Brewing and filtering device for coffee and tea
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coffee and tea brewing devices are often large, bulky, and lack portability, making them inefficient for single-cup brewing and unsuitable for on-the-go use, while also failing to provide adequate user control over brewing variables and ingredient quantities.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible brewing and filtering device using an immersion brewing method with a collapsible cup and filter cap that allows for even extraction of coffee grounds or tea leaves, enabling users to brew single or multiple servings efficiently and portably, with a compact design that includes a plunger, filter cap, and magnetic cover for easy use and cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If traditional brewing devices are designed for multiple servings, then brewing capacity is improved, but device size and storage space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cup is designed with collapsible sidewalls that can transition between expanded and collapsed states. When expanded, the cup provides sufficient volume for multiple servings; when collapsed, it minimizes storage space requirements. This dynamic structural change allows the device to adapt its volume based on operational vs. storage needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The collapsible cup can be folded into a compact configuration that nests within the filter cap assembly. The cup's collapsed state allows it to be stored inside the housing structure, creating a nested arrangement that significantly reduces the overall device footprint when not in use.
2Quantity of substance
If traditional brewing devices are designed for multiple servings, then brewing capacity is improved, but portability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The collapsible cup transitions from an expanded state during brewing to a collapsed state for portability. This dynamic transformation allows the device to provide adequate brewing capacity when needed while minimizing volume and weight for travel, directly addressing the portability challenge.
Solution Approach 2:
The cup is constructed from flexible, collapsible material that can be compressed into a compact form. This flexible shell design enables the cup to be easily stored in a portable configuration within the filter cap assembly, making the entire device suitable for travel while maintaining brewing capacity when deployed.
3Manufacturing precision
If immersion brewing method is used, then extraction evenness is improved, but brewing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The brewing process uses periodic agitation through collapsing and expanding the cup, which circulates water through the coffee grounds in intervals. This periodic action enhances extraction evenness by continuously redistributing the grounds and water contact, while the total brewing time remains controlled by limiting the number of agitation cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
Coffee grounds are pre-loaded into the cup before water is added. This preliminary arrangement ensures even distribution of grounds at the bottom of the cup, creating a uniform bed that promotes consistent water flow and extraction during the brewing process, thereby improving extraction evenness without requiring extended brewing time.
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 device allows for efficient brewing and filtering of coffee or tea in a compact, portable form, enabling users to control brewing variables and quantities, providing a better-tasting beverage while minimizing waste and storage space.
Implementation Method 1
press on the base of the collapsible cup to cause a folding sidewall of the collapsible cup to collapse into a folded configuration forcing the beverage through the filter
Implementation Method 2
filter cap for filtering the beverage before consumption... permit the beverage to exit the collapsible cup only through a filter
Data Source
AI summary
A brewing and filtering device including a collapsible cup including a base and a folding sidewall comprising a plurality of foldable panels, wherein the sidewall includes a first end and a second end with the first end mated to the base and the second end extending from the base and defining a rim, wherein the base, sidewall, and rim define an open cavity, wherein the sidewall is moveable between a first configuration and a second configuration such that, in the first configuration, the panels are in an unfolded configuration locating the rim a first distance away from the base measured along a first axis and, in the second configuration, the panels are folded such that the panels collapse locating the rim a second distance away from the base, and a filter cap that releasably engages the rim, wherein the filter cap includes a filter.