Keurig Green Mountain, Inc.

Keurig, Inc.

Keurig Green Mountian, Inc.

Geoffrey Y Smith

James E Shepard

Ian Tinkler

Blair Mikkelsen

Jonathan Alexander Brodie

Stuart Jay Foster

Joseph George Fucci

Steven Mackey

Stoyan Plamenov Hristov

Roger Johnson

Yoav Rabino

Peter Thomas Launie, Jr

Jianming Huang

Peter Thomas Launie

William T Jacobs

Robert Dana Cassano

William Philip McHugh

Kevin P Sullivan

Mario Liuzza

Finn Brudevold

Kevin Thomas Brandimarte

Patrick Lazatin

Darius Dilmaghani

Benjamin Li

Peter Nicholas Woskov

Timothy MacLean

Keith Choi

Thomas Chan

Jordan Dean Jack Greiner

Timothy Maclean

William Philip Mchugh

Patrick J Lazatin

Stoyan Hristov

Jordan Dean Greiner

A beverage preparation machine having an inlet arrangement and a gasket arrangement is provided, where the inlet arrangement is configured with a plurality of inlet ports to deliver liquid to a beverage cartridge. The gasket arrangement may include a plurality of openings, wherein each of the plurality of inlet ports is received within one of the plurality of openings. The gasket arrangement may be integrally formed and may include one or more ribs disposed about each of the plurality of openings. A perimeter rib may extend along a perimeter of the gasket arrangement.

Beverage preparation machine and gasket arrangement

An inlet arrangement of a beverage forming apparatus is provided, where the inlet arrangement is configured to deliver liquid to a beverage cartridge. The inlet arrangement includes a central inlet port and a plurality of inlet ports arranged around the central inlet port. The beverage forming apparatus has the ability to implement different dispensing operations in which dispensing occurs through selectable subsets of the inlet ports. A gasket arrangement may be used with the inlet arrangement.

Beverage preparation machine with inlet arrangement

A beverage preparation machine having an inlet arrangement and a gasket arrangement is provided, where the inlet arrangement is configured with a plurality of inlet ports to deliver liquid to a beverage cartridge. The gasket arrangement may include a single unitary shape with a plurality of openings for receiving the plurality of inlet ports. The gasket arrangement may include one or more inner ribs disposed about each of the plurality of openings. A perimeter rib may extend along a perimeter of the gasket arrangement.

Needle arrangement

Method and apparatus for forming both carafe quantities and smaller (e.g., cup) quantities of a beverage using a cartridge-based beverage machine. A beverage forming machine accommodates cartridges having different sizes and/or shapes, including different rim sizes/shapes. The outlet used for receiving a beverage from a standard cartridge differs from the outlet used for receiving the beverage from a carafe cartridge inserted in a same cartridge holder. Beverage may exit the cartridge in an upward direction in some embodiments.

Apparatus for beverage production

A method and apparatus for opening and closing a cartridge holder of a beverage forming machine. The cartridge holder may have an opening arranged to receive and hold a cartridge with the cartridge holder. The opening may be adjustable in size and/or shape to allow the cartridge holder to receive and engage with cartridges of different size and/or shape. The cartridge holder may include one or more movable portions that are adjustable in position to effectively adjust a size and/or shape of the opening.

Beverage machine cartridge holder

A beverage forming system and method in which a cartridge holder is movably mounted to the frame and has an opening to receive a cartridge. The cartridge holder may be arranged to hold and move a cartridge between an open position in which the opening of the cartridge holder is oriented in an upwardly inclined position to receive the cartridge, and a closed position in which the opening is oriented in a horizontal or downwardly inclined position. A cover may be arranged to cover the opening of the cartridge holder in a closed position, and the cover may be positioned away from the opening of the cartridge holder in an open position. A cartridge retainer may have an engagement portion arranged to hold the cartridge in the cartridge holder opening in at least a part of movement of the cartridge holder between the open and the closed positions.

Beverage forming device and method with cartridge retainer

Method and apparatus for receiving, moving and holding a cartridge. A cartridge holder may be movable between an open position in which the cartridge holder is in an upwardly inclined orientation to receive a cartridge and a closed position in which the cartridge holder is in a downwardly inclined orientation. A cover may be arranged to at least partially cover the opening of the cartridge holder with the cartridge holder in the closed position, yet be positioned away from the opening with the cartridge holder in the open position.

Beverage forming device and method with moving beverage cartridge holder

A method and apparatus for controlling operation of a beverage forming machine arranged for use with cartridges of different types, or receiving an upwardly flowing beverage from a cartridge. A beverage outlet may be movable to receive beverage from a cartridge of a first type, and to not receive beverage from a cartridge of a second type. Different cartridge characteristics may be detected by multiple detectors, e.g., for detecting a presence/absence of a cartridge, a cartridge type and/or an authorization feature.

Beverage forming apparatus with cartridge detectors

A beverage forming system and method in which characteristics of a dispensed beverage are controlled. A beverage forming system may include an outlet chamber having an inlet opening to receive beverage from a beverage forming chamber, and an outlet opening to output beverage. The outlet chamber may have a standpipe in the outlet chamber between the inlet and the outlet openings that prevents a direct passage of beverage to the outlet openings, thus controlling characteristics of the beverage, such as an amount of foam, the size of bubbles in a foam, etc. The standpipe may have a portion extending upwardly from a bottom of the outlet chamber and impeding a direct flow path between the inlet and the outlet openings, thus forcing flow to pass around and/or over the standpipe portion.

Beverage forming device with beverage outlet control

Apparatus with beverage cartridge holder having movable outlet

Apparatus for cup and carafe beverage production

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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Melrose, MA, United States of America

Geoffrey Y Smith