Device for dosing coffee and method for adjusting the charging and discharging actions in such a device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercially available coffee grinders with overlapping compartments cause time wastage in dispensing multiple coffee doses, leading to increased waiting times in high-demand settings like bars and cafes, where efficiency in coffee delivery is crucial.
Innovation Solution
A coffee dosing device with a compact unit of three internally hollow cylindrical chambers that rotate around an axis, allowing for simultaneous charging and discharging of coffee doses, facilitated by a motor and electronic control system, enabling rapid delivery of coffee doses by ensuring continuous operation without the need for sequential compartment opening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If sequential compartment opening is used in coffee grinders, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity decreases due to time wastage in dispensing multiple coffee doses
Solution Approach 1:
The coffee grinder is divided into three separate charging chambers that can operate independently and simultaneously. Each chamber can be filled and dispensed separately, allowing parallel processing of multiple coffee doses. This segmentation enables the system to prepare multiple doses in advance without blocking the dispensing of other doses, thereby significantly improving productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-fills multiple charging chambers with coffee doses before the dispensing sequence begins. By having doses ready in advance in separate chambers, the system eliminates waiting time during dispensing operations. The preliminary preparation of multiple doses in parallel chambers ensures continuous operation and rapid service, especially in high-demand periods.
2Quantity of substance
If multiple compartments are used to store coffee doses, then quantity of coffee doses increases, but loss of time increases due to sequential opening of compartments
Solution Approach 1:
The three-chamber design enables continuous useful action by ensuring that while one chamber is being dispensed, another chamber can be simultaneously filled and prepared. This continuous parallel operation eliminates idle time and maintains a constant supply of ready-to-dispense coffee doses, thereby reducing customer waiting time while maintaining an adequate inventory of multiple doses.
3Productivity
If rapid dispensing is implemented, then productivity increases, but device complexity increases due to rotation mechanism and motor assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The rotating carousel mechanism serves multiple functions: it positions different chambers for filling, positions them for dispensing, and enables sequential access to multiple doses. This single multi-functional mechanism replaces what would otherwise require separate filling and dispensing mechanisms for each chamber, thereby achieving rapid dispensing capability without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a device for dosing coffee which comprises a main body provided with a support base, an upper cover and a compact group which comprises at least three substantially cylindrical integral chambers internally hollow designed to contain their inside coffee doses and which extend between the support base and the cover. Furthermore, the main body is provided with a first opening obtained in the cover and a second opening obtained in the support base, wherein the compact unit is able to rotate around an axis so that the chambers are able to sequentially assume various configurations. In each configuration, the upper part of only one of the three chambers is in correspondence with the first opening to be subjected to a coffee dose charging action and only another one of the remaining chambers is in correspondence with the second opening to be subjected to a coffee dose discharging action.