Convertible Drip Tray Structure for Variable Cup Heights
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage machines with drip tray devices are not stable, convenient, or cost-effective for handling recipients of variable dimensions, requiring frequent maintenance to prevent bad smells and organic growth.
Innovation Solution
A beverage machine with a convertible drip tray device featuring a removable first support grid that exposes a second support underneath, allowing for easy adaptation to larger recipients without moving the beverage outlet or fluid system, and a collect tank with separate reservoirs for efficient liquid collection and cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a drip tray device is configured to receive recipients of variable heights, then the machine can handle different beverage types, but the device becomes too complicated and costly to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The drip support function is segmented into two separate supports: a first drip support for short recipients and a second drip support for long recipients. This segmentation allows each support to be optimized for its specific function while keeping the overall structure simple and cost-effective to manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The drip tray device achieves multi-functionality by incorporating both a first drip support and a second drip support within a single device structure, allowing it to handle both short and long recipients without requiring multiple separate devices or complex adjustment mechanisms.
2Reliability
If the drip tray is designed for short recipients, then espresso quality is maintained, but the machine cannot accommodate long recipients like macchiato glasses
Solution Approach 1:
The drip support configuration is made dynamic and adaptable through the provision of two different drip supports that can be positioned at different heights. The first drip support maintains the low position required for espresso crema quality, while the second drip support can be positioned higher to accommodate long recipients, allowing the system to adapt to different beverage preparation needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The vertical position parameter of the drip support is changed by providing two distinct supports at different heights. This parameter change allows the system to optimize the distance between the beverage outlet and the recipient for different beverage types, maintaining espresso quality for short cups while enabling accommodation of long macchiato glasses.
3Device complexity
If a single drip support is used for all recipient sizes, then the device is simple, but it is not stable for recipients of different dimensions
Solution Approach 1:
The single drip support is segmented into two separate drip supports, each optimized for specific recipient dimensions. This segmentation provides stability for both short espresso cups and long macchiato glasses, as each support can be precisely positioned to match the required recipient height, eliminating the instability that would result from using a single compromise position.
4Ease of manufacture
If the drip tray is made fixed, then manufacturing is simpler, but cleaning and emptying becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The drip tray device incorporates dynamic, removable components including the first and second drip supports that can be easily removed for cleaning and emptying. This dynamic design maintains manufacturing simplicity while dramatically improving ease of maintenance, as the removable supports allow users to access and clean the collection reservoir without disassembling the entire device.
Data Source
AI summary
A beverage machine comprising a drip tray device that can accommodate recipients of different heights. The drip tray device is formed of a collect tank and has a first drip support grid removably mounted on the tank for holding short recipients and has a second drip support for longer recipients such as a glass. The whole device is removable for ease of emptying and rinsing. In a possible mode, the first removable grid is provided with a gutter to evacuate liquid in a main collect reservoir.