Tap Unit Sealing Assembly to Prevent Lost Seals in Beverage Dispensers
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing hot beverage vending machines require frequent cleaning to prevent liquid from escaping and contaminating the interior, leading to potential loss of seals when removing the piercing device holder, which can cause machine malfunction.
Innovation Solution
A liquid-tight sealing component is attached to each piercing device, designed as a cohesive unit with ring-shaped seals connected by a flat tab, allowing for easy handling and secure attachment to the holder without additional fastening means, ensuring the seals cannot be lost during cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If individual seals are attached to each piercing device, then the sealing function is provided, but the seals can be lost during removal of the holder for cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple individual seals are merged into a single cohesive sealing component that is attached to the holder. This sealing component includes multiple sealing elements (such as O-rings or gaskets) connected to each other and to the holder base, forming one integrated unit that cannot be lost during cleaning operations.
2Ease of repair
If the holder with piercing devices is removed for cleaning, then cleaning can be performed, but individual seals may be lost
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing component is designed as an integrated assembly where multiple sealing elements are permanently attached to the holder base. This allows the entire sealing component to be removed and cleaned as a single unit, eliminating the risk of individual seals being lost during maintenance.
3Ease of manufacture
If seals are made as separate components, then they can be individually replaced, but they are easy to lose and cause malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
While maintaining the simplicity of producing individual seal elements, the invention combines them into a single molded or assembled sealing component that is attached to the holder. This approach preserves manufacturing simplicity while eliminating the operational risks of loose seals.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing component is designed as a modular assembly where sealing elements are segmented but permanently connected to each other and the holder base. This allows for potential replacement of the entire sealing component as a unit while preventing individual seals from becoming loose.
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
This design reduces maintenance costs and prevents contamination, ensuring the machine operates correctly by keeping the seals intact and easily accessible for inspection and replacement.
Implementation Method 1
seals are attached to each tapping device, which seal the tapping devices against the capsule liquid-tight during a preparation process
Implementation Method 2
the sealing component can be designed as a molded part that can be inserted in a receiving recess with a corresponding shape in the holder. Since the sealing component consists of an elastic, ie a deformable, soft material, whereas the holder is dimensionally stable, for example made of hard plastic, the sealing component can be fastened in the holder by positive locking
Data Source
Figure 1~3
AI summary
The invention relates to an automatic beverage dispenser having a receptacle for beverage substrate cartridges and having one tap unit (1) for a hot water inlet and one tap unit (2) for dispensing a beverage into the receptacle for tapping the cartridge upon preparation of a beverage, wherein the tap units (1; 2) are disposed on a common holder (3) on the same side of the inserted cartridge, which is further improved by seals (4; 5) on each tap unit (1; 2) for the fluid-tight sealing thereof against the cartridge during the preparation operation, said seals being configured as a cohesive sealing part (6).