Beverage Powder Chute Venting to Block Humidity and Dust
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current beverage dispensers face issues with fine powder particles escaping and causing dustiness, humidity leading to clogging and bacterial growth, and the need for frequent manual cleaning, which is time-consuming and requires trained personnel.
Innovation Solution
A beverage preparation assembly with an airtight connection between the powder outlet, conduit, and chute, featuring an air inlet above the chute to control air flow and prevent humidity from entering, creating a unidirectional air flow that keeps the powder path dry and reduces the need for frequent cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the chute emerges above the dissolution chamber to deliver powder, then the powder can be easily guided into the chamber, but vapour and humidity rise into the chute causing clogging and bacterial growth
Solution Approach 1:
The chute is divided into an upper portion and a lower portion that are detachably connected. This segmentation allows the lower portion to be removed for cleaning and replacement, preventing clogging and bacterial growth while maintaining the upper portion's powder delivery function.
Solution Approach 2:
The chute configuration is made dynamic through detachable connections, allowing it to be reconfigured or cleaned as needed. This enables maintenance without complete disassembly while preserving the powder delivery capability during operation.
2Ease of operation
If the chute is exposed to rising vapour from the dissolution chamber, then the open configuration allows easy access, but powder accumulates and cakes on the discharge port over time
Solution Approach 1:
Dividing the chute into removable sections allows the lower portion to be taken out for cleaning, preventing powder accumulation and caking while keeping the upper portion accessible during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The detachable design enables preliminary cleaning of the lower chute portion before it becomes completely clogged, maintaining outlet functionality through regular maintenance without complete system disassembly.
3Reliability
If manual cleaning of the chute is performed frequently to prevent clogging, then the outlet remains functional, but the cleaning process is time-consuming and requires trained personnel
Solution Approach 1:
The removable lower portion can be quickly detached and cleaned separately, reducing cleaning time and complexity while maintaining outlet functionality. This segmentation allows focused cleaning of only the portion that accumulates powder.
Solution Approach 2:
The design enables easy self-cleaning of the lower chute portion without requiring trained personnel or complex disassembly procedures, making maintenance accessible to operators with basic skills.
4Device complexity
If the chute is designed as a single integrated piece, then the structure is simpler, but it cannot be cleaned effectively and becomes clogged
Solution Approach 1:
Dividing the chute into multiple connectable sections increases structural complexity slightly but enables effective cleaning by allowing removal of the lower portion, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and cleanability.
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 effectively prevents powder fines from entering the machine housing, reduces humidity-related issues, and minimizes the frequency and complexity of cleaning, maintaining a cleaner and operational dispenser with reduced downtime.
Implementation Method 1
an air inlet, said air inlet being positioned above the chute only
Data Source
AI summary
The invention concerns a beverage preparation assembly (1) comprising: —a container (2) for storing a water soluble beverage powder, said container comprising a tank (21) and a powder outlet (22), —a dissolution chamber (3) for preparing a beverage from the water soluble beverage powder and a diluent, said dissolution chamber comprising at last one diluent inlet (31) and a beverage outlet (32), —a chute (4) for guiding the water soluble beverage powder from the powder outlet (22) of the container to the dissolution chamber (3), —an air outlet (5) configured for evacuating air from the dissolution chamber (3), wherein the powder outlet (22) is connected to the chute (4) by a conduit (6), and wherein the powder outlet (22), the conduit (5), the chute (4) and the dissolution chamber (3) are connected together through airtight connections, and wherein said assembly comprises an air inlet (8), said air inlet being positioned above the chute (4) only.