FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to the field of beverage pods. In particular, the present invention is directed to highly recyclable beverage pods and method of manufacture.
BACKGROUND
Since the introduction of single-use containers, such as coffee pods, challenges have arisen in the recycling of these small containers. Often, smaller single-use containers are harder to recycle due to their size or due to the contents that are contained within them, such as coffee grounds. Smaller sized single-use containers may slip through the recycling machine, causing jams and difficulties at the recycling plant. Additionally, these single-use containers may be made of plastic which creates environmental concerns due to the challenges of recycling multi-material packaging.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
In an aspect, a method of manufacture for highly recyclable beverage pods produces beverage pods with the ability to be recycled in a more efficient and reliable manner. A method of manufacture for highly recyclable beverage pods includes providing a beverage pod having a cavity and an interior surface within the cavity, placing a filter disc into the cavity of the beverage pod, adhering a formed filter material within the cavity of the beverage pod, filling the formed filter material adhered to the interior of the cavity with beverage material, having a headspace atmosphere, modifying the headspace atmosphere within the cavity, sealing the cavity with an airtight lid, and discharging the beverage pod into a secondary package operation. Wherein this method of manufacture creates a highly recyclable beverage pod including a cavity comprised of a shell, a filter disc disposed within the cavity, a formed filter material adhered to an interior surface of the cavity, a beverage material within the formed filter material, and an airtight lid sealing the filter disc, the formed filter material, and the beverage material within the cavity.
In another aspect, in some embodiments, where beverage pods may be made of an aluminum material the composition of the material and specific manufacture of the beverage pod may provide superior capabilities to plastic counterparts. Specifically, aluminum may provide a heightened level of oxygen barrier, providing increased longevity and freshness for beverage material sealed into the beverage pod. Additionally, the aluminum components of the beverage pod provide superior recyclable properties in comparison to plastic counterparts. The configuration of the beverage pod additionally provides the ability to link one or more beverage pods making it possible to recycle pods in areas where it was previously not possible due to the beverage pod size.
These and other aspects and features of non-limiting embodiments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific non-limiting embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For the purpose of illustrating the invention, the drawings show aspects of one or more embodiments of the invention. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown in the drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of manufacture of a highly recyclable beverage pod;
FIG. 2 is an exemplary embodiment of a highly recyclable beverage pod;
FIG. 3A is an embodiment of the shell of an interlocking highly recyclable beverage pod illustrating round/oval recesses or detents along the sidewall of the beverage pod in a straight/aligned pattern;
FIG. 3B is an embodiment of the shell of an interlocking highly recyclable beverage pod illustrating round/oval recesses or detents along the sidewall of the beverage pod in a staggered pattern;
FIG. 3C is an embodiment of the shell of an interlocking highly recyclable beverage pod illustrating round/oval recesses or detents along the sidewall of the beverage pod combined with a curved channel or thread;
FIG. 3D is an embodiment of the shell of an interlocking highly recyclable beverage pod illustrating circumferential beads along the sidewall of the beverage pod in a straight/aligned pattern;
FIG. 3E is an embodiment of the shell of an interlocking highly recyclable beverage pod illustrating channels or threads along the sidewall of the beverage pod in a threaded channel pattern;
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a computing system that can be used to implement any one or more of the methodologies disclosed herein and any one or more portions thereof.
The drawings are not necessarily to scale and may be illustrated by phantom lines, diagrammatic representations and fragmentary views. In certain instances, details that are not necessary for an understanding of the embodiments or that render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Beverages, such as coffee and tea, are increasingly prepared using single serve brewing capsules. Note that such “capsules” may also be referred to as “cups” and/or “pods” and those terms may be used interchangeably within this disclosure. Many product benefits are realized when using single serve brewing capsules versus multi-serve bulk packaged roast and ground coffee, bulk packaged tea leaves, and/or bulk packaged drink powders. Capsules offer individual choice, wide availability of variety, fresh flavor and preparation convenience. Additionally, ecological benefits are realized when using single serve brewing capsules versus bulk-packaged drink alternatives, such as, without limitation, roast and ground coffee; most importantly, less waste of the coffee itself. First, unlike a pot of coffee which often is not fully consumed, it is reasonable to expect that beverages prepared using single serve capsules are more likely to be fully consumed. Likewise, unlike a bulk multi-serve container of coffee, which may go stale after opening and before being fully consumed, single serve brewing capsules are protected from oxygen degradation by barrier packaging. Therefore, each individual capsule may remain fresh until brewed, thus avoiding discarding old off-flavor roast and ground coffee. These benefits are advantageous to the ecosystem by aiding in avoiding waste of the valuable coffee crop itself which lends itself to reducing wasted agricultural activity. However, despite their popularity, single serve brewing capsules made from plastic, have been widely criticized for several specific non-ecofriendly features. Namely, the individual packaging of each capsule leads to an increased use of packaging materials per unit, reduced space efficiency, and increased difficulty or the inability altogether to recycle the capsules due to their mixed material components and/or their size.
The present invention introduces the use of highly recyclable beverage capsules for beverage-making appliances and the specific methods employed to assemble them Exemplary embodiments illustrating aspects of the present disclosure are described below in the context of several specific examples.
Referring now to FIG. 1, a flow diagram of a method of manufacture for a highly recyclable beverage pod 100 is illustrated. A method of manufacture for highly recyclable beverage pods 100 includes providing a beverage pod having a cavity and an interior surface within the cavity 104, placing a filter disc into the cavity of the beverage pod 108, adhering a formed filter material within the cavity of the beverage pod 112, filling the formed filter material adhered to the interior of the cavity with beverage material, having a headspace atmosphere 116, modifying the headspace atmosphere within the cavity 120, sealing the cavity with an airtight lid 124, and discharging the beverage pod into a secondary packaging operation 128. Furthermore, wherein the method of manufacture 100 requires de-nesting of beverage pods, method 100 may further include providing a plurality of beverage pods, and de-nesting one or more beverage pods from the plurality of beverage pods. Lastly, wherein method 100 further requires filter material forming, method 100 may include forming filter material and press-forming the formed filter material. Method of manufacture for highly recyclable beverage pods 100 may produce a beverage pod including a cavity, incorporating a shell, a filter disc disposed within the cavity, a formed filter material adhered to an interior surface of the cavity, a beverage material within the formed filter material, in some embodiments, an inert gas disposed within the cavity, and an airtight lid sealing the filter disc, the formed filter material, the beverage material, and the inert gas within the cavity. Beverage materials are contained in formed beverage pods having an internally attached porous pre-formed filter material which enables beverages to be prepared in a beverage making appliance, for example, and without limitation a single-serving coffee maker, and certain solids retained such as, without limitation coffee grounds. The beverage pods may be hermetically sealed with a peelable lid material, making it easy for the consumer to remove the beverage materials and recycle the beverage pods.
Still referring to FIG. 1, method of manufacture for highly recyclable beverage pods 100 may in some cases produce beverage pods configured for a single serving of a given beverage. Other embodiments may include beverage pods configured for a multi serving of a given beverage. Furthermore, in an embodiment, and without limitation, method 100 may produce highly recyclable beverage pods configured for use in a low-pressure beverage making appliance. “Low-pressure,” as used in this disclosure, is defined as 1 to 2 Bar atmospheric pressure. Low-pressure is compared to high-pressure appliances, such as espresso machines, which are 9 Bar or above of atmospheric pressure.
