Patents Examined by Viren A Thakur
  • Patent number: 12065304
    Abstract: An improved beverage cartridge is provided for use in forming a beverage in a beverage machine that provides a pressurized liquid. The cartridge includes a container having an interior space, a lid that accommodates an inflow of the pressurized liquid, and a filter arranged to contain a beverage medium arranged to interact with a liquid to form the beverage. The cartridge also includes annular disc shaped capsule configured for placement within the container. The capsule has a hollow interior chamber that contains a beverage medium and an open bottom that is sealed closed by a membrane. The membrane is configured to selectively provide fluid communication between the space inside the container and the chamber allowing liquid introduced into the container to flow into the capsule's chamber. The membrane is also pierceable by the beverage machine to accommodate an outflow of the liquid flowing into the capsule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: NOVUSFLOW LLC
    Inventors: Victor M. Aviles, Carlos Alvarez, Reed Spivey, Ross Cooke
  • Patent number: 12041942
    Abstract: The present invention encompasses edible carriers for foods that are soft but still hold a preformed shape. Specifically encompassed are soft shaped tortilla products that can be used to hold food fillings. Exemplary shapes and sizes are provided for the products. Also encompassed are methods of making, packaging, and using the products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: General Mills, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan M. Griebel, Vincent Paul Sommer, Ivan Hajovy
  • Patent number: 12042082
    Abstract: A machine (1) for preparing a beverage (110) from an ingredient (102) has an extraction unit (2) with: an ingredient extraction seat (20); an inlet arrangement (21) for guiding water into the seat (20); and a dispensing arrangement (22) for guiding beverage (110) out of the seat (20). The dispensing arrangement (22) has a face (220) delimiting a downstream part of the seat (20). The face (220) is made of an upper portion (220a) and a lower portion (220b) that are delimited by a substantially horizontal physical or notional delimitation line (220c) that is located between a top end and a bottom end of the face (220). The upper portion (220a) is nude of an upper outflow passage (222a) and an upper impervious part delimiting the upper outflow passage. The upper portion (220a) has an upper surface area ratio transverse to a direction (200) of downstream flow in the seat (20) of: a surface area of the upper outflow passage (222a) over a surface area of the upper impervious part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: Societe des Produits Nestle S.A.
    Inventors: Nicolas Obliger, Marco Magatti
  • Patent number: 12030701
    Abstract: A reclosable flexible package is described that includes an inner film layer, an outer film layer laminated to the inner film layer, and reclose region defined in a portion of package film layers. The reclose region includes pressure sensitive adhesive disposed between the inner and outer film layers. A number of cut lines are provided in the outer film layer in the reclose region, such that the user, by manipulating the package film layers at the reclose region, can reveal the underlying layer of pressure sensitive adhesive. Once the pressure sensitive adhesive of the reclose region is exposed, the action of the user can serve to adhere the pressure sensitive adhesive to itself and/or other portions of the film, such that the package is cinched in the area of the reclose region and maintains the remnants of the package contents within the reclosed package for later use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: Sonoco Development, Inc.
    Inventor: Jacob Donald Prue Branyon
  • Patent number: 12016486
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for automatically preparing food for consumption in which preparation comprises dispensing, manipulation, heating, and other operations using a wide variety of ingredients. The methods and apparatus described use ingredients efficiently and maintain their quality, while avoiding contact between ingredients and apparatus to minimize the risk of system contamination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2024
    Inventor: Adam Cohen
  • Patent number: 12011019
    Abstract: A method and a device for treating food and/or containers for holding food treats the food and/or containers in at least one treatment zone by a process liquid, wherein the process liquid is at least partially recirculated into the treatment zone or the treatment zones after completed treatment of the food and/or the containers. During continuous treatment at least some or all of the process liquid is used per time unit to form at least one stream of the process liquid, the formed stream is filtered by at least one membrane filtration system, and a filtered stream is at least partially fed back into an element holding and/or conducting the process liquid and/or into a treatment zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2024
    Assignee: Red Bull GmbH
    Inventors: Roland Concin, Harald Eder, Christian Rinderer, Matthias Rinderer, Volker Viechtbauer
  • Patent number: 11993450
    Abstract: A pack (1) with an inner volume in which a food or beverage ingredient is stored and in which a beverage is produced when water is introduced inside. The pack (1) comprises at least one inlet configured to supply water in the inner volume of the pack (1) and one outlet (11) for dispensing a beverage from the inner volume of the pack (1). The pack (1) comprises a semi-rigid or rigid shell (2), the shell (2) comprises a main plane wall (20) surrounded by a peripheral edge (21), and a cover part (3) sealed on the peripheral edge (21), the shell (2) and the cover part (3) defining therebetween said inner volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: Societe des Produits Nestle S.A.
