Cartridge holder for beverage machine

A beverage making machine, comprising:

• a frame arranged to support components of the beverage making machine, the frame having a forward cam or cam follower and a rear cam or cam follower;
• a cartridge holder supported by the frame and arranged to hold a cartridge containing a material used by the beverage making machine to form a beverage, the cartridge holder including,
• a lower portion arranged to receive and hold a cartridge placed at a cartridge receiving area of the lower portion,
• an upper portion having a forward cam follower or cam arranged to engage with the forward cam or cam follower of the frame and a rear cam follower or cam arranged to engage with the rear cam or cam follower of the frame, engagement of the forward and rear cams and cam followers controlling movement of the upper portion relative to the lower portion between an open position in which the cartridge receiving area is exposed for placement of a cartridge and a closed position in which the upper and lower portions enclose the cartridge to access material in the cartridge to form a beverage, and
• an actuator arranged to move the lid between the open and closed positions;
• and
• a precursor liquid supply to provide precursor liquid used to form a beverage using the material in the cartridge.

A beverage making machine, comprising:

• a frame arranged to support components of the beverage making machine;
• a cartridge holder supported by the frame and arranged to hold a cartridge containing a material used by the beverage making machine to form a beverage, the cartridge holder including,
• a lower portion arranged to receive and hold a cartridge placed at a cartridge receiving area of the lower portion,
• an upper portion movable relative to the lower portion between an open position in which the cartridge receiving area is exposed for placement of a cartridge and a closed position in which the upper and lower portions enclose the cartridge to access material in the cartridge to form a beverage, and
• an actuator arranged to move the lid between the open and closed positions, the actuator including a handle pivotally mounted to the frame and having a handle gear, and a spur gear pivotally mounted to the frame and engaged with the handle gear such that movement of the handle causes rotation of the spur gear, the spur gear having a strut connected to the upper portion such that rotation of the spur gear causes movement of the upper portion relative to the frame;
• and
• a precursor liquid supply to provide precursor liquid used to form a beverage using the material in the cartridge.

A beverage making machine, comprising:

• a cartridge holder arranged to hold a cartridge containing a beverage medium used by the beverage making machine to form a beverage;
• a precursor liquid supply to provide precursor liquid used to form a beverage using the beverage medium in the cartridge, the precursor liquid supply including a dispense line;
• and
• a mixing chamber arranged to receive beverage medium from a cartridge in the cartridge holder, to receive precursor liquid from the dispense line, and to mix the beverage medium and precursor liquid to form a beverage dispensed at a dispensing station of the beverage making machine, wherein the mixing chamber is mounted to a drawer that is removable from the beverage making machine by sliding, removal of the drawer from the beverage making machine disengaging the mixing chamber from the dispense line, and replacement of the drawer fluidly coupling the mixing chamber with the dispense line.

A beverage making machine, comprising:

• a cartridge holder arranged to hold a cartridge containing a material used by the beverage making machine to form a beverage, the cartridge holder including,
• a lower portion arranged to receive and hold a cartridge placed at a cartridge receiving area of the lower portion,
• an upper portion movable relative to the lower portion between an open position in which the cartridge receiving area is exposed for placement of a cartridge and a closed position in which the upper and lower portions enclose the cartridge to access material in the cartridge to form a beverage, and
• an actuator arranged to move the lid between the open and closed positions;
• a precursor liquid supply to provide precursor liquid used to form a beverage using the material in the cartridge;
• a cartridge sensor arranged to detect a presence of a cartridge at the cartridge receiving area;
• and
• control circuitry including a holder sensor to detect the upper portion at the open position and at the closed position, the control circuitry arranged to activate the cartridge sensor when the holder sensor detects the upper portion is moved from the open position and arranged to use information from the cartridge sensor only if the holder sensor detects the upper portion at the closed position without again detecting the upper portion at the open position after the cartridge sensor is activated.