With continued reference to FIG. 1, method 100 may include receiving a highly recyclable beverage pod, having a cavity and an interior surface within cavity 104. As used throughout this disclosure, a “highly recyclable beverage pod” may additionally be referred to as “beverage pod.” Beverage pod may include a cavity with an interior surface and an exterior surface. The cavity may contain a circular shape, a cylindrical shape and/or any cup-like shape. In some cases, the cavity may include a singular opening. In some embodiments, the exterior surface of the cavity may include grooves, such as twist grooves, that may be used to stack one or more empty beverage pods on top of, and/or within one another. These twist grooves may be raised on the exterior surface of the pod or indented into the exterior surface of the pod. Alternatively, the groove may be on the interior surface of the pod in either a raised or indented formation. The twist grooves may be further described as a lip that protrudes from a surface in a helical groove and/or sets of grooves that configure a helix on one or more surfaces of the pod. This protrusion may be accomplished through the use of additional material being added to one or more surfaces. Alternatively, the protrusion may be accomplished through the stamping of a surface, creating an indentation on a surface and a protrusion on the alternate surface. For example, and without limitation, a twist groove may be stamped onto the exterior surface of a pod, and therefore the protrusion would be on the interior surface, while the indentation would exist on the exterior surface. In an additional nonlimiting example, this would be the opposite should the pod be stamped on the interior surface. As used in this disclosure, “twist grooves” refer to grooves in a helical structure, used to convert between rotational and linear movement or force. Alternatively, in an embodiment the exterior and/or interior surface of the cavity may include round and/or oval recesses or detents along the sidewall of the cavity. In this embodiment when beverage pods are stacked within one another the recesses or detents May interconnect and lock one another together. The alignment of the recesses or detents may be straight, staggered, and/or contain a threaded channel guiding the interlocking feature. In an embodiment, beverage pod may include circumferential beads along the surface of the shell. In this embodiment, when the pods are attacked and pressed together, they may interconnect and lock together. The orientation of the circumferential beads may include a straight or aligned pattern of beads. Alternatively, the orientation of the circumferential beads may be staggered and/or in a diagonal pattern in relation to the lip of the pod. In an embodiment, the shell material may include the use of aluminum. In some cases, the shell may be comprised of an aluminum alloy and/or one or more materials. In some cases, the cavity may contain a polymeric coating on an interior surface of the shell. The polymeric coating may have a specified weight and thickness. Nonlimiting exemplary embodiments of polymeric coating may include pullulan, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, carboxymethyl cellulose, polyvinyl alcohol, sodium alginate, polyethylene glycol, xanthan gum, tragacanth gum, guar gum, acacia gum, gum arabic, polyacrylic acid, methyl methacrylate copolymer, amylose, high amylose starch, hydroxypropylated high amylose starch, dextrin, pectin, chitin, chitosan, levan, elsinan, collagen, gelatin, zein, gluten, soy protein isolate, whey protein isolate, casein, polysaccharides, natural gums, polypeptides, polyacrylates, starch, gum karaya, and/or mixtures thereof. In an exemplary nonlimiting embodiment the cavity may contain a polymeric coating of a specified composition, such as co-extruded polypropylene with a weight of ˜30 g/m2 and a thickness of ˜27 microns. As used in this disclosure, “co-extrusion” is the process of pressing two or more materials through the same mold to produce a single piece. In this process, two or more orifices are arranged in such a way that the fusion and interlocking of the extrusions takes place and a laminar structure is formed before cooling. “Co-extruded polypropylene,” refers to a bi-orientated polymer film obtained from an extrusion process. Qualities the co-extruded polypropylene may possess are good optical qualities, a good barrier towards humidity, and a low barrier towards oxygen. This component may be accomplished in the manufacture of the preliminary shell of the beverage pod through a secondary process of dipping, brushing, and or spraying of the polymeric coating on to the interior surface of the cavity. Furthermore, this process may occur prior to a manufacturing process configured to shape the shell or after the shaping process has occurred. For example, and without limitation, in an embodiment where stamping is utilized brushing of the polymeric coat may be applied prior to the shaping of the shell.
(Manufacture of Pods/Dipping or Spraying of Polymeric Coating)
In some cases, beverage pod may be configured for repetitive use. Receiving a beverage pod may in some embodiments, include receiving an individual beverage pod by way of manual separation and/or similar processes that produce a singular receipt of a beverage pod. Alternatively, in some embodiments, receiving a beverage pod may include an automatic de-nesting process. Where de-nesting is required a de-nesting process may accompany method 100.
With continued reference to FIG. 1, in an embodiment, method 100 may further include de-nesting of beverage pods, wherein de-nesting a beverage pod includes providing a plurality of beverage pods and de-nesting one or more beverage pods. As used in this disclosure, “de-nesting” refers to the process of removing one or more beverage pods from a stack of one or more beverage pods. In some cases, one or more beverage pods may be unfilled and efficiently stacked prior to receipt. In some cases, de-nesting of one or more beverage pods includes the use of a de-nesting machine. A “de-nesting machine,” as used in this disclosure is an automated machine designed with accuracy, reliability, and improved effectiveness in de-nesting. De-nesting machines may automate the manual repetitive task of separating and setting a beverage pod on a conveyor line. Exemplary, nonlimiting embodiments of a de-nesting system may include a peel de-nester, a pick and slide de-nester, a pick and place de-nester, and/or a robotic solution configured to complete a non-traditional de-nesting process. In an embodiment the de-nesting system may utilize vacuum picking technology. Vacuum picking technology utilizes the differences in pressure between atmospheric pressure and the vacuum applied over the contact area, providing lifting force. This may allow a beverage pod to be lifted and placed in a designated area. In some embodiments, a beverage pod may require unlocking from the beverage pod it is nested in. In this embodiment the de-nesting system may further require a twisting action to unlock the beverage pods from one another. In some embodiments, beverage pods may be locked together by way of circumferential beads, which may require additional lifting force in order to unlock the pods from one another. Alternatively, in an embodiment including circumferential beads, the storage of the nested pods may be in a way in which the pods have not been locked into one another. In an embodiment, and without limitation, one or more beverage pods may be placed into an infeed pocket of a machine. The infeed pocket may then transport the beverage pod to subsequent unit operations in the process. This may be done using a specific and gentle process to ensure the easily damaged cups are damage-free. For example, and without limitation, in an embodiment including aluminum beverage pods the beverage pods may have a nested or stacked clearance of 4.1 mm between flanges. “Flanges,” as used in this disclosure, are the projecting rims of the beverage pods, otherwise described as the top of the beverage pod. The de-nesting process may further include singulation. The singulation process may allow for an individual beverage pod to be selected out of a larger batch of beverage pods and processed independently of the overall batch of beverage pods. Singulation may be used in lieu of or in tandem with the de-nesting process.
