Coffee Capsule Flow Control Porous Member for Cleaner Extraction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage production capsules face issues with slow and inconsistent extraction processes, particularly for larger coffee doses, due to the use of simple perforable foil members with small relief elements, leading to incomplete filtration and coffee particle escape.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of a capsule design featuring a flow control porous member between the ingredients and the foil member, which is perforated by a relief plate under pressure, creating consistent openings for faster and more efficient beverage extraction while retaining coffee solids.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a simple perforable foil member with small relief elements is used, then the capsule structure is simple, but the extraction process becomes slow and inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a porous flow control member with controlled pore sizes positioned between the coffee bed and the foil member. This porous structure enables faster and more consistent fluid flow through the coffee bed during extraction, directly resolving the slow and inconsistent extraction process while maintaining capsule structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The capsule combines multiple materials with different properties: a perforable foil member for structural integrity and a porous flow control member for optimized fluid dynamics. This composite structure allows the capsule to achieve both simplicity and high productivity by leveraging the complementary characteristics of each material.
2Device complexity
If a simple perforable foil member is used, then the capsule structure is simple, but filtration becomes incomplete and coffee particles escape
Solution Approach 1:
The porous flow control member with specifically controlled pore sizes acts as an additional filtration layer that captures fine coffee particles while allowing efficient fluid passage. This resolves the incomplete filtration issue without complicating the capsule structure, as the porous material inherently provides both flow control and filtration functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The porous flow control member serves as an intermediary element between the coffee bed and the foil member, providing a transition zone that enhances filtration efficiency. This intermediate layer ensures reliable filtration by intercepting coffee particles before they can escape through the foil member perforations.
3Quantity of substance
If larger coffee doses are used, then the beverage strength increases, but the extraction process becomes slower and more inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
The porous flow control member with optimized pore sizes facilitates faster fluid penetration and flow through larger coffee doses, maintaining extraction speed even when increasing coffee quantity. The porous structure prevents channeling and ensures uniform water distribution through the coffee bed, resolving the inconsistency issue.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical parameters of the flow control system by introducing a porous material with specific pore size distributions. This parameter change enables the system to handle varying coffee doses efficiently, maintaining both extraction speed and consistency regardless of the coffee quantity used.
4Ease of operation
If smaller relief elements are used, then the foil member can be easily perforated, but the extraction process becomes slower
Solution Approach 1:
The porous flow control member compensates for the limited flow capacity of small relief element perforations by providing additional flow pathways through its porous structure. This resolves the slow extraction issue while maintaining the ease of perforation benefit, as the porous material inherently provides multiple flow channels without requiring larger or more numerous perforations.
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
This design results in a 25% reduction in extraction time with significantly lower standard deviation, ensuring cleaner extraction and reduced coffee solid resurgences, maintaining the quality of the coffee liquid extract.
Implementation Method 1
a flow control porous member arranged between at least a portion of ingredients in the capsule and the foil member
Implementation Method 2
flow control porous member arranged between at least a portion of ingredients in the capsule and the foil member
Implementation Method 3
the injection pressure thrusts the foil member against the relief plate
Implementation Method 4
the injection pressure thrusts the foil member against the relief plate to form a multitude of openings
Data Source
AI summary
A sealed capsule contains a beverage ingredient in powder form, in particular, ground coffee. The capsule comprises a base body (4) and a foil member (5) tightly attached to the base body (4), the foil member (5) being made from a material allowing the production of a multitude of perforations in the foil member (5) when the foil member (5) is thrust, via the pressure caused by injecting a liquid or a liquid/gas mix into the capsule, against a relief plate of a beverage production machine, wherein the capsule is provided with a flow control porous member (80), the flow control porous member (80) being positioned between at least a portion of ingredients (3) and the foil member (5). The flow control porous member provides a faster and more consistent flow of the liquid extract through the capsule and significantly reduces the resurgence of non-soluble solids.