Package for dosing coffee beans

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing coffee makers suffer from flavor and aroma loss due to prolonged exposure of coffee beans to air, and residual coffee particles from previous grinding runs can affect the taste of freshly ground coffee, making it difficult to efficiently change coffee bean types.

Innovation Solution

A coffee bean package with a coupling mechanism that allows direct connection to a grinder, ensuring coffee beans are ground fresh and minimizing exposure to air, using a closing mechanism to preserve flavor and aroma, and a dosing system that delivers a predetermined dose of coffee beans to the grinder without leaving residues.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If coffee beans are stored in a coffee bean holder for extended periods, then convenience of operation is improved, but flavor and aroma are lost due to prolonged exposure to air

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconvenience of operationVSAvoidflavor and aroma loss
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The coffee bean package is divided into multiple sealed compartments, each containing a specific amount of coffee beans. This segmentation allows the coffee to be stored in sealed units rather than in a continuously open holder, preserving flavor and aroma while maintaining convenience.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The coffee beans are pre-dosed into individual sealed compartments before use. This preliminary action ensures that the coffee is ready for immediate use without requiring prolonged storage in an open holder, thus preserving flavor and aroma while maintaining operational convenience.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If a complete pack of coffee beans is emptied into the coffee bean holder, then productivity is improved, but residual coffee particles from previous grinding runs contaminate the new coffee

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveproductivityVSAvoidresidual coffee contamination
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The dosing device extracts a precise amount of coffee beans from the sealed compartment and delivers it directly to the grinder. This extraction process ensures that the grinder receives only the intended dose without residual particles from previous grinding runs, eliminating contamination while maintaining productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The sealed coffee bean compartments are designed as single-use units that are discarded after one dosing cycle. This disposable approach ensures that each new packet of coffee is completely sealed and free from previous residues, eliminating contamination while maintaining efficient operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If coffee beans are ground immediately before use, then flavor and aroma are preserved, but device complexity increases due to need for direct connection mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflavor and aroma preservationVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The package holder and dosing device are merged into an integrated unit that combines the storage function with the dosing function. This merging eliminates the need for separate transfer mechanisms while ensuring immediate grinding of fresh coffee, preserving flavor and aroma without significantly increasing overall device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The dosing device automatically receives coffee beans directly from the sealed compartment and delivers them to the grinder without requiring manual intervention. This self-service mechanism simplifies the overall system while ensuring that coffee is ground immediately before use, preserving flavor and aroma.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP2612578B1Package for dosing coffee beans
Publication Date: 2020.04.29 KONINK DOUWE EGBERTS BV
  • EP2612578B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2612578B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2C
  • EP2612578B1 patent drawingFigure 2D

AI summary

A system (1) for dosing coffee beans, comprising a coffee bean package (2) provided with walls (8,8a) enclosing an inner space for coffee beans, a coffee bean outlet (7) for delivering coffee beans, and a coupling part (12,13) for coupling and uncoupling the coffee bean package with an apparatus that is provided with a coffee bean grinder (4), and an at least partly movably arranged coffee bean receiving device (14) for supplying coffee beans from the coffee bean package (2) to the grinder (4), which coffee bean receiving device (14) is provided with a dosing space (18) for being capable of containing a predetermined dose of coffee beans, wherein the coffee bean package (2) prior to use in itself is closed off such that exposure of the coffee beans to ambient air is prevented, and the coffee bean receiving device (14) is arranged to be guided through the coffee bean outlet (7) into the inner space of the coffee bean package (2) for letting coffee beans from the coffee bean package into the dosing space (18), and to guide the dosing space through the coffee bean outlet (17) out of the inner space of the coffee bean package (2) for supplying the dose of coffee beans from the dosing space (18) to the grinder (4).