Drink Maker Flat Light Guide Design for Shadow-Free Dispensing Area
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drink makers with illumination devices often create shadows and uneven lighting in the dispensing area, making it difficult to operate and handle beverage containers, especially in dark environments.
Innovation Solution
The drink maker incorporates a flat lighting body within the recess, utilizing LEDs as light sources that emit light uniformly across the area, with a scatter disc to ensure comprehensive illumination, and a design where the light sources are integrated into the fixed body to prevent shadow formation and simplify the design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a light source is disposed in the interior of the housing above the dispensing recess with downward directed light beam, then the dispensing area is illuminated, but shadows and uneven lighting are formed making operation difficult
Solution Approach 1:
A light guide element is introduced as an intermediary between the light source and the dispensing recess. The light guide receives light from the LED and transports it to the front surface of the housing, where it is emitted into the recess. This mediator distributes light more evenly across the dispensing area, eliminating shadows and improving visibility for container placement and removal operations.
2Illumination intensity
If wall openings are made in the upper region of the recess to guide light through, then light reaches the dispensing area, but the structure becomes complex and light distribution is uneven
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide element is integrated into the housing structure itself, extracting the need for separate wall openings and complex light guiding mechanisms. The light guide can be formed as an integral part of the housing or as a simple insert, replacing the need for multiple openings and complex light path arrangements while achieving uniform light distribution.
3Use of energy by moving object
If LEDs are used as light sources, then install space and energy requirements are reduced, but sufficient brightness must be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
Traditional high-power incandescent or halogen light sources are replaced with LED technology. The LED provides sufficient brightness for the dispensing area while consuming significantly less energy and requiring minimal installation space. The light guide element compensates for the lower intrinsic brightness of LEDs by efficiently distributing the light over the entire dispensing area, achieving uniform illumination without requiring high power consumption.
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 provides clear and secure illumination of the dispensing area, allowing for reliable detection and handling of beverage vessels in dark environments, ensuring a secure and efficient operation with reduced energy consumption and no movable cables for electrical supply.
Implementation Method 1
the light source comprises one or a plurality of LEDs
Implementation Method 2
the lighting body comprises means for diverting and/or scattering the light beams
Implementation Method 3
the illumination device used herein acts as a light guide for guiding the light beams from the scatter disc radiating into the recess
Data Source
AI summary
A drink maker (100) includes a body (110); a fluid system in the fluid system (147) disposed in the body; a control unit (180) to control the fluid system (147) for preparation of a beverage and a beverage container placement area (115); a recess (160) introduced in the body (110), being externally accessible and with at least one boundary wall (161, 162); a dispensing device (120) for dispensing the prepared beverage which is disposed in the recess (160); and an illumination device (170) for illuminating the recess (160). The illumination device (170) features a flat lighting body (171) disposed in the recess (160) for emitting light into the recess (160) and a light source (172) which can emit light into the lighting body (171).