Proximity Sensor Drink Dispenser Sequence Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drink dispensers, especially those for hot drinks, pose safety risks due to the risk of scalding and potential infection transmission through physical contact, and existing solutions are either inflexible or inconvenient, failing to adequately address these issues.
Innovation Solution
A drink dispensing device utilizing proximity sensors that require a sequence of activation signals to initiate and stop the dispensing of drinks, allowing touch-less operation and safe handling of hot drinks, with a controller managing the dispensing process to prevent accidental triggering and overflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a mechanical leaver is used for manual dispensing, then the user can control the dispensing operation, but the user must grip the receptacle during dispensing which creates scalding risk for hot drinks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical leaver system with a proximity sensor-based control system. The proximity sensor detects the user's approach and triggers dispensing automatically, eliminating the need for the user to manually grip or operate the receptacle during dispensing. This substitution of mechanical control with sensor-based automation directly resolves the scalding risk while maintaining ease of operation.
2Ease of operation
If auto-dispense features are used with predetermined quantity, then dispensing can occur without physical contact, but the system requires standard receptacle size and empty receptacle which reduces flexibility and convenience
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control of the dispensing operation through proximity sensor detection. Instead of fixed auto-dispense for predetermined quantities, the system continuously monitors proximity and can initiate, pause, or terminate dispensing at any moment based on user presence. This dynamic control allows the system to adapt to different receptacle sizes and usage scenarios while maintaining touch-less operation, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and adaptability.
3Reliability
If dead man switches or buttons are used for hot drink dispensing, then overflow safety is improved, but physical contact with the button creates infection transmission risk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the physical button or dead man switch with a proximity sensor that detects user presence without requiring physical contact. The sensor triggers the dispensing operation automatically when a user approaches, eliminating the need to touch the dispense button. This substitution maintains the safety control mechanism while completely eliminating the infection transmission risk associated with contact with the button surface.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If proximity sensors are used for touch-less operation, then infection transmission and scalding risks are minimized, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs proximity sensors that automatically detect user presence and trigger dispensing without requiring any manual intervention or complex control interface. The system serves itself by using the sensor's automatic detection capability to initiate and control the dispensing operation. This self-service approach minimizes the need for additional complex control mechanisms, buttons, or switches, thereby reducing overall system complexity while achieving touch-less operation and safety benefits.
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
Enables safe and convenient dispensing of hot drinks without physical contact, minimizing infection transmission and scalding risks while preventing accidental dispensing and overflow, using a reliable sequence-based operation with proximity sensors.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of proximity sensors each for outputting a respective activation signal when a user moves a body part within a sensing range thereof
Data Source
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AI summary
Drink dispensing device for dispensing a drink from a tap (4). The device comprises a plurality of proximity sensors (12,10,8) each for outputting a respective activation signal when a user moves a body part within a sensing range thereof. A controller (1) for receiving activation signals from the plurality of proximity sensors (12,10,8) and controlling the dispensing of drink from the tap (4) in response thereto. The plurality of proximity sensors (12,10,8) comprise a first proximity sensor (12) associated with a first drink. The controller (1) is configured to initiate the dispensing of the first drink in response to receiving a sequence of activation signals output by the first proximity sensor (12), and to subsequently stop the dispensing of the first drink in response to receiving an activation signal output by any of the plurality of proximity sensors (12,10,8).