BEVERAGE FORMATION APPARATUS AND METHOD USING VIBRATORY ENERGY

• US 20120308688A1
• Filed: 06/15/2012
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. (Keurig Dr Pepper, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. (Keurig Dr Pepper, Inc.)
• Inventors: Peterson, Peter, Jones, Ross Peter, Hember, Miles William Noel, Gonzalez-Zugasti, Javier
• Granted Patent: US 9,833,102 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/86
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/002 following a specific operational sequence, e.g. for improving the taste of the extraction product
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/3623 Cartridges being employed with tape of cartridges A47J31/3652
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/44 Parts or details or accessories of beverage-making apparatus filters or strainers A47J31/06
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2215/0454 Numerical frequency values
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/551 using vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/10 with a mixing receptacle rotating alternately in opposite directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/20 Mixing the contents of independent containers, e.g. test tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/24 the containers being submitted to a rectilinear movement
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/29 Mixing by periodically deforming flexible tubular members through which the material is flowing
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/30 comprising a receptacle to only a part of which the shaking, oscillating, or vibrating movement is imparted
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/56 having a vibrating receptacle provided with stirring elements, e.g. independent stirring elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/85 with a vibrating element inside the receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/86 with vibration of the receptacle or part of it
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/251 using balls as loose mixing element
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/452 using independent floating stirring elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2207 Use of data, i.e. barcodes, 3D codes or similar type of tagging information, as instruction or identification codes for controlling the computer programs, e.g. for manipulation, handling, production or compounding in mixing plants B01F33/848 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/5312 with vertical baffles mounted on the walls
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/8061 Filters

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.

Claims

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.

2. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the motion creating structure includes an agitator that includes a first portion located in the interior space and a second portion that extends outside of the interior space.

3. The cartridge of claim 2, wherein the second portion of the agitator is arranged to mechanically couple with the drive system to translate motion of the drive system to the first portion of the agitator.

4. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the motion creating structure includes an agitator that is attached to the container and is in the interior space.

5. The cartridge of claim 4, wherein the agitator is attached to the container and extends away from the container and into the interior space.

6. The cartridge of claim 5, wherein the agitator includes one or more paddles, fingers, fins, tabs or blades.

7. The cartridge of claim 5, wherein the agitator includes one or more paddles formed as indentations in the container.

8. The cartridge of claim 7, wherein the indentations in the container are arranged to mechanically couple with the drive system.

9. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the motion creating structure includes one or more mixing balls that are movable in the interior space independently of the container, and wherein the mixing balls are arranged to create movement of the beverage medium or liquid in the container in response to movement of a container by the drive system.

10. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the motion creating structure includes one or more wall elements in the interior space arranged to cause net rotary movement of the beverage medium or liquid in response to oscillatory rotation of the container.

12. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the motion creating structure is arranged to create vortices in a liquid in the interior space in response to motion of the drive system.

13. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the container includes a lid, the cartridge further comprising a filter in the container arranged to filter at least part of a beverage formed by interaction of the beverage medium with liquid.

14. The cartridge of claim 13, wherein the filter is attached to the lid.

15. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the beverage medium includes a powdered material that would not fully dissolve into liquid introduced into the cartridge to form a beverage of a given volume in the absence of movement caused by the motion creating structure.

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.

16. A method for forming a beverage using a beverage cartridge arranged for use in a beverage forming machine, comprising:

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.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of causing movement includes engaging and causing oscillatory motion of a second portion of an agitator of the motion creating structure that extends outside of the interior space of the cartridge.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the agitator includes a first portion located in the interior space and oscillatory motion of the second portion causes movement of the first portion.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the motion creating structure includes an agitator that is attached to the container and in the interior space.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the agitator is attached to the container and extends away from the container and into the interior space.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the agitator includes one or more paddles, fingers, fins, tabs or blades.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the agitator includes one or more paddles formed as indentations in the container.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of causing movement includes mechanically coupling indentations in the container with a drive system of the beverage forming machine.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of causing movement includes moving the container so that one or more mixing balls of the motion creating structure create movement of the beverage medium in the container.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of causing movement includes causing oscillatory rotation of the container.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein oscillatory rotation of the container causes one or more wall elements in the interior space arranged to cause net rotary movement of the beverage medium in the interior space relative to the container.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the wall elements are arranged so that wall elements arranged around a periphery of the container in a zig-zag arrangement.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of causing movement causes the motion creating structure to create vortices in a liquid in the interior space.

29. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

introducing liquid into the interior space to contact the beverage medium to make a beverage.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of introducing occurs before or simultaneously with the step of causing movement.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of introducing liquid includes piercing the cartridge container to form an opening through which the liquid is introduced.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising piercing the cartridge container to form an opening through which beverage exits the container.

33. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of causing movement includes causing the motion creating structure to emit sonic energy in the interior space.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein the cartridge includes a filter in the interior space, the method further comprising:

causing materials to pass through the filter in the cartridge that would not pass through the filter in the absence of causing movement of the beverage medium.

35. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

forming a beverage that has a higher level of dissolved and/or suspended materials than would be present in the absence of movement of the beverage medium by the motion creating structure.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the beverage is a coffee beverage and the method includes:

forming a coffee beverage with a turbidity and/or a level of total dissolved solids that is higher than would be present in the absence of movement of the beverage medium by the motion creating structure.

37. A beverage forming system, comprising:

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.