Modular Beverage Machine Core Units for Function Variety
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Solution Overview
Problem
The development and manufacturing of beverage production machines using portioned ingredients like capsules or pods are complex and costly, requiring a solution to rationalize production while offering a range of machines with different functions at low production costs.
Innovation Solution
A modular beverage production machine design featuring interconnected core units with control circuitries for data exchange, a base platform providing electrical power and water, and the ability to accommodate various beverage production modules, including those for capsules or pods, with a master-slave communication system to optimize resource sharing and reduce power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple beverage production machines with different functions are developed and manufactured separately, then each machine can be optimized for its specific function, but the development and manufacturing complexity and costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The beverage production machine is divided into separate functional modules: a common base unit and interchangeable beverage modules. Each module is designed to perform a specific beverage function (coffee, tea, hot chocolate, etc.), allowing independent development and optimization of each function while sharing common infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The base unit is designed with universal interfaces and common components (water tank, power supply, control system, pump) that can support multiple different beverage modules. This multi-functional design allows a single base unit to accommodate various beverage types through module interchangeability, reducing overall system complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple beverage production machines with different functions are developed and manufactured separately, then each machine can be optimized for its specific function, but the manufacturing costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the machine into modular components, the manufacturing process can be optimized for each module independently. Common parts are manufactured once and reused across different beverage functions, significantly reducing tooling costs and manufacturing complexity while maintaining function variety.
Solution Approach 2:
The universal base unit with standardized interfaces allows a single manufacturing line to produce multiple beverage machine variants by simply changing the beverage modules. This approach eliminates the need for separate manufacturing lines for each beverage type, reducing overall manufacturing costs.
3Loss of energy
If core units share common resources such as water tank and power supply, then resource efficiency improves, but coordination between units becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
A central control unit acts as an intermediary between the base unit and multiple beverage modules. This mediator coordinates resource allocation (water, power) and manages communication between modules, simplifying the control architecture while enabling efficient resource sharing across multiple functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system implements feedback mechanisms where each beverage module reports its resource needs and status to the central controller, which then coordinates resource allocation accordingly. This feedback loop enables efficient resource sharing while maintaining simple local module designs.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention proposes a modular method of manufacturing a set of beverage production machines with different beverage-related functions. The method comprises the steps of: - providing a plurality of identical core units (2), the core units (2) being provided with control circuitry and a beverage production module designed for housing an ingredient package and feeding a liquid to the interior of the ingredient package, - providing a plurality of different base platforms (1,3,4), the base platforms differing as to beverage production functions, and - manufacturing a set of different beverage production machines by mounting respectively at least one of the core units (2) on the top surface of one out of the plurality of differing base platforms (1,3,4) and by mounting water reservoirs (7) on the base platforms (1,3,4).