Beverage filter cartridge holder

• US 6,079,315 A
• Filed: 01/19/1999
• Issued: 06/27/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. (Keurig Dr Pepper, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Keurig, Inc. (Keurig Dr Pepper, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kwo, Jennie, Beaulieu, Roderick H., Wuertele, James W., Sweeney, Richard P., Focht, Kenneth A., Sylvan, John E., Woram, Michael G.
• Primary Examiner(s): ALEXANDER, REGINALD
• Application Number:
  US09/232,993
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 99/295, 99/302 R, 99/303, 99/289 R
• US Class Current: 99/289.00R
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/3628 Perforating means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/3633 Means to perform transfer from a loading position to an infusing position
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/3638 Means to eject the cartridge after brewing
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/4467 by means of linear guides, e.g. drawer-type engagement

Abstract

A cup shaped holder is internally provided with an ejection mechanism which serves to automatically dislodge a spent beverage cartridge from an upwardly extending piercing member when the lid is opened at the end of a brewing cycle. In addition, the holder is mounted on externally protruding trunnions for pivotal movement between an upright brewing position and a partially inverted position to eject the dislodged cartridge from the holder into an underlying receptacle. The lid has a dependency arm that coacts with a pawl on the holder trunnions to automatically manipulate the holder to eject the cartridge.

Claims

1. A chamber for a cartridge containing a beverage extract and including a bottom, sidewall and top sealed to the sidewall along a peripheral rim, said chamber comprising:

a cup shaped housing having a sidewall and a bottom wall with an upwardly projecting apertured probe defining a liquid outlet;

a platform overlying said bottom wall, said platform having an opening aligned with said apertured probe and being provided with an upwardly extending ejection arm, said platform being movable between a raised position at which said platform wall is above said probe and said ejection arm projects above said housing, and a lowered position at which said probe projects through said opening in said platform and said ejection arm is retracted into said housing, said housing being configured and dimensioned to receive said cartridge with said peripheral rim overlying said ejection arm;

spring means for resiliently urging said platform into said raised position;

a lid overlaying said housing, said lid having a downwardly projecting apertured probe defining a liquid inlet; and

means for manipulating said lid between a ready position spaced above said housing, and a beverage brewing position where said lid applies an axial positioning force to the peripheral rim that urges the cartridge and said platform downwardly, thereby causing said downwardly and upwardly apertured probes to pierce the cartridge and thereby place said liquid inlet in communication with said liquid outlet via the interior of said cartridge.

2. The chamber of claim 1, wherein said means for manipulating further comprises means for moving said lid from said beverage brewing position to a discharge position that also causes said chamber to rotate about an axis perpendicular to said opening in order to discharge the cartridge from said chamber.

3. The chamber of claim 2, wherein said spring means includes a spiral spring of sufficient size such that when said lid removes the axial positioning force, said spiral spring moves said platform to the raised position causing the cartridge to withdraw from said upwardly projecting apertured probe.

4. The chamber of claim 3, wherein

A) said housing sidewall comprises:

i) an exterior surface that includes a pair of radially outwardly extending trunnions that pivotally support said housing;

ii) a first pawl attached to said sidewall, wherein said first pawl is engaged to cause said housing to pivot about said pair of radially outwardly extending trunnions and discharge the cartridge said housing;

iii) a second pawl attached to said sidewall, wherein said second pawl is engaged to limit the rotational travel of the holder about said trunnions; and

B) said lid comprises means for engaging said first and second pawls to pivot said housing.

5. A beverage filter cartridge holder that receives a beverage filter cartridge containing a beverage extract, and positions and pierces the cartridge establishing a liquid flow path through the extract to provide a brewed beverage, the filter cartridge holder comprising:

a circular base surface that includes a base opening coaxial with an upwardly extending hollow piercing member secured to said circular base surface;

a slidable cartridge platform having a bore formed therein coaxial with said hollow piercing member to allow said hollow piercing member to pass through said slidable cartridge platform;

a spring located between said base surface and said slidable cartridge platform;

a cartridge ejection arm having a first axial end connected with said slidable cartridge platform and a second axial end; and

a truncated conical sidewall extending axially from said circular base surface and including an interior surface that defines a chamber sized to receive the beverage filter cartridge, wherein said interior surface includes a channeled axial passage that engages said cartridge ejection arm allowing said slidable cartridge platform to axially move deeper into said chamber in response to a positioning force,

wherein when the beverage filter cartridge is placed into the filter cartridge holder, a radially outwardly protruding lip of the beverage filter cartridge rests on said second axial end of said cartridge ejection arm extending axially outside said chamber, and when the positioning force is applied to the radially outwardly protruding lip against said spring, said slidable cartridge platform moves downward causing said hollow piercing member to extend through said bore and pierce a bottom surface of the beverage filter cartridge to provide an exit flow path for the brewed beverage through said base opening.

