Container and opening arrangement for beverage production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional self-serve beverage machines face issues with cross-contamination and reduced sterility due to the integration of piercing elements within the appliance, which can compromise the cleanliness and safety of beverage preparation.
Innovation Solution
A beverage container design featuring a vessel with a pierceable membrane and a movable element that includes a piercing element, allowing for controlled access to the beverage material while maintaining sterility, and a gas inlet port for pressurized gas introduction to facilitate beverage dispensing, which can be used with a beverage machine to prepare various types of beverages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the piercing element is integrated into the beverage preparation machine, then the machine can open the cartridge or capsule, but cross-contamination and reduced sterility occur
Solution Approach 1:
The piercing element is extracted from the beverage preparation machine and relocated to the closure of the container. This separation eliminates the source of cross-contamination in the machine while maintaining the functionality of opening the container. The closure with the movable piercing element becomes a disposable component that is discarded after use, preventing contamination of the machine.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure containing the piercing element is designed as a disposable component. After the piercing element pierces the membrane and the beverage is dispensed, the entire closure is discarded. This eliminates the need to clean and sterilize the piercing element, preventing cross-contamination while keeping the system simple and cost-effective.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a movable piercing element is used to pierce the membrane, then sterility is maintained, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The piercing element is merged with the closure to form a single integrated component. This simplifies the overall structure by eliminating the need for separate piercing mechanisms in the beverage machine. The closure itself becomes the piercing device, reducing the number of parts and assembly steps while maintaining sterility.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure is designed to perform multiple functions: sealing the container, providing a piercing element to puncture the membrane, and facilitating beverage dispensing. This self-service approach eliminates the need for external piercing mechanisms in the beverage machine, reducing complexity while maintaining sterility.
3Productivity
If gas is introduced into the internal space to force beverage material out, then dispensing is facilitated, but the closure structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The closure is designed with multi-functionality: it seals the container opening, houses the movable piercing element, and incorporates a gas inlet port for pressurized gas introduction. This universal design consolidates multiple functions into a single component, facilitating beverage dispensing without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Pressurized gas is introduced through the gas inlet port in the closure to force the beverage material out of the container. This pneumatic mechanism simplifies the dispensing process by using gas pressure rather than mechanical pumping or manual pouring, improving productivity while keeping the closure structure relatively simple.
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 container effectively prevents cross-contamination and ensures sterility during beverage preparation by using a movable piercing element and gas introduction, enhancing the safety and cleanliness of the beverage-making process.
Implementation Method 1
The movable element can pierce the membrane so as to allow the beverage material to exit the internal space
Implementation Method 2
a gas inlet port arranged to couple with a gas supply of a beverage machine and deliver gas into the internal space through a hole in the membrane to force beverage material to flow into the channel
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods and containers for forming a beverage. A container includes a closure arranged with a movable element that is movable to pierce a membrane and permit beverage material in the container to exit. The movable element can include a piercing element that pierces the membrane. Gas can be introduced into the container to force beverage material to exit the container. A gas inlet port can be provided with the closure and arranged to mate with a gas source of a beverage machine.