Abstract:
A single serving brewing cartridge adapter fits into known single serving horizontal coffee makers and allows use of a common single serving cartridge made for a vertical coffee maker. The cartridge adapter includes a fixed extraction needle in the base of cartridge adapter and defines walls rising from the base to guide a cartridge into position. The extraction needle pierces a single use cartridge to release brewed beverage into the cartridge adapter. An injection needle in the horizontal coffee maker lid punctures a foil cover of single use cartridges and passes through a permanent opening in a lid of the cartridge adapter and an extraction needle in the horizontal coffee maker cooperates with the cartridge adapter to carry brewed drink from the cartridge adapter. Reusable cartridges including permanent openings to receive the injection needle and to release brewed beverage may also be used with the cartridge adapter.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/898,886 filed Nov. 1, 2013, and a Continuation In Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/757,026 filed Feb. 1, 2013, which applications are incorporated in their entirety herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to single serving brewing cartridges and in particular to an adapter allowing a brewing cartridge made for a popular single serving coffee maker to be used in a newer model single serving coffee maker. 
         [0003]    Single serving coffee makers, using a disposable or a reusable cartridge, have become very popular. Such coffee makers are in wide use and a very large variety of brewing cartridges have become available for them. The disposable brewing cartridges are inserted into a brewing cavity of the coffee maker in a generally vertical orientation. An injection needle in the lid of the coffee maker punctures a foil cover on the disposable brewing cartridge to inject liquid into the disposable brewing cartridge and an extraction needle in the base of the brewing cavity punctures a base of the disposable brewing cartridges to release brewed beverage. An example of a popular single serving coffee maker is the coffee maker sold under the trademark KEURIG® which uses a single serving disposable brewing cartridge sold under the trademark K-CUP®. 
         [0004]    Reusable cartridges have also been developed for the KEURIG® single serving coffee maker. The reusable cartridges include permanent openings in a lid of the reusable cartridge for the injection needle, and are designed to avoid the extraction needle. The sides and/or bottom of the reusable cartridge include passages allowing brewed drink to escape from the reusable cartridge into the brewing cavity of the coffee maker and then into a cup below the brewing chamber. The reusable cartridge thus alters the flow of brewed drink to avoid the extraction needle, but still works very well in the coffee maker. 
         [0005]    A single serving horizontal coffee maker receives a somewhat larger generally horizontal brewing cartridge. The horizontal coffee maker includes parallel injection and extraction needles which both penetrate a foil cover of the horizontal brewing cartridge. Unfortunately, neither the single serving disposable brewing cartridge sold under the trademark K-CUP® nor the very common disposable cartridges made for the original single serving coffee makers can be used in the horizontal coffee makers, depriving the users of both cartridge selection and requiring the use of a more expensive disposable cartridge. An example of a single serving horizontal coffee maker is the coffee maker sold under the trademark VUE® which used disposable horizontal brewing cartridges sold under the trademark VUE®. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention addresses the above and other needs by providing a single serving brewing cartridge adapter which fits into known single serving horizontal coffee makers and allows use of a common single serving cartridge made for a vertical coffee maker. The cartridge adapter includes a fixed extraction needle in the base of cartridge adapter and defines walls rising from the base to guide a cartridge into position. The extraction needle pierces a single use cartridge to release brewed beverage into the cartridge adapter. An injection needle in the horizontal coffee maker lid punctures a foil cover of single use cartridges and passes through a permanent opening in a lid of the cartridge adapter and an extraction needle in the horizontal coffee maker cooperates with the cartridge adapter to carry brewed drink from the cartridge adapter. Reusable cartridges including permanent openings to receive the injection needle and to release brewed beverage may also be used with the cartridge adapter. 
         [0007]    In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a brewing cartridge adapter configured to fit into a brewing chamber of a single serving horizontal coffee maker configured to accept known single use disposable brewing cartridges sold under the trademark VUE®, allowing the use of known single use disposable brewing cartridges sold under the trademark K-CUP® and of reusable adapters configured for use in coffee makers configured to accept the disposable brewing cartridges sold under the trademark K-CUP®. The brewing cartridge adapter includes an adapter extraction needle for penetrating disposable brewing cartridges to release brewed beverage. The adapter extraction needle is fixed in the base of the adapter and passage in the side of the adapter provides a path for the brewed beverage to flow to a coffee maker extraction needle. 
         [0008]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a brewing cartridge adapter configured to fit into a brewing chamber of a single serving horizontal coffee maker configured to accept known single use disposable brewing cartridges sold under the trademark VUE®, allowing use of a single serving of packaged brewing material. The packaged brewing material may be pre-packaged or packaged by a user, The brewing cartridge adapter includes an offset passage on the side of the adapter housing to carry brewed beverage from the interior of the housing to the top of the housing where a coffee maker extraction needle cooperates with the housing to receive the brewed drink. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         [0009]    The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1A  shows a top perspective view of a brewing cartridge adapter according to the present invention before installation of an extraction needle. 
