Method and apparatus for beverage carafe detection
AssigneeKeurig Green Mountain, Inc.
InventorsIan Tinkler, James E. Shepard, Gregory Hurley, Matthew Johnsen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A beverage forming method and system in which a carafe with an associated magnetic element is positionable at a carafe receiving area. One of a protrusion and a first recess is associated with the carafe and the other of the protrusion and the first recess is associated with a housing. The housing includes a detector arranged to detect the presence of the magnetic element when the protrusion is inserted into the first recess. Beverage formation of an amount greater than a threshold volume is enabled when the detector detects the magnetic element.
Claims31
A beverage forming apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
- a beverage carafe having a body defining an interior space for holding a beverage, an opening through which the beverage is dispensable into the interior space, and a magnetic element associated with a lower portion of the carafe;
- a housing having a carafe receiving area to receive the carafe and in which the carafe is associated with the housing to receive the beverage dispensed into the opening;
- a protrusion associated with a lower side portion of one of the carafe and the housing;
- a first recess for receiving the protrusion, the first recess being formed in the other of the carafe and the housing;
- a detector arranged to detect the presence of the magnetic element when the protrusion is inserted into the recess;
- a beverage forming station supported by the housing and arranged to combine a precursor liquid with a beverage material to form the beverage that is dispensed into the carafe at the carafe receiving area;
- a liquid supply system supported by the housing for providing precursor liquid to the beverage forming station;
- and
- a control circuit arranged to control the liquid supply system to deliver precursor liquid to the beverage forming station to dispense more than a threshold volume of beverage only when the detector detects the magnetic element.
A method for controlling a beverage forming apparatus having a housing including a carafe receiving area to receive a carafe and one of a first recess and a protrusion associated with an exterior surface of the housing, the method comprising:
- placing a carafe at the carafe receiving area, the carafe having a body defining an interior space for holding a beverage, an opening through which a beverage is dispensable into the interior space, the other of the first recess and the protrusion associated with a lower side portion of the carafe, and a magnetic element associated with a lower portion of the carafe;
- inserting the protrusion into the first recess;
- detecting the presence of the magnetic element;
- and
- controlling the liquid supply system to deliver a precursor liquid to a beverage forming station to dispense more than a threshold volume of beverage only when a detector detects the magnetic element.
A beverage forming apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
- a beverage carafe having a body defining an interior space for holding a beverage, and an opening through which the beverage is dispensable into the interior space;
- a housing having a carafe receiving area to receive the carafe and in which the carafe is associated with the housing to receive the beverage dispensed into the opening;
- a detector arranged to detect the presence of the carafe when the carafe is at the carafe receiving area;
- a beverage forming station supported by the housing and arranged to combine a precursor liquid with a beverage material to form the beverage that is dispensed from an outlet at the carafe receiving area;
- a liquid supply system supported by the housing for providing precursor liquid to the beverage forming station;
- and
- a control circuit arranged to control the liquid supply system to deliver precursor liquid to the beverage forming station to dispense more than a threshold volume of beverage only when the detector detects the carafe, and arranged to control the liquid supply system to deliver precursor liquid to the beverage forming station to dispense only less than the threshold volume of beverage when the detector does not detect the carafe.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.