Drink Capsule Jet-Breaking Wall for Uniform Extraction Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing capsules for preparing drinks from food substances, such as ground coffee, face issues with inconsistent quality due to turbulence caused by pressurized water jets, leading to fines settling and obstructing flow, and variability in extraction conditions affecting reproducibility.
Innovation Solution
A capsule design featuring a hollow body with an injection wall and a transversal wall that breaks the fluid jet, distributing it across the bed of substance at reduced speed to prevent mixing and maintain substance integrity, using a perforated flexible film with welded edges to ensure uniform wetting and prevent turbulence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a jet of pressurized water is injected into the capsule to dissolve substance quickly, then dissolving speed is improved, but fines settle to the bottom and obstruct the orifices, reducing drink flow
Solution Approach 1:
The capsule is divided into two distinct chambers: an upper chamber for dissolving soluble substances and a lower chamber for extracting ground coffee. Each chamber has its own orifices and functional characteristics, allowing optimized processes for different substance types without interference from fine particles settling in the coffee chamber
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the capsule are designed with specialized properties: the upper chamber has features optimized for rapid dissolution of soluble substances, while the lower chamber has features optimized for extraction of ground coffee without turbulence. The jet injection is directed specifically at the upper chamber, protecting the lower chamber from fine particle disturbance
2Adaptability or versatility
If the capsule is stored in different orientations, then storage flexibility is improved, but bed density becomes uneven, affecting extraction quality consistency
Solution Approach 1:
The capsule is segmented into two separate chambers with各自的 orifices positioned at specific locations. This segmentation allows the capsule to be stored in various orientations without causing uneven bed density, as each chamber maintains its own structured arrangement of orifices and substance bed
Solution Approach 2:
The orifices are pre-positioned at specific locations in each chamber during manufacturing, creating a predetermined flow path structure that maintains bed density and extraction quality consistency regardless of storage orientation. The jet injection system is also pre-configured to target the upper chamber specifically
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 solution ensures consistent drink quality by maintaining the bed's density and preventing fines from settling, thus ensuring reproducible extraction conditions and flow, while allowing for the use of standard injection devices without causing turbulence.
Implementation Method 1
a jet of pressurized fluid is injected into the capsule... the jet of pressurized fluid is broken so as to reduce the speed of the jet of fluid injected into the capsule and to distribute the flow of the fluid across the bed of substance at a reduced speed
Implementation Method 2
a punctured element forming a jet-breaking and water distribution wall is placed transversal to the hollow body... configured to break the jet of fluid injected and to split the flow as the fluid passes through the substance
Implementation Method 3
means for retaining the internal pressure in the said chamber... the hollow body is sealed by welding edges
Implementation Method 4
a capsule configured to prepare and deliver a drink which is extracted and/or dissolved from a food substance contained in the said capsule and by injecting the pressurized fluid into the said capsule
Implementation Method 5
a capsule configured to prepare and deliver a drink which is extracted and/or dissolved from a food substance
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a capsule for delivering a drink by injecting a pressurized fluid comprising a body (2), an injection wall (3), a chamber (4) containing a bed of food substance to be extracted, means for retaining the internal pressure (5) in the said chamber. The improvement consists in the provision of an injection space (7) allowing a means of injecting fluid in the form of at least one jet of fluid to be introduced through the injection wall and in providing a means (6) for breaking the jet of fluid and distributing the distribution of fluid at a reduced speed across the surface of the bed of substance. These means may adopt various forms such as that of a rigid or flexible perforated wall, or a layer of discrete elements or a spongy layer. Such a capsule improves the flow of liquid extract through the pressure retaining means (5) and improves the extraction conditions.