Capacitive Touch Control Panel for Wear-Free Beverage Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Control panels in automatic machines for preparing hot beverages often fail due to mechanical wear and issues like dirt deposition and oxidation of electric contacts, leading to operational failures.
Innovation Solution
A control panel with a main input element that uses a capacitive sensor to detect user touch motions, eliminating the need for rotating or moving mechanical parts, and featuring a display element and control unit in data communication to enable intuitive and user-friendly selection and setting of beverage formulations without mechanical wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If rotary electromechanical switches or rotary encoders are used for controlling beverage parameters, then the control panel allows selection and setting of multiple parameters, but mechanical wear and oxidation of electric contacts lead to failures over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces rotary electromechanical switches and rotary encoders with a touch-sensitive display that detects finger touches and motions electronically. This substitution eliminates mechanical moving parts and electric contacts that are subject to wear and oxidation, thereby maintaining parameter selection capability while significantly improving long-term reliability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple control elements are provided for selecting and setting beverage parameters, then comprehensive control is achieved, but the control panel becomes complex and less user-friendly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple control elements into a single integrated touch-sensitive display. The display detects different finger touches and motions to perform various control functions (selecting parameters, adjusting values, confirming selections) that previously required multiple separate control elements. This consolidation maintains comprehensive control functionality while simplifying the interface and improving ease of operation.
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 solution provides a reliable and user-friendly control panel that prevents mechanical failures, allowing for easy selection and setting of beverage parameters with real-time visualization, reducing the risk of operational issues and enhancing the durability of the automatic machine.
Implementation Method 1
said main input element comprises a sense element (11) adapted to detect a motion thereon of a touch of said user
Data Source
AI summary
A control panel for an automatic machine adapted to prepare hot beverages according to a plurality of formulations comprises: a main input element for receiving inputs from a user; a display element for displaying the inputs to the user through a plurality of input identifiers; a control unit in data communication with the main input element and the display element. The main input element comprises a sense element adapted to detect a motion thereon of a touch of the user the main input element and the display element are in data communication through said control unit so that said motion determines a scrolling through the plurality of input identifiers on the display element, thereby selecting at least one formulation of said plurality of formulations or at least one operation parameter of a plurality of operation parameters of the automatic machine. The control panel has a particular although not exclusive use for automatic machines for preparing hot beverages, in particular automatic coffee machines for domestic use.