Swiveling Brewing Chamber With Integrated Coffee Grounds Scraping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fully automatic coffee machines have a bulky brewing unit due to the need for separate vertical and pivoting movements for pomace cake stripping, which increases the overall height and dimensions.
Innovation Solution
The brewing chamber is designed to pivot simultaneously with the pomace cake stripping process, eliminating the need for a separate vertical movement, thus reducing the machine's height by using the pivoting motion to drive the stripping device, which can be either stationary or independently driven, allowing for a more compact design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate vertical movement mechanism is used for pomace cake stripping, then the stripping function is reliable, but the brewing unit height increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the stripping function with the pivoting movement of the brewing chamber. The scraper blade is integrated into the pivoting mechanism, so that the same rotational movement that positions the brewing chamber also performs the stripping action. This eliminates the need for a separate vertical movement mechanism, reducing the brewing unit height while maintaining reliable stripping function.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivoting mechanism of the brewing chamber is given a dual function: it both positions the brewing chamber during operation and simultaneously performs the pomace cake stripping. By making the pivoting mechanism universal, the patent eliminates redundant components and reduces the overall height of the brewing unit.
2Reliability
If a separate drive mechanism is added for the stripping device, then the stripping action is effective, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stripping device utilizes the existing pivoting movement of the brewing chamber to drive the scraper blade. The system essentially strips itself by leveraging its own operational movement, eliminating the need for an independent drive mechanism. This self-service approach reduces device complexity while maintaining effective stripping action.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive function for stripping is merged with the existing pivoting drive of the brewing chamber. The same motor and transmission system that control the pivoting motion also control the scraper blade movement, eliminating the need for a separate drive mechanism and reducing overall system complexity.
3Reliability
If the brewing chamber has both vertical and pivoting movements for stripping, then the stripping is thorough, but the overall machine dimensions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the vertical stripping motion with the pivoting motion into a single combined movement. The scraper blade is positioned and oriented such that the pivoting action alone is sufficient to perform the stripping function thoroughly, eliminating the need for separate vertical movement space and reducing overall machine dimensions.
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
The invention relates to a fully automatic coffee machine (1) comprising a spindle brewing unit (5) with a brewing chamber (11, 15) and a threaded spindle (7) as a drive for the brewing chamber (11, 15), wherein the brewing chamber (11, 15) is movable parallel to a rotational axis (A) of the threaded spindle (7) and pivotable about a rotational axis (A) of the threaded spindle (7), and with a scraping device (17, 18) for scraping a coffee grounds cake (19) from the brewing chamber (11). Essential to this are means (17, 18, 21, 23, 25) for scraping, largely simultaneously with the pivoting of the brewing chamber (11).