BEVERAGE FORMATION APPARATUS AND METHOD USING VIBRATORY ENERGY
First Claim
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1. A beverage cartridge arranged for use in a beverage forming machine to make a beverage, comprising:
- a container having a closed interior space;
a beverage medium located in the interior space, the beverage medium being used to form a beverage by interaction of the beverage medium with a liquid introduced into the interior space; and
a motion creating structure in the closed interior space of the container and arranged to cause movement of the beverage medium or liquid in the cartridge relative to the container in response to oscillatory movement of a drive system located outside of the closed interior space and separable from the beverage cartridge.
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Abstract
Apparatus and method for forming beverages using a beverage cartridge and sonic energy. A cartridge may include a sonic receiver, such as a feature that extends into an interior space of the cartridge and is arranged to receive a sonic emitter that introduces sonic energy into the interior space. The sonic receiver may be excited by sonic energy, which causes the sonic receiver to itself introduce sonic energy into the cartridge.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A beverage cartridge arranged for use in a beverage forming machine to make a beverage, comprising:
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a container having a closed interior space; a beverage medium located in the interior space, the beverage medium being used to form a beverage by interaction of the beverage medium with a liquid introduced into the interior space; and a motion creating structure in the closed interior space of the container and arranged to cause movement of the beverage medium or liquid in the cartridge relative to the container in response to oscillatory movement of a drive system located outside of the closed interior space and separable from the beverage cartridge. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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11. The cartridge of claim 11, wherein the wall elements are arranged so that wall elements arranged around a periphery of the container in a zig-zag arrangement.
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16. A method for forming a beverage using a beverage cartridge arranged for use in a beverage forming machine, comprising:
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providing a beverage cartridge including a container having a closed interior space, a beverage medium located in the interior space, and a motion creating structure in the closed interior space of the container arranged to cause movement of the beverage medium; associating the beverage cartridge with a brew chamber of the beverage forming machine; and causing movement of the motion creating structure while the cartridge is associated with the brew chamber to cause movement of the beverage medium in the closed interior space. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A beverage forming system, comprising:
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a cartridge receiver arranged to hold a beverage cartridge; a liquid inlet arranged to introduce liquid into the beverage cartridge; a drive system arranged to provide vibratory energy to the beverage cartridge; and a beverage cartridge, including; a container having a closed interior space; a beverage medium located in the interior space, the beverage medium being used to form a beverage by interaction of the beverage medium with a liquid introduced into the interior space; and a motion creating structure in the closed interior space of the container and arranged to cause movement of the beverage medium or liquid in the cartridge relative to the container in response to oscillatory movement of the drive system located outside of the closed interior space and separate from the beverage cartridge.
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Specification