Patent ID: 7328651

Claim:
A cartridge containing one or more beverage ingredients and being formed from substantially air- and water-impermeable materials, the cartridge defining a storage chamber containing the one or more beverage ingredients and a manifold chamber extending completely around a periphery of the storage chamber, the cartridge comprising an opening through which the one or more beverage ingredients can be filled into the storage chamber, the opening being closed by a lid having a first portion overlying the manifold chamber and a second portion overlying the storage chamber, wherein the first portion of the lid is pierceable in use to accommodate an inflow of an aqueous medium into the manifold chamber and the lid is pierceable in use to accommodate an outflow of beverage formed from interaction of the aqueous medium and the one or more beverage ingredients in the storage chamber; a discharge chamber which is overlain by a third portion of the lid which is pierceable in use to accommodate the outflow of beverage formed from interaction of the aqueous medium and the one or more beverage ingredients in the storage chamber, wherein the discharge chamber comprises a discharge spout, the manifold chamber and the storage chamber are divided by a partition comprising one or more apertures, wherein the apertures are provided along substantially all of an interface between the manifold chamber and the storage chamber, the apertures have a width of between 0.25 and 0.35 mm, a length of between 1.4 and 1.8 mm and between 20 and 40 apertures are provided; and wherein the manifold chamber comprises an inlet portion into which the aqueous medium is introduced, wherein the inlet portion communicates with the remainder of the manifold chamber via one or more openings.