Beverage Machine Button Interface With Flexible Light Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional user interfaces for household appliances face challenges in integrating light guides due to their rigidity, which affects tactile feedback and light diffusion consistency when buttons are pressed, leading to increased volume and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A flexible light guide is integrated into the tactile communication device, allowing it to deform with the button while maintaining constant optical distance to the light source, ensuring consistent light diffusion and tactile feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rigid light guide is used in the user interface, then the light diffusion is consistent, but the tactile feedback is affected when buttons are pressed and the volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by replacing the rigid light guide with a flexible membrane that can deform when buttons are pressed. The flexible membrane maintains light diffusion functionality while adapting to button deformation, eliminating the need for separate rigid light guide components and reducing overall UI volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the light guide function with the button structure itself by making the button capable of diffusing light directly. This integration eliminates the need for separate rigid light guide components, reducing volume while maintaining consistent light diffusion through the flexible membrane.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid light guide is used in the user interface, then the light path is stable, but the device complexity increases due to separation of components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the light guide function with the button structure by making the button capable of diffusing light directly through its flexible membrane. This integration reduces device complexity by eliminating separate rigid light guide components while maintaining stable light paths through the flexible material.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible membrane serves multiple functions: it acts as both the button structure for tactile input and the light guide for visual feedback. This multi-functionality reduces device complexity by consolidating components that would otherwise be separate in traditional rigid designs.
3Volume of moving object
If a flexible light guide is used to reduce volume, then the tactile feedback is improved, but the light diffusion consistency may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible membrane with specific optical properties that maintain consistent light diffusion even when deformed. The membrane's material characteristics ensure uniform light scattering throughout its range of motion, preserving reliability while enabling volume reduction through flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of the light guide from rigid to flexible, altering its mechanical properties while maintaining optical functionality. The flexible membrane's ability to change shape without compromising light diffusion consistency resolves the contradiction between volume reduction and reliability.
4Stability of the object's composition
If separate luminous and tactile components are used, then the light path is stable, but the ease of operation is reduced due to lack of integration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the luminous and tactile components into a single integrated button structure. The flexible membrane serves both as the tactile element for pressing and the luminous element for displaying status, improving ease of operation by providing unified feedback while maintaining stable light paths through the flexible material.
Solution Approach 2:
The button structure performs multiple functions simultaneously: it provides tactile feedback through deformation and visual feedback through light diffusion. This multi-functionality enhances ease of operation by consolidating interaction and feedback mechanisms into a single component.
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 solution reduces the overall volume of the user interface, provides consistent tactile and visual feedback, and maintains the flexibility of the light guide to follow button deformations without altering the initial optical distance, enhancing user interaction.
Implementation Method 1
The conduction of light is based on the reflection from face to internal face of a transparent plastic part
Implementation Method 2
These transparent parts, commonly slender, have the property of reflecting light on their internal faces and of conducting it face to face from one end to the other of said parts according to the same principle as the optical fiber
Implementation Method 3
The optical characteristics of certain plastic materials make it possible to diffuse the light in a homogeneous way over a large surface and therefore to amplify the visibility in terms of visible surface of a light signal generated by a component of very small size
Data Source
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AI summary
The interface has control buttons (17a-17d) mounted on a support (7). A flexible part (12) includes a first portion (12a) supporting a support zone (22) of each button and a second portion (12b) attached with the support. The flexible part forms a light guide including a light input area (13a) of light source in its inner. The light source is in contact with or opposite to the input area of the flexible part. The input area is formed near the second portion to remain in same position with respect to the light source as the support zone is inserted.