Compostable Single-Brew Cartridge Lid Structure for Stable Piercing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing single brew beverage cartridges are complex in construction, costly, and not easily compostable or biodegradable, limiting their disposal options and effectiveness in brewing beverages.
Innovation Solution
A compostable and biodegradable single brew beverage cartridge made of polylactic acid or similar materials, featuring a cup-shaped filter with a piercable lid and collar that resists flexure, allowing for easy piercing and expansion during brewing, eliminating the need for additional mechanisms to release brewed beverages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing single brew beverage cartridges use complex constructions with self-supporting outer bases and multiple chambers, then the structural integrity and brewing functionality are improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the filter element and outer base into a single integrated filter package made of biodegradable material. The filter element forms a container that directly holds the beverage brewing ingredient, eliminating the need for separate chambers and complex base structures. This integration reduces construction complexity while maintaining structural integrity through the self-supporting nature of the unified biodegradable container.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the complex outer base structure and multiple chamber divisions from the cartridge design. Instead of using a plastic base with internal chambers, the invention uses a simple biodegradable filter package that serves both as the container and filter, eliminating unnecessary structural elements while reducing manufacturing complexity.
2Strength
If existing cartridges use non-biodegradable materials like plastic and metal, then the structural strength and reusability are improved, but the environmental harm and disposal difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from conventional non-biodegradable plastics and metals to biodegradable materials such as plant-based polymers or compostable compounds. This material substitution maintains sufficient structural strength for single-use brewing applications while eliminating environmental harm through natural decomposition after use.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a disposable biodegradable filter package that is designed for single use and then naturally decomposes. This approach accepts the short lifespan of the object as a trade-off for eliminating environmental harm, with the biodegradable material breaking down completely after the brewing function is completed.
3Ease of operation
If the lid is made flexible to allow piercing, then the ease of operation is improved, but the structural stability during brewing deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making only the necessary portion of the lid piercable while maintaining overall structural stability. The lid is designed with a specific piercable region that allows needle insertion, while the rest of the lid structure remains rigid to maintain stability during the brewing process and prevent collapse.
Solution Approach 2:
The lid is segmented into functional zones: a piercable portion for needle insertion and a stable portion for maintaining structural integrity. This segmentation allows the lid to simultaneously accommodate the piercing operation and maintain stability during brewing by having different regions with different mechanical properties.
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 cartridge is simple in construction, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly, enabling efficient brewing with reduced ingredient usage and enhanced infusion, resulting in a better-tasting beverage while being easily disposable.
Implementation Method 1
The piercing member is arranged to apply a force in the longitudinal direction to the piercable portion of the lid of the cartridge to pierce the lid
Implementation Method 2
allowing for efficient brewing without additional piercing mechanisms and enabling better infusion of hot liquid with the brewing ingredient
Implementation Method 3
resulting in improved infusion and a better-tasting beverage
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a single brew beverage cartridge for use in a brewing apparatus. The cartridge includes a lid and a cup shaped filter suspended below the lid and in which a beverage brewing ingredient is held. The lid includes an annular collar to prevent the lid from deforming when a needle of the brewing apparatus pierces it during the brewing process. Preferably the cartridge is formed of materials so that it is compostable and biodegradable.