Portion Capsule with Transparent Flange for Optical Feature Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portion capsules for beverage production machines lack a visually detectable feature that can be easily applied and read by detectors, limiting design flexibility and compatibility checks.
Innovation Solution
A portion capsule with a visually detectable feature on the capsule lid, which is arranged on the side facing away from the flange and is at least partially transparent, allowing for easier application and reading through the flange and lid film, enabling more design possibilities for beverage production machines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the visually detectable feature is printed on the flange or lid film as in prior art, then the feature can be detected by the machine, but the application process becomes complex and reading requires specific detector orientations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making only the region containing the visually detectable feature transparent, while other parts of the capsule can remain opaque. This localized transparency enables the detector to read the feature through the capsule wall from the outside, simplifying application and allowing flexible detector positioning without requiring the entire capsule or lid film to be transparent.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the capsule lid and flange are made transparent to allow feature reading, then detector flexibility increases, but the capsule's structural strength and sealing properties may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by limiting transparency to only the specific region where the visually detectable feature is located. This approach allows the capsule to maintain its structural integrity and sealing properties in non-transparent areas while providing the necessary optical access for feature detection in the transparent region, thus resolving the contradiction between transparency requirements and structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining transparent and opaque regions within the capsule structure. This composite approach enables different functional properties in different areas: transparent regions for feature detection and opaque regions for structural strength and sealing, allowing the capsule to satisfy both detector flexibility requirements and structural integrity constraints.
Data Source
AI summary
A portion capsule for preparing a beverage with a beverage production machine, the portion capsule having a base element with a cavity for receiving a beverage raw material and a capsule lid which closes the cavity, the base element including a capsule bottom, a circumferential flange, and a capsule wall, which extends between the capsule bottom and the circumferential flange, the capsule lid being fastened to the flange, the portion capsule has a detectable feature that is configured to be detected by a detector of the beverage production machine, the detectable feature is arranged on a side of the capsule lid, which side faces away from the flange, wherein the flange and the capsule lid are configured so that the detector of the beverage production machine can detect the detectable feature on the lid by passing a beam through the flange.