Beverage Capsule Composite Membrane Weakening Line
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage capsules face challenges in applying weakening lines to thin aluminum foils, requiring high internal pressure for bursting, which is costly and difficult to control.
Innovation Solution
A capsule design featuring a composite membrane with a weakened zone only in the plastic foil, allowing for controlled bursting behavior across a wide pressure range, using a metal foil and plastic foil combination where the plastic foil's weakening line determines the tearing behavior, enabling reliable tearing at lower pressures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If weakening lines are applied to thin aluminum foils, then the capsule can burst at lower pressure, but it is difficult or almost impossible to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a composite membrane structure consisting of an aluminum foil layer combined with a plastic foil layer (such as PET). The weakening line is applied only to the plastic foil layer, which is more amenable to creating weakening lines than aluminum foil. This composite structure allows the capsule to burst at lower pressures while maintaining manufacturability, as the plastic layer can be easily weakened without compromising the overall structural integrity provided by the aluminum layer.
2Strength
If the wall thickness of the membrane is increased, then the capsule structure becomes stronger, but a high internal pressure must be generated for the capsule to burst
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by creating a weakening line only in a specific region of the plastic foil layer, rather than uniformly thickening the entire membrane. The weakening line has a reduced thickness or altered material properties locally, allowing the capsule to burst at controlled lower pressures at specific points while the rest of the membrane maintains its strength and structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane is segmented into different functional zones: the majority of the membrane maintains full thickness for structural strength, while a specific weakening line region has reduced thickness or altered properties to enable controlled bursting. This segmentation allows different parts of the same membrane to serve different functions - structural support versus controlled failure.
3Reliability
If a composite film is used with weakening zone only in plastic foil, then the tearing behavior is controlled reliably, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the weakening function from the metal foil layer and places it exclusively in the plastic foil layer. This separation allows the weakening line to be applied only where needed in the plastic layer, simplifying the manufacturing process compared to trying to create weakening lines in the metal foil, while still achieving reliable tearing behavior control.
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 allows for the production of capsules with a controlled bursting mechanism, reducing production costs and ensuring reliable beverage extraction with minimal environmental exposure, while maintaining aroma and liquid-tight integrity.
Implementation Method 1
the weakening zone in the plastic film is entirely sufficient, and that in the case of a weakening line, the tear in the metal foil follows the weakening line in the plastic film exactly
Implementation Method 2
The chamber is essentially liquid-tight and airtight from the outside atmosphere, thus protecting the substance from environmental influences
Data Source
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Figure 6~8
AI summary
A capsule (1) for the production of a beverage comprises a capsule body (2) with a closed chamber (3) containing a substance. The closed chamber has an outlet section (4), which is formed by a membrane (6) that ruptures under internal pressure within the closed chamber to create an outlet opening (5). To define the outlet opening, the membrane is provided with at least one weakening line (7). The membrane consists of a composite film (8) comprising a metal foil (9) and a plastic film (10). The weakening line (7) is located only in the plastic film (10). This measure allows the rupture behavior of the membrane (6) to be controlled even on very thin metal foils. Furthermore, the weakening line is easy to produce.