           [0011]      FIG. 1B  shows a top perspective view of the brewing cartridge adapter according to the present invention after installation of the extraction needle. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  shows a bottom perspective view of the brewing cartridge adapter according to the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  shows a cross-sectional view of the brewing cartridge adapter according to the present invention taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an extraction needle according to the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a second perspective view of the extraction needle according to the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the extraction needle according to the present invention taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 7A  shows a cross-sectional view of the brewing cartridge adapter having a first embodiment of the extraction needle according to the present invention taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 7B  shows a cross-sectional view of the brewing cartridge adapter having a second embodiment of the extraction needle according to the present invention taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 8A  shows a cross-sectional view of a disposable brewing cartridge for inserting into the cartridge adapter according to the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 8B  shows a cross-sectional view of the disposable brewing cartridge in the cartridge adapter in a brewing chamber of a horizontal coffee maker according to the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 9  shows a reusable coffee holder according to the present invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 10A  shows a side and bottom perspective view of a holder base of the reusable coffee holder according to the present invention. 
           [0023]      FIG. 10B  shows a side and top perspective view of the holder base of the reusable coffee holder according to the present invention. 
           [0024]      FIG. 11  shows a cross-sectional view of the holder base of the reusable coffee holder according to the present invention taken along line  11 - 11  of  FIG. 10B . 
           [0025]      FIG. 12A  is a perspective top view of a holder lid for the reusable coffee holder according to the present invention. 
           [0026]      FIG. 12B  is a perspective bottom view of the holder lid for the reusable coffee holder according to the present invention. 
           [0027]      FIG. 13A  is a top view of a tamping pad of the reusable coffee holder according to the present invention. 
           [0028]      FIG. 13B  is a bottom view of the tamping pad of the reusable coffee holder according to the present invention. 
           [0029]      FIG. 14  shows a tamping spring of the reusable coffee holder according to the present invention. 
           [0030]      FIG. 15  shows the reusable coffee holder according to the present invention in a coffee maker. 
       
    
    
       [0031]    Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0032]    The following description is of the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing one or more preferred embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims. 
         [0033]    A top perspective view of a reusable single serving brewing cartridge comprising a brewing cartridge adapter  10  according to the present invention, before installation of an adapter extraction needle  18 , is shown in  FIG. 1A , and a top perspective view of the brewing cartridge adapter  10  after installation of the extraction needle  18  is shown in  FIG. 1B . The adapter extraction needle  18  is positioned off center in the floor  14  near the wall  12  of the brewing cartridge adapter  10  to avoid puncturing a filter in a disposable cartridge. The brewing cartridge adapter  10  is configured to fit into a brewing chamber of a single serving horizontal coffee maker configured to accept known single use disposable brewing cartridges sold under the trademark VUE® allowing the use of known single use disposable brewing cartridges sold under the trademark K-CUP® and of reusable adapters configured for use in coffee makers configured to accept the disposable brewing cartridges sold under the trademark K-CUP®. A single use disposable filter cartridge sold under the trademark K-CUP® has a top edge with a diameter of about 1.8 inches, a height of about 1¾ inches, and a frustoconical shape with a base smaller than the top edge. The base of the K-CUP cartridge is generally being about 1.45 inches in diameter. 
         [0034]    The floor  14 , and walls  12  reaching up from the floor  14 , define an interior  13 . An extraction needle cavity  16  is in the base  14  allows attachment of the adapter extraction needle  18 . A passage  20  (see  FIG. 3 ) enters the interior  13  through an entry port  21  and ends at an outlet port  22 . The outlet port  22  cooperates with an existing coffee maker extraction needle  56  (see  FIG. 15 ) to carry brewed drink from the cartridge adapter  10  into the coffee maker configured to accept known single use disposable brewing cartridges sold under the trademark VUE®. The brewing cartridge adapter  10  includes a partial rim  24  for seating in the coffee maker configured to accept known single use disposable brewing cartridges sold under the trademark VUE®. The brewing cartridge adapter  10  further includes a shelf  25  at a top edge of the walls  12  for seating brewing cartridges  40  (see  FIGS. 8A and 8B ), and notches  26  to facilitate removal of the brewing cartridges  40  after making a serving of brewed drink. The brewing cartridges  40  may be a disposable brewing cartridge 
         [0035]    sold under the trademark K-CUP®, or a reusable adapter configured for use in coffee makers configured to accept the disposable brewing cartridges sold under the trademark K-CUP®. 
