Beverage Capsule Damping Element for Water Hammer Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Capsules used in automatic dispensing machines for beverages often experience the 'water hammer' phenomenon when the closing element breaks, leading to potential explosion and damage to the machine, as well as unsanitary spurts of liquid, due to sudden pressure variations and high-speed liquid exit, which complicates manufacturing and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
The capsule design incorporates a damping element with an annular passage of reduced width to slow down the beverage exit and control pressure drop, preventing water hammer and spurts by allowing the closing element to tear progressively, thus reducing pressure waves and ensuring a more gradual pressure release.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the closing element breaks suddenly to dispense beverage, then the beverage can be delivered quickly, but the water hammer phenomenon occurs causing capsule explosion and machine damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a damping element positioned between the closing element and the beverage product that acts as a cushioning mechanism. This damping element absorbs and dissipates the shock waves generated when the closing element breaks, preventing the water hammer phenomenon while still allowing rapid beverage dispensing. The damping element is specifically designed to deform under pressure to control the pressure wave propagation.
2Productivity
If the closing element breaks suddenly, then beverage dispensing is fast, but liquid spurts exit the container causing dirtying
Solution Approach 1:
The damping element serves as a preliminary cushioning mechanism that controls the release of liquid from the capsule. By absorbing excess pressure and energy, it prevents the liquid from exiting at excessively high speeds that would cause spurts and dirtying, while maintaining sufficient flow rate for efficient dispensing.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If labyrinth paths are added to decrease beverage exit speed, then water hammer and spurts are prevented, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase considerably
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the damping function from the complex labyrinthine path structure and concentrates it in a separate, simple damping element. This damping element can be a simple cylindrical or conical component made of elastomeric material, eliminating the need for complex folded or labyrinthine paths while achieving the same pressure wave damping effect.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If labyrinth paths are added to control pressure drop, then beverage exit speed is reduced, but manufacturing cost increases considerably
Solution Approach 1:
The damping function is extracted from the complex labyrinthine structure and implemented through a simple damping element that can be easily manufactured. This element may be a pre-formed elastomeric component or a simple geometric shape that provides the necessary damping characteristics without requiring complex molding or assembly processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A capsule for beverages includes a casing made by forming a sheet of thermoformable plastic material, the casing including: a base wall and a side wall defining a cavity suitable for containing an initial product to be combined with a fluid to obtain a final product in the form of a beverage, a first opening of the cavity opposite the base wall, an edge extending from the side wall and surrounding the first opening and a second opening made in the base wall. The first opening is closed hermetically by a cover element fixed to the edge, said the cover element being perforable by an injection arrangement of a dispensing machine in which the capsule is usable. The second opening is closed hermetically by a closing element) suitable for tearing when pressure inside the cavity exceeds a predetermined value. The capsule further includes a chamber placed opposite the base wall with respect to the cavity, the chamber being able to communicate with the cavity through the second opening, when the closing element tears, the chamber being provided with an outlet opening, made in the center of a bottom wall opposite the base wall. Inside the chamber a damping element is arranged that can communicate with the cavity through the second opening, when the closing element tears, the damping element being sized in such a manner as to prevent the occurrence of the water hammer phenomenon at the moment of tearing of the closing element, or at least to reduce considerably the intensity of the pressure waves generated by the phenomenon, the damping element acting also as a resting element for the closing element when the latter is deformed through the effect of a pressure increase inside the cavity.