Expandable Portion Pack Design for Even Coffee Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional portion packs for brewing coffee are time-consuming to prepare and often fail to achieve a defined coffee bed geometry and even moisture penetration, leading to suboptimal coffee quality.
Innovation Solution
A portion pack design featuring a container made of filter material with a supporting body that increases its internal volume by at least 50% when opened, allowing the extraction material to swell and expand freely, facilitated by a pivoting flap mechanism and a ring-shaped support body made of water-absorbent materials like cardboard or thick paper.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the portion pack is designed with a closed container for compact transport, then the transport volume is reduced, but the extraction material cannot expand freely during brewing
Solution Approach 1:
The container is designed with a dynamic structure that transitions from a closed compact state for transport to an open expanded state for brewing. The container includes a base section and a side wall that can be pivoted or folded outward, allowing the extraction material to expand freely during brewing while maintaining a compact form during transport and storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The container is divided into separate sections that can move relative to each other. The base section remains stationary while the side wall section can be pivoted or folded independently, enabling the container to transition between compact and expanded states without requiring the entire structure to change uniformly.
2Manufacturing precision
If manual brewing is used to allow individual taste adjustment, then coffee quality is improved, but preparation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The portion pack is pre-filled with precisely measured extraction material in the correct amount and type before use. The container is pre-assembled with the extraction material already in position, eliminating the need for manual filling and measurement during preparation. This allows users to simply add water and brew, maintaining coffee quality while significantly reducing preparation time.
3Manufacturing precision
If the container volume is increased to allow extraction material expansion, then brewing quality is improved, but transport volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The container employs a dynamic collapse mechanism where the side wall can be folded inward or pivoted to create a compact form for transport, and then expanded outward during brewing. This allows the same container to provide sufficient volume for extraction material expansion during use while occupying minimal space during storage and transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The container structure allows the side wall to nest within or alongside the base section when collapsed, creating a compact nested form for transport. During brewing, the side wall unfolds or pivots outward from the base section, providing the necessary expanded volume for high-quality brewing without requiring a permanently large container.
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
Enables simple and efficient coffee preparation with improved coffee quality by ensuring even moisture penetration and expansion of the coffee grounds, resulting in a high-quality brewing process.
Implementation Method 1
the portion pack can be moistened in the area of the folded edges, so that the portion pack can be opened automatically
Implementation Method 2
The supporting body is preferably provided in a ring shape on an upper edge of the container in the closed position, so that by wetting the top of the portion pack with water, the closure means can optionally be released and in particular a deformation process is initiated that causes the flaps to swing open. The supporting body preferably consists of a material that can be swelled by water, such as cardboard or thick paper
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for producing a beverage using a portion pack (1) which comprises a container (2) made of filter material in which an extraction material is arranged, and a supporting body (3) which encloses the container (2). The method comprises the following steps: placing the closed portion pack (1) into a filter vessel; opening the container (2) of the portion pack on an upper side and increasing the internal volume of the container (2) by at least 50% compared to the internal volume in the closed position; and applying water to the extraction material for beverage preparation. The portion pack (1) according to the invention comprises at least one folded edge (8) on the supporting body about which a flap (7) can be pivoted in order to increase the internal volume of the portion pack when opening.