Pneumatic Accumulator Pressurization for Compact Beverage Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional beverage dispensing systems require significant storage space for basic beverage components, often necessitate separate storage from the dispenser, and lack customization options, making them inefficient and inflexible for household or commercial use.
Innovation Solution
An all-in-one automated fluid mixture dispensing system that uses predefined chemical makeup to prepare customized fluid mixtures by dispensing specific amounts of individual ingredients, reducing storage needs and allowing for precise control over mixture composition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional beverage dispensing systems use concentrates or syrups, then beverage preparation is simplified, but storage space requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the beverage formulation into multiple individual chemical ingredients stored in separate reservoirs. Instead of using a single concentrate or syrup, the system divides the beverage components into discrete chemical constituents (e.g., water, ethanol, flavor compounds, colorants) that are stored independently and mixed programmatically. This segmentation reduces the volume required for each individual storage reservoir while maintaining the ability to prepare complete beverages.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical and chemical parameters of storage by maintaining ingredients in their pure, concentrated chemical forms rather than pre-mixed concentrate or syrup formulations. By controlling the chemical composition and concentration parameters of individual ingredients, the system achieves precise beverage formulation with minimal storage requirements. The controller adjusts dispensing quantities based on predefined chemical recipes to achieve target beverage compositions.
2Reliability
If traditional systems store basic beverage components separately from the dispenser, then spoilage protection is improved, but system footprint increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the storage function and dispensing function into a single integrated device. The storage reservoirs are positioned within or adjacent to the dispenser housing, eliminating the need for separate storage locations. The system combines multiple small-volume ingredient reservoirs with the mixing and dispensing mechanisms in a compact configuration, achieving both spoilage protection through controlled storage and minimal system footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs a nested arrangement where multiple ingredient reservoirs are positioned within the dispenser housing structure. The reservoirs are arranged to utilize vertical and horizontal space efficiently, with smaller reservoirs nested within or adjacent to larger structural elements of the dispenser. This nesting approach allows multiple ingredients to be stored in close proximity to the dispensing mechanism without significantly increasing the overall footprint.
3Ease of operation
If traditional beverage systems use pre-defined concentrates, then dispensing process is simplified, but customization capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static, pre-formulated concentrates to dynamic, programmatically controlled ingredient mixing. The controller can adjust the quantity of each chemical ingredient dispensed based on user selections, creating dynamically formulated beverages. This dynamic approach allows the same hardware to prepare multiple different beverage types and variations by simply changing the dispensing parameters rather than requiring different physical concentrate containers.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters from fixed concentrate dispensing to variable ingredient dosing. By controlling the volume or mass of each individual chemical ingredient dispensed, the system can precisely adjust beverage composition to match user preferences or specific beverage recipes. The controller modifies dispensing parameters (flow rate, duration, sequence) to achieve different beverage formulations using the same set of basic ingredients.
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 system enables efficient storage and customization of fluid mixtures, reducing the overall footprint and allowing for precise control over mixture properties, such as taste, by using predefined chemical ingredients, thereby overcoming the limitations of traditional systems.
Implementation Method 1
A pneumatic system can be used to move the liquid from the reservoir
Data Source
AI summary
Fluid mixture dispensing systems, devices and methods are disclosed. A device includes a set of pressurized ingredient reservoirs, a mixing area configured to receive at least one ingredient from the set of pressurized ingredient reservoirs, a pressure source, an accumulator chamber, a set of valves, and a controller. The controller is programmed to operate the set of valves to pressurize the accumulator chamber using the pressure source. The controller is further programmed to operate the set of valves to set a pressure in at least one of the set of pressurized ingredient reservoirs using the accumulator chamber.