Method and apparatus for beverage formation with pneumatically sealed reservoir

A beverage formation device, comprising:

• a brew chamber for receiving a beverage cartridge and having a lid that is movable between open and closed positions to open and close the brew chamber, the brew chamber adapted to substantially enclose a beverage cartridge with the lid in a closed position;
• a reservoir for holding a beverage precursor liquid and having a lid that is movable to open and close an access opening through which precursor liquid is provided into the reservoir, the reservoir lid being adapted to pneumatically seal the reservoir access opening when the reservoir lid is in a closed position, wherein the reservoir lid is movable to the closed position by a user moving the reservoir lid by hand;
• a heater for heating the precursor liquid that is provided to the brew chamber;
• and
• a controller that controls operation of the heater and includes a sensor to detect the reservoir lid in the closed position, wherein the controller controls the heater so that heating of the precursor liquid in the reservoir cannot begin until after the reservoir lid is detected to be in the closed position by the sensor.

A method for forming a beverage, comprising:

• providing a beverage brewer that includes a brew chamber for receiving a beverage cartridge, a reservoir for holding beverage precursor liquid, the reservoir including an access opening through which precursor liquid is provided into the reservoir, and a controller that controls operation of the beverage brewer, the beverage brewer being constructed and arranged to introduce the precursor liquid into the beverage cartridge and form a beverage;
• providing a beverage cartridge into the brew chamber;
• providing precursor liquid in the reservoir;
• closing a reservoir lid to pneumatically seal the reservoir at the access opening, wherein closing the reservoir lid comprises a user moving the reservoir lid to a closed position by hand;
• detecting with a sensor of the controller that the reservoir lid is in the closed position;
• heating the precursor liquid in the reservoir;
• and
• providing the precursor liquid in the reservoir to the beverage cartridge to form a beverage, the step of providing the precursor liquid including pneumatically pressurizing the reservoir to force the precursor liquid from the reservoir after the reservoir lid is detected by the controller sensor to be in the closed position.

A method for forming a beverage, comprising:

• providing a beverage brewer that includes a brew chamber for receiving a beverage cartridge and a reservoir for holding beverage precursor liquid, the beverage brewer being constructed and arranged to introduce the precursor liquid into the beverage cartridge and form a beverage;
• providing a beverage cartridge into the brew chamber;
• providing precursor liquid in the reservoir;
• closing a reservoir lid to pneumatically seal the reservoir, wherein closing the reservoir lid comprises a user moving the reservoir lid to a closed position by hand;
• heating the precursor liquid in the reservoir, wherein heating of the precursor liquid in the reservoir cannot begin until after the reservoir lid is closed;
• and
• providing the precursor liquid in the reservoir to the beverage cartridge to form a beverage.