System for preparing a quantity of beverage comprising an air purge groove.
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage preparation systems experience after-dripping, which results in inferior beverage quality and prolonged waiting times due to trapped air in the brew chamber expanding and causing liquid to drip after the brewing cycle.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an air purge opening in the brew chamber, bounded by the sealing member and the lid of the capsule, allows air to escape during the brewing cycle, reducing the amount of air retained and minimizing after-dripping by ensuring the brew chamber is de-aired before the end of the cycle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If a liquid tight seal is provided between the capsule and brew chamber wall to prevent liquid bypassing, then liquid waste is minimized and beverage quality is improved, but air becomes trapped in the brew chamber causing after-dripping
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing member is segmented to include both a liquid tight sealing portion and a separate air purge groove. This segmentation allows the sealing member to simultaneously perform two functions: preventing liquid bypassing through the liquid tight seal while allowing air to escape through the dedicated air purge groove, thereby resolving the contradiction between preventing liquid waste and eliminating after-dripping caused by trapped air
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the sealing member have different sealing properties. The liquid tight seal portion provides complete sealing against liquid, while the air purge groove portion provides selective permeability that allows air passage but prevents liquid passage. This local differentiation of sealing quality enables the system to prevent liquid waste while eliminating trapped air that causes after-dripping
2Productivity
If pressurized liquid is supplied to the brew chamber during brewing, then beverage preparation is completed efficiently, but trapped air expands at the end of the cycle causing liquid to flow out and drip
Solution Approach 1:
The air purge groove provides a pre-established escape path for air during the brewing cycle. By providing this air escape route in advance, the system prevents air from being trapped and expanding later at the end of the brewing cycle. This preliminary action eliminates the cause of after-dripping without interfering with the efficient pressurized brewing process, thereby reducing waiting time
3Reliability
If the brew chamber is completely sealed to control liquid flow, then beverage quality is improved, but air cannot escape causing inferior beverage quality due to after-dripping
Solution Approach 1:
The air purge groove acts as an intermediary element within the sealing member. It provides a dedicated pathway that mediates between the need for a liquid-tight seal and the need for air escape. The groove allows air to exit the brew chamber while the liquid tight seal prevents liquid from bypassing the capsule, thus maintaining beverage quality control while eliminating the harmful after-dripping effect
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 effectively alleviates the after-dripping issue by ensuring minimal air is present in the brew chamber at the end of the brewing cycle, improving beverage quality and reducing waiting time for the user.
Implementation Method 1
This trapped air will be compressed due to a pressure built up in the brew chamber under the effect of liquid supply to the brew chamber during the brewing cycle. At the end of the brewing cycle, when the liquid supply to the brew chamber has stopped, the compressed air will expand causing liquid that is still retained in the brew chamber
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
System for preparing a quantity of beverage suitable for consumption, the system comprising an exchangeable capsule (4A, 4B) having a cup-shaped body (6A, 6B) and a lid (12A, 12B) and comprising an apparatus. The apparatus comprises a first brew chamber part (18) having a cavity for holding the exchangeable capsule (4A, 4B) and a second brew chamber part (20) for closing the first brew chamber part (18) to form a brew chamber (16). The second brew chamber part (20) has a sealing member (36, 37) for providing a liquid sealing engagement between the second brew chamber part (20) and the lid (12A, 12B) of the exchangeable capsule (4A, 4B). The sealing member (36, 37) comprises an air purge groove (40) forming an air purge opening between the sealing member (36, 37) and the lid (12A, 12B) of the capsule for allowing air in the brew chamber (16) to escape to an exterior of the apparatus while pressurised liquid is supplied into the brewing chamber (16) for preparing the beverage.