Frozen Beverage Receptacle Heating for Freshness and Potency Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current machine-based coffee brewing systems face issues with maintaining freshness, achieving desired beverage potency, and recycling due to oxidation of coffee grounds, limited brewing control, and unsuitable materials in single-serving capsules, leading to inconsistent coffee quality and environmental impact.
Innovation Solution
Integrated systems with multi-function dispensers and multi-content frozen receptacles that preserve coffee and other beverages in a sealed MAP gas environment, allowing for precise control over melting and dilution of frozen liquid contents to produce beverages with desired flavor, potency, and texture, while enabling recyclable packaging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If single-serving capsules with dry coffee grounds are used, then beverage preparation is simplified and fresh brewing is achieved, but oxidation of coffee grounds occurs leading to loss of freshness and flavor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional dry coffee grounds in air-exposed capsules with frozen liquid coffee concentrate stored in a sealed receptacle. The liquid concentrate is flash-frozen and stored in an inert or reduced-oxygen atmosphere, preventing oxidation of coffee compounds while maintaining freshness. This resolves the contradiction by eliminating both the oxidation problem and the need for complex brewing mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of coffee from dry ground form to frozen liquid concentrate form. This parameter change allows the coffee to be stored without oxidation while maintaining its fresh flavor compounds. The frozen state preserves the liquid concentrate until use, and the sealing prevents exposure to oxygen during storage and handling.
2Manufacturing precision
If machine-based brewing systems with filters are used, then beverage potency can be controlled, but the systems become complex and difficult to recycle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the filter component entirely from the brewing system. By using frozen liquid coffee concentrate instead of dry ground coffee, the system eliminates the need for filtration media and filter holders. The liquid concentrate is dispensed directly through a simple valve mechanism, dramatically simplifying the system while maintaining beverage potency control through precise dispensing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a disposable sealed receptacle containing frozen liquid concentrate, which is inserted into a simple dispenser. The receptacle is used once and then discarded, eliminating the need for complex reusable filtering components that are difficult to recycle. The simple dispenser mechanism can be easily manufactured and potentially recycled or disposed of.
3Device complexity
If dry coffee grounds are used in single-serving capsules, then the capsule structure can be simple, but the coffee quality becomes inconsistent due to oxidation
Solution Approach 1:
The frozen liquid coffee concentrate is stored in a sealed receptacle in an inert or reduced-oxygen atmosphere, preventing oxidation and maintaining consistent coffee quality. This approach preserves the fresh flavor compounds throughout storage and handling, ensuring reliable and consistent beverage quality with every serving.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional packaging materials are used in single-serving capsules, then the capsules are easy to manufacture, but they are not suitable for recycling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a disposable sealed receptacle that is discarded after single use, eliminating the need for complex reusable structures. The simple receptacle design can be manufactured easily and potentially recycled or disposed of in standard streams, improving environmental sustainability compared to complex multi-component capsule systems with filters and sealing mechanisms.
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 system ensures consistent, high-quality beverages with precise control over flavor, aroma, and texture, and facilitates recycling by maintaining freshness and reducing waste, offering a convenient and environmentally friendly solution for beverage production.
Implementation Method 1
preserve coffee and other beverages in a sealed MAP gas environment
Implementation Method 2
precise control over melting and dilution of frozen liquid contents
Implementation Method 3
controlling the vaporization of the liquid into gas
Data Source
AI summary
Systems for and methods of controlling liquid food or beverage product creation are disclosed. A dispenser for producing a food or beverage liquid product from a frozen contents in a receptacle includes a chamber configured to hold the receptacle and a non-diluting heater configured to heat the receptacle and/or the frozen contents within the receptacle; the non-diluting heater does not add liquid to an interior of the receptacle. The dispenser also includes a reservoir configured to contain a liquid. The reservoir includes a reservoir outlet configured to withdraw liquid from the reservoir. The beverage dispenser further includes a product outlet configured to withdraw a food or beverage liquid product from the receptacle and a controller that causes the dispenser to selectively perform at least one of: heating at least one of the receptacle and the frozen contents using the non-diluting heater and withdrawing liquid from the reservoir through the reservoir outlet.