Single-portion cartridges, systems and processes including said cartridges

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current coffee cartridge systems for beverage preparation are inefficient in terms of operation costs and material usage, with a lack of physical and chemical affinity between packaging materials and edible substances, leading to suboptimal preservation and preparation of coffee and other edible products.

Innovation Solution

A cartridge system where single portions of aromatic edible substances, such as coffee, are packaged without non-vegetal materials, with an edible coating that provides a gas and liquid barrier, allowing direct contact between adjacent portions and reducing packaging waste, while the cartridge itself is designed for efficient retention and operation with beverage preparation devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If single portions are packaged in individual non-vegetal materials (metallic capsules, paper pods), then protection and preservation of edible substance is improved, but material usage and operation costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepreservation of edible substanceVSAvoidpackaging material waste

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple individual packages containing single portions are merged into a single collective package made of vegetal material. This eliminates the need for separate metallic capsules or paper pods for each portion, reducing packaging material waste while maintaining preservation through the collective vegetal packaging structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The packaging material parameter is changed from non-vegetal (metallic, synthetic paper) to vegetal origin material. This parameter change reduces environmental impact and operation costs while the vegetal material inherently provides preservation properties compatible with the edible substance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If single portions are packaged in individual envelopes with different materials, then protection of edible substance is improved, but affinity between packaging and edible substance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection of edible substanceVSAvoidlack of physico-chemical affinity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The packaging material is made homogeneous with the edible substance by using vegetal origin material that matches the vegetal nature of the coffee or other edible products. This homogeneity creates favorable physico-chemical affinity between package and content, eliminating harmful interactions while providing adequate protection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #33Homogeneity

3Adaptability or versatility

If cartridges are manually removed and loaded with single portions, then flexibility of operation is improved, but operation complexity and time increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflexibility of operationVSAvoidoperation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Single portions are pre-arranged and collected within the cartridge package before use. This preliminary arrangement eliminates the need for manual loading operations during beverage preparation, simplifying the operation process while maintaining the flexibility to choose different cartridges with various portion configurations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Reliability

If adjacent single portions are separated by non-edible materials, then protection of each portion is improved, but material usage and costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection of single portionsVSAvoidpackaging material consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Non-edible separating materials between adjacent single portions are extracted and removed from the package. The vegetal-based collective package directly contains multiple portions without intermediate non-edible separators, reducing packaging material consumption while the vegetal material structure provides adequate protection for each portion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

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 reduces material usage, lowers operation costs, and enhances the preservation and preparation efficiency of coffee and other edible products by maintaining organoleptic properties and simplifying the operation of coffee preparation systems.

Implementation Method 1

an edible coating that provides a gas and liquid barrier

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGas barrier:

Implementation Method 2

an edible coating that provides a gas and liquid barrier

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLiquid barrier:

Data Source

PatentUS20240298837A1Single-portion cartridges, systems and processes including said cartridges

Publication Date: 2024.09.12 NOVADELTA COMML E IND DE CAFES SA

AI summary

Cartridges adapted for collecting and supplying single portions of edible substances, the cartridges being adapted for functional connection to apparatus for preparing edible products, such as aromatic beverages, for example espresso type coffee, whereby the cartridges present advantageous configurations of single portions, in particular in the form of previously compacted tablets, and package for collecting these. Systems and processes of operation of systems that include this type of cartridge.