Slush Dispenser Tap Temperature Sensing for Usage Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current machines for making and dispensing iced food products do not allow manufacturers to verify if customers are using only the product mixes or syrups supplied by them, making it difficult to enforce contractual agreements.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of an electronic counter system with a temperature sensor and display panel that tracks and records the amount of product dispensed, ensuring that counting only occurs when the product temperature is within a predetermined range (2° C to 6° C), and allowing remote data transmission for monitoring usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If no monitoring system is installed, then the machine structure remains simple and cost-effective, but the manufacturer cannot verify customer compliance with contractual usage agreements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a monitoring system with sensors that detect product characteristics (temperature, viscosity, density) and provide feedback to a control unit. This feedback mechanism enables the manufacturer to verify whether customers are using only authorized product mixes, as the system compares measured parameters against expected ranges for legitimate products. The control unit can trigger alerts or lockout mechanisms when deviations are detected, ensuring contractual compliance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary monitoring system that acts as a mediator between the customer's usage and the manufacturer's verification needs. The system includes sensors, control units, and communication modules that translate physical product properties into verifiable data. This intermediary layer enables compliance verification without requiring direct manufacturer presence, while the system can be integrated into existing machine architecture to minimize structural disruption.
2Loss of information
If a monitoring system is installed, then the manufacturer can track and verify product usage, but the machine complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it measures product characteristics for compliance verification, tracks usage quantities for inventory management, and provides diagnostic information about machine operation. By consolidating these functions into a single integrated system, the patent reduces the need for separate monitoring devices, thereby limiting the increase in electronic system complexity while maximizing the value of the installed infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables automatic verification and tracking without requiring manual intervention from manufacturers or customers. Sensors continuously monitor product parameters and automatically compare them against authorized product profiles. The control unit autonomously determines compliance status and can trigger appropriate responses, eliminating the need for manual data collection and analysis. This self-service capability reduces the operational complexity of the electronic system while maintaining comprehensive usage tracking.
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 manufacturers to accurately track and verify that customers are using only the supplied product mixes or syrups, ensuring compliance with contractual agreements and allowing for remote monitoring of usage.
Implementation Method 1
a temperature sensor (15) located along the product dispensing path
Implementation Method 2
an evaporator of a cooling circuit
Implementation Method 3
in which a fluid is mixed and chilled and eventually dispensed in the form of a granita or slush drink
Data Source
AI summary
A machine for making and dispensing iced food products such as granitas, sorbets or slush drinks and the like, comprises a tank for containing and processing the product to be dispensed, a dispensing tap mounted near the bottom of the tank, a power-driven stirring means and an evaporator of a cooling circuit both located inside the tank; the machine also comprises a counter of the amount of product dispensed, the counter comprising a unit for measuring the amount of product dispensed and a unit for enabling measurement; the measurement enabling unit is equipped with a temperature sensor located at the dispensing tap, along the product dispensing path.