Single serve beverage additive cartridge
AssigneePTC Innovations, LLC
InventorKelly M. Nowak
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Beverage additive cartridges, beverage brewing systems and methods of brewing a beverage whereby a beverage additive cartridge containing an ingredient is used in combination with a beverage brewing cartridge to add the ingredient of the additive cartridge to the brewed fluid flow of the brewing cartridge. The resultant brew is an ingredient-brewed fluid mixture that outflows a brewing machine via an outlet probe.
Claims20
A beverage additive cartridge, comprising:
- a container having at least a first surface area and sidewalls extending from said first surface area;
- a portion of the container being in communication with a beverage brewing cartridge;
- and
- an ingredient residing inside the container that is added to a brewed fluid flow of the beverage brewing cartridge to generate an ingredient-brewed fluid mixture, whereby the container having the ingredient comprises a single-serve beverage additive cartridge.
The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the connection that provides the beverage additive cartridge in communication with the beverage brewing cartridge is a fastening means that secures the beverage additive cartridge to the beverage brewing cartridge.
The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the ingredient is selected from the group consisting of a flavoring agent, an ingredient, a vitamin, a medicament, a coloring agent, a sweetening agent, a lightening agent, a flavored lightening agent, an extract, a concentrate, and combinations thereof.
The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the ingredient is in a physical form selected from the group consisting of a liquid, gel, powder, particulate, solid, crystalline, vapor, flavor packet, and combinations thereof.
The apparatus of claim 14 further including a lifting component inside the beverage additive cartridge, the ingredient residing on the lifting component to allow fluid to contact top and bottom surfaces of the ingredient.
The apparatus of claim 14 further including a filter material residing between a second surface area of the beverage additive cartridge and the first surface area of the beverage additive cartridge to provide a chamber, the ingredient residing within the chamber.
The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the ingredient is selected from the group consisting of a single ingredient or a combination of two or more ingredients.
The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the beverage additive cartridge and the beverage brewing cartridge are shaped and sized to fit inside a housing of a single-serve brew machine.
A beverage brewing apparatus comprising:
- a beverage brewing cartridge containing a material to be brewed;
- a beverage additive cartridge having at least a first surface area and sidewalls extending from said first surface area;
- an ingredient residing in the beverage additive cartridge, the ingredient being a material that mixes with a brewed fluid of the beverage brewing cartridge to generate an ingredient-brewed fluid mixture;
- and
- a connection that provides the beverage additive cartridge in communication with the beverage brewing cartridge.
A method of brewing a beverage comprising:
- providing a brewing machine having a housing with one or more fluid flow probes;
- providing a beverage additive cartridge containing an ingredient into said housing;
- providing a beverage brewing cartridge containing a material to be brewed into said housing;
- compressing the beverage brewing cartridge and the beverage additive cartridge together via the housing;
- piercing the beverage brewing cartridge and the beverage additive cartridge with said one or more fluid flow probes;
- a fluid flow flowing into the beverage brewing cartridge via at least one of the fluid flow probes to generate a brewed fluid flow;
- contacting the fluid flow to the ingredient within the beverage additive cartridge to generate an ingredient containing fluid flow;
- combining the brewed fluid flow and the ingredient containing fluid flow to generate an ingredient-brewed fluid mixture;
- and
- outflowing the ingredient-brewed fluid mixture from the brewing machine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.