Coffee Pad with Rigid Shell and Large Outlet for Uniform Extraction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coffee machine pads face issues with shape retention and uniform beverage preparation, leading to potential bypass effects and variations in coffee quality due to manual adaptation and positioning requirements, limiting the variety of beverages that can be prepared and making it difficult to control beverage properties.
Innovation Solution
A coffee machine pad with a flexible first sheet and a rigid shell, equipped with a fluid collecting structure and a second sheet positioned on the bottom, which forms a filter to ensure fluid passes through the pad uniformly, maintaining shape and preventing bypass, allowing for a wider range of beverage preparation and precise control over beverage properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If a flexible pad is used without a rigid shell, then the pad is simple and easy to manufacture, but the pad cannot retain its shape and allows bypass of hot water
Solution Approach 1:
The pad is divided into distinct functional components: a flexible first sheet for sealing, a rigid shell for structural support and shape retention, and a second sheet for filtration. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally while working together as an integrated system.
Solution Approach 2:
The pad combines materials with different properties: flexible material for sealing surfaces, rigid material for structural integrity, and filtration material for beverage extraction. This composite approach resolves the contradiction by integrating materials that individually address shape retention, simplicity, and bypass prevention.
2Manufacturing precision
If manual adaptation of the pad to the holder is required, then the pad can be simple in structure, but the beverage preparation becomes inconsistent and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The pad is pre-formed with a rigid shell that maintains its shape and dimensions before use. This preliminary structuring ensures that when the user places the pad in the holder, the extraction process is consistent and repeatable without requiring manual adjustment or flattening of the pad.
Solution Approach 2:
The introduction of a rigid shell changes the physical parameters of the pad from flexible and deformable to structurally stable with consistent geometry. This parameter change ensures uniform contact with the holder and consistent water flow distribution during extraction.
3Productivity
If the outlet opening is small, then the flow rate is controlled, but the beverage flow is restricted and volume is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The outlet opening is strategically designed with specific dimensions and positioning to optimize flow characteristics. The local quality of the outlet geometry is engineered to provide sufficient flow volume while maintaining controlled extraction pressure and beverage quality.
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 pad maintains its shape and ensures uniform fluid flow, preventing bypass and dilution, enabling the preparation of various coffee varieties with precise control over beverage properties, such as cappuccinos and latte macchiato, while maintaining the quality and intensity preferred by consumers.
Implementation Method 1
the flexible first sheet and the second sheet each form a filter permeable to a fluid such as water and beverage which can pass and that forms a barrier for the beverage preparation product
Implementation Method 2
the pad is equipped with a rigid shell wherein the sheet and the shell around their adjacent perimeter edges are connected to each other, in which the shell is equipped with at least one outlet opening
Implementation Method 3
on the interior space of the pad in a bottom of the shell there is provided a fluid collecting structure, such as channels that are in fluid connection with the at least one outlet
Implementation Method 4
the pad is placed in a holder which is then closed with a lid and then hot water is supplied to a top of the pad so that the hot water is pressed through the pad
Data Source
AI summary
Pad including a covering filled with an extractable beverage preparation product. The covering comprises a flexible first sheet and a rigid shell which are connected to each other. The shell has at least one outlet opening. The pad is further equipped with a flexible second sheet that is positioned on a bottom of the shell located between the product and the shell. The first sheet and the second sheet each form a filter that allows an aqueous fluid, including water, and the beverage to pass and that forms a barrier for the product. The at least one outlet opening preferably has a diameter of a sufficient size for passing the beverage substantially unrestricted.