Automatic coffee machine equipped with a non-tilt device of a cake tray
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automatic coffee machines with trays for collecting ground coffee often tilt during removal or replacement, causing interference and degrading the user experience due to excessive clearance, leading to a perceived quality issue.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of an anti-tilting device with a movable support member on the tray that cooperates with the housing's upper face under the action of a spring, ensuring horizontal translation and preventing tilting, along with a conical housing design for easy manufacturing and integration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the container is arranged in the housing with significant clearance, then the container can be easily removed and replaced, but the container tilts during movement and interferes with elements in front of the frame
Solution Approach 1:
A support member is introduced as an intermediary element between the container and the housing. This support member engages with the rear part of the container and transfers horizontal movement forces, preventing the container from tilting or tipping during removal and replacement operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to adapt dynamically to the container's position during movement. This dynamic support system maintains contact with the container throughout the extraction and insertion process, providing continuous stabilization without restricting ease of operation.
2Ease of operation
If the container has significant play in the housing, then the container can be freely accessed, but the perceived quality degrades due to excessive movement
Solution Approach 1:
The support member acts as a mediator that selectively restricts unwanted vertical and rotational movements while permitting necessary horizontal extraction and insertion. This creates a controlled play system that maintains accessibility while eliminating excessive movements that degrade perceived quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member provides localized support at the rear part of the container, creating different movement characteristics in different regions. The front of the container remains freely accessible for user interaction, while the rear is stabilized by the support member, achieving local quality differentiation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the support member exerts strong force on the container, then tilting is prevented, but friction efforts increase and movement becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The support member is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to glide or shift slightly during container extraction and insertion. This dynamic characteristic reduces friction by distributing contact forces over time and distance, preventing tipping while maintaining smooth movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member applies partial support force rather than full constraint, providing just enough force to prevent tipping during critical moments of movement. This partial action approach reduces overall friction efforts while still achieving the anti-tipping objective.
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 anti-tilting device maintains tray movement in horizontal translation, preventing interference and enhancing user experience by maintaining contact with the housing, while the conical design allows for efficient manufacturing and a compact, high-capacity tray.
Implementation Method 1
the support member, under the action of the return mechanism, will create a support point from the rear of the tray onto the upper face of the housing
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an automatic coffee machine comprising a frame (5) including a housing (11) for receiving a container (20) for collecting ground coffee pucks, the housing (11) including an opening (12) and the container (20) including a front face (22), the container (20) being movable in horizontal translation along a direction Δ between an inserted position in which the front face (22) closes the opening (12) and an extracted position in which the container (20) is removed from the housing (11). According to the invention, the automatic coffee machine includes an anti-tipping device (40) for the tray (20) during the transition from the inserted position to the extracted position and vice versa, the anti-tipping device (40) comprising a movable support member (41) arranged on a rear part (28) of the tray (20) and which cooperates with an upper face (13) of the housing (11) under the action of a return means (42).