Apparatus for beverage production

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10398254-B2
Application number	US-201615056316-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 29, 2016
Priority date	Jan 17, 2014
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

Method and apparatus for forming both carafe quantities and smaller (e.g., cup) quantities of a beverage using a cartridge-based beverage machine. A beverage forming machine accommodates cartridges having different sizes and/or shapes, including different rim sizes/shapes. The outlet used for receiving a beverage from a standard cartridge differs from the outlet used for receiving the beverage from a carafe cartridge inserted in a same cartridge holder. Beverage may exit the cartridge in an upward direction in some embodiments.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A beverage forming apparatus comprising:
a cartridge holder including an opening to receive a first cartridge of a first cartridge type and a second cartridge of a second cartridge type at separate times, the first cartridge being configured to hold an amount of beverage medium to form a volume of a beverage of eight ounces or less, and the second cartridge being configured to hold an amount of beverage medium sufficient to form a volume of at least thirty ounces of the beverage, wherein the cartridge holder is arranged to engage with a rim of each of the first cartridge held by the cartridge holder and the second cartridge held by the cartridge holder, such that the first cartridge is suspended by its rim and the second cartridge is suspended by its rim, the rim of the first cartridge having a different size and/or shape than the rim of the second cartridge; and
a liquid supply system arranged to provide a liquid for combination with a beverage medium in a cartridge held by the cartridge holder to form a beverage; wherein
the cartridge holder comprises an adjustable cartridge holder which is arranged to adjust the size of the opening based on which of the first and second cartridges is being used in the cartridge holder; and
the adjustable cartridge holder is arranged to adjust the size of the opening after sensing that a cartridge is present in the cartridge holder.

2. A beverage forming apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein the cartridge holder comprises an adjustable cartridge holder having an engagement portion to engage with the first and second cartridges, the engagement portion being adjustable based on which cartridge is being used in the cartridge holder.

3. A beverage forming apparatus as in claim 2 , wherein the engagement portion has a contact area to engage with the rim of a cartridge, and the engagement portion is arranged to use the same contact area to engage with the rim of each of the first and second cartridges.

4. A beverage forming apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein the adjustable cartridge holder is arranged to adjust the size of the opening after sensing what type of cartridge is present in the cartridge holder.

5. A beverage forming apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein the adjustable cartridge holder is arranged to adjust the size of the opening as a cartridge is being inserted into the cartridge holder.

6. A beverage forming apparatus as in claim 2 , wherein the engagement portion includes one or more radially movable sections which are movable to engage with the support regions of the first and second cartridges.

7. A beverage forming apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein the first cartridge rim has a different shape than the second cartridge rim.

8. A beverage forming apparatus as in claim 7 , wherein the first cartridge includes a circular first cartridge rim, and the second cartridge includes a second cartridge rim which includes a circular portion and a spout portion extending outwardly from the circular portion.

9. A beverage forming apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein the first cartridge rim has a different size than the second cartridge rim.

10. A beverage forming apparatus as in claim 9 , wherein the second cartridge rim has a diameter that is larger than a diameter of the first cartridge rim.

11. A beverage forming apparatus as in claim 1 , in combination with the second cartridge, and further comprising a piercing element to pierce the second cartridge to provide liquid to the second cartridge held by the cartridge holder to form the beverage.

12. A beverage forming apparatus comprising:
a first cartridge of a first cartridge type holding a beverage medium;
a second cartridge of a second cartridge type holding a beverage medium;
a cartridge holder including an opening to receive the first cartridge and the second cartridge at separate times, wherein the cartridge holder is arranged to engage with a rim of each of the first cartridge held by the cartridge holder and the second cartridge held by the cartridge holder, the rim of the first cartridge having a different size and/or shape than the rim of the second cartridge; and
a liquid supply system arranged to provide a liquid for combination with the beverage medium in a cartridge held by the cartridge holder to form a beverage; wherein
the cartridge holder comprises an adjustable cartridge holder which is arranged to adjust the size of the opening based on which of the first and second cartridges is being used in the cartridge holder;
the cartridge holder comprises an adjustable cartridge holder having an engagement portion to engage with the first and second cartridges, the engagement portion being adjustable based on which cartridge is being used in the cartridge holder; and
the engagement portion includes one or more radially movable sections which are movable to engage with the support regions of the first and second cartridges.

13. A beverage forming apparatus as in claim 12 , wherein the first cartridge is configured to hold an amount of beverage medium to form a volume of a beverage of eight ounces or less, and the second cartridge is configured to hold an amount of beverage medium sufficient to form a volume of at least thirty ounces of the beverage.

14. A beverage forming apparatus as in claim 12 , wherein the cartridge holder is arranged to suspend the first cartridge by the rim of the first cartridge, and the cartridge holder is arranged to suspend the second cartridge by the rim of the second cartridge.

15. A beverage forming apparatus as in claim 12 , wherein the first cartridge rim has a different shape than the second cartridge rim.

16. A beverage forming apparatus as in claim 15 , wherein the first cartridge includes a circular first cartridge rim, and the second cartridge includes a second cartridge rim which includes a circular portion and a spout portion extending outwardly from the circular portion.

17. A beverage forming apparatus as in claim 12 , wherein the first cartridge rim has a different size than the second cartridge rim.

18. A beverage forming apparatus as in claim 12 , further comprising a piercing element to pierce the second cartridge to provide liquid to the second cartridge held by the cartridge holder to form the beverage.

19. A beverage forming apparatus as in claim 17 , wherein the second cartridge rim has a diameter that is larger than a diameter of the first cartridge rim.

20. A beverage forming apparatus comprising:
a cartridge holder including an opening to receive a first cartridge of a first cartridge type and a second cartridge of a second cartridge type at separate times, wherein the cartridge holder is arranged to engage with a rim of each of the first cartridge held by the cartridge holder and the second cartridge held by the cartridge holder, such that the first cartridge is suspended by its rim and the second cartridge is suspended by its rim, the rim of the first cartridge having a different size and/or shape than the rim of the second cartridge; and
a liquid supply system arranged to provide a liquid for combination with a beverage medium in a cartridge held by the cartridge holder to form a beverage; wherein
the cartridge holder comprises an adjustable cartridge holder which is arranged to adjust the size of the opening based on which of the first and second cartridges is being used in the cartridge holder; and
wherein the adjustable cartridge holder is arranged to adjust the size of the opening as a cartridge is being inserted into the cartridge holder.

Assignees

• Keurig Green Mountain Inc
• Keurig Green Mountian Inc

Inventors

• Tinkler Ian
• Shepard James E
• Smith Geoffrey Y
• Launie Jr Peter Thomas
• Brodie Jonathan Alexander
• Foster Stuart Jay
• Hristov Stoyan Plamenov
• Huang Jianming

Classifications

• A47J31/469

  Details of hydraulic circuits · CPC title

• A47J31/3695

  Cartridge perforating means for creating the hot water inlet (cartridge perforating means of the filter holder for creating the beverage outlet A47J31/0673) · CPC title

• A47J31/407 Primary

  with ingredient-containing cartridges; Cartridge-perforating means · CPC title

• A47J31/0673

  Means to perforate the cartridge for creating the beverage outlet · CPC title

• A23F5/262

  the extraction liquid flowing through a stationary bed of solid substances, e.g. in percolation columns · CPC title