    Inventor: Christian Talon
  • Patent number: 11882857
    Abstract: A brewed beverage product is provided that, in some embodiments, may comprise an oxygen permeable container containing a frozen deoxygenated brewed beverage, the frozen deoxygenated brewed beverage including a coffee or tea based beverage or concentrate having been its dissolved oxygen content reduced to less than 2.0 parts per million (ppm) in order to reduce oxidation of coffee or tea-based flavor compounds in the degassed coffee or tea based beverage or concentrate. The frozen deoxygenated brewed beverage may further have an exterior surface formed from a frozen deoxygenated liquid so as to be substantially void-free in order to limit the ingress of oxygen into the frozen deoxygenated brewed beverage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Inventor: Charles D. MacPherson
  • Patent number: 11832756
    Abstract: Described are a method and a system for the production of beverages by means of a capsule (C1, C2, C3, C4) and a container (A) adapted to house the capsule during the production. The capsule comprises a reinforcement ring (102, 202, 302, 402) which comprises a side wall (103, 203, 303, 403) and a ledge (104, 204, 304, 404) protruding from the side wall. A seal is provided between at least a portion of the side wall of the reinforcement ring and at least a portion of the inner surface (17) of the side wall (5) of the container so as to avoid the leak of the beverage from the interface between the reinforcement ring and the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: AROMA SYSTEM S.R.L.
    Inventors: Gino Rapparini, Maurizio Generali
  • Patent number: 11827446
    Abstract: In a capsule containing a substance constituted by a mass of loose, solid particles, for the preparation of a potable beverage by extracting and/or dissolving the substance by means of supplying a fluid under pressure into the capsule, a screen, permeable to water and impermeable to a predominant portion of particles of the substance is positioned between the substance and the bottom. The screen is attached to the capsule body along attachment zones spaced from the center and circumferentially spaced from each other. A beverage brewing system comprising such a capsule, a method of use of such a capsule and a method of attaching a screen into a capsule body are described as well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Koninklijke Douwe Egberts B.V.
    Inventor: Glen Andrew Oliver
  • Patent number: 11812759
    Abstract: Provided is a production method for a composition containing non-polymer catechins, including the following step (A): (A) a step of bringing tea leaves into contact with an aqueous solution having a Brix of from 0.2% to 1.0% at from 80° C. to 100° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: KAO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenji Yamawaki, Yukiteru Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 11801959
    Abstract: A multilayer container for elevated temperature, high pressure processing of a material within the container, using a pressure transmission liquid within the container, the multilayer container having a container wall having an inner layer formed of a plastic for containing the liquid in contact with the inner side thereof and at least one further layer outboard of the inner layer and formed of different plastic from the inner layer, wherein the inner layer has a compression heating coefficient at least as high as the compression heating coefficient of the pressure transmission liquid in contact with the inner side thereof and the at least one further layer has a lower thermal conductivity at ambient pressure and temperature than the inner layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Inventor: Kai Knoerzer
  • Patent number: 11785958
    Abstract: The present invention is a method for cutting pork to create a meat cut that mimics a pork chop meat. The method involves removing the bone and meat from the pork leg. The method then includes sealing the pork chop within a hermetic enclosure and chilling the enclosed pork chop to a temperature in the range of 35 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit. The resulting meat cut includes, bones or no bones pork chops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Inventor: Edgardo Torrens-Figueroa
  • Patent number: 11772070
    Abstract: A food package suitable for manufacturing as a closed packaging system contains an amine-absorbent element comprising ammonium-exchanged mordenite (MOR) type zeolites and optionally further comprises ZnO-doped Faujasite (FAU) type zeolites and/or CuO-doped ZSM-5 type zeolites.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: SAES GETTERS S.P.A.
