IP Library Granted Patent US 10,420,438
Granted Patent B2
US 10,420,438 · App. 15/575,342 · Granted Sep 24, 2019

Portion pack for preparing beverages

Inventors: Sandra Aus der Fuenten (Bielefeld, DE); Jan Pahnke (Minden, DE)
Assignee: MELITTA SINGLE PORTIONS GMBH & CO. KG
A47J31/4492A47J31/0689A47J31/407A47J31/44B65D85/8043Y02W90/13
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,420,438
App. No.
15/575,342
Granted
Sep 24, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A portion pack for preparing beverages, in particular tea or coffee, comprises a container for holding a substance suitable for beverage preparation and an adapter which can be inserted into a machine for beverage preparation. The container is liquid-permeable at least in some regions or can be perforated during the beverage preparation. The container is releasably fastened to the adapter. The adapter can be reused to prepare a plurality of beverages.

Claims (16)

1. A portion pack for preparing beverages, comprising,

a container for holding a substance suitable for beverage preparation, wherein the container is at least regionally liquid-permeable or can be perforated during the beverage preparation, and a repeatedly usable adapter, constructed for insertion into a machine for beverage preparation, wherein the container is constructed to be detachably fixed on the adapter wherein the adapter includes a bottom and light deflectors arranged on the bottom, and

wherein the light deflectors have at least one interruption and the container has a bottom and a coding on the bottom which is insertable into the at least one interruption of the deflectors on the bottom of the adapter.

2. The portion pack according to claim 1 , wherein the adapter includes a cup-shaped receptacle for the container.

3. The portion pack according to claim 1 , wherein the container includes at least one coding by which at least one item of information about the substance arranged in the container is identifiable.

4. The portion pack according to claim 1 , wherein the container comprises a biologically decomposable material.

5. The portion pack according to claim 1 , wherein the light deflectors deflect a light beam entering at the bottom of the adapter at least two times and the light beam at least partially exits again at the bottom of the adapter.

6. The portion pack according to claim 1 , wherein the coding on the container comprises at least one projection protruding from the bottom of the container, which is positionable in a light beam of a read device.

7. The portion pack according to claim 1 , wherein the adapter is produced from a transparent material.

8. The portion pack according to claim 1 , wherein the container includes a net and is closed at least on one side via the net.

9. The portion pack according to claim 8 , wherein the container is positionable in the adapter so that the net is open outwardly and is not covered by the adapter.

10. The portion pack according to claim 1 , wherein the adapter and the container include an alignment mechanism for aligning the container on the adapter so that fixing of the container is enabled only in a single predetermined position on the adapter.

11. The portion pack according to claim 1 , wherein the adapter has a circumferential edge, which is arranged to be applied to a seal or a stop on a brewing chamber of the machine for beverage preparation.

12. A method of using the portion pack according to claim 1 in the machine for beverage preparation, including:

radiating light on at least one coupling surface on the bottom of the adapter; and

radiating the light out again at least partially on a decoupling surface on the bottom of the adapter, wherein the at least one coding on the container at least partially absorbs light.

Assignments (3)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE DATE OF EXECUTION PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 73144 FRAME: 316. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY INTEREST. Recorded Dec 15, 2025
From: 10X INNOVATION GMBH & CO. KG; MELITTA EUROPA GMBH & CO. KG; MELITTA PROFESSIONAL COFFEE SOLUTIONS GMBH & CO. KG; MELITTA SINGLE PORTIONS GMBH & CO. KG; MELITTA UK LTD.
To: GLOBAL LOAN AGENCY SERVICES GMBH, AS SECURITY AGENT
Reel/Frame 073937/0791 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 8, 2025
From: 10X INNOVATION GMBH & CO. KG; MELITTA EUROPA GMBH & CO. KG; MELITTA PROFESSIONAL COFFEE SOLUTIONS GMBH & CO. KG; MELITTA SINGLE PORTIONS GMBH & CO. KG; MELITTA UK LTD.
To: GLOBAL LOAN AGENCY SERVICES GMBH, AS SECURITY AGENT
Reel/Frame 073144/0316 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 18, 2017
From: AUS DER FUENTEN, SANDRA; PAHNKE, JAN
To: MELITTA SINGLE PORTIONS GMBH & CO. KG
Reel/Frame 044169/0303 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2015 107 817 · May 19, 2015 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180153336A1 · Jun 7, 2018