Infusion Packing Head with Flexible Orifice for Foam and Non-Return
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coffee machine designs with ball and spring valves for foam formation and infusion non-return are costly, difficult to assemble, and prone to decreased effectiveness due to coffee deposits, making them unsuitable for large-scale production and reliable operation.
Innovation Solution
A deformable flexible part with a calibrated orifice is used to form foam and prevent infusion return, eliminating the need for multiple parts and reducing the risk of clogging, with dimensions optimized for efficient foam creation and non-return functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a ball and spring valve system is used to form foam and prevent infusion return, then foam formation and non-return functionality are achieved, but the device complexity increases and manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions (foam formation, non-return valve, and flow control) into a single flexible part with a calibrated orifice. This eliminates the need for separate ball, spring, and seat components, directly resolving the technical contradiction by reducing device complexity while maintaining all required functionalities.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible part with calibrated orifice serves multiple purposes simultaneously: it creates foam through the calibrated opening, acts as a non-return valve by preventing infusion from returning to the chamber, and controls flow rate. This multi-functionality approach resolves the contradiction by consolidating what would traditionally require multiple separate components.
2Reliability
If a ball and spring valve system is used, then foam formation and non-return functionality are achieved, but the ease of manufacture decreases
Solution Approach 1:
By merging all valve functions into a single flexible part that can be produced as one piece, the patent eliminates complex assembly steps involving multiple small parts (ball, spring, seat). This single-component approach dramatically improves ease of manufacture while maintaining reliable foam formation and non-return functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible part can be produced as a simple, inexpensive component that can be easily replaced if needed. This approach trades the complexity of assembling precision mechanical parts for a simple, low-cost component that achieves the same functional reliability through its calibrated orifice design.
3Reliability
If a ball and spring valve system is used, then foam formation is achieved, but the reliability decreases over time due to coffee deposits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the vulnerable moving parts (ball and spring) that are prone to clogging from the system and replaces them with a fixed calibrated orifice in a flexible part. This eliminates the surfaces where coffee deposits can accumulate and cause failure, thereby maintaining reliability over extended operational periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible part with calibrated orifice is designed as a simple component with no moving parts that can be easily replaced. This approach ensures long-term reliability by allowing quick replacement of the entire foam formation and non-return mechanism as a single unit, eliminating the progressive degradation issues associated with ball and spring systems.
4Reliability
If precise machining is performed in the internal duct to form a seat, then the ball can rest in sealed manner, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the need for precision-machined seats by merging the sealing function into the flexible part itself. The flexible material naturally conforms to create seals around the calibrated orifice, replacing expensive precision machining with simpler manufacturing processes for the flexible component.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible part acts as a compliant sealing element that can deform to create effective seals without requiring precision-machined mating surfaces. This approach replaces expensive precision machining operations with simpler fabrication of flexible components that achieve sealing through their inherent compliance.
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 is cost-effective, reliable, and minimizes residue return to the infusion chamber, ensuring consistent performance and ease of production in large series, with the flexible part being simple to manufacture and maintain.
Implementation Method 1
a deformable flexible part pierced with at least one calibrated orifice to form the foam
Implementation Method 2
prevent the return of the infusion contained in the internal duct towards the chamber of infusion
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~7
AI summary
The invention relates to a machine for preparing an infusion comprising: an infusion chamber (14) delimited by a lower vessel (3) and an upper packing head (6) that can move relative to one another; a supply of hot pressurized water to the infusion chamber (14), the packing head (6) having an inner conduit (26) having an inlet (27) that communicates with the infusion chamber (14) and enabling the infusion to pass through the packing head (6) in an upward direction toward the distribution outlet, and; means (30) located inside the conduit (26) in the vicinity of its inlet (27) and configured for forming the foam in the infusion when passing through the packing head (6) and for preventing the infusion from returning into the infusion chamber (14). These means are formed by a deformable flexible piece (30) passed through by at least one hole (35) calibrated for forming the foam and for preventing the infusion from returning.