Capsule Code Placement for Clean Beverage Machine Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage production machines face challenges in accurately detecting optically readable codes on capsules due to sensitivity to liquid, vapor, and contamination, leading to difficulties in preparing nutritional products, especially dairy-based ones, and pose hygiene issues due to dirty surfaces.
Innovation Solution
The design includes a capsule with an optically readable code positioned on the side wall, away from the liquid inlet, and a beverage production machine with a code reader protected from contamination, using a non-symmetric inlet face and a capsule holder that prevents liquid from reaching the code reader, ensuring reliable detection and easier cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the code reader is positioned close to the liquid inlet and beverage outlets, then the reading position is convenient for capsule detection, but the window becomes dirty rapidly due to liquid and vapor exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The code reader window is extracted from the contaminated zone by positioning it at the rear of the brewing chamber, away from the liquid inlet and beverage outlets. This allows the window to remain in a cleaner environment while the code reader still detects codes on inserted capsules through the chamber space.
Solution Approach 2:
The brewing chamber acts as an intermediary space that allows optical detection to occur without direct exposure of the code reader window to liquid and vapor. The chamber confines the harmful factors while permitting light transmission for code reading.
2Ease of operation
If the code reader window is exposed to liquid and vapor for convenient positioning, then capsule reading is easier, but regular cleaning becomes necessary to maintain reliable detection
Solution Approach 1:
The code reader window is extracted from the high-contamination zones (liquid inlet and beverage outlets) and repositioned at the rear of the brewing chamber. This reduces exposure to liquid and vapor, thereby reducing the frequency and effort of cleaning required while maintaining code reading functionality.
3Measurement precision
If the optically readable code is positioned on the inlet face or near liquid inlet, then code detection is straightforward, but the code becomes contaminated with liquid and vapor
Solution Approach 1:
The optically readable code is extracted from the contaminated inlet face area and repositioned on the side wall of the capsule body. This positioning removes the code from direct exposure to liquid and vapor while still allowing the code reader to detect it through the brewing chamber space.
Solution Approach 2:
The code position is changed from the inlet face (one dimension) to the side wall (another dimension), moving it away from the liquid inlet path while maintaining detectability by the code reader positioned at the rear of the chamber.
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
This solution enhances the reliability of automatic capsule detection, prevents contamination of the code reader, and simplifies the preparation of nutritional products by ensuring accurate parameter setting, while improving hygiene and reducing the need for frequent cleaning.
Implementation Method 1
an optically readable code is provided on the side wall
Data Source
AI summary
A capsule has an inlet face C formed by a circular section and a bulge section extending from the circular section so that the inlet face C is not symmetric in rotation. The capsule further has an optically readable code on a side wall of a cup-shaped body of the capsule opposite the bulge section. A beverage production machine has a capsule holder for holding the capsule in the beverage production machine so that the optically readable code can be read by a code reader. Liquid can be supplied to the capsule to produce a nutritional product. The optically readable code and the code reader can be prevented from being contaminated with liquid, vapor, dirt or the like. The beverage production machine can perform an automatic detection of the capsule type and a corresponding automatic setting of preparation parameters.