Beverage Preparation System with Contactless and Haptic Gesture Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage preparation systems for aromatic beverages, such as espresso-type coffee, face ergonomic challenges in accessing the beverage discharge mechanism, particularly when both hands are occupied, and lack selective access to the edible substance introduction and recipient placement, affecting cream retention and temperature control.
Innovation Solution
A system with an access disposition that provides selective access to the recipient placement and product discharge using contactless and haptic interaction gestures, allowing operation without applying force, and can differentiate between various input gestures and objects, enabling efficient preparation and discharge of beverages without requiring manual actuation of buttons or levers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional mechanical buttons or levers are used for actuating access disposition, then the apparatus can be operated, but it requires free hands and applies force/pressure which is ergonomically inconvenient when both hands are occupied
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical buttons or levers with sensors that detect contactless gestures (e.g., hand waving, palm placement) or haptic gestures (e.g., tapping on the surface). This substitution eliminates the need for mechanical actuation components and allows operation when hands are occupied, directly resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and device complexity.
2Ease of operation
If a lid-like disposition is used to provide access to beverage discharge, then access is provided, but it presents constructive complexity and ergonomic constraints without selective access
Solution Approach 1:
The access disposition is segmented into functionally independent zones: a first zone for introducing edible substance portions and a second zone for placing drinking recipients. Each zone can be accessed and actuated independently through contactless or haptic gestures, providing selective access without requiring a complex lid-like structure that covers the entire apparatus.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical lid-like disposition with sensor-based detection surfaces that respond to contactless or haptic gestures. This eliminates the need for moving mechanical parts while providing selective access to different functional zones, reducing constructive complexity while maintaining or improving ease of operation.
3Ease of operation
If contactless and haptic interaction gestures are implemented, then ergonomic operation is improved and hands-free interaction is enabled, but the input system becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system is designed to detect multiple types of gestures (contactless gestures such as hand waving or approaching, and haptic gestures such as surface tapping) using a unified sensor platform. This multi-functional approach enables hands-free operation and ergonomic interaction while consolidating the input system rather than adding separate mechanisms for each gesture type, thereby managing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention discloses systems and processes for preparation of edible products, for example aromatic beverages such as espresso coffee and similar, based upon portions (7) of edible substance, for example coffee in a capsule, including an apparatus (1) that comprises a recipient placement disposition (2) adapted for placing a recipient (10, 10′) for collecting edible product, an envelope (3) of apparatus and an access disposition (4) that provides selective access to at least one of said recipient placement disposition (2) and an entry passageway (8) of portions, whereby said apparatus (1) is adapted so that can provide selective access to at least one of said recipient placement disposition (2) and entry passageway (8) of portion by means of apprehension of at least one of: a contactless input gesture carried out in the proximal surrounding and a touch gesture carried out on an input surface, preferentially associated with said access disposition (4).