine design.
Innovation Solution
An infusion group with a simplified relative movement mechanism between two portions of the infusion chamber, utilizing a gripper mounted on a rod with pivoting jaws and magnets for cooperative expulsion, actuated by a hydraulic jack connected to the machine's pressurized water supply, allowing for efficient ejection without composite movement requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If complex expulsion mechanisms are used to handle flexible material containers, then the prepackaged charges can be expelled, but the device complexity increases and jamming occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the expulsion function from the infusion chamber structure by using a separate, dedicated ejection device that approaches the chamber from the bottom. This separates the expulsion mechanism from the infusion mechanism, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining reliable expulsion of flexible material containers through a specialized gripper system with magnetic actuators.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary ejection device that acts as a mediator between the power source and the prepackaged charge. This device includes a gripper with magnetic actuators that temporarily hold and manipulate the flexible container, enabling reliable expulsion without requiring complex integrated mechanisms within the infusion chamber itself.
2Manufacturing precision
If composite movement is used between infusion chamber portions, then proper alignment is achieved, but structural constraints increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the movement functions by separating the infusion chamber portions from the ejection device. The infusion chamber portions perform only their necessary infusion movements, while the ejection device independently handles the expulsion function with its own actuation system. This segmentation reduces structural constraints while maintaining proper alignment through dedicated guidance mechanisms for each component.
Solution Approach 2:
The ejection device is designed as a multi-functional component that can approach the infusion chamber, grip the prepackaged charge, and expel it, all while working around the fixed infusion chamber structure. This universal ejection mechanism handles various container types without requiring the infusion chamber itself to perform composite movements, thereby reducing structural constraints.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional expulsion methods are used for rigid materials, then expulsion is achieved, but flexible material containers cannot be properly expelled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by designing the gripper with magnetic actuators specifically tailored for interacting with flexible material containers. The magnetic fields are localized to the gripper jaws, providing targeted holding and manipulation forces that are appropriate for soft, flexible containers without damaging them, while still enabling reliable expulsion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the actuation parameter from mechanical leverage (suitable for rigid containers) to magnetic field actuation. This parameter change allows the gripper to effectively handle flexible material containers by applying distributed magnetic forces that can conform to the container's shape, thereby improving both adaptability and reliability for different container types.
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 solution enables efficient and reliable expulsion of exhausted prepackaged charges with reduced structural constraints, leveraging existing water pressure for actuation and ensuring proper alignment for optimal operation, thus simplifying machine design and preventing jamming issues.
Implementation Method 1
said expulsion means being movable by means of suitable movement means, along a direction lying on said generic horizontal plane, towards and away from said infusion chamber, said expulsion means being arranged in contact with the infusion chamber upon coupling of the two portions of the infusion chamber, and said expulsion means being moved away upon separation of said two portions of the infusion chamber
Implementation Method 2
the expulsion means comprise means suitable for temporarily cooperating with the peripheral edge of said prepackaged charge
Data Source
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AI summary
Infusion group for machines for the preparation of beverage that use prepackaged charges made with the container body in flexible material, comprising an infusion chamber (1), equipped with means for feeding (161, 171) the infusion liquid and means for dispensing (221) the prepared beverage, consisting of two portions (101, 201) complementary to each other and suitable, once coupled, to accommodate a prepackaged charge (10) of edible material, in which the two portions of said infusion chamber are provided with relative movement with respect to each other, and the movement is suitably guided , and releasable coupling means(111, 213) are provided between the two portions, being also provided means for expelling (103) the exhausted prepackaged charge, actuated when the two portions (101, 201) of said infusion chamber are separated.