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US 8,361,527 B2Granted
Beverage cartridge
AssigneeKeurig, Incorporated
InventorsKarl T. Winkler, Shih-Hao Lai, Richard Pasquini
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method, system and cartridge for forming a beverage includes a cartridge having a container defining an interior space, a lid, a filter, and a beverage medium contained in the interior space. The filter may be attached to the lid only, and extend into the interior space to separate first and second chambers of the cartridge. The filter may hold the beverage medium and be arranged so that, when the lid is removed from the container, e.g., by peeling the lid from the container, the filter and beverage medium are removed together with the lid.
Claims49
A cartridge for use in forming a beverage, the cartridge comprising:
- a container having an interior space;
- a rim attached to the container and defining an opening to the interior space;
- a lid attached to the rim and closing the opening of the container, the lid consisting of a sheet of flexible material;
- a filter attached to the lid at a periphery located inwardly and away from the rim so as to form a gap between the periphery and the rim, the filter extending from the periphery into the interior space and separating a first chamber from a second chamber in the interior space, the filter being unattached to the container;
- and
- a beverage medium in the first chamber of the interior space arranged to interact with liquid introduced into the container to form a beverage;
- wherein the lid has a first portion that is pierceable by a beverage machine to accommodate an inflow of pressurized liquid into the first chamber of the interior space to form a beverage.
4 more elements
A method of manufacturing a cartridge for use with a beverage brewing machine, comprising:
- providing a container having an interior space and a rim defining an opening into the interior space;
- attaching a filter to a lid at a periphery that is located inwardly and away from the rim so as to form a gap between the periphery and the rim, the lid consisting of a sheet of flexible material;
- attaching the lid to the rim to close the opening after the filter is attached to the lid and such that the periphery is spaced inwardly and away from the rim and the filter extends from the periphery into the interior space and separates a first chamber from a second chamber in the interior space;
- and
- providing a beverage medium in the first chamber of the interior space that is arranged to interact with liquid introduced into the container to form a beverage,
- wherein the lid has a first portion that is pierceable by a beverage machine to accommodate, and the cartridge is otherwise arranged to accommodate, an inflow of pressurized liquid into the first chamber of the interior space to form a beverage.
3 more elements
A beverage system comprising:
- a beverage machine comprising:
- a cartridge receiver arranged to receive a cartridge;
- a fluid inlet arranged to introduce liquid into the cartridge via a first opening in the cartridge;
- a fluid outlet arranged to receive a beverage from the cartridge via a second opening in the cartridge;
- and
- a cartridge arranged to be received by the cartridge receiver of the beverage machine, the cartridge comprising:
- a container having an interior space and a rim defining an opening to the interior space;
- a lid attached to the rim and closing the opening of the container, the lid consisting of a sheet of flexible material;
- a filter attached to the lid at a periphery located inwardly and away from the rim so as to form a gap between the periphery and the rim, the filter extending from the periphery into the interior space and separating a first chamber from a second chamber in the interior space, the filter being unattached to the container;
- and
- a beverage medium in the first chamber of the interior space that is arranged to interact with liquid introduced into the container to form a beverage;
- wherein the beverage machine is arranged to pierce a first portion of the lid to introduce an inflow of pressurized liquid via the fluid inlet into the first chamber to form a beverage, and the beverage machine is arranged to pierce a second portion of the lid to accommodate an outflow of beverage from the cartridge to the fluid outlet.
9 more elements
A cartridge for use in forming a beverage, the cartridge comprising:
- a container having an interior space;
- a rim attached to the container and defining an opening to the interior space;
- a lid attached to the rim and closing the opening of the container, the lid consisting of a sheet of flexible material;
- a filter attached to the lid at a filter periphery located inwardly and away from the rim so as to form a gap between the filter periphery and the rim, the filter extending from the filter periphery into the interior space and separating a first chamber from a second chamber in the interior space, the filter being unattached to the container;
- a flow distributor attached to the lid at a periphery located away from the rim and inside the filter periphery, the flow distributor extending from the periphery into the first chamber of the interior space and separating a first area inside the flow distributor from a second area in the interior space, the flow distributor being unattached to the container and arranged to alter flow of liquid introduced into the first area;
- and
- a beverage medium in the first chamber of the interior space arranged to interact with liquid introduced into the container to form a beverage;
- wherein the lid has a first portion that is pierceable by a beverage machine to accommodate an inflow of pressurized liquid into the first area.
5 more elements
A cartridge for use in forming a beverage, the cartridge comprising:
- a container having a sidewall and a bottom defining an interior space, the sidewall including a spout extending on the sidewall;
- a rim attached to the container and defining an opening to the interior space, the spout extending from near the bottom of the container to the rim;
- a lid attached to the rim and closing the opening of the container, the lid consisting of a sheet of flexible material;
- a filter attached to the lid at a periphery located inwardly and away from the rim so as to form a gap between the periphery and the rim, the filter extending from the periphery into the interior space and separating a first chamber from a second chamber in the interior space, the filter being unattached to the container;
- and
- a beverage medium in the first chamber of the interior space arranged to interact with liquid introduced into the container to form a beverage;
- wherein the lid has a first portion that is pierceable by a beverage machine to accommodate an inflow of pressurized liquid into the first chamber, and wherein the lid has a second portion that is pierceable by a beverage machine to accommodate an outflow of liquid from the second chamber, the second portion being located at a spout area of the rim.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.