With continued reference to FIG. 1, method 100 may include the placement of a filter disc into the cavity of beverage pod 108. A filter disc may be used to prevent damage to a filter when the beverage pod is filled with heavier gram weight beverage materials. Heavier gram weight materials may require a larger and/or deeper filter inside the beverage pod. The larger and/or deeper filter might obtain damage when the discharge needle enters the underside of the beverage pod; the use of a filter disc may aid in preventing such damage. The “discharge needle” refers to the needle that pierces the beverage pod in the process of use of the beverage pod in making a beverage. A “filter disc” is a type of filter that may be used to filter various fluids. The use of the filter disc here may allow for the passage of liquid while preventing the passage of beverage materials that may make it through the preformed filter material adhered to at least an interior surface of the cavity. In an embodiment, a filter disc may include materials such as fiber, granular beds, woven fabrics, and/or metal screens. Furthermore, filter discs may be embodied in a circular, oval, and/or similar shape. The size and shape may directly relate to the size and shape of the beverage pod and specific placement of the filter disc. The process of placing the filter disc into the cavity of the beverage pod 108 may include removing an individual filter disc from a bulk supply, singulation, and precise placement of the filter disc into the beverage pod. In an embodiment, and without limitation, removing a filter disc from a bulk supply may be accomplished through a similar de-nesting process as previously discussed, and/or manually. Furthermore, in an embodiment de-nesting of a filter disc may be accomplished by a de-nesting system that utilizes friction feeding techniques and/or technology. As used in this disclosure, “singulation” is a process configured to take a group of side-by-side products and form them into a straight line with proper justification. Therefore, in an embodiment, singulation of the beverage pods may occur in preparation of precise filter disc placement. Placement of the filter disc may be located at the most distant point from the opening of the cavity of the beverage pod. The most distant point may further be described as the floor of the cavity of the beverage pod. Alternatively, placement of the filter disc may position the filter disc up off the floor, wherein there is space between the floor of the cavity and the start of where the filter disc may rest within the cavity. This space between the floor of the cavity and the start of the filter disc may depend on the beverage material weight being inserted into the beverage pod. For example, and without limitation, a beverage material that requires more room within the cavity may require a larger space between the floor and the start of the filter disc.
In further reference to FIG. 1, in an embodiment, method 100 may further include filter material forming, wherein filter material forming includes forming the filter material and press-forming the formed filter material. “Filter material,” for the purposes of this disclosure, is any material configured to separate liquids and solids. For example, and without limitation, filter material may be configured to separate coffee and coffee grounds. The manufacture of filter material may occur as a separate process of manufacture from method 100 as an additional preliminary method of manufacture. Manufacture of filter material may include a process of pulping, forming, drying, finishing, and packaging. Pulping may be accomplished by breaking down wood, abaca, and/or other materials into small fibers using mechanical and/or chemical means. The fibers may then be mixed with water to create a slurry, which is then filtered and cleaned to remove impurities. The next step, forming, refers to the formation of the pulp into sheets or rolls of paper using a Fourdrinier machine. This machine consists of a series of rollers and mesh screens that help to shape and dry the paper. Once formed, the paper may then be dried using heat and/or pressure. In an embodiment, drying may occur by passing the paper through large drying cylinders, which may be configured to remove excess moisture and help to set the fibers in place. The paper may then be cooled and cut into the desired shape and size. Finishing occurs once the paper has been dried and may include subjecting the paper to various finishing processes to improve its appearance and/or functionality. For example, and without limitation, this may include bleaching, calendaring or smoothing, and/or coating. A further embodiment may include printing or branding of information. Lastly, the finished paper is packaged in bags, boxes, and/or placed on a ream. In some cases, formed filter material may be created from a bulk supply of filter material such as a roll stock or a ream of sheets. Exemplary, nonlimiting embodiments of filter material may include roll stock of 35 grams per square meter (GSM) to 38 GSM of material including a combination of cellulose, abaca, and/or polymeric fibers. GSM refers to the weight of the fabric, in this instance 35-38 GSM may be considered a lightweight material. In an embodiment, forming the filter material may include cutting and/or punching out the roll stock and/or ream of sheets. For example, and without limitation, filter material may be formed by a die-cut machine. “Die-cutting,” as used in this disclosure, refers to the process in which a machine is used to mass-produce cut-out shapes. Die-cutting allows for the creation of the same shape, with the exact same dimensions, saving both time and creating uniformity. In an embodiment, the filter material may be die-cut into a specific round disc dimension. For example, and without limitation, between 95 mm and 100 mm. In some embodiments, the dimension may be adjustable and based on specific dimensions of the beverage pod. Once the filter material is formed, the material may be press-formed into an efficient design containing pleats and/or creases which enable the containment of beverage materials. As used in this disclosure, “press-forming” refers to the manufacturing process that involves shaping a material by applying pressure to it using a press. The pleated and/or creased features of the filter material enable improved extraction of the beverage liquid from the beverage materials due to increased surface area as compared to a straight and/or smooth sidewall filter. In an embodiment, the formed filter material may be stacked and/or transferred to the next step in the process individually to avoid the need for de-nesting. The result of this step in the process is pre-formed filter material conveyed to the next step in the process. Alternatively, in a nonlimiting embodiment, the pre-formed filter material may be provided by another source outside the present method.
Still referencing FIG. 1, adhering a formed filter material within the cavity of the beverage pod 112 may include receiving a pre-formed filter material, placing the pre-formed filter material within the cavity of the beverage pod, and sealing the pre-formed filter material to the interior of the beverage pod. Method 100 may include receiving an individual pre-formed filter material from the process of filter material formation and/or from some other source. Receiving the pre-formed filter material may further require de-nesting in the case of receiving stacked pre-formed filter material. In some embodiments, the pre-formed filter material may be precisely inserted and/or positioned into the cavity of beverage pod in preparation for adherence to the interior of the pod. As an exemplary nonlimiting embodiment, precise position of the pre-formed filter may allow for 10.0 mm of clearance between the underside of the filter and the inside bottom of the beverage pod. Adhering the pre-formed filter material within the cavity 112 may further include sealing the pre-formed filter material to the cavity. The sealing process marries two materials and creates a bond. To achieve this bond, one of the materials, such as the interior surface of the beverage pod, may carry a surface sealant layer. The heating elements of heat seal packaging equipment are raised to a temperature high enough to either melt or activate the sealant material, therefore allowing adhesion to take place. Once heated to a specific temperature and left to dwell for a certain period of time pressure may be applied to create the bond between the sealant layer and the material, such as the filter material. Adherence of the pre-formed filter material to the interior of the beverage pod may be possible using various technologies. The filter material may contain a specific formula blend of non-woven cellulose fibers and abaca fibers combined with non-woven polymeric fibers and finished to a particular caliper or basis weight. The interior of the beverage pod may contain a polymeric coating of a specified composition and weight/thickness. The attachment of the filter material to the beverage pod interior 112 may be accomplished using a specified technology for a specified time, temperature, and pressure. For example, and without limitation, convection heat scaling, ultrasonic sealing, and/or adhesive sealing. The exact parameters of the material and the attachment process may be specific to the material used in the configuration of the beverage pod. For example, and without limitation, an aluminum beverage pod sealing procedure may include the following sealing conditions: a temperature range of 250 to 325 degrees Celsius, a Dwell range of 0.4 s to 2.0 s, and contact pressure of ˜1200 N/m2. Other materials may have similar sealing conditions. As used in this disclosure, “temperature range” refers to the range of temperature to be applied in the sealing process to enable a proper seal. Likewise, a “dwell range,” refers to the period of time in which the beverage pod must be heated prior to contact pressure being applied. “Contact pressure,” as used in this disclosure, refers to the amount of pressure applied to fully secure the filter material to at least a sidewall of the beverage pod. In some cases, the formed filter material may be adhered to an inner surface of the cavity. In some cases, the formed filter material may blanket at least a portion of an inner surface of the cavity. Additionally, in some embodiments, the inner cavity may contain a polymeric coating configured to adhere the formed filter material to the cavity. In some cases, the polymeric coating may be applied to the interior cavity through spraying, dipping, brushing and/or the like. An exemplary, nonlimiting embodiment may include a polymeric coating including co-extruded polypropylene with a weight of ˜30 g/m2 or thickness of ˜27 microns. In some cases, formed filter material may be removable with the introduction of minor force. For example, a user may be able to peel the formed filter material from the surface of the cavity, wherein a user may be able to discard the formed filter material. In some cases, formed filter material may be glued, adhered, sealed and/or welded to the surface of the cavity in any of the embodiments as described within this disclosure.
