US 9,867,493 B2Granted

Method and apparatus for cartridge-based carbonation of beverages

AssigneeBedford Systems LLC

InventorsThomas J. Novak, Ross Packard, Peter Peterson, Shawn Gulla, Jennifer Caitlin Huot Carlson, Camilla Schmitt, Mark Joseph Cohen, Ross Peter Jones, Nicolas Alejandro Martinez, Miles William Noel Hember, Fabien Yannick Schmitt, Gary Stacey, Niall Allan Mottram, Neil Lester Campbell, Cormac O'Prey, Wai Ting Chan, Nicholas David Rollings, Charles Frazer Kilby, Christopher Paul Richardson, Thomas Bates Jackson, Scott Grubb, Chris Covey, Barry Dobson, Paul Wilkins, Chris Roach, Peter David Cauwood, Keith Paul Thompson, James Hewitt, Marc Angotti, Ray Carroll, Richard Estabrook, Kevin Hartley, Frank Consoli

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Abstract

Systems, methods and cartridges for carbonating or otherwise dissolving gas in a precursor liquid, such as water, to form a beverage. A gas source can be provided in a cartridge which is used to generate gas that is dissolved into the precursor liquid. A beverage medium, such as a powdered drink mix or liquid syrup, may be provided in the same, or a separate cartridge as the gas source and mixed with the precursor liquid to form a beverage. The use of one or more cartridges for the gas source and/or beverage medium may make for an easy to use and mess-free system for making sparkling beverages, e.g., in the consumer's home.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A beverage making system, comprising:

a beverage precursor liquid supply arranged to provide a precursor liquid;
a single cartridge having first and second cartridge portions that are isolated from each other, the first cartridge portion containing a gas source arranged to emit a gas for use in dissolving into the precursor liquid, the second cartridge portion containing a beverage medium arranged to be mixed with a liquid precursor to form a beverage;
and
a gas dissolution device arranged to receive and hold the gas from the first cartridge portion under pressure and dissolve the gas into the precursor liquid;
wherein the system is arranged to mix precursor liquid with the beverage medium to form a beverage.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/445,571Filed 29 Jul 2014 · continuation
Priority: 1 Feb 2010
Published: US 2014/0331868 A113 Nov 2014
Granted: 16 Jan 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification23 codes

A47J 31/407
Beverage-making apparatus with dispensing means for adding a measured quantity of ingredients, e.g. coffee, water, sugar, cocoa, milk, tea: with…
A23L 2/54
Adding ingredients: mixing with gases
A47J 31/41
Beverage-making apparatus with dispensing means for adding a measured quantity of ingredients, e.g. coffee, water, sugar, cocoa, milk, tea: of…
B01F 23/23121
Diffusers: having injection means, e.g. nozzles with circumferential outlet

Family

Application61/337,184Us provisional application · filed 1 Feb 2010
Application13/017,459Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 31 Jan 2011
Application61/514,676Us provisional application · filed 3 Aug 2011
Application13/565,214Parent of this continuation · filed 2 Aug 2012
US 2014/0331868 A1Pre-grant publication · published 13 Nov 2014
US 8,808,775 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
Application13/565,214Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2011/0226343 A1Published application
US 2013/0129870 A1Published application
US 9,936,834 B2Related patent
US 9,867,493 B2This patent

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