Infusion Unit Hydraulic Closure Without Brewing Heat Loss
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coffee machines with infusion units using hydraulic closure systems are complex and expensive, and the use of cold water to actuate the brewing chamber can negatively impact the quality of the brewed beverage by removing heat from the brewing water.
Innovation Solution
A coffee machine with an infusion unit featuring a cylinder-piston actuator fed by cold water under pressure, which controls the closing movement of the infusion chamber, and a separate conduit for hot water under pressure to maintain brewing water temperature, eliminating the need for a complex hydraulic system and reducing heat loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a hydraulic closing system with cold water is used to actuate the brewing chamber, then the device complexity is reduced and manufacturing cost is lowered, but the brewing water temperature is compromised and beverage quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the water delivery system into two separate conduits: one for cold water actuation and one for hot water brewing. This segmentation allows each water stream to serve its specific function without thermal interference, resolving the contradiction between simplified hydraulic actuation and maintained brewing temperature
Solution Approach 2:
The piston acts as an intermediary element that separates the cold water actuation function from the hot water brewing function. The cold water moves the piston to close the brewing chamber, while the hot water conduit independently delivers heated water to the brewing chamber, preventing direct thermal contamination
2Temperature
If a complex hydraulic system with integrated heating is used, then the brewing water temperature is maintained, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the hydraulic actuation function and the hot water delivery function into a unified piston assembly structure, where the piston serves both to close the brewing chamber via cold water actuation and to receive/deliver hot water through its internal conduit system, simplifying the overall device while maintaining temperature
3Ease of manufacture
If cold water is used to actuate the piston, then the manufacturing cost is reduced, but heat is removed from the brewing water and beverage quality is negatively impacted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful thermal effect by completely separating the cold water actuation pathway from the hot water brewing pathway. The cold water is taken out of the brewing chamber vicinity and used solely for piston actuation, preventing it from removing heat from the brewing water and eliminating the harmful effect while maintaining low manufacturing cost
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 simplifies the manufacturing process and maintains the quality of the brewed beverage by using cold water for actuation while maintaining hot water temperature within the brewing chamber, resulting in a more efficient and cost-effective infusion process.
Implementation Method 1
a cylinder-piston actuator fed by a conduit of water under pressure but not heated, which controls the closing movement of the dispensing device towards the seat forming the infusion chamber
Implementation Method 2
The actuator piston is associated to a conduit of hot water under pressure, and exhibits a feeding chamber of the hot water under pressure, with an outlet aperture on a closing surface for closing the infusion chamber
Data Source
AI summary
The infusion unit (3) comprises a moving element (9) with a seat (15) for ingredients for making said beverages, forming an infusion chamber (15) and shifting from a position for charging the ingredients to an infusion position, wherein the seat is between a hot water dispensing device (41) and a beverage outlet nozzle (35) opposite one another. The hot water dispensing device (41) comprises a cylinder-piston actuator (43, 47) fed by a first conduit (48) of water under pressure that controls a closing movement of the dispensing device (41) towards the seat (15) in infusion position. Moreover, the piston (47) of the actuator is associated to a conduit (57) of hot water under pressure. The piston exhibits a feeding chamber (55) of the hot water under pressure with an outlet port on a closing surface (53A) of the infusion chamber.