         [0036]    A bottom perspective view of the brewing cartridge adapter  10  is shown in  FIG. 2  and a cross-sectional view of the brewing cartridge adapter  10  taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2  is shown in  FIG. 3 . The brewing cartridge adapter  10  has an overall height H of preferably about 2.4 inches high, a rim  24  diameter D 1  of about 2.5 inches. A wall top  12   a  has an outside diameter D 2  of preferably about 1.85 inches, and the base of the walls  12   b  has an outside diameter D 3  of about 1.55 inches. The brewing cartridge  40  (see  FIG. 8A and 8B ) may rest on the shelf  25  to position the disposable brewing cartridge  40  in the brewing cartridge adapter  10 . 
         [0037]    A perspective view of the adapter extraction needle  18  is shown in  FIG. 4 , a second perspective view of the adapter extraction needle  18  is shown in  FIG. 5 , and a cross-sectional view of the adapter extraction needle  18  taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5  is shown in  FIG. 6 . The adapter extraction needle  18  may be a press fit into the extraction needle cavity  16  of the brewing cartridge adapter  10 , and preferably includes a flange  17  for seating against the floor  14  of the brewing cartridge adapter  10 , and barbs  19  for retaining the adapter extraction needle  18  in the brewing cartridge adapter  10 . However, those skilled in the art will recognize various ways to retain the adapter extraction needle  18 , for example, an interference fit, a threaded fit, adhesive, welding, and the like, and an adapter extraction needle  18  attached to the brewing cartridge adapter  10  using any method is intended to come within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0038]    The adapter extraction needle  18  includes a shaft  30  with a point  31  to puncture the disposable brewing cartridge  40 . Brewed beverage from the disposable brewing cartridge  40  enters the adapter extraction needle  18  through a mouth  32  and is released into brewing cartridge adapter  10  through the side passage  34 . The adapter extraction needle  18  has an overall length L 1  of about 0.9 inches and the shaft  30  has a length L 2  of preferably about ⅝ inches. The flange  17  has a thickness T of preferably about 0.3 inches, and the side passage  34  has a length L 3  of preferably about 0.15 inches. 
         [0039]    A cross-sectional view of the brewing cartridge adapter  10  having a first embodiment of the extraction needle  18   a  taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2  is shown in  FIG. 7A , and a cross-sectional view of the brewing cartridge adapter having a second embodiment of the extraction needle  18   b  taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2  is shown in  FIG. 7B . The adapter extraction needle  18   a  is a threaded extraction needle held in the brewing cartridge adapter  10  by threads and the extraction needle  18   b  is a barbed extraction needle held in the brewing cartridge adapter  10  by barbs. Those skilled in that are will recognize that an adapter extraction needle may be attached to the brewing cartridge adapter  10  in various ways, and any reusable coffee holder according to the present invention having an adapter extraction needle attached to the brewing cartridge adapter  10  in any manner, is intended to come within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0040]    The walls  12  are preferably frusto conical in shape, and generally radially symmetric about a centerline CL. A passage wall  23  enclosing the passage  20  reaches outside the walls  12 . 
         [0041]    A cross-sectional view of the disposable brewing cartridge  40  positioned for inserting into the cartridge adapter  10  is shown in  FIG. 8A , and a cross-sectional view of the disposable brewing cartridge  10  in the cartridge adapter  10  in a horizontal brewing chamber  50  of a coffee maker  51  is shown in  FIG. 8B . The disposable brewing cartridge  40  includes a rim  52 . The rim  52  rests on the shelf  25  to position the disposable brewing cartridge  40  in the cartridge adapter  10 . The brewing cartridge  40  is supported by a pivoting carrier  53  which is rotated to insert and remove the brewing cartridge  40  from the coffee maker  51 . 
         [0042]    An injection needle  52  of the coffee maker  51  passes through a plain P defined by the top of the of the brewing cartridge adapter  10  and pierces the top of the disposable brewing cartridge  40  and injects liquid  54  into the disposable brewing cartridge  40 . The extraction needle  18  punctures the bottom of the cartridge  40  and brewed beverage  42  created in the disposable brewing cartridge  40  flows into the extraction needle  18 . The brewed beverage  44  flows from the side passage  34  (see  FIG. 6 ) into the cartridge adapter  10 . The brewed beverage  46  then flows through the passage  20  to the top of the cartridge adapter  10  and out  58  through an extraction needle  56  of the coffee maker  51 , also passing through the plain P. 