With continued reference to FIG. 1, method 100 may further include filling the formed filter material adhered to the interior of the cavity with beverage material, having a headspace atmosphere i 116. “Beverage material” for the purposes of this disclosure is a substance that may interact with a fluid to provide a flavored beverage. In some cases, beverage material may include ground coffee beans wherein water may interact with the coffee beans to create coffee. Alternatively, beverage material may include cocoa powder, lemonade powder and/or any additional powder that may be used to create a beverage. In some cases, beverage material may include a concentrated liquid wherein the concentrated liquid may interact with a fluid to provide a less concentrated beverage. In some cases, filling the formed filter material adhered to the interior of the cavity with beverage material, having a headspace atmosphere 116 may include filling the beverage pod with ground coffee beans. In some cases, formed filter material may be configured to allow a liquid to pass through while the beverage material may be held by the filter material. For example, coffee grounds may be mixed with a liquid wherein coffee may seep out of the filter material while the coffee grounds are held back by the filter material. In some embodiments, beverage material may react with a fluid wherein the beverage material may dissolve and pass though formed filter material. Additionally, in some cases, formed filter material may blanket a surface of cavity wherein beverage material may be disposed on top of formed filter material. In an embodiment, beverage material may fill cavity of beverage pod and/or alternatively, at least partially fill cavity of beverage pod. In some cases, the filling of the formed filter material adhered to the interior of the cavity with beverage material, having a headspace atmosphere 116 may require a precise process. This precise process may be critical in order to enhance the beverage taste to the consumer and create a consistent taste from pod to pod. The precise filling process may be possible with the use of various machines and/or processes such as, but not limited to auger feeding, volumetric filling, and the like. Due to the size of the pod, exacting filling parameters may be specified and may be unique to the specific size and/or material-type associated with the beverage pod. For example, and without limitation, in the instance of an aluminum beverage pod, the filling parameters may include an auger feeding machine set to 9.0 g, 10.0 g, 11.0 g, 12.0 g, and/or 13.0 g, each having a fill tolerance of +/−0.1 g. Filling parameters may be adjustable and specific to the beverage material being used to fill the beverage pod.
With continued reference to FIG. 1, method 100 may further include modifying the headspace atmosphere within the cavity 120. “Headspace” for the purposes of this disclosure is any gaseous substance that is situated within and/or above beverage material within the beverage pod. For example, headspace may include oxygen wherein the oxygen may be situated between and/or on top of the beverage material. The degradation of beverage materials and/or ingredients may occur in the presence of oxygen. This degradation may shorten the shelf-life and freshness of beverage materials and their ingredients. Therefore, there may be a need to remove any oxygen within the cavity of beverage pod in order to preserve the freshness of the beverage material within the cavity. In an embodiment, modifying headspace atmosphere 120 may include displacing oxygen. In some cases, displacing headspace oxygen may include removing oxygen through a vacuum process. In an embodiment where the modification of headspace occurs through a vacuum process, the sealing process may occur prior to the modification of headspace. Alternatively, in some embodiments, removing headspace oxygen may include the introduction of an inert gas, such as, without limitation, nitrogen. The process of modifying headspace 120 may be done through the introduction of an inert gas to displace headspace oxygen within the filled pods to a specific value prior to hermetically sealing the pod. In an embodiment including aluminum beverage pods, as aluminum is a superior oxygen barrier material, the shelf-life and freshness of the aluminum pods using modified atmosphere may be superior to plastic pods. As a nonlimiting example, headspace oxygen levels in an embodiment including aluminum beverage pods may be less than 2%.
With continued reference to FIG. 1, method 100 may further include sealing the cavity with an airtight lid 124. An airtight lid may be configured to prevent beverage material from interacting with the atmosphere exterior to the interior of the cavity. In some cases, airtight lid may provide for an airtight seal between beverage material and the surrounding atmosphere. In some cases, airtight lid may include aluminum, plastic and/or any combination thereof. In some cases, airtight lid may include a pull tab wherein a user may grip onto pull tab in order to remove airtight lid. In some cases, airtight lid may be received from a bulk supply of precisely cut lids. Sealing the cavity with an airtight lid 124 may include the singulation and precision placement of individual pod lids onto the top flange or surface of each pod. The dimensions and material composition of airtight lid may be specific to the orientation and material of the other segments of the beverage pod, such as without limitation the shell and or the filter material composition. The airtight lid material will enable a hermetic seal capable of surviving high altitude distribution as well as allowing easy removal, for example by peeling the lid from the pod by the consumer after preparing a beverage. As used in this disclosure, “hermetic” is a complete and airtight lid. The lid material may be a specified combination of a metallic material, and polymeric coatings and/or laminates on the interior or sealing surface. In an embodiment, there may further be an exterior portion to the lid configured to display print of some sort. The lid may be sealed/welded/adhered to the aluminum pod using one of several potential technologies. For example, and without limitation, convection heat sealing, ultrasonic welding, and/or adhesive sealing. Embodiments may use exacting specifications for time, temperature, and pressure. In some cases, sealing the lid may include hermetically sealing, welding, adhering and the like. For example, in an embodiment with an aluminum beverage pod the sealing conditions may include the use of convection heat sealing methods, including a temperature range of 240 to 350 degrees Celsius, a dwell time range of 0.4 s to 2.0 s, and contact pressure of ˜1200 N/m2.
