Beverage cartridge for beverage making machines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11634271-B2
Application number	US-201716336585-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2017
Priority date	Sep 28, 2016
Publication date	Apr 25, 2023
Grant date	Apr 25, 2023

Abstract

A beverage cartridge and method for forming a beverage includes dispensing beverage material from a container into an attached mixing funnel. The container and mixing funnel may be moved toward each other to open the container and release beverage material. A cover of the container may have a movable portion that moves with contact with a part of the mixing funnel to open the container. The cartridge may be vibrated to dispense beverage material from the container, and liquid provided to the mixing funnel to mix with dispensed beverage material to form a beverage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A beverage dispensing system, comprising:
a beverage cartridge including
a beverage material container having a beverage material in an internal space, the beverage material container including a pierceable cover, and
a mixing funnel attached below the beverage material container to receive the beverage material released from the beverage material container and to receive a liquid that is mixed with the beverage material in the mixing funnel, the mixing funnel including a funnel body having a pusher element and a bowl portion having a sidewall and a bottom, the bottom including an outlet opening, and the sidewall having a rim at an upper end of the sidewall and a gap at a portion of the sidewall, the mixing funnel including an inlet channel extending radially from the gap to receive the liquid into the inlet channel in an axial direction and to direct the liquid into the bowl portion such that the liquid enters the bowl portion and follows an arcuate pathway around the bowl portion,
wherein the beverage material container and the mixing funnel are movable towards each other along the axial direction while remaining attached together to cause the pusher element to open the cover of the beverage material container and release the beverage material into the mixing funnel; and

a beverage making machine having a cartridge holder to receive the beverage cartridge, the cartridge holder including a vibration mechanism to vibrate the beverage cartridge and cause the beverage material to be dispensed from the beverage cartridge into the mixing funnel.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vibration mechanism includes a yoke that extends at least partially around the beverage material container and transmits vibratory motion to the beverage material container.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the vibration mechanism includes a motor that moves the yoke in a horizontal plane.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the vibration mechanism includes a motor with an eccentric drive linked between the motor and the yoke.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cartridge holder is arranged to vibrate the beverage cartridge while dispensing the liquid into the mixing funnel to mix with the beverage material.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cartridge holder is arranged to move the beverage material container and the mixing funnel toward each other to open the beverage material container.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cartridge holder is arranged to hold the beverage cartridge in an orientation with the beverage material container positioned over the mixing funnel such that the beverage material dispensed from the beverage material container falls into the mixing funnel.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pusher element extends upwardly from the bottom of the bowl portion.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the beverage material container is configured such that movement of a portion of the beverage material container into the mixing funnel causes the pusher element to open the cover.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cover includes one or more break lines, and the pusher element is positioned to contact the cover and cause the one or more break lines to open in response to movement of the beverage material container toward the mixing funnel.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the pusher element extends upwardly from the bottom of the bowl portion.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the cover includes a movable portion located between two stationary portions, the movable portion joined to the two stationary portions by at least one break line, and wherein the pusher element is positioned to contact and move the movable portion.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more break lines include perforations, scoring or thinned sections of the cover.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the beverage material is a powder.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the beverage material container is movable relative to the mixing funnel from a first position in which the internal space is closed to a second position in which the internal space is opened to release the beverage material, and wherein the beverage cartridge includes a detent that operates to maintain the beverage material container at the first position in the absence of an external force, and permits the beverage material container to move to the second position only if an external force exceeding a threshold force is applied to the beverage material container and mixing funnel.

Assignees

• Keurig Green Mountain Inc

Inventors

• Mchugh William Philip
• Size Aaron
• Fisher Heather
• Fedorka Thomas

Classifications

• A47J31/407

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

• B65D85/804

  Disposable containers or packages with contents which are {mixed,} infused or dissolved in situ {, i.e. without having been previously removed from the package (B65D65/46 takes precedence; tea infusers A47G19/16; spoons or stirrers comprising beverage additives A47G21/04)} · CPC title

• B65D85/8043 Primary

  Packages adapted to allow liquid to pass through the contents (B65D85/808 takes precedence; filters or reusable cartridges for coffee or tea makers, not used as packages A47J31/06) · CPC title