Compostable Coffee Cartridge with Differential Wall Disintegration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cartridges for preparing liquid products, despite being made from compostable materials, often fail to disintegrate completely during composting due to their structural design, which hinders the composting process and does not meet the biodegradability standards set by norms like UNI EN 13432.
Innovation Solution
The cartridge design includes a bottom wall and closing wall that can be disintegrated more rapidly than the side wall, either by being thinner or having a bond that resolves during composting, allowing microbial action on both sides for accelerated disintegration and composting, facilitating faster disintegration and compliance with biodegradability standards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the cartridge is made with uniform wall thickness using compostable materials, then the material compostability is improved, but the disintegration rate during composting becomes insufficient and non-uniform
Solution Approach 1:
The cartridge employs different wall thicknesses in different locations: the bottom wall and closing wall are made thinner (0.3-1.0 mm) compared to the side wall (0.5-1.5 mm). This local variation in thickness creates different disintegration rates, allowing the bottom and closing walls to break down first and facilitate microbial action, while the thicker side walls maintain structural integrity during use. This resolves the contradiction by making the structure non-uniform to achieve both manufacturability with compostable materials and adequate disintegration performance.
2Strength
If the cartridge maintains a closed structural design, then the structural integrity during use is improved, but the composting process is hindered and biodegradability standards are not met
Solution Approach 1:
The cartridge is segmented into zones with different disintegration characteristics: the bottom wall and closing wall are designed to disintegrate more rapidly than the side walls. This segmentation allows the cartridge to maintain its closed, intact structure during use (preserving structural integrity), while during composting the bottom and closing walls break down first to create openings that facilitate microbial action throughout the interior, ultimately achieving compliance with biodegradability standards.
3Strength
If the wall thickness is increased to maintain structural integrity, then the strength during use is improved, but the disintegration time during composting exceeds the required timeframe
Solution Approach 1:
Different wall thicknesses are applied locally to different parts of the cartridge: side walls are thicker (0.5-1.5 mm) to maintain structural integrity during use, while bottom and closing walls are thinner (0.3-1.0 mm) to ensure rapid initial disintegration during composting. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by optimizing each region's thickness for its specific function, achieving both adequate strength during use and compliance with composting timeframes.
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 ensures that the cartridge disintegrates within the required time frame, enhancing the composting process by allowing microbial action on both sides, thus meeting the biodegradability and compostability standards, and aiding in the production of a homogeneous end product.
Implementation Method 1
The bottom wall and the closing wall can be disintegrated by composting more rapidly than the side wall
Implementation Method 2
at least one between the bottom wall and the closing wall of the cartridge can be disintegrated by composting more rapidly than the side wall
Data Source
AI summary
A cartridge (10) containing a dose (12) of at least one substance such as ground coffee that can be used in the preparation of a liquid product, for example, using liquid and/or steam introduced into the cartridge (10), comprises a side wall (140), a bottom wall (142), through which said liquid product is able to flow from the cartridge (10), and a wall (16) for closing the cartridge (10) at the end opposite to said bottom wall (142). The side wall (140), the bottom wall (142), and the closing wall (16) comprise a material compostable after use of the cartridge. Either the bottom wall (142) or the closing wall (16) or both disintegrates/disintegrate during composting more rapidly than said side wall (140). In addition or as an alternative, either the bottom wall (142) or the closing wall (16) or both of them is/are connected to the side wall (140) by a bond resolvable during composting. In this way, during composting, the spent dose (12) is no longer withheld within the cartridge (10), thus accelerating disintegration and hence composting of the side wall (140).