With continued reference to FIG. 1, method 100 may further include discharging the beverage pod into a secondary packaging operation 128. As used in this disclosure, “secondary packaging” refers to packaging that creates an outer layer of material designed to protect the main packaging and goods within from damage throughout transit. Secondary packaging may include sleeves, boxes, and/or similar containers. Secondary packaging may include cutouts designed to hold individual beverage pods in place and/or partitioned sliders positioned to include one or more beverage pods. Secondary packaging may include additional forms of packaging to further secure beverage pods, such as without limitation, plastic shrink-wrap. The exterior of secondary packaging may include surfaces containing images and/or text marketing the contents and brand of the beverage pods placed within. Secondary packaging may further be placed into larger boxes to increase efficiency and storage for transit. Methods and/or operations of packaging highly recyclable beverage pods in secondary packaging may include additional steps of singulation and precise positioning. These processes may occur manually and/or automatically. The final step of method 100 includes discharging the finalized beverage pod into a secondary packaging operation 128.
Further referencing FIG. 1, method of manufacture for a highly recyclable beverage pod 100 produces a highly recyclable beverage pod, wherein the highly recyclable beverage pod includes a cavity including a shell, a filter disc disposed within the cavity, a formed filter material adhered to an interior surface of the cavity, a beverage material within the formed filter material, and an airtight lid sealing the interior components of the beverage pod within the cavity. The interior components of the beverage pod may include a filter disc, a formed filter material, and beverage material. In some embodiments, and without limitation, highly recyclable beverage pod may include an inert gas disposed within the cavity. In this embodiment, the interior components sealed within the cavity may further include an inert gas, such as nitrogen. Additionally, in some embodiments, and without limitation, the shell of the beverage pod may be made up of aluminum and/or an alloy of aluminum material. Alternatively, shell of the beverage pod may be made up of some other metallic material containing a mixture of metals.
Continuing to reference FIG. 1, method 100 may include the manufacture of the precursor shell of a beverage pod used throughout method 100. This may be accomplished through any automated manufacturing process as described within this disclosure and further, by any automated manufacturing device as described in further detail below. In an exemplary embodiment, manufacture of the precursor shell of a beverage pod may be accomplished through a stamping process. “Stamping” refers to the manufacturing process that converts flat sheets of material into a specific shape. Stamping may also be referred to as pressing. The process of stamping may include placing flat sheet metal, in either coil and/or blank form, into a stamping press. In the press, a tool and die surface form the metal into the desired shape. Techniques to shape the metal may include, without limitation, punching, blanking, bending, coining, embossing, and/or flanging. This process may be used in connection with another manufacturing process, such as method 100 and/or individually.
With further reference to FIG. 1, manufacturing may be performed, without limitation, by molding. Molding is a common form of manufacturing and may be embodied in more than one embodiment, such as, without limitation, casting, injection molding, blow molding, and/or compression molding. Casting may involve heating a material to its melting point and then pouring it into a mold. Once the material has cooled, the mold is removed, and the finished shape is produced. Alternatively, injection molding refers to the shaping of materials by injecting heated material under high pressure into a mold. Blow molding refers to the process of inflating a softened material hollow preform against a cooled surface of a closed mold, where the material solidifies into a hollow product. Compression molding is the process of molding in which a preheated polymer is placed into an open, heated mold cavity. The mold is then closed with a top plug and compressed, wherein the compression will ensure the material contacts all areas of the mold.
Manufacturing and/or forming of a part, workpiece, or other object may be performed, without limitation, using a manufacturing device. A manufacturing device may include an additive manufacturing devices may include without limitation any device designed or configured to produce a component, product, or the like using an additive manufacturing process, in which material is deposited on the workpiece to be turned into the finished result. In some embodiments, an additive manufacturing process is a process in which material is added incrementally to a body of material in a series of two or more successive steps. The material may be added in the form of a stack of incremental layers; each layer may represent a cross-section of the object to be formed upon completion of the additive manufacturing process. Each cross-section may, as a non-limiting example be modeled on a computing device as a cross-section of graphical representation of the object to be formed; for instance, a computer aided design (CAD) tool may be used to receive or generate a three-dimensional model of the object to be formed, and a computerized process may derive from that model a series of cross-sectional layers that, when deposited during the additive manufacturing process, together will form the object. The steps performed by an additive manufacturing system to deposit each layer may be guided by a computer aided manufacturing (CAM) tool. In other embodiments, a series of layers are deposited in a substantially radial form, for instance by adding a succession of coatings to the workpiece. Similarly, the material may be added in volumetric increments other than layers, such as by depositing physical voxels in rectilinear or other forms. Additive manufacturing, as used in this disclosure, may specifically include manufacturing done at the atomic and nano level. Additive manufacturing also includes bodies of material that are a hybrid of other types of manufacturing processes, e.g. forging and additive manufacturing as described above. As an example, a forged body of material may have welded material deposited upon it which then comprises an additive manufactured body of material.
Deposition of material in additive manufacturing processes may be accomplished by any suitable means. Deposition may be accomplished using stereolithography, in which successive layers of polymer material are deposited and then caused to bind with previous layers using a curing process such as curing using ultraviolet light. Additive manufacturing processes may include “three-dimensional printing” processes that deposit successive layers of power and binder; the powder may include polymer or ceramic powder, and the binder may cause the powder to adhere, fuse, or otherwise join into a layer of material making up the body of material or product. Additive manufacturing may include metal three-dimensional printing techniques such as laser sintering including direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) or laser powder-bed fusion. Likewise, additive manufacturing may be accomplished by immersion in a solution that deposits layers of material on the body of material, by depositing and sintering materials having melting points such as metals, such as selective laser sintering, by applying fluid or paste-like materials in strips or sheets and then curing that material either by cooling, ultraviolet curing, and the like, any combination of the above methods, or any additional methods that involve depositing successive layers or other increments of material. Methods of additive manufacturing may include without limitation vat polymerization, material jetting, binder jetting, material extrusion, fuse deposition modeling, powder bed fusion, sheet lamination, and directed energy deposition. Methods of additive manufacturing may include adding material in increments of individual atoms, molecules, or other particles. An additive manufacturing process may use a single method of additive manufacturing, or combine two or more methods.
Additive manufacturing may include deposition of initial layers on a substrate. Substrate may include, without limitation, a support surface of an additive manufacturing device, or a removable item placed thereon. Substrate may include a base plate, which may be constructed of any suitable material; in some embodiments, where metal additive manufacturing is used, base plate may be constructed of metal, such as titanium. Base plate may be removable. One or more support features may also be used to support additively manufactured body of material during additive manufacture; for instance and without limitation, where a downward-facing surface of additively manufactured body of material is constructed having less than a threshold angle of steepness, support structures may be necessary to support the downward-facing surface; threshold angle may be, for instance 45 degrees. Support structures may be additively constructed, and may be supported on support surface and/or on upward-facing surfaces of additively manufactured body of material. Support structures may have any suitable form, including struts, buttresses, mesh, honeycomb or the like; persons skilled in the art, upon reviewing the entirety of this disclosure, will be aware of various forms that support structures may take consistently with the described methods and systems.
An additive manufacturing device may include an applicator or other additive device. For instance, an additive manufacturing device may include a printer head for a 3D printer. An additive manufacturing device may include an extruding device for extruding fluid or paste material, a sprayer or other applicator for bonding material, an applicator for powering, a sintering device such as a laser, or other such material.
