Relief-Shaped Capsule Sealing Member for Pressure-Reliable Brewing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Capsules for beverage preparation face issues with irregularities in sealing due to bearing play or design features, leading to pressure drops and potential leaks, affecting the quality of espresso-style coffee and compatibility with various beverage production devices.
Innovation Solution
A capsule design featuring a relief-shaped sealing member with protrusions and recessions that deform to compensate for irregularities, ensuring effective sealing across different devices and wear conditions, minimizing weight and volume while maintaining sealing efficacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional flat sealing member is used in the capsule, then the capsule structure is simple and manufacturing is easy, but sealing reliability deteriorates due to irregularities in the beverage production device causing pressure drops and leaks
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing member incorporates localized protrusions and recessions at specific areas of the sealing surface. These local geometric variations allow the sealing member to adapt to irregularities in the beverage production device, compensating for surface defects and maintaining reliable sealing without requiring a completely complex structure
Solution Approach 2:
The relief-shaped features (protrusions and recessions) are pre-formed on the sealing member before use. When the capsule is placed in the beverage production device, these pre-formed features automatically deform to compensate for irregularities in the device's sealing surface, ensuring proper sealing is established from the outset without requiring adjustment or intervention
2Adaptability or versatility
If the sealing member is made rigid to maintain structural stability, then manufacturing precision is easier to achieve, but adaptability to different devices and wear conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing member is designed with specific geometric parameters including protrusions with heights of 0.5-2mm and recessions with depths of 0.3-1.5mm. These parameter variations allow the sealing member to deform controllably under pressure, adapting to different device configurations and wear conditions while maintaining manufacturing feasibility
3Reliability
If the protrusions are made tall to improve sealing compensation, then sealing reliability improves, but the volume and weight of the sealing member increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing member incorporates multiple protrusions and recessions distributed across the sealing surface, with individual features of moderate height (0.5-2mm). This partial action approach provides sufficient sealing compensation through distributed features rather than requiring a single excessive feature, maintaining effectiveness while controlling overall volume
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 capsule achieves reliable sealing and pressure retention, ensuring consistent beverage quality and compatibility with a wide range of beverage preparation devices, even with wear and tear, by using a resilient or rigid sealing member made from materials like plastic, rubber, or silicone.
Implementation Method 1
The sealing member is deformed when the capsule is put in sealing engagement with an enclosing member of a dedicated beverage production device
Implementation Method 2
The sealing member can be made from materials like plastic, rubber, or silicone
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention proposes a capsule for containing beverage ingredients, the capsule being designed for insertion in a beverage production device, the capsule comprising a cup-like body portion, a flange-like rim portion, a delivery wall and a sealing member having—in a radial cross sectional view—at least one protrusion and/or recession.