Pack, machine and system for preparing food or beverage products
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage preparation systems using flexible packs face issues such as pressure-induced bubble formation, uncontrollable rupture, inefficient dissolution, and inability to optimize product dispense based on ingredients, leading to residual product and high flow times, as well as limitations in producing foam.
Innovation Solution
A pack design with a primary and secondary fluid inlet arranged to create optimal turbulence, allowing independent management of aqueous and gaseous fluid injection, which enhances dissolution and foam production by injecting air and water at high velocity from the bottom, reducing flow time and ensuring complete product extraction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If pressure is increased to open the closing means, then the beverage can evacuate through the outlet, but bubbles form at the surface and the opening becomes uncontrollable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the fluid inlet function into two separate inlets: a primary fluid inlet for water injection and a secondary fluid inlet for air injection. This segmentation allows independent control of each fluid stream, enabling the air inlet to create turbulence and prevent bubble formation while the water inlet provides controlled pressure for beverage evacuation without uncontrollable rupture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces air as an intermediary substance through the secondary fluid inlet. This air stream acts as a mediator that creates turbulence and mixing in the beverage, preventing bubble formation at the surface while facilitating smooth evacuation through the outlet, thus resolving the harmful effects of direct high-pressure water injection.
2Ease of manufacture
If water is injected from top to bottom, then the sachet can be simply designed, but dissolution is inefficient and flow time is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional top-to-bottom water injection approach by introducing air from the bottom through the secondary fluid inlet. This inversion creates upward turbulence and mixing that dramatically improves dissolution efficiency and reduces flow time, while the simple dual-inlet design maintains ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the air injection through the secondary fluid inlet to create mechanical turbulence and vibration within the beverage. This turbulence enhances the mixing and dissolution of the beverage ingredient, significantly improving dissolution efficiency and reducing flow time without complicating the sachet design.
3Device complexity
If a single fluid inlet is used, then the device is simple, but it cannot independently manage aqueous and gaseous fluid injection for optimized product dispense
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the fluid inlet system into two distinct inlets: a primary fluid inlet for aqueous fluid and a secondary fluid inlet for gaseous fluid. This segmentation enables independent management of each fluid type, providing the flexibility to optimize product dispense for different ingredients while maintaining a relatively simple dual-inlet device structure.
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 solution achieves efficient dissolution, reduces residual product, and allows for optimized product dispense, including foam production, by managing fluid injection pressures and velocities independently, improving user experience and product quality.
Implementation Method 1
The inlets are arranged in such a way that optimal turbulence is created inside the container
Implementation Method 2
allows for optimized product dispense, including foam production
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a pack (100) for preparing a food or beverage product from one or more ingredients comprising an insert (10) and a container (20) where the ingredient or ingredients are stored; the insert (10) comprises at least one primary fluid inlet (110) which comprises at least an aqueous fluid injection inlet (101) and at least a gaseous fluid injection inlet (102), both inlets communicating with the inner volume of the container (20), and through which an aqueous fluid and a gaseous fluid can respectively be introduced inside the container (20) in order to prepare the food or beverage product. Further, the invention relates to a machine (50) for preparing a food or beverage product from such a pack (100), comprising injecting means (200) comprising an aqueous fluid channel (220) and a gaseous fluid channel (210) able to inject simultaneously or not the aqueous and/or the gaseous fluid. The invention also relates to a system comprising a pack (100) and a machine (50) as described and also to the use of a pack (100) for preparing a food or beverage product and to a method for the preparation of a food or beverage product with such a pack.