An additive manufacturing device may include one or more robotic elements, including without limitation robot arms for moving, rotating, or otherwise positioning a workpiece, or for positioning a manufacturing tool, printer heads, or the like to work on workpiece. An additive manufacturing device may include one or more workpiece transport elements for moving a workpiece or finished part or component from one manufacturing stage to another; workpiece transport elements may include conveyors such as screw conveyors or conveyor belts, hoppers, rollers, or other items for moving an object from one place to another.
Manufacturing device may include a subtractive manufacturing device, which may perform one or more subtractive manufacturing processes. One or more steps may include a subtractive manufacturing process, which produces the product by removing material from a workpiece; the removal of material may be accomplished using abrasives, cutting tools or endmills, laser cutting or ablation, removal using heat, or any other method that removes material from the workpiece. Each subtractive manufacturing process used may be any suitable process, such as, but not limited to, rotary-tool milling, electronic discharge machining, ablation, etching, erosion, cutting, sawing, sanding, polishing, grinding, and cleaving, among others.
If rotary-tool milling is utilized, this milling may be accomplished using any suitable type of milling equipment, such as milling equipment having either a vertically or horizontally oriented spindle shaft. Examples of milling equipment include bed mills, turret mills, C-frame mills, floor mills, gantry mills, knee mills, and ram-type mills, among others. In some embodiments, the milling equipment used for removing material may be of the computerized numerical control (CNC) type that is automated and operates by precisely programmed commands that control movement of one or more parts of the equipment to effect the material removal. CNC machines, their operation, programming, and relation to CAM tools and CAD tools are well known and need not be described in detail herein for those skilled in the art to understand the scope of the present invention and how to practice it in any of its widely varying forms.
Subtractive manufacturing may be performed using spark-erosive devices; for instance, subtractive manufacturing may include removal of material using electronic discharge machining (EDM). EDM may include wire EDM, plunge EDM, immersive EDM, ram EDM, or any other EDM manufacturing technique. Subtractive manufacturing may be performed using laser-cutting processes. Subtractive manufacturing may be performed using water-jet or other fluid-jet cutting techniques. Fundamentally, any process for removal of material may be employed for subtractive manufacturing.
Manufacturing device may include a mechanical manufacturing device. In an embodiment, mechanical manufacturing device may be a manufacturing device that deprives the user of some direct control over the toolpath, defined as movements the manufacturing tool and workpiece make relative to one another during the one or more manufacturing steps. For instance, manufacturing tool may be constrained to move vertically, by a linear slide or similar device, so that the only decision the user may make is to raise or lower the manufacturing tool; as a non-limiting example, where manufacturing device is a manually operated machine tool, user may only be able to raise and lower a cutting tool, and have no ability to move the cutting tool horizontally. Similarly, where manufacturing tool includes a slide lathe, a blade on the slide lathe may be constrained to follow a particular path. As a further example, base table may be moveable along one or more linear axes; for instance, base table may be constrained to move along a single horizontal axis. In other embodiments, base table is constrained to movement along two horizontal axes that span two dimensions, permitting freedom of movement only in a horizontal plane; for instance, base table may be mounted on two mutually orthogonal linear slides.
Manufacturing device may include a powered manufacturing device. In an embodiment, a powered manufacturing device may be a manufacturing device in which at least one component of the manufacturing device includes at least a component powered by something other than human power. At least a component may be powered by any non-human source, including without limitation electric power generated or stored by any means, heat engines including steam, internal combustion, or diesel engines, wind power, water power, pneumatic power, or hydraulic power. Powered components may include any components of manufacturing device. Manufacturing tool may be powered; for instance, manufacturing tool may include an endmill mounted on a spindle rotated by a motor (not shown). Workpiece support may be powered. Where manufacturing device is a mechanical device, motion of components along linear or rotary constraints may be powered; for instance, motion of base table along one or more linear constraints such as linear slides may be driven by a motor or other source of power. Similarly, rotation of a table may be driven by a power source. Tool-changer, where present, may be driven by power. In some embodiments, all or substantially all of the components of manufacturing device are powered by something other than human power; for instance, all components may be powered by electrical power.
Manufacturing device may include an automated manufacturing system. In some embodiments, an automated manufacturing system is a manufacturing device including a controller that controls one or more manufacturing steps automatically. Controller may include a sequential control device that produces a sequence of commands without feedback from other components of automated manufacturing system. Controller may include a feedback control device that produces commands triggered or modified by feedback from other components. Controller may perform both sequential and feedback control. In some embodiments, controller includes a mechanical device. In other embodiments, controller includes an electronic device. Electronic device may include digital or analog electronic components, including without limitation one or more logic circuits, such one or more logic gates, programmable elements such as field-programmable arrays, multiplexors, one or more operational amplifiers, one or more diodes, one or more transistors, one or more comparators, and one or more integrators. Electronic device may include a processor. Electronic device may include a computing device. Computing device may include any computing device as described below. Computing device may include a computing device embedded in manufacturing device; as a non-limiting example, computing device may include a microcontroller, which may be housed in a unit that combines the other components of manufacturing device. Controller may include a manufacturer client of plurality of manufacturer clients; controller may be communicatively coupled to a manufacturer client of plurality of manufacturer clients.
Controller may include a component embedded in manufacturing device; as a non-limiting example, controller may include a microcontroller, which may be housed in a unit that combines the other components of manufacturing device. Further continuing the example, microcontroller may have program memory, which may enable microcontroller to load a program that directs manufacturing device to perform an automated manufacturing process. Similarly, controller may include any other components of a computing device as described below in a device housed within manufacturing device. In other embodiments, controller includes a computing device that is separate from the rest of the components of manufacturing device; for instance, controller may include a personal computer, laptop, or workstation connected to the remainder of manufacturing device by a wired or wireless data connection. In some embodiments, controller includes both a personal computing device where a user may enter instructions to generate a program for turning workpiece into a finished product, and an embedded device that receives the program from the personal computing device and executes the program. Persons skilled in the art will be aware of various ways that a controller, which may include one or more computing devices, may be connected to or incorporated in an automated manufacturing system as described above.
Controller may control components of automated manufacturing system; for instance, controller may control elements including without limitation tool changer to switch endmills, spindle or gear systems operatively coupled to spindle to regulate spindle rotational speed, linear movement of manufacturing tool, base table, or both, and rotation or rotational position of rotary table. As an example, controller may coordinate deposition and/or curing of material in additive manufacturing processes, where manufacturing device is an additive manufacturing device. Persons skilled in the art, upon reading the entirety of this disclosure, will be aware of similar automated control systems usable for various forms manufacturing.
Controller may be designed and/or configured to perform any method, method step, or sequence of method steps in any embodiment described in this disclosure, in any order and with any degree of repetition. For instance, controller may be configured to perform a single step or sequence repeatedly until a desired or commanded outcome is achieved; repetition of a step or a sequence of steps may be performed iteratively and/or recursively using outputs of previous repetitions as inputs to subsequent repetitions, aggregating inputs and/or outputs of repetitions to produce an aggregate result, reduction or decrement of one or more variables such as global variables, and/or division of a larger processing task into a set of iteratively addressed smaller processing tasks. Controller may perform any step or sequence of steps as described in this disclosure in parallel, such as simultaneously and/or substantially simultaneously performing a step two or more times using two or more parallel threads, processor cores, or the like; division of tasks between parallel threads and/or processes may be performed according to any protocol suitable for division of tasks between iterations. Persons skilled in the art, upon reviewing the entirety of this disclosure, will be aware of various ways in which steps, sequences of steps, processing tasks, and/or data may be subdivided, shared, or otherwise dealt with using iteration, recursion, and/or parallel processing.
