Portable Coffee Brewing System with Integrated Pump and K-Cup Holder
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional coffee brewing systems are not portable, making it difficult for users to brew coffee on the go, and existing personal coffee makers are bulky and lack the convenience of being easily transportable.
Innovation Solution
A portable coffee brewing system comprising a container, a lid assembly with a pump, and a coffee grounds basket, where the pump alternates between drawing air and pushing air to move liquid through the coffee grounds, allowing for brewing coffee in a compact and sealed manner using K-cups and minimal power.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional coffee makers are designed with multiple pieces and internal heating elements, then brewing functionality is improved, but portability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple coffee brewing components (container, lid, pump, basket, and K-cup holder) into a single integrated portable unit. The lid assembly incorporates the pump mechanism, and the basket is designed to fit within the container, creating a compact consolidated structure that maintains brewing functionality while improving portability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs nesting by placing the coffee grounds basket inside the container, and the K-cup holder within the basket assembly. The pump is integrated into the lid structure, creating a nested arrangement where smaller components are housed within larger ones, reducing overall size and enhancing portability without sacrificing brewing capability.
2Ease of operation
If personal coffee makers are designed to make single serving coffee, then ease of use for travel is improved, but device size and bulkiness worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the coffee brewing system into distinct functional modules: a removable K-cup holder for coffee grounds, a separate basket for filtering, a container for water, and a pump mechanism. This segmentation allows users to easily assemble and disassemble components for travel, cleaning, and storage, improving ease of operation while managing device volume through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates a pump mechanism that dynamically controls fluid flow through the coffee grounds, allowing the system to adapt brewing parameters. The pump can be activated or deactivated, and the basket can be removed or inserted, providing dynamic functionality that enables single-serving convenience while maintaining a compact form factor suitable for travel.
3Productivity
If a portable coffee brewing system uses a pump to move liquid through coffee grounds, then brewing quality is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes a pump mechanism that operates on pneumatic or hydraulic principles to move liquid through the coffee grounds. This approach enables controlled fluid flow necessary for high-quality brewing extraction while the pump's design optimizes energy efficiency for portable application, balancing brewing quality with acceptable power consumption for travel use.
4Reliability
If the coffee brewing system uses a sealed container with pump and tube, then leakage prevention is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the pump mechanism from the main container body and integrates it into the lid assembly, separating the pumping function from the storage function. The tube is configured to connect the pump to the basket in a straightforward manner, reducing the number of connection points and potential leakage sites, thereby maintaining reliability while managing structural complexity through functional separation.
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
Enables users to brew high-quality coffee anywhere, anytime, with a compact and durable design that is easy to use, clean, and maintain, while using minimal power and accommodating K-cups, ensuring a fresh cup of coffee without leakage or spillage.
Implementation Method 1
the pump alternates between drawing air out from upper end of tube pushing air into upper end of tube. When air is drawn out from tube, lower pressure in tube draws liquid in container into basket, through coffee grounds, and into lower end of the tube. Conversely, when air is pushed into tube, higher pressure in tube pushes liquid back in the opposite direction into hollow interior of the container.
Data Source
AI summary
A portable coffee brewing system includes a container, a lid assembly, a pump positioned within a hollow interior of lid assemble, a basket configured to hold an amount of coffee grounds and a tube fluidically connecting the pump to the basket. The lid assembly is connected adjacent the upper end of the container. The tube has an upper end of the tube fluidically connected to the pump and a lower end fluidically connected to the basket. When activated, the pump moves fluid via the tube to cause liquid in the hollow interior of the container to be moved through the amount of coffee grounds in the hollow interior of the basket thereby brewing coffee.