Level display system for use with beverage dispensers and method of making same
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage level display systems in hot beverage dispensers are prone to failure due to moisture ingress, corrosive chemicals, and mechanical stress, leading to premature failure of electronic components and traces during manufacturing and use.
Innovation Solution
The system uses annealed rolled copper traces with macrocrystalline structure and a composite adhesive-potting material combination with matching thermal expansion coefficients to enhance mechanical strength and sealing, replacing traditional electro-deposited copper traces and ultrasonic welding, which reduces the risk of damage from vibrations and moisture ingress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional electro-deposited copper traces are used, then manufacturing process is simple, but traces are fragile and vulnerable to breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical and structural parameters of copper traces from traditional electro-deposited random grain structure to rolled annealed copper with controlled macrocrystalline structure. This parameter change increases mechanical strength and ductility while maintaining electrical conductivity, resolving the contradiction between strength and manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure by combining rolled annealed copper material with a specific macrocrystalline grain structure. This composite approach integrates material selection (annealed copper) with structural organization (aligned grains) to achieve superior mechanical properties while maintaining manufacturing feasibility.
2Reliability
If ultrasonic welding is used to seal housing sections, then sealing is achieved, but vibrations cause damage to traces and electronics
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the ultrasonic welding process from the manufacturing sequence. By removing this vibration-generating step, the patent prevents trace damage and electronic component failure while maintaining effective sealing through alternative methods that do not produce harmful vibrations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary sealing approach that achieves the sealing function without using ultrasonic welding. This intermediary method provides the necessary seal between housing sections while avoiding the transmission of damaging vibrations to sensitive internal components.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If potting material is used to seal electronics housing, then moisture protection is improved, but thermal expansion mismatch causes stress
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the thermal expansion parameters by selecting potting material and adhesive formulations with coefficients of thermal expansion that match the housing material. This parameter matching eliminates stress from thermal cycling while maintaining the moisture protection function of the potting material.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different materials with locally optimized properties: the potting material provides moisture protection in the bulk, while the adhesive layer provides thermal expansion matching at the interface. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between moisture protection and thermal stability.
4Ease of operation
If sensor probe is repeatedly heated and cooled during use and cleaning, then normal operation is enabled, but vacuum suction draws moisture into electronics housing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the vulnerable electronics housing from the thermal cycling environment. By separating the electronics compartment from the sensor probe that undergoes heating and cooling, the patent eliminates the vacuum suction effect that draws moisture into the housing while maintaining full cleaning and operational capability.
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 significantly reduces the incidence of trace failures and improves the robustness of the beverage level display system, providing better sealing and mechanical integrity against environmental and handling stresses, resulting in a more reliable and durable hot beverage level display system.
Implementation Method 1
annealed rolled copper traces with macrocrystalline structure
Implementation Method 2
composite adhesive-potting material combination with matching thermal expansion coefficients
Implementation Method 3
composite adhesive-potting material combination
Data Source
AI summary
A robust hot beverage level display system and method for use in a hot beverage dispenser (12) having a sensing element (105), a level display (28), a controller (50) and an elongate probe carrying at least one elongate electrically conductive trace (202) made from annealed rolled copper with a macrocrystalline structure with elongate, metal, granule-like, cohered metal elements that are aligned with each other in parallel relationship (FIGS. 25 and 28), and an electronics module housing (108), for protectively surrounding the controller (50), formed from a pair of housing sections (109, 110) with a pair of mating connective surfaces (220, 224), potting material with adhesive properties (226) filling the housing (108) and protectively enveloping the controller (218, FIG. 39) and display (217, FIG. 3), and a gapless, voidless adhesive layer made of a contiguous, comingling of cured adhesive and cured potting material interposed between the mating surfaces (220,224).