Capsule for the preparation of a coffee-based beverage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Coffee machines with fixed-volume brewing chambers struggle to produce filter coffee of acceptable quality and taste, as they are designed for espresso and soluble tea, leading to anomalous pressure increases and organoleptic profile deviations when trying to brew filter coffee with standard capsules.
Innovation Solution
A capsule design with a chamber volume between 15-30 cm3, containing a combination of roast and ground coffee and soluble coffee, where the soluble coffee is layered closer to the inlet and the roast and ground coffee is densified and layered closer to the outlet, with a porous separating partition to control extraction, ensuring orderly solubilization and reducing pressure anomalies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a capsule is designed for espresso extraction with high pressure and short contact time, then the beverage concentration and extraction percentage are optimized for espresso, but the same capsule produces anomalous pressure increases and poor organoleptic quality when used for filter coffee preparation with low pressure and long contact time
Solution Approach 1:
The capsule is segmented into multiple functional zones: a first zone containing ground coffee for filtration and a second zone containing soluble coffee for direct dissolution. This segmentation allows the capsule to deliver different extraction behaviors for different beverage types, resolving the contradiction between reliability for espresso and adaptability for filter coffee
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the capsule have different local qualities: the first zone is designed for filtration with ground coffee particles that require pressure extraction, while the second zone is designed for rapid dissolution with soluble coffee. This local differentiation enables the capsule to maintain reliability for espresso while adapting to filter coffee preparation
2Device complexity
If the brewing chamber volume is fixed, then the machine construction is simplified and costs are reduced, but the machine cannot accommodate capsules with different dimensions or formats required for different beverage types
Solution Approach 1:
The capsule design provides multi-functionality by incorporating both ground coffee and soluble coffee zones within a single capsule format that fits the fixed brewing chamber. This universal design allows one capsule type to serve multiple beverage preparation purposes (espresso and filter coffee) without requiring changes to the brewing chamber, thus maintaining simplicity while achieving versatility
3Reliability
If the capsule contains only ground coffee for filtration, then the beverage has authentic filter coffee taste, but the extraction is incomplete and time-consuming with limited precursor amount
Solution Approach 1:
The capsule merges two coffee preparation approaches: ground coffee filtration and soluble coffee dissolution. The soluble coffee zone enables rapid extraction and complete dissolution, improving productivity and reducing brewing time, while the ground coffee zone maintains authentic filter coffee taste through filtration, thus resolving the contradiction between quality and efficiency
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 capsule system reliably produces filter coffee of satisfactory quality and taste using existing coffee machines, reducing anomalous brewing conditions and maintaining organoleptic characteristics, even with limited precursor amounts, without requiring new machine designs.
Implementation Method 1
a porous separating partition to control extraction, ensuring orderly solubilization
Implementation Method 2
ensuring orderly solubilization
Data Source
AI summary
A capsule for extraction of a beverage of the filter-coffee type has a capsule body (2), made of water-impermeable material, which defines a chamber (3), present inside which is a precursor of the beverage, comprising soluble coffee and roast and ground coffee. At least 51 wt % of the precursor is roast and ground coffee having a grain size expressed in x50 comprised between 350 and 800 μm, and the complement to 100 wt % of the precursor is soluble coffee having a grain size expressed in x50 comprised between 1000 and 5000 μm. The roast and ground coffee is laid out to form a first layer (GC) in the lower part of the capsule body (3), and the soluble coffee (SC) is laid out to form a second layer (SC) in the upper part of the capsule body, i.e., in a position corresponding to the inlet wall (5) and/or above the first layer (GC). The first layer of roast and ground coffee (GC) is pressed inside the capsule body (3), and the second layer of soluble coffee (SC) is present inside the capsule body (3) substantially unpressed.