Invertible Type Patents (Class 99/296)
  • Patent number: 10904956
    Abstract: A system for heating a consumable product includes a package and a heating apparatus. The package includes a container body including a cavity at least partially bounded by a side wall and one or more inductively heatable elements disposed within the cavity. The side wall includes a non-inductively heatable portion. The cavity is configured to contain the consumable product. The heating apparatus includes: a housing, which defines a package-receiving cavity configured to position the package in an operative position; one or more induction coils disposed within the housing, a controller; and one or more temperature sensing devices disposed in proximity to the non-inductively heatable portion of the side wall when the package is in the operative position. The controller is configured to control one or more operating parameters of the heating apparatus based at least partially on one or more signals received from the one or more temperature sensing devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Inventor: James Heczko
  • Patent number: 10137391
    Abstract: A filtration vessel is provided with improved sealing surfaces and alignment methods. The sealing surface is provided by a perforated sleeve within the filtration vessel. An alignment mechanism is provided which allows for improved servicing of the filtration vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: PECOFacet (US), Inc.
    Inventors: David J. Burns, Daniel M. Cloud, Tyler Glenn Boswell, Artimus Charles Jones
  • Patent number: 9967924
    Abstract: A system for heating a consumable product includes a package and a heating apparatus. The package includes a container body including a cavity at least partially bounded by a side wall and one or more inductively heatable elements disposed within the cavity. The side wall includes a non-inductively heatable portion. The cavity is configured to contain the consumable product. The heating apparatus includes: a housing, which defines a package-receiving cavity configured to position the package in an operative position; one or more induction coils disposed within the housing, a controller; and one or more temperature sensing devices disposed in proximity to the non-inductively heatable portion of the side wall when the package is in the operative position. The controller is configured to control one or more operating parameters of the heating apparatus based at least partially on one or more signals received from the one or more temperature sensing devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Inventor: James Heczko
  • Patent number: 9357870
    Abstract: A capsule for the preparation of a nutritional product in a device adapted to supply liquid into the capsule. The capsule includes at least one compartment containing nutritional ingredients for the preparation of the nutritional product in combination with the supplied liquid, and a filter adapted for removing contaminants contained in the liquid. The capsule also has a selectively openable gas inlet which is placed on or in the capsule to allow gas introduction from outside the capsule into the compartment without passing through the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Nestec S.A.
    Inventors: Frédéric Doleac, Sophie Abraham, Yasmine Doudin, Yann Epars, Thierry Jean Robert Fabozzi, Heinz Wyss, Nicolas Bezet, Lucio Scorrano, Nihan Dogan, Alain Meier
  • Patent number: 8720321
    Abstract: The invention provides an hourglass shaped apparatus for cold brewing coffee, comprising a brew chamber, and extract chamber and a middle unit connecting the brew and extract chambers. The extract and brew chambers comprise two ends of the hourglass shaped middle unit. The brew chamber houses a free-standing self-contained filter containing coffee grounds inside a water-permeable barrier. Water is poured into the brew chamber to generate coffee extract through cold water infusion. After the brewing process, the apparatus is inverted, and the coffee travels into the extract chamber through the middle unit for dispensing. Coffee brewed in this manner is less acidic and more flavorful than the conventionally hot-brewed beverage. All the components of the apparatus, the filter, the brew chamber, the extract chamber, and the middle unit, are detachable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Bean Logik LLC
    Inventors: Robert Neace, Jr., Todd H. Maas
  • Publication number: 20130139701
    Abstract: Filtration device for a closed container having a lower element and an upper element provided with an evacuation opening, the upper element adapted to be fixed in a sealed manner on the lower element; an internal filtration device including a reservoir provided with an opening in its upper portion allowing for its content to flow when the container is tilted toward the left or right; a filter, a filter support adapted to receive in a sealed manner the upper portion of the filter and the reservoir, a structural element cooperating with the filter support to define an intermediary volume adapted to receive the liquid after it has flowed through the opening, the structural element including a channel for the liquid to flow upward; the internal filtration device being arranged inside the container so as to enable collection of filtered liquid after passage through the filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Inventor: Pierre MARCONI
  • Publication number: 20090202691
    Abstract: A coffee and brewed beverage making apparatus and method includes a coffee filter that is immersed in and removable from heated fluid in a brewing vessel. The filter has a bottom and side with mesh openings and is formed to facilitate agitation of the filter while the filter is in a brewing vessel during the brewing process, The filter is used with French press style coffee makers and both manual and automatic coffee carafes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2008
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Inventor: Derek Gauger
  • Publication number: 20090053374
    Abstract: A beverage container including a base defining a primary volume for holding the beverage. A neck having an open top extends from the base and defines a passageway in fluid communication with the primary volume and the open top. A secondary volume defined by the neck intersects the passageway for holding a beverage flavoring disposed in the passageway for flavoring the beverage flowing from the primary volume through the passageway.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2007
    Publication date: February 26, 2009
    Inventor: Clifford J. Finn
  • Patent number: 6069996
    Abstract: The device for heating a drinkable liquid, having a liquid-storage container (9) and an electric heating element (11) arranged therein, the liquid-storage container (9) having a valve which is arranged at the bottom in the base (12) of the liquid-storage container (9) and of which one sealing surface is the border of an opening (14) in the base (12) and which opens, in a manner which cannot automatically be reversed, on account of the base curving outwards at a predetermined internal pressure in the container, and the power supply to the heating element (11) being designed such that it is interrupted when the pressure in the liquid-storage container (9) is essentially equal to the atmospheric pressure, which device can be positioned on a collecting container for the liquid, is distinguished in that the other sealing surface of the valve is a plate-like element (15) which consists of elastic material and, in its non-loaded state, is shaped essentially conically, with the cone tip directed towards the interior
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2000
    Inventor: Eberhard Timm
  • Patent number: 5799566
    Abstract: A self propelled moving-filter beverage maker includes an invertible housing having an elongate chamber, a cover at one end removably sealingly engaged with the housing for enabling the introduction and removal of liquid, and a separate non-neutral density filter free to move longitudinally in the chamber; the filter has a cross-section conforming to that of the chamber to minimize liquid bypass and has perforations at its longitudinal ends to accommodate liquid flow through the filter as the filter moves through the liquid each time the housing is inverted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1998
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Keith J. Breinlinger, Basak Ertan, Philip Houdek, II, Chin Yee Ng, Scott Roza, Yoddhojit Sanyal, Craig Shull
  • Patent number: 5072661
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for obtaining a coffee extract or the like by filtration comprises a vessel body having an opening at one end with the other end closed and an air vent provided with a stopper and located close to the closed end, filter paper for covering the opening of the body, and a tray for receiving a liquid extract (infusion) of coffee, black tea, green tea or the like, the tray being detachable from the body with the filter paper therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1991
    Inventor: Takashi Kondo
  • Patent number: 4143590
    Abstract: A coffee maker assembly constituted by a decanter for boiling water and a separate container for producing with some of this water a highly-concentrated coffee brew, the container having a cap permeable to liquid and gas. The container is seatable in an inverted position over the decanter whereby steam generated by boiling water penetrates the cap and functions to express the highly-concentrated brew from the container into the water to intermingle therewith to produce a brew of the desired concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1978
    Date of Patent: March 13, 1979
    Inventor: Sam Kasakoff