US 11,235,920 B2 · Beverage ingredient pod

Abstract

A beverage ingredient pod for releasing beverage ingredients into a bottle to create a mixed beverage includes a liquid-ingredient chamber, a solid-ingredient chamber, a frangible membrane between and separating the liquid-ingredient chamber and the solid-ingredient chamber, and a rigid piercer that extends to a point toward the frangible membrane. Upon a force applied to the beverage ingredient pod, a portion of the pod collapses and drives the rigid piercer through the frangible membrane. This mixes contents of the liquid-ingredient chamber with contents of the solid-ingredient chamber and releases the mixed contents from the beverage ingredient pod into a bottle below that is filled with a liquid, creating a mixed beverage.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A beverage ingredient pod for releasing beverage ingredients into a bottle, the beverage ingredient pod comprising:

a rigid cup defining a liquid-ingredient chamber;
a flexible wall defining a solid-ingredient chamber;
a separation membrane sealing a first end of the rigid cup, disposed between and separating the liquid-ingredient chamber and the solid-ingredient chamber;
a dispensing membrane sealing a second end of the rigid cup opposite the first end;
and
a rigid piercer disposed within the solid-ingredient chamber, wherein the rigid piercer extends to a point toward the separation membrane.

3 more elements

A beverage ingredient pod containing beverage ingredients to be dispensed into a bottle, the beverage ingredient pod comprising:

a first ingredient chamber, the first ingredient chamber having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the first end defining an opening and having a laterally extending annular rim;
a second ingredient chamber having a laterally extending annular rim disposed adjacent to and external to the first ingredient chamber and fixed to the laterally extending annular rim of the first ingredient chamber;
a frangible membrane disposed between and separating the first ingredient chamber and the second ingredient chamber;
and
a rigid piercer within the beverage ingredient pod that extends to a point toward the frangible membrane;
wherein upon a force applied to an exterior of the beverage ingredient pod, a portion of the beverage ingredient pod collapses causing the rigid piercer to pierce the frangible membrane, thereby mixing a first beverage ingredient in the first ingredient chamber with a second beverage ingredient in the second ingredient chamber and releasing the first and second beverage ingredients from the beverage ingredient pod.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

16/003,686Filed 8 Jun 2018

Published

US 2019/0375574 A112 Dec 2019

Granted

1 Feb 2022

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

B65D 51/2821
The additional article or materials being released by piercing, cutting or tearing an element enclosing it: said element being a blister, a…
B65D 81/3211
Separate rigid or semi-rigid containers joined to each other at their external surfaces: coaxially and provided with means facilitating admixture
A47J 31/407
Beverage-making apparatus with dispensing means for adding a measured quantity of ingredients, e.g. coffee, water, sugar, cocoa, milk, tea: with…
B65D 51/2835
Said element being a film or a foil: ruptured by a sharp element, e.g. a cutter or a piercer

Beverage ingredient pod

Life of this patent

Beverage ingredient pod

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19