Keurig, Inc.

Keurig Green Mountain, Inc.

Darius Dilmaghani

Finn Brudevold

James E Shepard

Ian Tinkler

Geoffrey Y Smith

Jianming Huang

Kevin P Sullivan

Jennifer Zimmerman

Francis C Nutter

Constance L Fortini

Francis Nutter

A method and apparatus for forming a beverage. An access opening for a reservoir of a brewer may be opened (e.g., to allow a user to provide liquid into the reservoir for forming a beverage), and thereafter, the access opening of the reservoir may be closed and the reservoir pneumatically sealed. The access opening may be closed and the reservoir pneumatically sealed by closing a lid of the reservoir, e.g., by a user pressing down on the lid. Pneumatic sealing of the reservoir may allow the water in the reservoir to be expelled from the reservoir for flow to the brew chamber by introducing air pressure into the reservoir, e.g., by an air pump. The reservoir may be vented during heating of the water, and during pressurization of the reservoir for delivery of the brew water.

Method and apparatus for beverage formation with pneumatically sealed reservoir

A beverage forming system includes an actuator and first and second portions that are movable relative to each other between open and closed positions. The first and second portions include a cartridge receiving portion to accept a cartridge for forming a beverage, e.g., a disposable single serve cartridge. A first linkage member may be fixed to the actuator and physically contact a second linkage member that may be fixed to the first or second portion (or to a frame that supports the first and second portions). Movement of the actuator may cause movement of the first and second linkage members relative to each other, thereby causing relative movement of the first and second portions between open and closed positions.

Beverage forming device with opening/closing mechanism for a beverage cartridge receiver

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Chelmsford, MA, United States of America

Darius Dilmaghani