Compostable Beverage Capsule Oxygen Barrier Design
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage capsules for preparing beverages, such as coffee, pose an environmental burden due to their non-biodegradable materials and difficulty in processing, leading to significant waste and environmental load.
Innovation Solution
The development of a capsule made from biologically compostable materials, featuring a laminate structure with an oxygen barrier protected by moisture-resistant layers, which is designed to decompose molecularly after use, reducing environmental impact and preserving the beverage's quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If aluminium is used for the capsule housing, then barrier properties for preserving coffee are improved, but processing difficulty increases and environmental load worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining multiple layers with different functions: an outer layer providing mechanical strength and moisture barrier, an intermediate layer providing oxygen barrier properties, and an inner layer providing release properties. This composite structure achieves the barrier performance of aluminium while being more easily processable and environmentally friendly through compostability.
2Reliability
If aluminium is used for the capsule housing, then barrier properties for preserving coffee are improved, but environmental load increases due to non-biodegradability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of material composition from synthetic non-biodegradable aluminium to biodegradable natural or synthetic polymers. This parameter change maintains the essential barrier function while transforming the environmental fate of the capsule from persistent waste to compostable material that decomposes into harmless substances.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the capsule to be discarded in a environmentally friendly manner through composting. The biodegradable materials allow the capsule to be recovered naturally by microorganisms in composting facilities, converting it into humus and other benign products, thus eliminating the harmful environmental accumulation associated with aluminium waste.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If biodegradable materials are used for the capsule, then environmental load is reduced, but barrier properties for preserving coffee may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by using composite materials where each layer contributes specific properties. The outer layer provides moisture barrier and mechanical strength, the intermediate layer provides oxygen barrier, and the inner layer provides release properties. Together, these biodegradable composite layers achieve barrier performance comparable to aluminium while maintaining compostability.
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 compostable capsule significantly reduces environmental waste, maintains beverage quality through effective oxygen and moisture barriers, and meets compostability standards, offering a sustainable solution for waste management.
Implementation Method 1
The housing is composed of an oxygen barrier layer (7), which is enclosed by at least two surrounding material layers (5, 6)
Implementation Method 2
The at least two surrounding material layers (5, 6) protect the oxygen barrier (7) from moisture
Implementation Method 3
the capsule is molecularly decomposed in a biological manner by microorganisms
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 5~8
Figure 9~10
AI summary
The invention relates to a capsule for use in a device for preparing beverages. The invention furthermore relates to a method for producing a capsule according to the invention. The invention also relates to an assembly of such a capsule and to a device for preparing beverages.