6. The beverage filter cartridge holder of claim 5, wherein said spring is of sufficient size such that when the positioning force is removed, said spring causes said hollow piercing member to be removed from the beverage filter cartridge.

7. The beverage filter cartridge holder of claim 6, wherein said bore and said hollow piercing member are co-axial.

8. The beverage filter cartridge holder of claim 6, further comprising a second cartridge ejection arm having a base axial end connected with said slidable cartridge platform and a distant axial end extending outside said chamber a distance equal to said cartridge ejection arm, wherein said second cartridge ejection arm cooperates with said cartridge ejection arm to hold the beverage filter cartridge.

9. The beverage filter cartridge holder of claim 6, wherein said spring is spiral and coaxial with said circular base surface and said slidable cartridge platform.

10. The beverage filter cartridge holder of claim 6, wherein said truncated conical sidewall includes an exterior surface that comprises a pair of radially outwardly extending trunnions that pivotally support the beverage filter cartridge holder.

11. The beverage filter cartridge holder of claim 10, further comprising a first pawl attached to said truncated conical sidewall, wherein said first pawl is engaged to cause the beverage filter cartridge holder to pivot about said pair of radially outwardly extending trunnions and discharge the beverage filter cartridge from said chamber.

12. The beverage filter cartridge holder of claim 11, further comprising a second pawl attached to said truncated conical sidewall, wherein said second pawl is engaged to limit the rotational travel of the holder about said trunnions.

13. The beverage filter cartridge holder of claim 12, wherein said circular base surface, said truncated conical sidewall, said pair of radially outwardly extending trunnions and said first and second pawls are formed from a unitary piece of plastic.

14. A cartridge holder that receives a cartridge containing a beverage extract, and positions and pierces the cartridge to establish a liquid flow path through the beverage extract to provide a brewed beverage, the holder comprising:

a base surface that includes a base opening coaxial with an upwardly extending hollow piercing member secured to said circular base surface;

a slidable cartridge platform having a bore formed therein coaxial with said upwardly extending piercing member to allow said hollow piercing member to extend through said slidable cartridge platform;

a cartridge ejection arm having a first axial end connected with said slidable cartridge platform and a second axial end extending outside said chamber;

a sidewall extending axially from said base surface and including an interior surface that defines a chamber sized to receive the cartridge, wherein said interior surface includes a channeled passage that engages said cartridge ejection arm allowing said slidable cartridge platform to axially move within said chamber; and

a resilient member located between said base surface and said slidable cartridge platform;

wherein when the cartridge is placed into the holder, a radially outwardly protruding lip of the cartridge rests on said second axial end of said cartridge ejection arm, and when a axial positioning force is applied to the radially outwardly protruding lip, said slidable cartridge platform moves downward causing said hollow piercing member to extend through said bore and pierce a bottom surface of the cartridge to provide an exit flow path for the brewed beverage through said base opening.

15. The cartridge holder of claim 14, wherein said resilient member is a spring.

16. The cartridge holder of claim 14, said resilient member is of sufficient size such that when the axial positioning force is removed, said resilient member causes said hollow piercing member to be removed from the cartridge.

17. The cartridge holder of claim 16, wherein said sidewall includes an exterior surface that comprises a pair of radially outwardly extending trunnions that pivotally support the beverage filter cartridge holder.

18. The cartridge holder of claim 17, further comprising a first pawl attached to said sidewall, wherein said first pawl is engaged to cause the cartridge holder to pivot about said pair of radially outwardly extending trunnions and discharge the cartridge from said chamber.

19. The cartridge holder of claim 18, further comprising a second pawl attached to said sidewall, wherein said second pawl is engaged to limit the rotational travel of the holder about said trunnions.

20. The cartridge holder of claim 19, wherein said base surface, said sidewall, said pair of radially outwardly extending trunnions and said first and second pawls are formed from a unitary piece of plastic.