Deformable Beverage Container with Integrated Air Inlet
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for preparing and dispensing foamable beverage and food products require rigorous shaking or manual manipulation, which is inconvenient for consumers seeking easy and efficient preparation methods.
Innovation Solution
A deformable package with an air inlet mechanism that allows air to mix with a primary ingredient, enabling foaming and dispensing of the product through a selectively openable outlet, which can be resiliently compressed and expanded to facilitate easy preparation and consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If rigorous shaking or manual manipulation is used to prepare foamable beverages, then foam can be generated, but the ease of operation deteriorates and preparation becomes inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The package automatically performs the foaming function through its resilient deformation. When the package is squeezed, it automatically draws air in through the air inlet means and mixes it with the liquid product, generating foam without requiring the consumer to perform shaking or manual manipulation operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical shaking operation with a pneumatic-mechanical system. The resilient package body acts as a pump, using its deformation to create pressure differential that draws air in and forces it through the liquid product, substituting the need for manual shaking with an automated pneumatic mechanism.
2Ease of operation
If air is drawn into the package to create foam, then foaming is achieved, but the package structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The outlet is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as both the dispensing opening for the liquid product and the air inlet means for drawing air into the package. The air inlet means may be integrated into the outlet structure, reducing the need for separate components and simplifying the overall package structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The package utilizes a resilient, flexible body that can deform under compression. This flexibility allows the package to act as a pump, drawing air in and forcing it through the product without requiring complex mechanical pumps or valves, thereby achieving multi-functionality with a simple flexible structure.
3Ease of operation
If the package is resiliently deformable to enable compression and expansion, then ease of operation improves, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The package is constructed from resilient, flexible material that can be molded into the desired shape with integrated air inlet means and outlet structures. This approach allows the complex functional requirements to be achieved through material selection and molding techniques rather than assembly of multiple rigid components, thereby maintaining ease of manufacture.
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 package allows for easy preparation of foamed beverages and food products with minimal effort, enabling the production of consistent foam quantities and simplifying the process of creating drinks like cappuccinos and frothy milkshakes, reducing the need for multiple brewing steps and enhancing consumer convenience.
Implementation Method 1
the package is resiliently deformable between an initial compressed position in which air is substantially evacuated from the package and an expanded position, such that when the ingress of air is enabled the package recovers from the compressed position to its normal position sucking air into the chamber
Implementation Method 2
the air mixes with the primary ingredient and effects foaming thereof
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to improvements in containers, and in particular to improvements in containers for preparing and dispensing foamable beverage and food products. A filled package for the preparation of a foamed beverage or food product from a liquid primary ingredient and air comprises at least one wall defining a chamber containing the primary ingredient, an outlet for dispensing the prepared product and air inlet means for selectively enabling the ingress of air into the chamber. The package is resiliently deformable between an initial compressed position in which air is substantially evacuated from the package and an expanded position, such that when the ingress of air is enabled the package recovers from the compressed position to its normal position sucking air into the chamber thereby mixing with the primary ingredient.