Beverage Insert Layout for Reliable Barcode Reading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage preparation machines are limited in their ability to handle various types of beverage containers and loose ingredients, requiring separate machines for different types of beverages, and face issues with barcode or RFID misreading due to fluid leakage and distortion during dispensation.
Innovation Solution
A beverage preparation system with an insert for a brew head that includes a barcode or RFID on its lower surface, positioned at an angular separation greater than 70 degrees from the inlet and outlet, allowing for accurate reading and preventing fluid-induced distortion, enabling the use of flexible containers and loose ingredients in a single machine.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the barcode or RFID is located near the inlet or outlet of the insert, then the reading process is simplified, but fluid leakage and distortion during dispensation cause misreading
Solution Approach 1:
The barcode or RFID is positioned in a different spatial dimension relative to the inlet and outlet, specifically at an angular separation greater than 70 degrees on the lower surface of the insert. This dimensional repositioning removes the barcode from the fluid path while maintaining accessibility for reading, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of reading and reading accuracy under pressure conditions.
2Manufacturing precision
If the beverage preparation machine is designed for specific container types, then the brewing process is optimized, but the machine cannot handle various container types and loose ingredients
Solution Approach 1:
The insert is designed with a universal interface that can accommodate multiple container types including flexible filter bags, rigid cartridges, and loose ingredients. The standardized lower surface with inlet, outlet, and barcode positioning allows the same brew head mechanism to handle diverse container formats while maintaining optimized brewing parameters through the barcode identification system.
3Ease of operation
If the barcode is positioned on the lower surface of the insert, then it remains accessible for reading, but fluid leakage during dispensation causes distortion and misreading
Solution Approach 1:
The lower surface of the insert is designed with differentiated zones: the inlet and outlet areas are positioned to allow fluid flow, while the barcode or RFID is positioned in a separate local zone at an angular separation greater than 70 degrees. This local quality differentiation ensures the barcode remains in a region less affected by fluid leakage and pressure-induced distortion while staying accessible for reading.
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
The system allows for the accurate reading of barcodes or RFID tags and prevents fluid-induced distortion, ensuring reliable operation with various container types and ingredients, enhancing user flexibility and machine efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
This fluid may spread, in particular due to capillary effect between the insert and a brew head of the machine, leading to partial obfuscation of the barcode or RFID by the fluid
Data Source
AI summary
An insert for use in a beverage preparation machine of a type comprising a brew head comprising an upwardly directed inlet for supplying water to the brew head and a downwardly directed outlet for outflow of beverage produced by the machine. The insert comprises, or is adapted to contain in use, a quantity of beverage ingredients in a brewing volume. A lower surface of the insert comprises an inlet and an outlet arranged to communicate respectively with the inlet and outlet of the brew head of the beverage preparation machine when the insert is inserted into the machine such that, in use, water from the inlet of the brew head passes upwardly through the inlet of the insert into the brewing volume and such that beverage produced from the water and the quantity of beverage ingredients passes downwardly through the outlet of the insert to flow out of the outlet of the brew head. The lower surface of the insert further comprises a RFID or barcode which, in use, is readable by a RFID or barcode reader of the beverage preparation machine for controlling operation of the beverage preparation machine, wherein the barcode or RFID is located on the lower surface of the insert such that a line joining the outlet of the insert to a center of the barcode or RFID and a line joining the outlet of the insert to the inlet of the insert separated by a minimum angular separation of greater than 70 degrees.