Beverage machine with carafe compatible drip tray
AssigneeKeurig Green Mountain, Inc.
InventorNikolas Kastor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A beverage forming method and system in which a carafe is positionable at a carafe receiving area of a beverage forming machine with a lid of the carafe in an open position or a closed position. The carafe may be positioned at the carafe receiving area in any one of multiple rotational positions within a range of 45 to 180 degrees, and the machine may detect whether the lid is open or not for any of the rotational positions. A drip tray may receive waste liquid into two different waste liquid receiving areas, and may detect the presence of liquid for different volumes received into the respective areas. Holes or other opening in the drip tray may be configured to receive liquid flowing down a side surface of a carafe when the liquid reaches a periphery of the carafe base.
Claims36
A beverage forming apparatus comprising:
- a housing having a beverage outlet and carafe receiving area to receive a carafe at which the carafe is associated with the housing to receive a beverage dispensed from the beverage outlet;
- a drip tray assembly arranged to receive waste liquid at the carafe receiving area, the drip tray assembly including a waste liquid sensor and first and second waste liquid receiving areas each having a corresponding opening, the first waste liquid receiving area arranged to receive waste liquid falling from the beverage outlet, the waste liquid sensor being arranged to detect the presence of waste liquid in response to a first volume of liquid received at the first waste liquid receiving area and to detect the presence of waste liquid in response to a second volume of liquid received at the second waste liquid receiving area, the first and second volumes being different from each other;
- 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 the beverage outlet;
- a precursor liquid supply system supported by the housing for providing the precursor liquid to the beverage forming station;
- and
- a control circuit arranged to control the liquid supply system to deliver the precursor liquid to the beverage forming station to dispense a beverage.
A beverage forming apparatus comprising:
- a housing having a beverage outlet and carafe receiving area to receive a carafe at which the carafe is associated with the housing to receive a beverage dispensed from the beverage outlet;
- a drip tray assembly arranged to receive waste liquid at the carafe receiving area, the drip tray assembly including a waste liquid sensor and first and second waste liquid receiving areas separated from each other such that liquid flows from the first to the second waste liquid receiving area when a volume of liquid in the first receiving area exceeds a threshold, the first waste liquid receiving area arranged to receive waste liquid from the beverage outlet, the waste liquid sensor being arranged in the second waste liquid receiving area to detect the presence of waste liquid;
- 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 the beverage outlet;
- a precursor liquid supply system supported by the housing for providing the precursor liquid to the beverage forming station;
- and
- a control circuit arranged to control the liquid supply system to deliver the precursor liquid to the beverage forming station to dispense a beverage.
A beverage forming apparatus comprising:
- a housing having a beverage outlet and carafe receiving area to receive a carafe at which the carafe is associated with the housing to receive beverage dispensed from the beverage outlet;
- a drip tray assembly arranged to receive waste liquid at the carafe receiving area, the drip tray assembly including one or more holes positioned to receive liquid at a periphery of a base of a carafe at the carafe receiving area, wherein the liquid comprises liquid flowing down an outer surface of the carafe to the carafe base;
- a beverage forming station supported by the housing and arranged to combine a precursor liquid with a beverage material to form a beverage that is dispensed from the beverage outlet;
- a precursor 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 a beverage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.