Keurig Green Mountain, Inc.

Keurig, Inc.

Kevin P Sullivan

Ian Tinkler

James E Shepard

Geoffrey Y Smith

William T Jacobs

Jianming Huang

Finn Brudevold

Jennifer Zimmerman

Darius Dilmaghani

Constance L Fortini

John A Lutfey

Francis Nutter

A beverage forming system and method in which a wall member mounted to a frame of the system defines a first portion of a chamber, and a cartridge holder movably mounted relative to the frame and the wall member defines a second portion of the chamber. The cartridge holder may have an opening to receive a cartridge and be arranged to hold and move a cartridge between an open position and a closed position. A cover, which may be moveable relative to the wall member and/or the cartridge holder, may be arranged to cover the opening of the cartridge holder with the cartridge holder in the closed position. Thus, with the cartridge holder in the closed position and the cover covering the opening, the cartridge holder, the wall member and the cover define the chamber in a closed state in which a cartridge held by the cartridge holder is enclosed.

Beverage forming device with multi-part beverage cartridge holder

A method and apparatus for forming a beverage. Movement of a brew chamber may automatically enable the provision of beverage precursor liquid into a reservoir in a brewer, which is then used (heated or not) to form a beverage. For example, closing of the brew chamber may cause a lid for a water reservoir to be fully opened or otherwise permit movement of the lid to allow access to the reservoir, allowing a user to provide water into the reservoir. The reservoir lid may open with an abrupt action, causing attention to be drawn to the reservoir lid. In another arrangement, closure of the brew chamber may cause actuation of a baffle, pump, valve or other device to provide a suitable amount of water to a reservoir for beverage formation. In another arrangement, opening of the brew chamber may cause the reservoir lid to be automatically and simultaneously opened with the brew chamber.

Method and apparatus for beverage formation with reservoir access control

A beverage forming apparatus includes a storage tank, and a centrifugal pump having an inlet connected to the storage tank by a supply conduit. The centrifugal pump may include a priming vent located below a full level of the storage tank and permit air to vent as liquid primes the pump. A metering tank may have an inlet connected to the centrifugal pump by a pump conduit, and an outlet connected to a brew chamber that forms a beverage using liquid received from the metering tank. In one embodiment, a flow control valve, such as a check valve, may be provided in the pump conduit to allow flow from the pump to the metering tank, but resist flow in reverse. In another embodiment, a vent valve in the pump conduit may be arranged to vent at least a portion of the pump conduit, e.g., to ambient air pressure.

Beverage forming apparatus with centrifugal pump

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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Sherborn, MA, United States of America

Kevin P Sullivan