Beverage Capsule Foil Tongues for Easy Seal Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing single-dose beverage capsules face difficulties in rapid and efficient separation of foils from the capsule casing, hindering recyclability and proper waste sorting, as the foils are often welded along their edges.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating tongues on the foils that are not welded to the edges of the capsule, allowing for easy piercing or tearing during beverage preparation, and a filter with a detachable tongue for efficient separation of components, facilitating recyclability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the foils are welded to the edge of the capsule, then the sealing is improved, but the separation of foils from the capsule casing becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The foil is divided into two distinct parts: a first portion that is welded to the capsule edge for sealing, and a second portion (tongue) that projects outward and remains unwelded for easy separation. This segmentation allows the foil to simultaneously achieve reliable sealing while enabling easy removal during waste sorting.
Solution Approach 2:
The second portion of the foil (the tongue) is extracted from the welded connection and positioned separately, allowing it to be easily pulled away from the capsule body. This extraction creates a handle-like structure that facilitates manual separation of the foil from the plastic capsule during recycling processes.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the foils are made of aluminium, then the recyclability is improved, but the separation from polymer component becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The aluminium foil is segmented into a welded sealing portion and an unwelded tongue portion. This allows the high-value aluminium material to be used for sealing while the unwelded tongue enables easy mechanical separation from the polymer capsule, facilitating proper recycling streams for both materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The unwelded tongue acts as an intermediary element between the welded foil and the capsule body, providing a grasping point that mediates the separation process. This allows operators to easily pull the aluminium foil away from the plastic capsule without requiring specialized separation equipment.
Data Source
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AI summary
Capsule (10) for the preparation of a beverage from a powdery or granular raw material comprising a body (12) made of polymer material. The body (12) has a top edge (14) and a bottom edge (16), at least one of which (14, 16) is provided with a foil (18, 20) suitable for sealing said edge. The foil is provided with a tongue (22, 24).