An object, part, and/or workpiece may be further processed as desired to finish that object, part, and/or workpieces. Examples of further process include but are not limited to: secondary machining, polishing, coating such as powder coating, anodization, silk-screening, and any combination thereof, among others. Fundamentally, there is no limitation on the finishing steps, if any, that may occur for a finishing step.
With further reference to FIG. 1, method of manufacture for a highly recyclable beverage pod 100 may include the use of one or more computing devices. Computing device may include any computing device as described in this disclosure, including without limitation a microcontroller, microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP) and/or system on a chip (SoC) as described in this disclosure. computing device may include, be included in, and/or communicate with a mobile device such as a mobile telephone or smartphone. computing device may include a single computing device operating independently, or may include two or more computing device operating in concert, in parallel, sequentially or the like; two or more computing devices may be included together in a single computing device or in two or more computing devices. computing device may interface or communicate with one or more additional devices as described below in further detail via a network interface device. Network interface device may be utilized for connecting computing device to one or more of a variety of networks, and one or more devices. Examples of a network interface device include, but are not limited to, a network interface card (e.g., a mobile network interface card, a LAN card), a modem, and any combination thereof. Examples of a network include, but are not limited to, a wide area network (e.g., the Internet, an enterprise network), a local area network (e.g., a network associated with an office, a building, a campus or other relatively small geographic space), a telephone network, a data network associated with a telephone/voice provider (e.g., a mobile communications provider data and/or voice network), a direct connection between two computing devices, and any combinations thereof. A network may employ a wired and/or a wireless mode of communication. In general, any network topology may be used. Information (e.g., data, software etc.) may be communicated to and/or from a computer and/or a computing device, computing device may include but is not limited to, for example, a computing device or cluster of computing devices in a first location and a second computing device or cluster of computing devices in a second location. computing device may include one or more computing devices dedicated to data storage, security, distribution of traffic for load balancing, and the like. computing device may distribute one or more computing tasks as described below across a plurality of computing devices of computing device, which may operate in parallel, in series, redundantly, or in any other manner used for distribution of tasks or memory between computing devices. computing device may be implemented, as a non-limiting example, using a “shared nothing” architecture.
With continued reference to FIG. 1, computing device may be designed and/or configured to perform any method, method step, or sequence of method steps in any embodiment described in this disclosure, in any order and with any degree of repetition. For instance, computing device may be configured to perform a single step or sequence repeatedly until a desired or commanded outcome is achieved; repetition of a step or a sequence of steps may be performed iteratively and/or recursively using outputs of previous repetitions as inputs to subsequent repetitions, aggregating inputs and/or outputs of repetitions to produce an aggregate result, reduction or decrement of one or more variables such as global variables, and/or division of a larger processing task into a set of iteratively addressed smaller processing tasks. computing device may perform any step or sequence of steps as described in this disclosure in parallel, such as simultaneously and/or substantially simultaneously performing a step two or more times using two or more parallel threads, processor cores, or the like; division of tasks between parallel threads and/or processes may be performed according to any protocol suitable for division of tasks between iterations. Persons skilled in the art, upon reviewing the entirety of this disclosure, will be aware of various ways in which steps, sequences of steps, processing tasks, and/or data may be subdivided, shared, or otherwise dealt with using iteration, recursion, and/or parallel processing.
Now referring to FIG. 2, an exemplary embodiment of a beverage pod 200 is shown. Within this embodiment filter disc 204 is shown in an embodiment wherein the filter disc 204 is up off the floor of the interior floor of the cavity of the beverage pod 200. Additionally, shown is a formed filter material 208 adhered to the interior wall of the cavity of beverage pod 200. Furthermore, an area in which the beverage material 212 would fill is represented. In this embodiment, beverage material 212 is not present in order to showcase the other properties of beverage pod 200. Lastly, airtight lid 216 is pictured. In an embodiment airtight lid 216 may include a tab configured to enable a user to easily peal airtight lid 216 from beverage pod 200.
Now referring to FIG. 3A-3E, nonlimiting embodiments of beverage pod shell configurations are shown. FIG. 3A depicts a beverage pod shell configured with round and/or oval recesses or detents in a straight or aligned pattern along the sidewall of the beverage pod. As used in this disclosure, “recess” is a small space created by building part of the sidewall further back from the rest of the sidewall. “Detent,” as used in this disclosure refers to a catch in a configuration, which prevents motion until released. When beverage pods are stacked within one another after their contents have been emptied, the recesses or detents interconnect and lock one another together. This configuration aids in the interconnectedness of two or more pods allowing for recyclability. FIG. 3B illustrates a beverage pod shell configured with round and/or oval recesses or detents in a staggered pattern along the sidewall of the beverage pod. This embodiment is also enabled with the interconnection and locking feature as described previously. FIG. 3C depicts a beverage pod shell configured with round and/or oval recesses or detents along the sidewall combined with a curved channel or thread allowing for the interconnection and locking of two or more beverage pods. FIG. 3D illustrates an embodiment of beverage pod shell configured with circumferential beads in a straight or aligned pattern along the sidewall of the beverage pod. This embodiment is also enabled with the interconnection and locking abilities as previously discussed when two or more pods are stacked and pressed together. As used in this disclosure, “circumferential” refers to the circumference of a curved geometric figure. In this embodiment, circumferential refers to the beads circling the sidewall of the beverage pod. Lastly, FIG. 3E depicts a beverage pod shell configured with channels or threads along the sidewall of the beverage pod. These channels or threads allow the beverage pods to be twisted or threaded together, accomplishing the recyclable aspect as previously discussed in the previous embodiments.
It is to be noted that any one or more of the aspects and embodiments described herein may be conveniently implemented using one or more machines (e.g., one or more computing devices that are utilized as a user computing device for an electronic document, one or more server devices, such as a document server, etc.) programmed according to the teachings of the present specification, as will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the computer art. Appropriate software coding can readily be prepared by skilled programmers based on the teachings of the present disclosure, as will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the software art. Aspects and implementations discussed above employing software and/or software modules may also include appropriate hardware for assisting in the implementation of the machine executable instructions of the software and/or software module.
Such software may be a computer program product that employs a machine-readable storage medium. A machine-readable storage medium may be any medium that is capable of storing and/or encoding a sequence of instructions for execution by a machine (e.g., a computing device) and that causes the machine to perform any one of the methodologies and/or embodiments described herein. Examples of a machine-readable storage medium include, but are not limited to, a magnetic disk, an optical disc (e.g., CD, CD-R, DVD, DVD-R, etc.), a magneto-optical disk, a read-only memory “ROM” device, a random access memory “RAM” device, a magnetic card, an optical card, a solid-state memory device, an EPROM, an EEPROM, and any combinations thereof. A machine-readable medium, as used herein, is intended to include a single medium as well as a collection of physically separate media, such as, for example, a collection of compact discs or one or more hard disk drives in combination with a computer memory. As used herein, a machine-readable storage medium does not include transitory forms of signal transmission.
