Hot drink machine with sensor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of hot beverage machines face complexity in selecting and dispensing hot beverages as they need to know which outlet to place a drinking vessel under and must choose from a large number of options, leading to confusion and incorrect dispensing.
Innovation Solution
A hot beverage machine equipped with a sensor unit and display device that detects the presence of a drinking vessel under each outlet, displaying only the available hot beverages that can be dispensed from that outlet, allowing users to select and dispense the desired beverage easily.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple hot beverage outlets are provided to dispense different types of hot beverages, then the variety of hot beverages that can be dispensed is increased, but the complexity of operation increases as users must know which outlet to place their drinking vessel under and must select from a large number of options
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor unit detects the presence of a drinking vessel at each hot beverage outlet and provides feedback to the control unit. The control unit uses this feedback to automatically determine which outlet has a vessel and restricts the display to only those hot beverages that can be dispensed from that specific outlet. This feedback mechanism eliminates the need for users to manually select outlets or navigate through all beverage options, thereby reducing operational complexity while maintaining the ability to dispense multiple beverage types.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs automatic outlet identification and beverage selection based on sensor detection. When a drinking vessel is placed on the shelf, the sensor unit automatically detects its position, the control unit identifies the corresponding outlet, and the display device automatically shows only the relevant hot beverages for that outlet. This self-service approach eliminates manual outlet selection and simplifies the user interface, allowing users to simply place their vessel and see their available options without needing to understand the machine's internal outlet configuration.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a large number of hot beverage options are available from multiple outlets, then the versatility of the machine is improved, but users may experience confusion and select incorrect beverages due to the large number of choices
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor unit provides real-time feedback about drinking vessel presence at each outlet, enabling the control unit to dynamically adjust the display content. Only hot beverages corresponding to the detected outlet are shown, preventing users from selecting beverages that cannot be dispensed from the current outlet. This feedback-based restriction ensures reliable beverage selection by eliminating incompatible options from the user interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts and displays only the relevant subset of hot beverages that can be dispensed from the detected outlet, rather than showing all available beverages from all outlets. This extraction of relevant information from the complete beverage catalog prevents user confusion by removing irrelevant options that could lead to incorrect selections, while still maintaining access to the full variety of beverages through sequential outlet detection.
3Device complexity
If users must manually select from all available hot beverages without outlet detection, then the device structure remains simple, but time is lost due to user confusion and incorrect selections
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor unit automatically detects drinking vessel presence and provides feedback to the control unit, which then automatically updates the display to show only relevant hot beverages. This automated feedback loop eliminates the time users would otherwise spend figuring out which outlet to use and which beverages are available, significantly reducing selection time while adding only minimal sensor and control logic components to the device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor unit performs preliminary detection of the drinking vessel position before the user needs to make a selection. By pre-identifying the active outlet and pre-filtering the beverage options accordingly, the system prepares the interface in advance, eliminating the need for users to spend time determining outlet-vessel compatibility. This preliminary action streamlines the user workflow while requiring only simple sensor integration.
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
Simplifies the operation by ensuring beverages are only dispensed from the correct outlet and reduces user confusion by displaying only relevant options, preventing incorrect dispensing and simplifying the selection process.
Implementation Method 1
a sensor unit with at least one sensor, wherein the at least one sensor is designed to detect whether a drinking vessel is placed on the drinking-cup shelf below the first hot beverage outlet and/or the second hot beverage outlet
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a hot beverage machine (1) for dispensing a plurality of different hot beverages (G1, G2, G3, G4), comprising a first hot beverage outlet (4), a second hot beverage outlet (5), and a beverage container tray (8) on which beverage containers (10) can be placed below the hot beverage outlets (4, 5) such that a hot beverage can be dispensed into the beverage container (10) from the first and/or second hot beverage outlet (4, 5). The hot beverage machine (1) further has a sensor unit with at least one sensor (2, 3). The sensor (2, 3) is designed to detect whether at least one beverage container (10) is placed below at least one of the hot beverage outlets (4, 5) on the beverage container tray (8). A sub-quantity of the dispensable hot beverages can be discharged out of the first hot beverage outlet (4), and another sub-quantity of the dispensable hot beverages can be discharged out of the second hot beverage outlet (5). A display device (7) is actuated by a control unit such that if a beverage container (10) is placed below the first hot beverage outlet (4) and/or the second hot beverage outlet (5), the display device (7) displays at least one hot beverage (G1, G2) which can be dispensed out of the hot beverage outlet (4, 5) below which the beverage container (10) is placed.