Filter-Guard Beverage Cartridge for Piercing-Safe Fill Volume
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage cartridges face challenges in maximizing the volume for beverage medium while maintaining a compact size to be compatible with existing machines, and in preventing filter damage from piercing elements.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of a filter guard positioned between the filter and the container bottom, which contacts the piercing element to prevent damage and allows the filter to be placed closer to the bottom, increasing the available volume for the beverage medium without increasing the overall cartridge size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the filter is positioned far above the bottom of the cartridge to prevent damage from piercing elements, then the filter is protected from damage, but the volume available for beverage medium is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
A filter guard is introduced as an intermediary component between the piercing element and the filter. The filter guard contacts the piercing element first, preventing direct contact with the filter while allowing the filter to be positioned closer to the cartridge bottom, thereby maximizing beverage medium volume without compromising filter protection
Solution Approach 2:
The protection function is segmented from the filter itself and assigned to a separate filter guard component. This allows the filter to be optimally positioned for volume while the guard handles the protective function, resolving the contradiction between filter safety and volume maximization
2Volume of moving object
If the overall cartridge size is increased to accommodate larger beverage medium volume, then more beverage medium can be held, but compatibility with pre-existing beverage machines is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cartridge maintains its external dimensions in the machine interface directions (width, height) to ensure compatibility, while increasing volume through optimized internal spatial arrangement - specifically by positioning the filter closer to the bottom and using the filter guard to protect the piercing area, effectively utilizing the existing cartridge envelope more efficiently
3Volume of moving object
If the filter is positioned close to the bottom of the container to increase beverage medium volume, then the volume for beverage medium is increased, but the filter becomes vulnerable to damage from piercing elements
Solution Approach 1:
The filter guard serves as a protective intermediary positioned between the piercing element and the filter. It absorbs the impact of the piercing element, preventing direct contact with the filter while allowing the filter to be optimally positioned close to the cartridge bottom for maximum volume
Data Source
AI summary
A cartridge for forming a beverage includes a container defining an interior space, a filter, a beverage medium contained in the interior space, and a filter guard. The filter may be arranged so that liquid that interacts with the beverage medium flows through the filter to exit the interior space. The container may include a surface arranged to be pierced by a piercing member to permit beverage to exit the container. The filter guard may be arranged to contact the piercing member to resist damage to the filter when the container surface is pierced. In one embodiment, the filter guard and filter may be in contact with the container surface that is pierced, yet damage to the filter that might be caused by the piercing element may be avoided.