US 9,801,495 B2Granted

Beverage brewing system

AssigneeTouch Coffee & Beverages, LLC

InventorSung I. Oh

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A beverage cartridge system is adapted to brew a beverage through a brewer having a holder adapted to receive the cartridge system. The holder may have a deep well with one or more needles therewithin to pierce through the bottom of the cartridge system when inserted into the well. The cartridge system may include a short cup and a tall cup, where the tall cup is taller than the short cup to pack more beverage grind. The cartridge system may include a filter within an outer cup. The bottom of the filter may be deep enough to be juxtaposed to the bottom of the cup. The filter may be formed from a material that is substantially resistant to piercing by the needle within the holder such that when the outlet needle pierces through the bottom of the cup, the outlet needle raises the filter at a point of contact, and the filter substantially resists the outlet needle from piercing through the filter during a brewing process.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A beverage brewer and cartridge combination, comprising:

a beverage cartridge having a beverage ingredient therein;
a cartridge holder having a top end that is configured to receive the beverage cartridge, and a bottom end, and a ledge between the top and bottom ends and above the bottom end;
a first outlet piercing element having a base end that is supported on the ledge and a tip end that is higher than the base end;
and
a second outlet piercing element having a base end that is not supported on the ledge and a tip end, the base end of the second outlet piercing element spaced apart from the base end of the first outlet piercing element;
wherein the respective configurations of the beverage cartridge and the cartridge holder are such that, when the beverage cartridge is positioned within the cartridge holder, the beverage cartridge is pierced within a first predetermined outlet piercing area by the first outlet piercing element, and the beverage cartridge is not in contact with or pierced by the second outlet piercing element within a second predetermined outlet piercing area that is spaced apart from the first predetermined outlet piercing area.

3 more elements

A method, comprising the steps of:

providing a beverage cartridge including a beverage ingredient therein;
and
providing a beverage brewer including
a cartridge holder having a top end that is configured to receive the beverage cartridge, and a bottom end, and a ledge between the top and bottom ends and above the bottom end,
a first outlet piercing element having a base end that is supported on the ledge and a tip end that is higher than the base end, and
a second outlet piercing element having a base end that is not supported on the ledge and a tip end, the base end of the second outlet piercing element spaced apart from the base end of the first outlet piercing element,
the respective configurations of the beverage cartridge and the cartridge holder being such that, when the beverage cartridge is positioned within the cartridge holder, the beverage cartridge is pierced within a first predetermined outlet piercing area by the first outlet piercing element, and the beverage cartridge is not in contact with or pierced by the second outlet piercing element within a second predetermined outlet piercing area that is spaced apart from the first predetermined outlet piercing area.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/336,438Filed 27 Oct 2016 · continuation
Priority: 22 Jun 2012
Published: US 2017/0164782 A115 Jun 2017
Granted: 31 Oct 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

B65D 85/8061
Packages adapted to allow liquid to pass through the contents: filters
A23F 3/18
Tea extraction; Tea extracts; Treating tea extract; Making instant tea: extraction of water soluble tea constituents
A23F 5/262
Extraction of water soluble constituents: the extraction liquid flowing through a stationary bed of solid substances, e.g. in percolation columns
A47J 31/0673
Specially adapted for cartridges: means to perforate the cartridge for creating the beverage outlet

Family

Application61/690,275Us provisional application · filed 22 Jun 2012
Application61/849,236Us provisional application · filed 22 Jan 2013
Application61/850,862Us provisional application · filed 25 Feb 2013
Application61/852,470Us provisional application · filed 15 Mar 2013
PCT/US2013/047408Parent of this continuation · filed 24 Jun 2013
Application14/542,398Parent of this continuation · filed 14 Nov 2014
Application14/866,732Parent of this continuation · filed 25 Sep 2015
US 9,149,151 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 6 Oct 2015
US 2017/0164782 A1Pre-grant publication · published 15 Jun 2017
US 2017/0265675 A9Pre-grant publication · published 21 Sep 2017
US 9,481,508 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2015/0072049 A1Published application
US 2016/0016726 A1Published application
US 9,801,495 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.