Hot Drink Machine Drip Tray with Dual-Level Overflow Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage preparation machines with drip trays often stop operation at inconvenient times due to overflow detection, lacking flexibility and increasing complexity and cost when trying to prevent liquid overflows during purging, rinsing, or cleaning cycles.
Innovation Solution
A hot drinks dispensing machine with a detection device that signals both intermediate and high liquid levels, allowing for user alerts and preventing overflow by continuing operation until the high level is reached, using a single measuring circuit and electrodes to detect these levels with reduced complexity and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a detection device with only high level signal is used, then the machine stops operation when the drip tray is full to prevent overflow, but the machine stops at inopportune moments (e.g., during succession of drinks) reducing flexibility and productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid level detection is segmented into two distinct levels: an intermediate level (first level) and a high level (second level). The detection device includes a first electrode for detecting the intermediate level and a second electrode for detecting the high level, allowing the system to differentiate between warning conditions and critical stop conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback through two separate signals: an intermediate level signal that warns users to empty the drip tray soon, and a high level signal that triggers machine shutdown. This feedback mechanism allows users to take proactive action rather than being forced into reactive shutdowns during critical moments.
2Ease of operation
If a detection device with intermediate and high level signals is used, then user flexibility is improved and overflow is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The detection device merges multiple detection functions into a single integrated unit. The control circuit receives both intermediate and high level signals from the same detection device, which uses a single measuring circuit that alternately connects to different electrodes, reducing overall system complexity despite the multi-level detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
A single measuring circuit performs multiple functions by alternately connecting to different electrodes. The measuring circuit can detect both the intermediate level (via the first electrode) and the high level (via the second electrode), making one component serve multiple detection purposes and reducing the need for separate dedicated circuits for each level.
3Measurement precision
If two separate measuring circuits are used for intermediate and high level detection, then detection accuracy is improved, but the manufacturing cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
A single measuring circuit is designed to perform both intermediate level detection and high level detection by alternately connecting to the first electrode and second electrode respectively. This multi-functional approach maintains measurement precision for both levels while significantly reducing manufacturing cost compared to using two separate dedicated measuring circuits.
Solution Approach 2:
The measuring circuit operates by periodically alternating between connecting to the first electrode and the second electrode. This periodic switching allows the single circuit to sample both liquid levels sequentially, maintaining detection accuracy for both levels while using shared hardware resources to reduce cost.
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 machine provides user flexibility by allowing operation until the high liquid level is reached, preventing overflows and maintaining machine functionality without increasing complexity or cost, by alerting users to empty the drip tray at intermediate levels and blocking operation at high levels to prevent overflow.
Implementation Method 1
a measuring circuit, a first electrode arranged to detect the high level, a second electrode arranged to detect the intermediate level
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
A hot beverage dispensing machine comprising a hot beverage dispensing device (20) with at least one hot beverage dispensing nozzle, a drip tray (10) arranged under the dispensing nozzle, a control circuit, and a detection device that generates and transmits a high-level (HL) signal to the control circuit when the liquid filling the drip tray (10) reaches a high level (HL). The detection device generates and transmits an intermediate-level (IL) signal to the control circuit when the liquid filling the drip tray (10) reaches an intermediate level (IL), and the control circuit includes an alarm device to alert a user that the liquid is at the intermediate level (IL).