         [0043]    A perspective view of a reusable single serving brewing cartridge comprising a reusable coffee holder  60  according to the present invention is shown in  FIG. 9 , a side and bottom perspective view of a holder base  70  of the reusable coffee holder  60  is shown in  FIG. 10A , a side and top perspective view of the holder base  70  of the reusable coffee holder  60  is shown in  FIG. 10B , and a cross-sectional view of the reusable coffee holder according to the present invention taken along line  11 - 11  of  FIG. 10B  is shown in  FIG. 11 . The coffee holder  60  includes the base  70  and lid  80 . The lid  80  includes a centered injection hole  82  and an offset extraction hole  84 . An O-Ring  87  (see  FIG. 12   b ) helps form a seal between the base  70  and the lid  80 . A tam ping pad  72  resides inside the coffee holder  60  supported by a tamping spring  74 . 
         [0044]    The holder base  70  includes walls  71  reaching from a floor  73  and an interior  70   a  defined by the floor  73  and walls  71 , and an interior  75 . A base lip  77  forms a close path at the top of the walls  71 . The holder base  70  includes an extraction passage  78  placing a holder base interior  80   a  in fluid communication with the offset extraction hole  84  in the holder lid  80 , providing a path for brewed beverage to escape from the coffee holder  70  into a coffee maker. A clearance space  78   a  is defined overlapping the extraction passage  78  and extending into the holder base  70  providing clearance for a coffee maker extraction needle  56  (see  FIG. 15 ). The bottom of the base  70  includes lower tamping spring retaining clips  79  for retaining the tamping spring  74  in the base  70 . 
         [0045]    A perspective top view of the holder lid  80  for the reusable coffee holder  60  is shown in  FIG. 12A  and a perspective bottom view of the holder lid  80  is shown in  FIG. 12B . The holder lid extraction hole  84  is preferably at least 0.22 inches in diameter to provide clearance for the extraction needle  56  (see  FIG. 15 ) of the coffee maker. The bottom of the lid  80  includes a lid lip  88  forming a closed path around a sealing ring  86  and resting against the base lip  77  in an assembled reusable coffee holder  60 . The lid sealing ring  86  is a generally cylindrical ring and reaches down from the lid lip  88  into the interior  70   a  of the base  70 , and preferably forms an interference fit to a top edge of the base walls  71 . The lid sealing ring  88  preferably includes an O-Ring groove wherein resides an O-ring  87 . In other embodiments, the lid may be attached to the base by cooperating threads on the lid and base, by one or more hooks reaching down from the lid or up from the base, and the like, and any reusable coffee holder according to the present invention having a mechanically attachable lid (i.e, not attached by an adhesive), which lid is detachable and re-attachable without repairing damage to the lid or altering the lid, is intended to come within the scope of the present invention. The lid  80  preferably is attached to the base  70  solely by features of the lid and base. 
         [0046]    The lid  80  includes at least one alignment feature for aligning the lid  80  with the base  70 . Examples of aligning features are a first lid alignment lip  88   a  around the offset extraction hole  84  and a second lid alignment lip  88   b,  preferably opposite to the first lid alignment lip  88   a,  project down from the lid lip  88  and cooperate with the base  70  to position the lid  80  on the base  70 . The lid alignment lips  88   a  and  88   b  are spaced apart from the lid sealing ring  88  by at least the width of the base lip  77  allowing the lid lip  88  to rest against the base lip  77 . 
         [0047]    A top view of the tamping pad  72  of the reusable coffee holder  60  is shown in  FIG. 13A , a bottom view of the tamping pad  72  is shown in  FIG. 13B , and the tamping spring  74  of the reusable coffee holder  60  is shown in  FIG. 14 . The tamping pad  72  preferably includes liquid flow ribs  73  on a top surface  72   a  to provide paths for brewed beverage, and upper tamping spring retention clips  75  on a bottom surface  72   b  to attach the tamping spring  74  to the tamping pad  72 . The tamping spring  74  engages the lower tamping spring retention clips  79  (see  FIG. 11 ) and the upper tam ping spring retention clips  75 , to retain the tamping pad  72  in the base  70 . 
         [0048]    The reusable coffee holder  60  is shown in the brewing chamber  50  of the coffee maker  51  in  FIG. 15 . The injection needle  52  passes through the plain P defined by the top of the of the holder base  70  and enters the reusable coffee holder  60  through the centered injection hole  82  and the extraction needle  56  enters the reusable coffee holder  60  through the offset extraction hole  84 . The offset extraction hole  84  also passes through the plain P and reaches into the clearance space  78   a  to avoid contact or damage to the reusable coffee holder  60 . 
         [0049]    The brewing cartridge adapter  10  and the reusable coffee holder  60  are preferably made from plastic and are preferably reusable. The lid  80  may be a single use foil or similar material attached to the base  70  by adhesive, or may be a reusable plastic or similar material lid mechanically attachable and detachable to the base  70 . The reusable lid including permanent openings for the coffee maker injection needle  52  and extraction needle  56 . 
         [0050]    While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.