Capsule Base Capillary Relief Structure for Dripping Prevention
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing capsules for preparing infusion beverages often leak residual fluids when removed from machines, causing inconvenience due to the lack of effective dripping prevention mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A capsule design incorporating a base with capillary relief structures and strategically sized openings that utilize the capillarity principle to prevent fluid leakage by controlling the flow of infusion beverages and maintaining liquid inside until the pressure threshold is met, featuring a base with concentric circular reliefs and diagonal grooves to slow down and direct the water flow through a nozzle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional capsule design with simple outlet is used, then manufacturing is simple, but fluid leakage occurs when capsule is removed from machine
Solution Approach 1:
The base incorporates reliefs with capillary openings that act as porous structures. These openings have dimensions specifically designed to exploit capillary effects, allowing fluid passage under pressure during infusion but preventing dripping when pressure is released. The porous-like structure of the reliefs with multiple small openings provides both filtering and flow control functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The opening dimensions of the reliefs are carefully controlled to specific ranges that enable capillary action. By changing the parameter of opening size to be sufficiently small, the system transitions from simple gravity-driven flow to capillary-controlled flow, preventing harmful dripping while maintaining useful infusion flow during operation.
2Productivity
If larger openings are provided in base, then fluid flow during infusion is improved, but residual fluid leakage increases when capsule is removed
Solution Approach 1:
The base surface is divided into multiple reliefs with openings distributed across different locations. Each relief locally controls fluid flow through its own set of capillary openings. This local distribution allows the system to maintain good overall flow during infusion while each local region independently prevents dripping through capillary action when pressure is released.
Solution Approach 2:
The single outlet is segmented into multiple reliefs, each with its own openings. This segmentation distributes the total flow across multiple capillary structures, maintaining productivity through cumulative flow while each segment independently provides dripping prevention through capillary effects.
3Reliability
If capillary reliefs with small openings are added to base, then dripping is prevented, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The reliefs are designed as integrated porous-like structures that can be manufactured as single components. The capillary openings are formed as part of the relief structure itself, allowing simultaneous formation of multiple openings with controlled dimensions through standard molding or machining processes, reducing the need for separate precision operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The reliefs are integrated directly into the base structure rather than being separate components. This merging combines the flow distribution function and the capillary dripping prevention function into a single manufactured element, reducing assembly steps and overall manufacturing complexity despite the precision requirements for the openings.
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
Effectively prevents dripping by ensuring that fluids remain within the capsule when it is disengaged from the machine, enhancing user convenience and reducing mess.
Implementation Method 1
prevent, due to the capillarity effect, the passage of liquids from the internal volume V of the containing body 3 to the nozzle 4 when the pressure decreases below a threshold value or ceases
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
A capsule (1) is described, for preparing infusion beverages, in particular coffee, chocolate milk and other soluble substances, comprising a containing body (3) having a base (5), the body (3) comprising an internal volume (V) adapted to contain a substance to be infused or melted, the base (5) being equipped with an outlet nozzle (4) of the beverage from the internal volume (V) and being equipped with a dripping-preventing system comprising an internal surface equipped with a relief (7', 7'', 7''') internally surrounding the nozzle (4), which is equipped with one or more openings (9', 9'', 9''') adapted to allow a passage of a flow (F) of the beverage from the internal volume (V) of the containing body (3) to the nozzle (4) under the action of a pressure exerted by an infusion flow delivered by an infusing assembly of a preparing machine and to prevent, due to a capillarity effect, a passage of liquids from the volume (V) of the body (3) to the nozzle (4) when the pressure decreases below a threshold value.