Patents Examined by Anthony Weier
  • Patent number: 8733240
    Abstract: A destemmer system may be shown. The destemmer system may have a cleated conveyor belt with a first end and a second end. An orientator system may be above the first end of the cleated conveyor belt. The orientator may have means for placing at least one stemmed object onto the cleated conveyor belt. A vision system may be between the first end and the second end of the cleated conveyor belt. A positioning system may be between the vision system and the second end of the cleated conveyor belt. A destemmer may be at the second end of the cleated conveyor belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Inventor: Joseph A. Randazzo
  • Patent number: 8734878
    Abstract: Shown is a method of selectively separating milk fat globule membrane fragments and milk fat globules from whey. The method includes the steps of adding to whey an amount of a whey-soluble zinc salt and adjusting the pH of the whey to be less than 6.0. The amount of zinc salt added to the whey is sufficient to cause milk fat globule membrane fragments and milk fat globules contained in the whey to precipitate selectively from the whey.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventor: Srinivasan Damodaran
  • Patent number: 8722125
    Abstract: The present invention is developed in the farming machinery field used during the wet stage of the coffee and refers to an apparatus that allows carrying out the processes of demucilaging, cleaning and washing of the previously depulped coffee seedcases using a low water and power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignees: Penagos Hermanos y Cia. Ltda, Alvaro Ardila Duarte
    Inventors: Elias Ariza, Alvaro Ardila Duarte
  • Patent number: 8715765
    Abstract: A process of treating biomass such as sugar cane bagasse utilizing practically all components of the biomass to produce livestock feed and fuel biomass. Raw bagasse is ensiled for 50-60 days, dried, mechanically separated from soil particles and ground together with plant-derived lignocellulosic materials, pelletized feed material, agricultural processing residues, or by-products at a ratio of 2:1. The resultant ground material is used as cattle feed, feed additives, fuel pellets and for other purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Inventor: Randal Myers
  • Patent number: 8709522
    Abstract: Shown is a process for manufacturing a fabricated leaf tea product. The process includes the steps of: (i) providing a concentrated liquid tea composition; (ii) providing a base leaf tea; (iii) combining the concentrated liquid tea composition with the base leaf tea to form a tea mixture having a total soluble solids content of at least 50% by dry weight of the mixture; and (iv) drying the tea mixture. At least 20% by weight of the base leaf tea has a particle size of +16 mesh and/or the tea mixture is sorted according to particle size to yield a fraction wherein at least 20% by weight of the fraction has a particle size of +16 mesh; and the time between forming the tea mixture (step iii) and drying (step iv) is at least 5 minutes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Conopco, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Alan Cooper, Ian Smith
  • Patent number: 8709525
    Abstract: Present invention relates to a process for preparing soybean curd, including removing moisture of non-standardized soybean curd; mixing the non-standardized soybean curd of which moisture was removed with soybean milk; obtaining micronized solution of soybean curd by grinding and filtering a mixture thereof; and mixing the micronized solution of soybean curd with a coagulant and soybean milk so as to coagulate it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: CJ Cheiljedang Corporation
    Inventors: Jin Sang Park, Jong Hyun Ryoo, Soon Hee Kwon, Hong Wook Park, Min Choul Shin
  • Patent number: 8703222
    Abstract: A method and a device for making a coffee beverage are provided. The method includes: heating coffee powder by water vapor at a temperature lower than a sublimation temperature of caffeine to sublimate a volatile fat component in the coffee powder without sublimating the caffeine, and dissolving other water-soluble components in water at a temperature lower than 85° C. while only dissolving a little of the caffeine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Shenzhen Zofu Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Zhengli Yao
  • Patent number: 8703220
    Abstract: A sandwich-sized shaped potato products adapted for presentation and use as either a hot garnish, such as suggestive of a pile of mashed french fries on a hamburger sandwich, or as a meat substitute in a sandwich, and the sandwiches made therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Inventor: Russell L. Caldwell
  • Patent number: 8685479
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a capsule for delivering a food product by injection of a fluid under pressure into the capsule, said capsule having a chamber defined by capsule side walls, a flexible bottom wall and a top wall, said chamber containing at least one ingredient to be dissolved and/or extracted by said injection fluid, and a beverage dispensing structure having at least one dispensing opening disposed through the bottom wall, wherein said beverage dispensing structure includes a pressure retaining element adapted to retain a certain predetermined dissolution and/or extraction pressure in the chamber, disposed in the vicinity of the bottom wall, which includes a protrusion in correspondence to the dispensing opening so that said protrusion is disposed into the corresponding opening and restricts its diameter at the time injection fluid inside the capsule chamber moves said membrane towards said pressure retaining means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Nestec S.A.
