Beverage Capsule Communication Ring for Protected RFID Readability
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage capsules with embedded identifiers, such as RFID tags, are prone to damage and deterioration due to mechanical and hydraulic forces during brewing, leading to readability issues and capsule wastage.
Innovation Solution
A capsule design with a communication assembly, including a sealed integrated circuit and contact pads, is capacitively coupled to an external reader using low, high, or ultra-high frequency technologies, ensuring reliability and protection from external aggressions, and allowing storage and transfer of user preferences and production information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an RFID tag is embedded in the capsule package, then capsule identification and information storage are enabled, but the identifier is prone to damage and deterioration due to mechanical and hydraulic forces during brewing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a capacitive coupling mechanism as an intermediary between the RFID tag and the external reader. Instead of direct contact or vulnerable surface mounting, the RFID tag is embedded within the capsule structure and communicates through capacitive fields that can penetrate the capsule materials. This intermediary coupling method protects the RFID tag from mechanical and hydraulic forces while enabling reliable communication.
Solution Approach 2:
The RFID tag is nested within the capsule assembly, specifically positioned within the seal or closing element structure. This nesting approach embeds the identifier deep within the capsule construction rather than placing it on the surface, providing mechanical protection against forces during brewing while maintaining functional accessibility to the brewing system.
2Ease of operation
If a contactless identifier is placed on the package surface, then capsule recognition is achieved, but the identifier can be easily broken by pressure and bending during mechanical closing
Solution Approach 1:
The identifier is nested within the seal structure or closing element of the capsule assembly rather than being placed on the external surface. This embedding provides structural protection against pressure and bending forces during mechanical closing operations, while the nested position still allows the brewing system to access and read the identifier through the capsule structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses capacitive coupling as an intermediary mechanism to read the identifier without requiring direct surface contact. This allows the identifier to be protected within the capsule structure while still enabling easy recognition and reading by the brewing system through non-contact capacitive fields.
3Productivity
If the capsule is tightly closed during brewing, then beverage production efficiency is improved, but the identifier subjected to high forces may be damaged and become unreadable
Solution Approach 1:
The identifier is nested within the seal or closing element structure, positioned to withstand the high forces generated during tight closing and brewing operations. This nested placement allows the capsule to be tightly closed for efficient beverage production while the protected identifier remains intact and readable throughout the brewing process.
Solution Approach 2:
Capacitive coupling serves as an intermediary that enables identifier reading through the capsule structure without requiring the identifier to be exposed to external forces. This allows tight closing for productivity while maintaining identifier reliability through non-contact communication.
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 provides a reliable, cost-effective, and durable means of storing and transmitting information, reducing capsule wastage and enhancing user customization in beverage preparation systems.
Implementation Method 1
The communication assembly is adapted to be capacitively coupled to an external reader, using a low frequency, an High Frequency or an Ultra High Frequency communication technology.
Implementation Method 2
using a low frequency, an High Frequency or an Ultra High Frequency communication technology
Data Source
AI summary
The invention pertains to the field of the beverage preparation machines, and more particularly to a capsule a capsule for containing a beverage ingredient, comprising a communication assembly, said communication assembly comprising an integrated circuit coupled with an antenna, the antenna having sensibly a ring shape and being mounted on a rim portion of the capsule, the communication assembly being adapted to transmit information related to the capsule to an external reader.