Rotatable Brew Chamber Layout for Safer Cartridge Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional coffee machines with rotatable brew chambers face issues of exposed sharp water outlet nozzles, complex internal structures, and potential user safety hazards due to the movement of water inlet and outlet components during operation.
Innovation Solution
A beverage machine design featuring a rotatable brew chamber with a lever-operated container and cap system that moves upwardly and downwardly, rotates forwardly and backwardly, and uses high-pressure air to clear liquid from the water outlet pipe, ensuring the brew chamber's components remain internal and preventing exposure of sharp edges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the water inlet nozzle and water outlet pipe are connected to the movable cap and container, then the brew chamber can be opened and closed, but the sharp water outlet nozzle becomes exposed to the outside and may cut the user's finger
Solution Approach 1:
The brew chamber is divided into fixed and movable parts. The chamber body with the water inlet nozzle remains fixed, while only the container (tray) is made movable. This segmentation isolates the sharp nozzle from the moving components, allowing the brew chamber to open and close while keeping the nozzle enclosed and safe.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of making the water inlet nozzle and outlet pipe movable with the cap and container, the invention inverts the design by making the chamber body fixed and only the container movable. This reversal of which components move resolves the safety issue while maintaining operational functionality.
2Ease of operation
If the cap and container are connected to the housing by rotating shafts to enable rotation, then the brew chamber can be opened and closed, but the internal structure becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into the fixed chamber body and the movable container. By separating the rotating shaft connection from the water inlet nozzle, the complexity is reduced. The container rotates on its own shaft while the chamber body remains stationary, simplifying the overall internal structure compared to connecting all components to rotating shafts.
3Productivity
If high pressure air is supplied to the water outlet pipe, then the liquid remaining in the pipe is completely discharged, but additional components are required
Solution Approach 1:
High pressure air is supplied through the water outlet pipe to create a pneumatic flow that completely discharges remaining liquid from the pipe. This pneumatic method is more efficient than gravity drainage alone, ensuring complete liquid removal while using the existing pipe infrastructure.
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 enhances user safety by keeping sharp components enclosed, simplifies the brewing process, and effectively removes residual liquid from the water outlet pipe, improving operational efficiency and safety.
Implementation Method 1
high pressure air is supplied to a water outlet pipe connecting a temperature conversion tank and the brew chamber with each other, thus completely discharging the liquid remaining in the water outlet pipe
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a beverage machine with a rotatable brew chamber, and more particularly, to a beverage machine with a rotatable brew chamber wherein the brew chamber is moved upwardly and downwardly and rotated forwardly and backwardly by means of an operation of a lever and high pressure air is supplied to a water outlet pipe connecting a temperature conversion tank and the brew chamber with each other, thus completely discharging the liquid remaining in the water outlet pipe. According to the present invention, the brew chamber can be open or closed by means of one time operation of the lever, thus allowing a cartridge to be easily detachably mounted therein.