Automatic system for dispensing roasted coffee beans
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic coffee machines fail to maintain coffee freshness due to continuous exposure of roasted beans to air, leading to oxidation and taste degradation, and lack a controlled dosing system for precise coffee delivery.
Innovation Solution
A system with a variable volume container and dosing device that maintains airtightness, using a piston element and compressible cylinders to adapt volume to coffee quantity, ensuring precise dosing and preventing oxidation, and a control unit for managing dosing and grinding parameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If roasted coffee beans are stored in a non-tight canister for continuous feeding, then ease of operation is improved, but coffee freshness deteriorates due to continuous contact with air and oxidation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies inert atmosphere by filling the storage container with nitrogen gas to displace oxygen, preventing oxidation of coffee beans while maintaining continuous feeding capability. The nitrogen atmosphere allows the container to remain open for dosing operations without exposing beans to oxidizing conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses nitrogen gas as an intermediary substance between the coffee beans and the external environment. This intermediary prevents direct contact between beans and oxygen-containing air, while still allowing mechanical operations like dosing to proceed.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If roasted coffee beans are stored in sealed airtight packaging, then coffee freshness is improved by preventing oxidation, but ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in dispensing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic sealing system where the seal is maintained during storage but can be temporarily opened for dosing operations. The container transitions between sealed and open states, allowing both preservation and dispensing functions to be performed effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The inert nitrogen atmosphere allows the container to remain effectively sealed during storage while permitting controlled access during dosing. The nitrogen environment prevents oxidation even when the container is opened for dispensing operations.
3Device complexity
If a fixed volume container is used for storage, then device complexity is reduced, but dosing precision deteriorates because volume does not adapt to coffee quantity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible container that dynamically adjusts its internal volume based on the quantity of coffee beans present. This dynamic adaptation allows precise dosing measurements without requiring complex rigid mechanical adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a flexible container wall that can deform to change internal volume. This flexible shell allows the container to adapt its capacity to match the coffee quantity, enabling precise dosing while maintaining relatively simple overall device structure.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the container volume is larger than the coffee quantity, then adaptability is improved, but harmful factors worsen due to increased air space promoting oxidation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent fills the entire container volume with inert nitrogen gas, eliminating oxygen from the headspace. This allows the container to adapt its volume to match coffee quantity without creating oxidation-prone air spaces, as the nitrogen atmosphere prevents oxidative reactions throughout the available volume.
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
Maintains coffee freshness by minimizing air contact and provides precise dosing, ensuring consistent coffee quality and taste by adapting to coffee characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
modifying its internal volume in order to adapt it to the quantity of coffee beans stored in it
Implementation Method 2
The dosing device in contact with the coffee beans is made of a compressible material
Implementation Method 3
The dosing device in contact with the coffee beans is made of a compressible material having a hardness that is lower than the hardness of the coffee beans
Implementation Method 4
roasted coffee beans are stored in a sealed airtight packaging container... preventing oxidation of the roasted coffee beans
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a system (100) for dispensing a certain quantity of coffee beans into a beverage preparation machine to prepare a coffee beverage, the system comprising a tight variable volume container (20) with a volume receptacle (22) where the coffee beans are stored, the volume receptacle (22) being configured to modify its internal volume in order to adapt it to the quantity of coffee beans stored in it; the system (100) further comprising an active dosing device (30) configured to convey coffee beans with respect to the volume receptacle (22), the dosing device (30) being tight to the outside environment also while conveying coffee beans. The invention further relates to a method for actuating a system (100) for dispensing a certain quantity of coffee beans into a beverage preparation machine to prepare a coffee beverage.