    Inventors: Miriam Riva, Paolo Vacca
  • Patent number: 11760539
    Abstract: A reclosable hard shell transparent container for a confectionary product includes an inner graphic branding element extending interior to the receptacle, an outer graphic branding element extending exterior to the receptacle, and overwrap layer that collectively provide visually superimposed branding graphics to provide visually distinct packages utilizing the same container. The inner graphic layer facilitates a subassembly of the confectionary products for ease of loading the confectionary product in the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: WM. WRIGLEY JR. COMPANY
    Inventors: Paul J. Angeloni, Christopher H. Cunningham, Allen S. Aldridge, Peter Muller, William Tham, David Jaggi, Ross Bartels, Joseph F. Vrana, Leonard Matulewicz, Justin Hollyn-Taub, Erika Wetzel
  • Patent number: 11751588
    Abstract: A process to obtain a semi-solid solution to be used as a food coating, obtained from extracts of rosemary and other antioxidant components is disclosed. This process shows various advantages, namely, the obtention of the rosemary extract, which main components are rosmarinic and carnosic acid, and carnosol, are obtained easily without the use of polluting solvents, and showing a good yield and a strong antioxidant capacity. The coating solution has few ingredients and all of them are harmless to human health, beyond being cheap and easy to obtain, allowing the preservation of food in a natural way, without needing additional processing or plastics, in line with many studies that refer this tendency in consumers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: INSTITUTO POLITECNICO DE BRAGANCA
    Inventors: Isabel C. F. R. Ferreira, Marcio Soares Carocho, Lillian Barros
  • Patent number: 11724873
    Abstract: The invention relates to a capsule for the preparation of a beverage in a beverage machine by feeding liquid in the capsule and extracting a beverage out of the capsule, wherein the capsule comprises containment walls forming an interior cavity containing beverage precursor; wherein the beverage precursor comprises a combination of non-compacted beverage extractable powder and pellets of compacted beverage extractable powder and wherein the largest dimension of each pellet is at least 3.5 millimeters. The invention enables to confer different beverage characteristics, for example, change the beverage extraction and aroma release kinetics, make more intense beverages and/or improve the beverage flow released from the capsule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Societe des Produits Nestle S.A.
    Inventors: Laurent Joseph Henry Lach, Fabien Jean Andre Goutal, Sandrine Champenois, Enrico Induni
  • Patent number: 11718468
    Abstract: The invention relates to a pack (100) for preparing a food or beverage product from one or more food or beverage ingredients comprising an insert (10) and a container (20) where the ingredient or ingredients are stored, the insert (10) comprising at least a fluid inlet (110) configured for introducing an aqueous fluid under the form of a jet in the inner volume of the pack, the insert (10) further comprising at least an air conduit (130) configured to allow introducing air from the exterior of the pack and into the inner volume of the said pack through at least an air nozzle (132). The at least one fluid inlet (110) communicates with a depression chamber (200) through at least one liquid nozzle (120) in order to create a jet from a pressurized fluid introduced through the fluid inlet (110). The invention further relates to the use of a pack as described for preparing a food or beverage product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Societe des Produits Nestle S.A.
    Inventors: Christian Jarisch, Christophe Sebastien Paul Heydel, Christian Talon
  • Patent number: 11717016
    Abstract: A sushi maker kit having a frame member with first, second, third, fourth side walls and a ledge capturing portion is provided. The first, second, third and fourth side walls define an open region. The ledge capturing portion extends upwardly from the first, second, and third side walls proximate to a first end of the frame member. The sushi maker kit further includes an insert member having a plate portion and a keel portion. The keel portion is coupled to and extends from the plate portion in a first direction. The plate portion has a ledge portion at a first end thereof. The ledge portion is removably received in the ledge capturing portion such that the keel portion extends into the open region of the frame member when the insert member is in a first operational position relative to the frame member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Krom LTD LLC
    Inventor: Arnaud Karim Petit
  • Patent number: 11659955
    Abstract: A device for production of milk foam with adjustable temperature includes a pump for conveying the milk from at least one container in lines to an outlet, an air supply for delivering air into the line, a continuous-flow heater and a throttle device. The continuous-flow heater can be disposed on the pressure side of the pump and the throttle device can be disposed downstream from the continuous-flow heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: CUP&CINO Kaffeesystem- Vetrieb GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Frank Josef Paul Epping