    Inventors: Nihan Dogan, Frederic Doleac, Stephane Hentzel, HansPeter Pleisch, Marc Raederer
  • Patent number: 8685485
    Abstract: This invention relates to a protein containing composition, comprising; a protein composition, wherein at least about 75 weight % of the protein composition contains at least about 15 weight % of large pieces including protein fibers at least about 4 centimeters long, protein strands at least about 3 centimeters long, and protein chunks at least about 2 centimeters long and wherein at least about 75 weight % of the protein composition has a shear strength of at least about 1400 grams. The invention also relates to a process for preparing the protein composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Solae, LLC
    Inventors: Matthew K. McMindes, Izumi Mueller, Mac W. Orcutt, Patricia A. Altemueller, Eduardo Godinez
  • Patent number: 8679562
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method of preventing oxygen from contacting coconut water during extraction from a coconut, the method including: penetrating the shell of a coconut with a probe, the probe further having a gas inlet and an egress port, the coconut further including a coconut water; injecting a gas under pressure into the coconut through the gas inlet; and allowing at least the gas pressure to effectuate the coconut water transfer, by way of the egress port, from the coconut to an oxygen free collection vessel. Additional embodiments of the present invention include conveying the coconut to a coconut water extraction point, placing the coconut in a chamber and removing oxygen from around the coconut, macerating the coconut to form a composting material, and processing the coconut from a mobile platform proximate the coconut groves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Inventor: Nilang Patel
  • Patent number: 8667891
    Abstract: A beverage maker having a liquid director configured to channel liquid toward a lowermost surface thereof, into and though an opening in the beverage maker, and to a fluid container of the beverage maker. The liquid director can be engaged with a lid of the beverage maker and/or at least one side wall of the container. The lid can be moved between a first position where the lid at least partially covers the opening and a second position where the lid does not cover at least a portion of the opening. The liquid director can be in a deployed, fluid receiving position when the lid is in the first position and can be in an undeployed position when the lid is in the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
    Inventors: Jorge B. Garcia, Charles Brian Gross
  • Patent number: 8667892
    Abstract: A beverage forming method and system employing the introduction of air into the heater tank and/or an expansion chamber after liquid delivery is complete. An expansion chamber may be provided at the top of the heater tank and provide a tortuous flow path from an air inlet to the tank outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Keurig, Incorporated
    Inventors: Tom Cominelli, James E. Shepard, Thomas Vitella
  • Patent number: 8661967
    Abstract: An espresso making machine has a short wave heating element, selected from a halogen lamp and an infra red lamp, that is semi-external. The heating element is inside the water tank yet not exposed to water since it is encased in a heat conducting sleeve that crosses the water tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Inventor: Guy Hanan Gonen
  • Patent number: 8663723
    Abstract: The illustrative method and apparatus provides a more efficient system for automated slicing and loading of food articles into containers. The apparatus includes at least one cutting assembly and at least two chutes and depositing assemblies. The apparatus may include a positioning receptacle that aligns the food articles with a knife set and a driving arm that advances the food article into engagement with the knife set. The chutes may include a movable chute portion, which moves from alignment with the knife set to alignment with the containers, and a chute extension. Openings for the sliced food sections, which extend through the movable chute portion and the chute extension, have a cross section that changes to rotate the orientation of the food sections passing therethrough. Once deposited into the containers, the food sections are oriented with at least some cut faces of the food article adjacent the container wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Kraft Foods Group Brands LLC
    Inventors: Zbigniew Stanislaw Borkiewicz, Brian W. Tomac, Chuck A. Sample, David J. Nonn
  • Patent number: 8663724
