Roller Pump Hose Guide with Relief Widenings to Reduce Wear and Stress

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Roller pumps in beverage preparation devices suffer from constant wear and stress on fluid hoses due to elastic deformation during operation, which reduces their service life and complicates installation and replacement.

Innovation Solution

A roller pump design with a hose guide featuring relief widenings and a movable carriage to absorb tensile and compressive forces, combined with a molded hose having securing projections that engage with the housing, reduces wear and facilitates easy installation and removal.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a roller pump is used to pump milk through a fluid hose, then the pumping function is achieved with food-safe handling, but the fluid hose experiences constant wear and stress reducing its service life

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefood-safe handlingVSAvoidservice life of fluid hose
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies beforehand cushioning by introducing a carriage that can move in a compensation direction to absorb tensile and compressive forces on the fluid hose before these forces cause damage. The carriage acts as a protective element that pre-absorbs mechanical stress, preventing direct transmission of forces to the hose, thereby extending its service life while maintaining the roller pump's food-safe pumping function

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

2Device complexity

If a roller pump with fixed hose guide is used, then the structure is simple, but installation and removal of the fluid hose is difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructure simplicityVSAvoidinstallation and removal ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the carriage movable in a compensation direction rather than fixed. This dynamic element allows the hose guide to adapt during installation and removal operations, enabling easy hose replacement while maintaining overall structural simplicity. The movable carriage compensates for position variations and facilitates hose insertion/extraction without complicating the basic roller pump structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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 design extends the lifespan of fluid hoses by minimizing wear and stress, while allowing for easy assembly and disassembly, and integrates heating and frothing functions within the pump.

Implementation Method 1

the elastic deformation during compression and relaxation to generate the pumping effect

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP4573987A1Roller pump for a milk module of a beverage preparation device, forming tube for media guidance in a roller pump, and milk module for a beverage preparation device
Publication Date: 2025.06.25 EUGSTER FRISMAG AG
  • EP4573987A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4573987A1 patent drawingFigure 3~5
  • EP4573987A1 patent drawing

AI summary

The invention relates to a roller pump (01) for a milk module for beverage preparation devices, comprising a housing (02) in which a hose guide (12) for a flexible fluid hose (07), preferably a milk hose, is formed, and a rotor (09) with rollers (14) or sliding shoes arranged thereon for sectionally radially inner contact with the fluid hose (07). According to the invention, the hose guide (12) has one, preferably several, particularly preferably two, relief widenings (13) shaped such that complementarily designed securing projections (14, 15) of the fluid hose (07) can engage in the relief widenings (13) and, when inserted, bring about tension and/or pressure relief of the fluid hose (07).