Pressure-Controlled Brewer for Low-Maintenance Beverage Extraction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing beverage production systems require significant interaction and maintenance due to numerous moving parts that come into contact with the brewing mixture, leading to reliability and cost issues.

Innovation Solution

A beverage producing and dispensing apparatus with a controllable mixing vessel and air moving system that uses both positive and negative pressure to manage the brewing process, reducing the need for extensive manual interaction and minimizing contact with moving components.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If numerous moving parts are used in beverage production systems, then functionality and control capability are improved, but maintenance requirements and reliability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol capabilityVSAvoidreliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes moving parts from the brewing chamber environment. The piston is positioned outside the brewing chamber and connected via a rod that passes through a sealed opening, eliminating the need for moving seals and mechanical components within the brewing chamber itself. This extraction of moving parts resolves the contradiction by maintaining control capability while improving reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

A sealed opening in the brewing chamber wall serves as an intermediary element, allowing the piston rod to transmit force from the external piston to the brewing mixture without requiring moving seals or mechanical joints within the chamber. This intermediary structure enables control while eliminating the reliability issues associated with moving parts in the brewing environment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If numerous moving parts are used in beverage production systems, then functionality and control capability are improved, but maintenance requirements and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol capabilityVSAvoidmaintenance requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

By extracting the piston and its moving components from the brewing chamber environment and positioning them externally, the patent significantly reduces maintenance requirements. The sealed opening eliminates the need for complex sealing mechanisms, and the external piston can be serviced independently without disassembling the brewing chamber, directly addressing the maintenance and cost issue.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Device complexity

If gravity-based drainage is used in brewing systems, then simplicity is improved, but control precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesimplicityVSAvoidcontrol precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a piston mechanism that uses pneumatic or hydraulic pressure to control the drainage process. The piston can be precisely positioned to control the opening and closing of the drainage path, enabling precise control over beverage flow rate and volume. This pneumatic/hydraulic approach maintains relative simplicity while achieving the control precision that pure gravity-based systems cannot provide.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

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 apparatus allows for efficient and controlled beverage production with reduced maintenance requirements, enhancing reliability and operational efficiency by utilizing air pressure to manage the brewing process and separation of beverage from solids.

Implementation Method 1

The apparatus includes components and methods for facilitating beverage production applying water or other liquid in combination with controlling the pressure in a mixing vessel or column

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPressure gradient: Pressure Gradient

Implementation Method 2

The brewing substance and water is contained within a filter structure to allow beverage to drain from the infused brewing substance and water mixture

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhysical filtration: Filter (physical)

Data Source

PatentUS9993105B2Method of making a beverage with a controllable brewer

Publication Date: 2018.06.12 BUNN COMMERCIAL LP

AI summary

The present application relates to apparatus, systems, and methods of use for producing beverages. The apparatus includes components and methods for facilitating beverage production applying water or other liquid in combination with a brewing substance and controlled aeration and pressurization of a mixing vessel or column. The aeration of the water and brewing substance can be accomplished with a vacuum system, a positive pressurization system, and a combination of such systems. The apparatus, systems, and methods can be used with a variety of beverage making devices such as a device which might be used to controllably produce volumes of beverage to a reservoir. The methods include controllable aeration and pressurization of the vessel for brewing which may include controlling extraction time, steep time, active controllable agitation of the brewing substance, as well as other brewing characteristics, features, and actions.