Such software may also include information (e.g., data) carried as a data signal on a data carrier, such as a carrier wave. For example, machine-executable information may be included as a data-carrying signal embodied in a data carrier in which the signal encodes a sequence of instruction, or portion thereof, for execution by a machine (e.g., a computing device) and any related information (e.g., data structures and data) that causes the machine to perform any one of the methodologies and/or embodiments described herein.
Examples of a computing device include, but are not limited to, an electronic book reading device, a computer workstation, a terminal computer, a server computer, a handheld device (e.g., a tablet computer, a smartphone, etc.), a web appliance, a network router, a network switch, a network bridge, any machine capable of executing a sequence of instructions that specify an action to be taken by that machine, and any combinations thereof. In one example, a computing device may include and/or be included in a kiosk.
Now referring to FIG. 4, a diagrammatic representation of one embodiment of a computing device in the exemplary form of a computer system 400 within which a set of instructions for causing a control system to perform any one or more of the aspects and/or methodologies of the present disclosure may be executed is shown. It is also contemplated that multiple computing devices may be utilized to implement a specially configured set of instructions for causing one or more of the devices to perform any one or more of the aspects and/or methodologies of the present disclosure. Computer system 400 includes a processor 404 and a memory 408 that communicate with each other, and with other components, via a bus 412. Bus 412 may include any of several types of bus structures including, but not limited to, a memory bus, a memory controller, a peripheral bus, a local bus, and any combinations thereof, using any of a variety of bus architectures.
Processor 404 may include any suitable processor, such as without limitation a processor incorporating logical circuitry for performing arithmetic and logical operations, such as an arithmetic and logic unit (ALU), which may be regulated with a state machine and directed by operational inputs from memory and/or sensors; processor 404 may be organized according to Von Neumann and/or Harvard architecture as a non-limiting example. Processor 404 may include, incorporate, and/or be incorporated in, without limitation, a microcontroller, microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP), Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD), Graphical Processing Unit (GPU), general purpose GPU, Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), analog or mixed signal processor, Trusted Platform Module (TPM), a floating point unit (FPU), system on module (SOM), and/or system on a chip (SoC).
Memory 408 may include various components (e.g., machine-readable media) including, but not limited to, a random-access memory component, a read only component, and any combinations thereof. In one example, a basic input/output system 416 (BIOS), including basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within computer system 400, such as during start-up, may be stored in memory 408. Memory 408 may also include (e.g., stored on one or more machine-readable media) instructions (e.g., software) 420 embodying any one or more of the aspects and/or methodologies of the present disclosure. In another example, memory 408 may further include any number of program modules including, but not limited to, an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, program data, and any combinations thereof.
Computer system 400 may also include a storage device 424. Examples of a storage device (e.g., storage device 424) include, but are not limited to, a hard disk drive, a magnetic disk drive, an optical disc drive in combination with an optical medium, a solid-state memory device, and any combinations thereof. Storage device 424 may be connected to bus 412 by an appropriate interface (not shown). Example interfaces include, but are not limited to, SCSI, advanced technology attachment (ATA), serial ATA, universal serial bus (USB), IEEE 1394 (FIREWIRE), and any combinations thereof. In one example, storage device 424 (or one or more components thereof) may be removably interfaced with computer system 400 (e.g., via an external port connector (not shown)). Particularly, storage device 424 and an associated machine-readable medium 428 may provide nonvolatile and/or volatile storage of machine-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, and/or other data for computer system 400. In one example, software 420 may reside, completely or partially, within machine-readable medium 428. In another example, software 420 may reside, completely or partially, within processor 404.
Computer system 400 may also include an input device 432. In one example, a user of computer system 400 may enter commands and/or other information into computer system 400 via input device 432. Examples of an input device 432 include, but are not limited to, an alpha-numeric input device (e.g., a keyboard), a pointing device, a joystick, a gamepad, an audio input device (e.g., a microphone, a voice response system, etc.), a cursor control device (e.g., a mouse), a touchpad, an optical scanner, a video capture device (e.g., a still camera, a video camera), a touchscreen, and any combinations thereof. Input device 432 may be interfaced to bus 412 via any of a variety of interfaces (not shown) including, but not limited to, a serial interface, a parallel interface, a game port, a USB interface, a FIREWIRE interface, a direct interface to bus 412, and any combinations thereof. Input device 432 may include a touch screen interface that may be a part of or separate from display 436, discussed further below. Input device 432 may be utilized as a user selection device for selecting one or more graphical representations in a graphical interface as described above.
A user may also input commands and/or other information to computer system 400 via storage device 424 (e.g., a removable disk drive, a flash drive, etc.) and/or network interface device 440. A network interface device, such as network interface device 440, may be utilized for connecting computer system 400 to one or more of a variety of networks, such as network 444, and one or more remote devices 448 connected thereto. Examples of a network interface device include, but are not limited to, a network interface card (e.g., a mobile network interface card, a LAN card), a modem, and any combination thereof. Examples of a network include, but are not limited to, a wide area network (e.g., the Internet, an enterprise network), a local area network (e.g., a network associated with an office, a building, a campus or other relatively small geographic space), a telephone network, a data network associated with a telephone/voice provider (e.g., a mobile communications provider data and/or voice network), a direct connection between two computing devices, and any combinations thereof. A network, such as network 444, may employ a wired and/or a wireless mode of communication. In general, any network topology may be used. Information (e.g., data, software 420, etc.) may be communicated to and/or from computer system 400 via network interface device 440.
Computer system 400 may further include a video display adapter 452 for communicating a displayable image to a display device, such as display device 436. Examples of a display device include, but are not limited to, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a cathode ray tube (CRT), a plasma display, a light emitting diode (LED) display, and any combinations thereof. Display adapter 452 and display device 436 may be utilized in combination with processor 404 to provide graphical representations of aspects of the present disclosure. In addition to a display device, computer system 400 may include one or more other peripheral output devices including, but not limited to, an audio speaker, a printer, and any combinations thereof. Such peripheral output devices may be connected to bus 412 via a peripheral interface 456. Examples of a peripheral interface include, but are not limited to, a serial port, a USB connection, a FIREWIRE connection, a parallel connection, and any combinations thereof.
The foregoing has been a detailed description of illustrative embodiments of the invention. Various modifications and additions can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. Features of each of the various embodiments described above may be combined with features of other described embodiments as appropriate in order to provide a multiplicity of feature combinations in associated new embodiments. Furthermore, while the foregoing describes a number of separate embodiments, what has been described herein is merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. Additionally, although particular methods herein may be illustrated and/or described as being performed in a specific order, the ordering is highly variable within ordinary skill to achieve methods, systems, and software according to the present disclosure. Accordingly, this description is meant to be taken only by way of example, and not to otherwise limit the scope of this invention.
Exemplary embodiments have been disclosed above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, omissions and additions may be made to that which is specifically disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Patent Application
20250002199
