Device for preparing a liquid beverage from a cartridge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10624489-B2
Application number	US-53005708-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 15, 2008
Priority date	Mar 6, 2007
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

Device for preparing a liquid beverage from a cartridge, comprising a supply unit (2) for supplying injection fluid to the cartridge (10), a cartridge holder (6) configured to accept and support a cartridge; the said cartridge holder being detachable from the device and complementary insertion means (7) are configured to allow the cartridge holder to be inserted from its detached position into the supply unit (2). The injection means (5) are provided and form part of the supply unit. The injection means are able to move into engagement. Sealing means (16) are also provided in association with the injection means in ‘order to provide sealing locally between the said injection means and the cartridge.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for reducing the resurgence of a liquid or gas-liquid mixture through at least one injection point in an injection surface of a cartridge as a result of the raised pressure created when a pressurized fluid is injected into the cartridge when a liquid beverage is being prepared, the method comprising:
piercing the injection surface of the cartridge by moving an injection spike relative to the cartridge to form the at least one injection point in the injection surface, the injection spike comprising a duct passing therethrough;
keeping the cartridge in an inclined position with respect to a horizontal plane by positioning the at least one injection point of the cartridge higher up than a center of the injection surface for a time period from the piercing by the injection spike until the injection spike is withdrawn from the cartridge, and in the inclined position, the cartridge does not have an injection point lower than the center of the injection surface; and
reducing an empty internal volume of the cartridge using an engagement surface which deforms a flexible wall of the cartridge, the injection spike and the engagement surface provided by a beverage preparation machine, the horizontal plane defined by a retaining surface of an insertion member of a base part of the beverage preparation machine, and the base part configured to receive a cartridge holder supporting the cartridge therein,
the cartridge comprises a body having a circumferential edge to which the injection surface is attached, the circumferential edge comprises a first portion adjacent the at least one injection point and comprises a second portion on an opposite side of the cartridge from the first portion, and the cartridge in the inclined position has the first portion of the circumferential edge higher up relative to the horizontal plane than the second portion.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the injection surface of the cartridge is pierced at the at least one injection point, and the empty internal volume of the cartridge is reduced by moving a support comprising the injection spike relative to the cartridge.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the injection spike is disengaged from the cartridge while keeping the cartridge in the inclined position.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the inclined position is a position at an angle ranging from between 2 and 25 with respect to the horizontal plane.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one injection point higher up than the center of the injection surface is a single injection point that is the only injection point in the injection surface of the cartridge.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the injection spike is fixedly attached to a movable support that comprises the engagement surface, the engagement surface is a convex part of a bottom wall of the movable support, and the reducing of the empty internal volume of the cartridge comprises impressing the engagement surface into the flexible wall of the cartridge to drive the flexible wall toward an interior of the cartridge.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the flexible wall of the cartridge is the injection surface.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the movable support has a central axis, and the injection spike is offset from the central axis of the movable support.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one injection point is offset from the center of the injection surface.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the piercing of the injection surface of the cartridge comprises moving a movable support that comprises the injection spike in a direction that combines rotation and axial movement.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the moving of the movable support in the direction that combines the rotation and axial movement comprises pivoting the movable support on a pin situated on a side of the movable support.

12. The method of claim 11 , comprising inserting the cartridge holder that contains the cartridge into the base part of the beverage preparation machine which is a base part of a fluid supply unit of the beverage preparation machine, and the movable support is mounted on a fixed extension portion of the base part by the pin.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the inserting of the cartridge holder into the base part comprises sliding guide ribs on the cartridge holder in guide grooves in the base part.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the beverage preparation machine comprises a cup support that defines the horizontal plane.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one injection point is radially distanced from the center of the injection surface.

16. The method of claim 8 , wherein the movable support rotates on the central axis.

Assignees

• Denisart Jean Luc
• Meier Alain
• Bonacci Enzo
• Pleisch Hanspeter
• Talon Christian
• Nestle Sa

Inventors

• Denisart Jean-Luc
• Meier Alain
• Bonacci Enzo
• Pleisch Hanspeter
• Talon Christian

Classifications

• A47J31/3695 Primary

  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

• Y10T137/0396

  Involving pressure control · CPC title

• A47J31/06

  Filters or strainers for coffee or tea makers {; Holders therefor} · CPC title

• A47J31/40 Primary

  Beverage-making apparatus with dispensing means for adding a measured quantity of ingredients, e.g. coffee, water, sugar, cocoa, milk, tea · CPC title