Capsule, system and method for preparing a beverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coffee capsules face challenges in manufacturing costs and maintaining high organoleptic and visual quality of beverages, with limitations in screen design affecting water distribution and foam formation during brewing.
Innovation Solution
A capsule design where the screen is attached to the capsule body in a way that it releases completely during brewing, allowing for improved radial water distribution and extraction, using a non-woven filter material with specific passage diameters and patterns to enhance brewing quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the screen is firmly attached to the capsule body bottom, then the screen remains stable during handling and transport, but the screen restricts water distribution and reduces extraction quality during brewing
Solution Approach 1:
The screen is designed with a dynamic attachment system using adhesive bonds that are strong during handling but fail during brewing. The screen transitions from a fixed state during transport to a detached state during extraction, allowing optimal performance for each phase of use.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment system is segmented into multiple adhesive bonds distributed around the screen periphery. This segmentation allows the screen to detach progressively or completely during brewing while maintaining stability during handling, balancing both requirements through distributed bonding zones.
2Productivity
If the screen is detached from the capsule body bottom, then water distribution and extraction are improved, but the screen may move or shift during handling and transport
Solution Approach 1:
The screen position is dynamically controlled through phase-dependent attachment: firmly attached during handling phase, and detached during brewing phase. This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction between stability and performance by adapting to operational context.
Solution Approach 2:
The screen is pre-positioned and attached to the capsule body bottom before use, ensuring correct positioning during handling and transport. The attachment mechanism is designed to fail at the appropriate moment during brewing, combining preliminary positioning with subsequent release.
3Ease of manufacture
If a traditional welded screen design is used, then manufacturing is simple, but the screen creates high pressure drop and poor water distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The traditional mechanical welding system is replaced with an adhesive bonding system. This substitution maintains manufacturing simplicity while enabling the screen to detach during brewing, thereby improving water distribution and reducing pressure drop without complicating the manufacturing process.
4Productivity
If the screen is made completely free-moving, then extraction is maximized, but the screen cannot be reliably held during filling and handling
Solution Approach 1:
The screen transitions from a retained state during handling to a free-moving state during extraction. The adhesive attachment provides the necessary retention during filling and transport, then releases to allow maximum movement and water distribution during brewing, achieving both requirements through temporal separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The screen attachment is segmented into multiple discrete adhesive bonds rather than a continuous fixed connection. This segmentation allows the screen to remain held during handling while enabling complete release during brewing, balancing retention and freedom of movement through distributed bonding points.
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 results in improved extraction and brewing quality by allowing complete release of the screen during brewing, enhancing water distribution and reducing pressure drop, thereby improving the organoleptic and visual quality of the beverage while maintaining reliable attachment during handling.
Implementation Method 1
the screen material may have a weight of 20-200 g/cm2, preferably 40-100 g/cm2. The screen material may for instance have a thickness of 0.1-1 mm, preferably 0.2-0.5 mm. The screen material (without the passages) may for instance have an air permeability between 500 and 3000 l/(m2s) at a pressure drop of 100 Pa over the screen material
Data Source
AI summary
In a capsule containing a substance constituted by a mass of loose, solid particles, for the preparation of a potable beverage by extracting and/or dissolving the substance by means of supplying a fluid under pressure into the capsule, a screen, permeable to water and impermeable to a predominant portion of particles of the substance is positioned between the substance and the bottom. The screen is attached to the capsule body in such a manner that the screen releases from the capsule body during brewing. A beverage brewing system comprising such a capsule and a method of use of such a capsule are described as well.