Drinks machine
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coffee machines require significant vertical space for water tank removal and reinsertion, which is impractical in modern kitchens with limited installation space, and involve separate handle manufacturing and assembly, increasing costs.
Innovation Solution
A water tank design that allows horizontal removal and reinsertion with an integrated handle formed by a specially shaped section of the lateral housing wall, eliminating the need for separate handle production and assembly, and featuring a transparent handle with a level scale for easy water level reading.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the water tank is designed for vertical removal from the receptacle, then the handle can be securely positioned, but a large amount of free space above the drinks machine is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional vertical removal direction by implementing horizontal front-facing removal and reinsertion of the water tank. The handle is repositioned on the front lateral housing wall instead of the top, enabling the tank to be pulled out horizontally from the front of the receptacle and pushed back in from the front, eliminating the need for vertical clearance space above the machine.
2Ease of operation
If a separate handle is manufactured and assembled on the water tank, then the handle can be optimized for gripping, but the production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the handle function directly into the water tank's lateral housing wall by creating a specially shaped section with a recess. This integrated design eliminates the need for separate handle manufacturing and assembly operations, reducing production costs while maintaining effective gripping capability through the recessed handle section.
3Loss of information
If the water tank is made entirely transparent, then the water level is always visible, but the production cost and aesthetic appeal may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making only the handle section transparent while keeping the rest of the water tank in a standard opaque finish. The transparent handle section includes an integrated level scale that allows water level visibility through the handle area, providing the necessary information function without requiring the entire tank to be transparent, thus maintaining aesthetic appeal and cost-effectiveness.
Data Source
Figure 1~3
AI summary
The present invention relates to a drinks machine (1), in particular a coffee machine (2), having a mount (3) for a water tank (4). It is essential to the invention here that the water tank (4) can be removed frontally from the mount (3), and can be inserted frontally into the same, and has a handle (6), via which it can be removed from the mount (3) and can be inserted into the same and retained therein, wherein the handle (6) is formed by a specifically shaped portion (7) of a first lateral housing wall (8) of the water tank (4). This makes it possible not just to create a cost-effective water tank (4) with an integrated handle (6), but also to achieve convenient charging of a drinks machine (1) from the front.