Adsorbent particle sizing for gas dissolution in beverages

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9364018-B1
Application number	US-201514619344-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Feb 11, 2015
Priority date	Feb 11, 2015
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

Systems, methods and cartridges for carbonating or otherwise dissolving gas in a precursor liquid, such as water, to form a beverage. A gas source can be provided in a cartridge which is used to generate gas that is dissolved into the precursor liquid. A beverage medium, such as a powdered drink mix or liquid syrup, may be provided in the same, or a separate cartridge as the gas source and mixed with the precursor liquid to form a beverage. The gas source may include a solid molecular sieve formed in beads in which at least 85% of the beads by weight have a size of 0.71 mm to 2.0 mm.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cartridge for use by a beverage forming machine in forming a beverage, comprising:
a container including a first chamber that is sealed and encloses a gas source material arranged to release a gas adsorbed by the gas source material with addition of a fluid introduced into the first chamber, the gas source material being a zeolite formed in solid beads in which at least 85% of the beads by weight have a size of 0.71 mm to 2.0 mm and less than 5% of the beads have a size over 2.0 mm,
wherein the container is arranged to have an inlet through which the fluid is introduced by the beverage forming machine into the first chamber to cause the gas source material to release the gas, and is arranged to have an outlet through which gas released by the gas source material exits the first chamber for dissolution in the beverage.

2. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the gas is carbon dioxide.

3. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein less than 10% of the beads have a size under 0.71 mm.

4. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein a bead having a size less than 0.71 mm passes through a US Mesh 25 screen, a bead having a size between 0.71 mm and 2.0 mm does not pass through a US Mesh 25 screen but passes through a US Mesh 10 screen, and a bead having a size greater than 2.0 mm does not pass through a US Mesh 10 screen.

5. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the beads each have a ratio of a mass of adsorbed gas to a mass of the bead of at least 15%, and wherein the beads are each arranged to release at least 95% of all adsorbed gas within 60 seconds when immersed in water.

6. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the gas source material has a mass of 10-50 grams and a volume of less than 50 ml.

7. The cartridge of claim 6 , wherein the gas source material has an amount of adsorbed gas equivalent to a volume of 300 ml to 2000 ml of the gas at atmospheric pressure.

8. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is liquid water.

9. The cartridge of claim 8 , wherein the gas source material is arranged to release the adsorbed gas upon the introduction of 20 ml to 40 ml of liquid water to the first chamber.

10. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the container includes a lid that is piercable by the beverage forming machine to form the inlet and outlet.

11. The cartridge of claim 10 , further comprising a filter in the first chamber that resists exit of gas source material from the outlet of the first chamber.

12. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the container includes a top which is piercable to form the inlet and outlet of the first chamber, a sidewall that extends downwardly from the top, and a rim that extends outwardly from a lower end of the sidewall.

13. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the container further includes a second chamber that is separated from the first chamber, the second chamber being sealed and containing a beverage medium for mixing with a precursor liquid to form the beverage.

14. The cartridge of claim 13 , wherein the second chamber is located below the first chamber, and the first and second chambers are separated by a wall.

15. The cartridge of claim 13 , wherein the container includes a top, an upper sidewall that extends downwardly from the top, a bottom, a lower sidewall that extends upwardly from the bottom, and a rim that extends outwardly from a lower end of the upper sidewall and an upper end of the lower sidewall.

16. The cartridge of claim 15 , wherein the top is piercable to form the inlet and outlet, the rim is piercable to form an inlet opening to the second chamber through which pressurized gas is received into the second chamber, and the bottom includes an outlet opening through which beverage medium exits the second chamber.

17. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the first chamber and the gas source material are arranged to cause release of the gas adsorbed in the gas source material within 20 to 40 seconds upon introduction of 20 to 40 ml of liquid water into the first chamber.

18. The cartridge of claim 17 , wherein the gas released is equivalent to a volume of 300 ml to 2000 ml of the gas at atmospheric pressure.

19. The cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the gas source material is arranged to emit gas suitable for forming a carbonated beverage having a volume of between 100-1000 ml and a carbonation level of about 1 to 5 volumes over a time period of less than 60 seconds.

Assignees

• Keurig Green Mountain Inc

Inventors

• Peterson Peter
• Huot Carlson Jennifer Caitlin

Classifications

• B65D81/32

  for packaging two or more different materials which must be maintained separate prior to use in admixture · CPC title

• F17C11/00

  Use of gas-solvents or gas-sorbents in vessels {(absorbing compositions for acetylene C10L3/04; absorbing compositions for hydrogen C01B3/0005)} · CPC title

• B65D85/8043

  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

• F17C2221/013

  Carbon dioxide · CPC title

• A23V2002/00

  Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs · CPC title