Beverage Machine Physical Control for Real-Time Quantity Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage preparation machines lack user-friendly and precise control over beverage quantity adjustment during the preparation process, often requiring precise timing and limited to reducing, not increasing, the quantity, which can lead to user errors and stress due to the complexity of touch-screen inputs during an ongoing preparation process.
Innovation Solution
A beverage preparation machine equipped with a physical operating element, such as a rotary pushbutton, allows users to set and adjust the beverage quantity before or during preparation, enabling both increase and decrease adjustments, with real-time graphical display for easy monitoring and confirmation, separate from touch-screen inputs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a touchscreen is used for beverage quantity adjustment during brewing, then precise parameter settings are enabled, but user errors increase and operation becomes stressful under time pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the touchscreen interface with a rotary control element that provides mechanical feedback through rotation and pressing actions. This mechanical interface allows users to adjust beverage quantity during brewing without the precision and speed issues of touchscreen input, as the rotary mechanism provides tactile feedback and can be operated quickly with one hand.
2Adaptability or versatility
If beverage quantity is adjusted during brewing process, then flexibility is improved, but processing time increases due to touchscreen input delays
Solution Approach 1:
The rotary control element operates through periodic rotational steps that incrementally adjust the beverage quantity. Each rotation step provides immediate mechanical feedback and can be processed quickly by the control unit, avoiding the continuous processing delays associated with touchscreen input while maintaining flexible adjustment capability throughout the brewing process.
3Measurement precision
If touchscreen input is used for beverage quantity adjustment, then precise control is achieved, but user stress increases due to complex input requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the beverage quantity adjustment function from the complex touchscreen interface and implements it through a dedicated rotary control element. This separate mechanical control provides precise adjustment through rotational steps while simplifying the user interaction to a single intuitive motion, removing the complexity of touchscreen navigation and selection.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4a~4b
AI summary
The invention relates to a beverage preparation machine comprising a preparation module for preparing a brewed beverage made of water and an extraction product or extract and also a display device (31). It is designed such that a user, prior to starting the beverage preparation process, can adjust a first amount of beverage and after starting the process and when the beverage is being prepared, can adjust the remaining amount of beverage different from zero, by means of a physical control element (32).