Expandable Portion Pack Design for Uniform Coffee Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional portion packs for brewing coffee are complex to prepare and fail to maintain a defined ground coffee bed geometry and even wetting, leading to suboptimal coffee quality due to restricted volume and compression of extraction material during brewing.
Innovation Solution
A portion pack design featuring a container made of filter material with a supporting body having pivotable flaps that increase the inner volume by at least 50% when opened, allowing the extraction material to expand and swell without restriction, using a ring-shaped supporting body made of water-swelling materials like cardboard or thick paper, which automatically opens when moistened, ensuring uniform moistening and brewing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If manual filling and brewing operations are used for individual coffee preparation, then coffee taste can be individually adjusted, but the preparation process becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The extraction material is pre-filled and pre-dosed into the container during manufacturing, eliminating the need for manual grinding and filling operations. The portion pack is prepared in advance with the exact amount of coffee needed, simplifying the user's preparation process while maintaining consistent quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The portion pack is designed as a self-contained unit that requires minimal user intervention. The flaps automatically pivot open during brewing, and the pre-filled container eliminates the need for manual coffee preparation steps, making the system self-service oriented while maintaining adaptability through proper brewing technique.
2Productivity
If the container volume is restricted in closed position, then transport efficiency is improved, but the extraction material cannot expand and swell properly during brewing
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic flap mechanism allows the container to maintain a compact closed position for efficient transport, then pivot open during brewing to provide sufficient volume for extraction material expansion. This ensures both transport efficiency and brewing quality are achieved at different stages of the product lifecycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The flaps nest together in the closed position to create a compact form factor for efficient transport and storage. During brewing, they pivot open to reveal the full brewing chamber volume, allowing the extraction material to expand and swell properly without restriction.
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 enables simple and effective brewing of high-quality coffee by allowing the extraction material to expand and swell freely, ensuring even wetting and maintaining a defined coffee bed geometry, resulting in improved coffee quality and ease of preparation.
Implementation Method 1
a ring-shaped supporting body (3) made of water-swelling materials like cardboard or thick paper, which automatically opens when moistened
Implementation Method 2
allowing the extraction material to expand and swell without restriction
Data Source
AI summary
A method for producing a beverage using a portion pack including a container made of filter material for containing an extraction material, and a supporting body which encloses the container. The method comprises the steps of: placing the closed portion pack into a filter vessel; opening the container of the portion pack on an upper side and increasing the internal volume of the container by at least 50% compared to the internal volume in the closed container; and applying water to the extraction material for beverage preparation. The portion pack comprises at least one folding edge on the supporting body about which a flap can be pivoted in order to increase the internal volume of the portion pack when opening.