Integrated Brew Basket Design for Simultaneous Brewing and Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional beverage dispensers require additional equipment for brewing or infusing beverages, leading to increased space usage, cleaning complexity, and contamination risks due to separate brewing and dispensing processes.
Innovation Solution
A brewing or infusing apparatus that integrates a brew basket and suspension assembly within a beverage dispenser, allowing brewing to occur directly within the dispenser, with features like pivotally coupled handles and a removable cover for easy cleaning and storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If brewing is conducted in a separate container, then the brewing process can be isolated from the dispensing process, but additional equipment is required and space is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the brewing container and dispensing container into a single integrated beverage dispenser. The brewing assembly with basket and filter is positioned within the same housing that contains the dispensing spout, eliminating the need for separate brewing and dispensing equipment while maintaining the functional separation of brewing and dispensing processes
Solution Approach 2:
The beverage dispenser serves multiple functions: it can brew beverages using the brewing assembly with basket and filter, dispense the brewed beverage through the spout, and store the beverage in the container. This multi-functional design replaces what would traditionally require separate brewing equipment, dispensing equipment, and storage containers
2Reliability
If multiple separate equipment are used for brewing and dispensing, then each equipment can be optimized for its specific function, but cleaning complexity and labor expenses increase
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the brewing and dispensing functions into a single integrated unit with common exterior surfaces and housing, the patent reduces the total number of equipment pieces that need separate cleaning. The integrated design allows for streamlined cleaning procedures compared to maintaining separate brewing containers, dispensing containers, and transfer pitchers
3Reliability
If beverage is transferred from brewing container to dispensing container, then brewing and dispensing can be separated, but contamination risks and spill opportunities increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the transfer step by integrating the brewing assembly directly within the dispensing container housing. The brewed beverage flows directly from the brewing assembly through the filter and into the dispensing area, removing the intermediate transfer process that would expose the beverage to contamination and spill risks
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated design uses the housing and internal structure of the beverage dispenser as an intermediary pathway that allows direct flow from brewing to dispensing without external transfer. The spout and internal channels provide a controlled, protected pathway that prevents contamination while maintaining process separation
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for simultaneous brewing and beverage dispensing, in which a brew basket is positionable in a beverage dispenser to permit brewing. The brew basket includes a novel shape that permits it to take advantage of current beverage dispenser configurations to ease the brewing process.