Apparatus And Products For Producing Beverages, And Methods For Making And Using Same
Patent No. US12378061 (titled "Apparatus And Products For Producing Beverages, And Methods For Making And Using Same") was filed by Universal Coffee Llc on Apr 8, 2019.
What is this patent about?
’061 is related to the field of brewing consumable liquids, specifically addressing single-serving beverage cartridges and brewing machines. The background acknowledges the widespread use of single-serving coffee cartridges and the desire for more efficient brewing methods, including reusable cartridges. Existing solutions often involve piercing the cartridge with a water nozzle and a discharge nozzle, but may suffer from uneven water distribution and under-extraction of the beverage material.
The underlying idea behind ’061 is to improve the extraction efficiency in single-serving brewing by optimizing water distribution within the cartridge. This is achieved by using a multi-directional liquid entry port that disperses the injected water in at least three directions away from the vertical axis of the cartridge. This ensures more uniform wetting of the beverage material, reducing dead zones and improving overall extraction.
The claims of ’061 focus on a reusable cartridge designed for use with brewing machines. The cartridge features a housing with a liquid-impermeable frame and a filter material forming a liquid exit. A hinged lid seals the entrance to the material holding space and includes a liquid entry port with a nozzle that extends into the holding space. This port is designed to receive the brewing machine's liquid injector and inject liquid into the material during the brewing cycle.
In practice, the reusable cartridge is filled with coffee grounds or other beverage material, and the lid is closed and sealed. When the cartridge is placed in the brewing machine, the liquid injector engages with the entry port on the lid. The key is that the port nozzle then distributes the hot water in multiple directions, ensuring that all the coffee grounds are thoroughly saturated. The brewed beverage then passes through the filter material and exits the cartridge.
This design differentiates itself from prior approaches by actively controlling the water distribution pattern within the cartridge. Instead of simply injecting water downwards, the multi-directional nozzle promotes a more even and complete extraction of the beverage material. The reusability aspect also addresses the environmental concerns associated with disposable cartridges, offering a more sustainable brewing solution.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical landscape at the time
In the late 2010s when ’061 was filed, single-serving beverage brewing machines were prevalent, at a time when such systems commonly relied on piercing a cartridge to introduce water and extract the brewed beverage. Reusable cartridges were also known, but hardware or software constraints made designing a reliable and easily cleanable reusable cartridge non-trivial.
Novelty and Inventive Step
The examiner allowed the claims because the prior art of record, specifically Peterson et al. (US 3,490,356), discloses a reusable cartridge for a brewing machine, but it does not teach or suggest a lid that is hingedly attached to the housing. The examiner found no motivation to modify the prior art to include this feature. The examiner also stated that dependent claims are allowable because of their dependency on the allowed independent claims.
Claims
This patent contains 7 claims, with claims 1, 3, and 5 being independent. The independent claims generally focus on a reusable cartridge for a brewing machine, detailing its housing, filter, lid, and liquid entry port. The dependent claims generally add further detail to the liquid entry port, such as the inclusion of directed outlets.
Key Claim Terms New
Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.
Patent Family
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Date
Description
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US12378061
- Application Number
- US16378495
- Filing Date
- Apr 8, 2019
- Status
- Granted
- Expiry Date
- Jul 18, 2039
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO, Google Patents