Built-in coffee maker
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coffee machines for nautical and aeronautical use are too large, unsafe, and difficult to use due to protruding parts and conventional connections, posing safety risks in moving environments, and lack the ability to prepare multiple beverages efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A compact, modular coffee machine with an aluminum structure, a heat exchanger system that eliminates the need for a pressurized boiler, and a touch sensor control panel, designed for use in small spaces with integrated safety features and easy installation/removal, capable of preparing coffee, tea, and herbal infusions using pre-dosed capsules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a pressurized boiler system is used for heating water, then heating efficiency is improved, but safety risks increase in moving environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the pressurized boiler system entirely, replacing it with a simple heating element that heats water in an open reservoir. This extraction of the dangerous pressurized component eliminates safety risks while maintaining the essential heating function through a safer alternative system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a simple, non-pressurized heating element that can be easily replaced if needed, rather than a complex pressurized boiler system. This approach uses simpler, less critical components that prioritize safety over long-term durability, appropriate for the mobile application context.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional connections are used for electric power supply and water connections, then installation is simplified, but ease of removal deteriorates in case of malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the connection system into separate, modular segments - electrical connections and water connections are independently accessible through service panels. This segmentation allows each connection type to be addressed separately during maintenance, improving accessibility without complicating the overall installation process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates service panels that can be dynamically opened and closed, providing temporary access to connections during installation or maintenance, then returning to a closed, integrated state during normal operation. This dynamic access mechanism balances installation simplicity with maintenance accessibility.
3Ease of operation
If protruding parts such as handles and levers are present for operation, then ease of operation is improved, but safety risks increase due to accidental entanglement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical operating elements like external handles and levers with an electronic control system featuring a touch-sensitive display. This substitution eliminates protruding mechanical parts that could cause entanglement while maintaining ease of operation through intuitive touch controls that provide clear visual feedback.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational interface from mechanical (physical handles and levers) to electronic (touch-sensitive buttons with visual display). This parameter change in the control mechanism eliminates safety hazards associated with protruding parts while preserving operational convenience through a modern, user-friendly interface.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a large-sized machine is used to accommodate all functions, then versatility is improved, but space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple beverage preparation functions (coffee, tea, hot water, steam) into a single compact unit. The machine uses a universal heating system and a multi-purpose reservoir that can serve different functions, allowing versatile beverage preparation without requiring separate specialized equipment for each type of drink.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the heating element, water reservoir, steam generation, and beverage dispensing functions into a single integrated compact unit. By merging these previously separate functions into one cohesive system, the patent achieves versatility in beverage preparation while minimizing the total space occupied.
5Area of stationary object
If a compact design is used to reduce space requirements, then space occupation is reduced, but accessibility for maintenance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent provides service panels that open to reveal connections and components only when needed for installation or maintenance, rather than leaving all components permanently exposed. This partial exposure approach maintains a compact external form factor while providing adequate access to internal components during service operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the compact machine into modular sections with accessible service panels that can be opened independently. This segmentation allows maintenance personnel to access specific components (electrical connections, water connections, heating element) without disassembling the entire compact unit, preserving both space efficiency and maintenance accessibility.
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 machine is safer, easier to use, more durable, and more efficient, with reduced limescale formation, lower weight, and smaller size, while meeting stringent maritime and aviation standards, ensuring reliable operation and easy maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
the water is heated by means of direct contact with one or more resistances
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 1
Figure 2~11
AI summary
The present invention relates to a machine able to dispense hot beverages such as short coffee, long coffee, tea and/or hot water. The machine comprises a substantially aluminium supporting structure, side panels, base and top, which are substantially made of aluminium, a pod-holding unit and a heat exchanger for heating the water. The heat exchanger for heating the water comprises an elongated body provided with a casing housing internally a heating element provided with helical grooves for passage of the water and, centrally, with a longitudinal cavity which houses a resistance. The parts are configured and formed so that the machine may be used in particularly small spaces such as those on-board vessels of the yacht and boat type and aircraft and/or in very small size kitchens with little available space.