Tea Capsule Particle Size Optimization for Fast Brewing Quality
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional portion capsules for brewing tea beverages in brewing chamber machines result in a low-quality tea drink due to the short interaction time between tea substance and brewing water, leading to inefficient brewing and poor flavor development within the 1-1.5 minute time frame.
Innovation Solution
A portion capsule with a beverage substance having an average particle size between 500 microns and 1500 microns, optimized for efficient brewing, flavor, and aroma development, along with a filter fleece to prevent contamination, and an anti-foam agent to manage foaming, ensuring a high-quality tea beverage in a short brewing time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the brewing time is kept short (1-1.5 minutes) to meet user expectations for quick beverage preparation, then the brewing speed is improved, but the tea quality deteriorates due to insufficient interaction time between tea substance and brewing water
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the particle size parameter of the tea substance to between 500-1500 microns, which increases the surface area to volume ratio. This parameter change allows for more efficient extraction and better flavor development within the short brewing time of 1-1.5 minutes, thus maintaining tea quality while meeting the requirement for quick preparation.
Solution Approach 2:
The tea substance is segmented into specific particle size ranges (500-1500 microns) to optimize the brewing process. This segmentation creates a larger total surface area for water contact, enabling efficient extraction of flavor compounds and aromas within the limited interaction time, thereby resolving the contradiction between speed and quality.
2Productivity
If smaller particle sizes are used to increase surface area for efficient brewing, then the brewing efficiency is improved, but the filtration difficulty increases and the beverage may be contaminated by substrate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies a particle size range of 500-1500 microns that optimizes the balance between brewing efficiency and filtration. This parameter selection ensures sufficient surface area for effective extraction while maintaining particle sizes large enough to be easily filtered, preventing substrate contamination of the beverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a filter element as an intermediary component with specific pore sizes that selectively allows the brewed tea to pass through while retaining the tea particles. This mediator enables the use of smaller particles for efficient brewing without the harmful effect of particle contamination in the final beverage.
3Reliability
If the interaction time between tea substance and brewing water is extended to improve flavor development, then the tea quality is improved, but the brewing time exceeds the acceptable 1-1.5 minute window
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameter of particle size to 500-1500 microns, which increases the surface area available for extraction. This parameter modification accelerates the flavor development process, allowing high-quality tea extraction to be achieved within the 1-1.5 minute brewing window, thus eliminating the need for extended interaction time.
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 enables efficient, quick, and clean brewing of tea with optimal flavor and aroma development, reducing the amount of tea raw material used and ensuring the tea beverage is not contaminated by substrate, achieving an extract content of 1-3% and maintaining quality without residue.
Implementation Method 1
the beverage substance can be brewed much more efficiently, quickly and cleanly... the beverage substance has a large surface area and thus enables the tea to be brewed efficiently with good flavor and aroma development
Implementation Method 2
The filter element's sieve function prevents the beverage substance from also getting into the second area... the beverage substance can be filtered out of the tea beverage produced in a simple manner
Data Source
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AI summary
A beverage substance for producing a tea beverage is proposed, wherein the beverage substance is intended to be stored in a portion capsule and to be infused in the portion capsule by means of hot water introduced under pressure into the portion capsule, wherein the beverage substance is substantially particulate and at least in part comprises tea, and wherein the beverage substance has a mean particle size of between 500 micrometres and 1,500 micrometres.