Magnetic Tea Basket Lifting for Adjustable Brew Concentration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tea infusers have complex structures, instability issues, and high production costs, which complicate manufacturing and increase costs, while failing to effectively separate tea leaves from brewed tea and control tea concentration.
Innovation Solution
A tea maker with a simplified structural configuration featuring a vertical supporting frame, a tea infusing container, a tea basket with a resilient element and magnetic guidance for stable movement, and a control circuit to adjustably control brewing time and tea concentration, using a sliding arrangement with compression springs and magnets for precise tea basket control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional tea infuser uses a complex structure with vertical conveyor and rotational screw mechanisms, then the tea basket can be lifted or dropped, but the manufacturing time is substantially increased and production cost is relatively high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential function of basket movement (lifting and dropping) from the complex rotational screw mechanism, retaining only the necessary linear motion capability through a simplified guide structure that allows direct vertical movement without rotational components
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a rotational mechanism to achieve vertical movement, the patent inverts the approach by using a direct linear guide structure that enables vertical movement through simple translation, eliminating the need for rotational-to-linear conversion mechanisms
2Ease of operation
If a conventional tea infuser uses a rotational screw mechanism to control basket movement, then the basket can be positioned, but the basket stability is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the positioning function from the movement mechanism, using a separate magnetic attraction system to hold the basket at desired positions while the guide structure provides stable vertical movement, rather than relying on the screw mechanism for both functions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical screw-based positioning system with a magnetic field-based holding system, where permanent magnets provide stable positional retention without the mechanical complexity and instability of rotational screw mechanisms
3Ease of operation
If a conventional tea infuser uses a complex structure, then the tea basket can be moved, but the manufacturing cost is relatively high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs inexpensive permanent magnets and simple guide structures instead of expensive precision mechanical components, accepting that the simple components may have limited durability but significantly reducing manufacturing costs
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental operating parameter from rotational motion to linear translational motion, which allows the use of simpler, cheaper components that directly guide vertical movement without requiring precision rotational mechanisms
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 provides a stable, cost-effective tea infuser that accurately separates tea leaves from brewed tea, allowing adjustable control of tea concentration and brewing time, resulting in a simple, efficient, and affordable brewing process.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient element, which is preferably a compression spring, is supported below the sliding frame. Therefore, resilient element is retained at a working mode that the resilient element is compressed by the sliding frame
Implementation Method 2
the resilient element is retained at a working mode that the resilient element is compressed by the sliding frame
Implementation Method 3
an electromagnet which is located at the bottom of the vertical support, wherein the hanger is supported above and aligned with the electromagnet
Implementation Method 4
a first permanent magnet. The hanger is aligned with and positioned corresponding to an electromagnet which is located at the bottom of the vertical support
Implementation Method 5
a second permanent magnet provided at the outer side of the surrounding wall of the tea basket and is magnetically attracted with the first permanent magnet
Data Source
AI summary
A tea maker provides a simple structural configuration, stable and rigid structure, and low manufacturing cost, and is adapted to effectively separate the tea leaves from the brewed tea for adjustably controlling the concentration of the brewed tea. The tea maker includes a supporting frame, a tea infusing container with a container lid, a tea basket disposed in the tea infusing container, and a control circuit. A sliding arrangement includes a vertical support, a sliding frame slidably coupled at the vertical support, and a resilient element. The sliding frame includes a hanger, an actuator, and a first permanent magnet. The hanger is supported above and aligned with an electromagnet. A second permanent magnet is provided at the outer side of the surrounding wall of the tea basket and is magnetically attracted with the first permanent magnet.