Multi-Component Capsule for Cooled Edible Products
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing cooled food products like ice cream in both industrial and domestic settings require separate addition of ingredients and lack a seamless process for creating products with mixed textures, such as ice cream and chocolate chips, which complicates the preparation and packaging of single-serving cooled food products.
Innovation Solution
A multi-component capsule containing ingredients with different phase transition temperatures is used, allowing for sequential introduction into a processing chamber to create a cooled food product with a continuous edible phase and distributed additives, such as ice cream and solidifying chocolate chips, using a single appliance for efficient single-serving production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If separate addition of ingredients is used in industrial and domestic settings, then the preparation process becomes complex and packaging of single-serving products becomes difficult, but the ability to control texture and distribution of additives is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple ingredients (ice cream base and chocolate chips) into a single capsule, eliminating the need for separate addition steps and simplifying the preparation process. The capsule integrates both components in one unit, making single-serving preparation convenient and reducing packaging complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The capsule is divided into separate compartments that contain different ingredients. This segmentation allows each ingredient to be stored separately within the capsule to prevent premature mixing, while still being delivered together in a single serving unit, thus simplifying both preparation and packaging.
2Productivity
If multiple ingredients are mixed together before cooling, then the preparation process is simplified, but the texture and distribution of additives cannot be controlled
Solution Approach 1:
The ingredients are pre-positioned in separate compartments within the capsule before use. This preliminary separation allows the appliance to control the timing and sequence of ingredient introduction during processing, ensuring proper texture and distribution while maintaining preparation efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The capsule design allows for dynamic control of ingredient mixing during the cooling process. The appliance can control when and how ingredients are released from the capsule, enabling precise control over texture and additive distribution while maintaining efficient single-step preparation.
3Manufacturing precision
If additives are added after processing, then texture control is improved, but the preparation process becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The capsule segments ingredients into separate compartments that are introduced at different stages of the processing cycle. This allows additives to be introduced at the optimal moment during processing rather than after, maintaining texture control while eliminating the need for separate post-processing addition steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The capsule enables continuous introduction of ingredients throughout the cooling and mixing process. By controlling the release of different ingredients at different times during the continuous processing cycle, the system maintains proper texture while eliminating idle time that would result from stopping to add ingredients separately.
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 solution enables the production of single-serving cooled food products with integrated textures in a single preparation process, enhancing efficiency and convenience by utilizing the phase transition properties of ingredients to create a continuous edible phase with distributed additives within the appliance.
Implementation Method 1
The capsule contains two or more ingredients, which differ in their phase transition temperature. Thus, a sequence of introduction of the ingredients from the capsule into a processing chamber of the appliance results in a cooled food product having at least two distinct components
Data Source
AI summary
Provided herein are capsules for the preparation of cooled edible products from their ingredients, more specifically multi-components capsules that contain two or more ingredients for producing a cooled edible product.