Disposable Beverage Basket Structure for Clean Single-Serve Brewing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Reusable devices for single serve brewers, such as those with metal or steel filters, are not suitable for efficient use in busy environments like homes or offices due to cleaning complexities and the need for a water source, which may not be practical.
Innovation Solution
A disposable single-use beverage package with a frame that includes a continuous rim, spaced ribs, and a bottom portion with openings for fluid flow, facilitating alignment and stacking, and a permeable basket with a filter medium made from materials like polylactic acid or polypropylene, designed for easy use and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If reusable devices with metal or steel filters are used, then beverage brewing function is maintained, but cleaning complexity increases and requires water source proximity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs disposable beverage packages that are discarded after single use, eliminating the need for cleaning and maintenance of reusable filters. Each package contains a pre-formed filter and brewing chamber that is thrown away after use, solving the cleaning complexity problem while maintaining brewing functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter and brewing components are extracted from a reusable device and integrated into a disposable package. This separates the brewing function from the cleaning requirement, allowing the filter to be disposed of with the package rather than cleaned separately.
2Adaptability or versatility
If reusable devices are used, then brewing capability is provided, but device complexity increases due to cleaning requirements and water source needs
Solution Approach 1:
By using disposable packages, the system eliminates the need for complex reusable components that require cleaning infrastructure. The brewing capability is maintained through single-use packages that contain all necessary filtering and brewing elements integrated into a simple, disposable unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The brewing system is segmented into individual disposable packages rather than a single reusable device. Each package is a self-contained unit that can be used independently without requiring connection to water sources or cleaning facilities, reducing overall system complexity.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If reusable filters are used, then multiple uses are enabled, but beverage ground caking into filter openings occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The disposable package is discarded after single use before beverage grounds can cake into the filter openings. This eliminates the reliability degradation that occurs with reusable filters over time, ensuring consistent flow performance for each use.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter is provided in a new, clean state within the disposable package before use, preventing the caking issue that develops in reusable filters after multiple uses. Each package starts with a fresh filter surface optimized for flow.
Data Source
AI summary
A disposable single use beverage package includes a frame. The frame includes a continuous rim that defines an opening at a top of the frame, a bottom portion that is closed, and a plurality of spaced apart ribs that extend from the rim to a peripheral edge of the bottom. The bottom portion, plurality of ribs and rim define a plurality of openings that facilitate fluid flow. The basket is tapered to facilitate stacking of multiple baskets. At least one rib includes a ledge positioned in a center region configured to limit an amount by which an upper basket is insertable into a lower basket to thereby define a space between respective bottoms of the upper basket and the lower basket.