Tea Juice Expression Temperature Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Beverages produced from expressed tea juice are often considered lacking in tea taste and/or appearance compared to traditional tea beverages.

Innovation Solution

A process involving heating fresh tea leaves to a temperature between 40 °C and 77 °C, followed by expressing juice from the heated leaves to produce tea juice with improved taste and color properties, while maintaining a sufficient yield and ease of separation from the leaf residue.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If juice is expressed from fresh tea leaves without heating, then the juice can be easily obtained, but the beverage lacks proper tea taste and color

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of juice expressionVSAvoidbeverage taste and color quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the temperature of fresh tea leaves during juice expression within the specific range of 40-77°C. This temperature parameter modification improves both the ease of juice expression and the quality of beverage taste and color, resolving the technical contradiction between manufacturing ease and product quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If the temperature of fresh tea leaves is increased to improve juice expression, then the juice yield increases, but the beverage taste and color deteriorate at temperatures above 77°C

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvejuice yieldVSAvoidbeverage taste and color quality
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent establishes an optimal temperature parameter range of 40-77°C for fresh tea leaves during juice expression. Within this range, juice yield is maximized while beverage taste and color quality are preserved. The upper limit of 77°C prevents deterioration of sensory properties while still enabling effective juice extraction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Manufacturing precision

If the temperature of fresh tea leaves is decreased to preserve beverage taste and color, then the quality improves, but the juice yield and ease of separation decrease below 40°C

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebeverage taste and color qualityVSAvoidjuice yield and separation efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent defines a lower temperature boundary of 40°C for the juice expression process. This temperature threshold ensures that beverage taste and color quality are maintained while preventing excessive viscosity and difficulty in juice-separation that would occur at lower temperatures. The parameter optimization balances quality preservation with production efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 process results in tea juices suitable for dilution, providing beverages with a taste and color more familiar to consumers, attributed to a high caffeine-to-polyphenol ratio, with a caffeine-to-total polyphenols weight ratio of at least 0.19.

Implementation Method 1

heating fresh tea leaves to a temperature between 40 °C and 77 °C

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeating: Heating

Implementation Method 2

expressing juice from the heated tea leaves thereby to produce leaf residue and tea juice

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical pressing: Mechanical Force

Data Source

PatentEP2723184B1Process for manufacturing tea products
Publication Date: 2015.05.06 UNILEVER PLC

AI summary

Disclosed is a process comprising the steps of: a) heating fresh tea leaves; and b) expressing juice from the fresh tea leaves whilst the temperature of the fresh tea leaves is greater than 40 °C and less than 77 °C, thereby to produce leaf residue and tea juice.