Coffee Machine Milk Chamber Weight Sensor with Drainage Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Coffee machines often fail to detect insufficient milk levels, leading to incomplete or incorrect beverage preparation, resulting in resource waste and user inconvenience.
Innovation Solution
A full automatic coffee machine equipped with a milk chamber and a weight sensor system that includes a detachable cover and drainage system to prevent spills and facilitate easy cleaning, ensuring accurate milk level monitoring and preventing improper machine operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a weight sensor is used to monitor milk container weight, then milk level detection accuracy is improved, but the risk of liquid spills damaging the sensor increases
Solution Approach 1:
A drainage groove is introduced as an intermediary structure between the milk container and the weight sensor. This groove channels spilled liquid away from the sensor before it can cause damage, while still allowing the sensor to accurately measure the weight of the milk container through the groove structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful element (liquid spill) is extracted and redirected away from the weight sensor through the drainage groove system. The groove separates the sensor from direct exposure to spilled liquid, protecting it while maintaining measurement functionality.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the weight sensor and drainage system are integrated into the machine housing, then structural stability is improved, but cleaning accessibility and ease of maintenance worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The drainage system is segmented into a removable cover portion and a fixed groove portion integrated with the housing. The cover can be detached for cleaning access to the groove, while the groove remains structurally integrated with the housing to maintain stability. This segmentation allows both structural integrity and cleaning accessibility.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the drainage system is permanently integrated into the housing, then structural stability is improved, but cleanability and maintenance difficulty worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The drainage system is divided into a removable cover component and a fixed groove component. The cover can be easily removed for cleaning the groove, while the groove itself remains permanently integrated with the housing to maintain structural stability. This segmentation resolves the contradiction between structural integrity and cleanability.
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 effectively prevents spills and ensures accurate milk level detection, reducing waste and user inconvenience by providing a stable and easy-to-clean system for milk level monitoring within the coffee machine.
Implementation Method 1
a means for determining the weight of the container which is disposed in the region of the bottom of the milk chamber
Implementation Method 2
The bottom of the milk chamber is provided with a drainage system that surrounds the weight sensor
Implementation Method 3
A negative pressure is generated with a suitable steam jet, which sucks the milk from the supply container (milk container) via a hose system
Implementation Method 4
In the nozzle, the milk is brought together with the steam and the milk-steam-air mixture leaves the frothing device
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
Full automatic coffee machine, comprising a housing (1), a water tank, a brewing unit, a heating unit, a drip tray (2), a milk chamber (3) with a bottom (5), disposed in the housing (1), for receiving a container (14) containing milk, and a means (13) for determining the weight of the container (14) which is disposed in the region of the bottom (5) of the milk chamber (3) on which the container (14) is pleaceable and the means (13) for determining the weight of the container (14) comprises a weight sensor (6), and a cover (7) that is attachable and detachable mounted with the weight sensor (6), and in that the bottom (5) is provided with a drainage system (8) that surrounds the weight sensor (6), and in that the cover (7) is sized to cover the weight sensor (6) and at least a portion of the drainage system (8).