Touchless Beverage Valve with Pinch-Actuated Flow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tea dispensers either provide tea made from a concentrate and diluent or fresh brewed tea, but they lack the ability to efficiently control the flow ratio and mix fresh brewed tea with sweeteners or flavors, limiting user customization and beverage strength options.
Innovation Solution
A hot tea dispensing machine with flow control circuits that combine pressurized makeup water and concentrate, allowing for precise metering and mixing above the brew basket, enabling the creation of fresh brewed tea with customizable strength and flavor options, and a multi-station unit for dispensing either fresh brewed or concentrate tea.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional tea dispensers use separate systems for concentrate tea and fresh brewed tea, then each system can maintain its own brewing quality, but the device complexity increases and user customization capability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines concentrate dispensing and fresh brewed tea dispensing into a single integrated valve assembly. The common valve body houses both concentrate flow control and fresh brewed tea flow control mechanisms, allowing both beverage types to be dispensed simultaneously or separately through the same physical structure, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining versatility
Solution Approach 2:
The valve assembly is designed as a universal component that can handle multiple beverage dispensing functions. The same valve body and actuation mechanism can control both concentrate flow and fresh brewed tea flow, making the system multi-functional and adaptable to different beverage preparation needs without requiring separate dedicated systems
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional dispensers provide fixed ratio mixing of concentrate and diluent, then the system is simpler to operate, but the user cannot adjust beverage strength and flavor ratios
Solution Approach 1:
The valve assembly incorporates adjustable flow control mechanisms that allow the concentrate-to-diluent ratio to be dynamically changed. The valve members can be positioned at different openings to vary the flow rates of concentrate and fresh brewed tea independently, enabling users to customize beverage strength and flavor ratios according to their preferences
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows changing of flow parameters by adjusting valve member positions. By modifying the opening degree of different valve members, the flow rates of concentrate and diluent can be varied to achieve different mixing ratios, providing flexibility in beverage preparation while maintaining straightforward operational control
3Manufacturing precision
If the valve uses a complex multi-member construction to control both concentrate and fresh brewed tea flows, then flow control precision is improved, but the ease of repair and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The valve assembly merges multiple flow control functions into a single integrated structure. By combining concentrate flow control and fresh brewed tea flow control in one valve body with coordinated valve members, the design achieves precise flow control for both streams while simplifying manufacturing compared to using entirely separate valve assemblies
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
Enables precise control over tea strength and flavor, allowing users to choose between fresh brewed or concentrate tea with adjustable ratios, providing a more versatile and customizable beverage dispensing experience.
Implementation Method 1
A coil spring may be provided for engaging the lateral member and the pinch arm urging the pinch arm at least partially through the slot of the body
Implementation Method 2
The makeup water and concentrate may be pressurized and the flow directed from nozzles may direct a stream of the concentrate and the makeup water so they intersect within the interior of the urn
Data Source
AI summary
A touchless beverage dispensing valve may include a downspout assembly having a body having walls with a slot therein, a channel, an upper and a lower opening, with the slot in the channel between the upper and lower openings. The downspout assembly may include a lateral member extending laterally from the downspout assembly and engaging the wall adjacent the slot. A pinch member may be partly enclosed within the lateral member and dimensioned to move partially through the slot. A touchless push bar and the pinch member may move the pinch member in and out of the slot. A coil spring may engage the lateral member and the pinch arm urging the pinch arm at least partially through the slot of the body. A flexible insert may be dimensioned to tightly fit against the walls of the channel of the body, the insert having an open top and an open bottom.