    Abstract: An electrical, automatic hot beverage brewer (10) and method of brewing in which a removable brew chamber (20) has a drain hole (25) in the bottom fitted with a normally closed, pressure responsive brew chamber drain valve assembly (24) maintained in a normally closed position except when pressure against the drain valve (24) exceeds a preselected minimum pressure limit that is greater than the fluidic pressure applied by virtue of head pressure of a full load of hot water and a piston (74) is moved within the brew chamber to control the opening and closing of the drain valve (24) When the piston (74) moves downwardly toward the drain hole the air pressure of a pocket of air (90) above the beverage (92) in the brew chamber (20) is increased to open at the end of a seeping period when it is desired to rapidly expel freshly brewed beverage out the brew drain valve at a relatively rapid rate depending upon the total of the hydraulic pressure and the added pressure from the air pressure source to avoid the need t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Food Equipment Technologies Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory Banasik
  • Patent number: 8647691
    Abstract: The invention proposes a brewing apparatus for extracting a portion capsule, having an accommodation element, which has a cavity for the portion capsule, and a closure element, it being possible for the closure element to move between a loading position, which is at a distance from the accommodation element, and an extraction position, which closes the cavity, and the brewing apparatus having a holding element for holding the portion capsule in the loading position, and furthermore the holding element being designed in such a way that the portion capsule is aligned substantially in the direction of the accommodation element by the holding element by virtue of the movement of the closure element from the loading position to the extraction position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Eugster Frismag AG Elektrohushaltgeraete
    Inventor: Marc Krüger
  • Patent number: 8642109
    Abstract: The present invention relates to food materials containing a high concentration of protein and processes for their manufacture. More particularly, the present invention relates to protein extrudates containing high concentrations of soy protein, dairy protein, and mixtures thereof and low concentrations of carbohydrates, processes for manufacturing such protein extrudates, and the use of such protein extrudates as functional food ingredients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Solae, LLC
    Inventors: Craig R. Baumer, Santiago Solorio, Phillip I. Yakubu
  • Patent number: 8635944
    Abstract: A method for producing a fresh, cold, coffee-based beverage using a predetermined amount of ground coffee, includes: feeding a predetermined amount of ground coffee into a brewing chamber; preparing a coffee concentrate with the supplied predetermined amount of ground coffee with a brewing operation in the brewing chamber, wherein the prepared coffee concentrate constitutes a specifiable multiple (VK) of a concentration (KN) for a normal drinking quality for filtered coffee at approximately 1.2 to 1.4% dry substance share; and mixing the prepared coffee concentrate with an amount of water which corresponds to a specifiable multiple (VM) of the amount of the prepared fresh coffee concentrate to prepare the fresh, cold, coffee-based beverage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Melitta SystemService GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Bernd Buchholz, Jens Schmalkuche, Peter Tintelnot
  • Patent number: RE44759
    Abstract: The invention relates to a form-retaining pad, an assembly and a method for preparing a beverage suitable for consumption. For this purpose, the pad is provided with a covering, in which a water-soluble substance, such as milk powder/creamer and sugar, is included. The covering includes a top sheet and a bottom sheet. The pad is further provided with a form-providing stiffening body, placed between the top sheet and the bottom sheet, with the top sheet and the bottom sheet extending at least partly substantially parallel to each other and to a surface. The stiffening body has a top side adjacent to the top sheet and a bottom side adjacent to the bottom sheet, and, by providing a compartmenting wall configuration therein, has a grid structure transmissive to liquid, in which structure at least a part of the soluble substance is accommodated and each compartment formed by the wall configuration is surrounded by that wall configuration, the top sheet and the bottom sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Koninklijke Douwe Egberts B.V.
    Inventors: Vincent Jan Steenhof, Bernardus Henricus Kok, Joseph Theodoor Knitel