Granted Patent B1

US 12,458,165 · App. 17/504,360 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

Inventors: Raymond John Ring, III (Alexandria, VA); Abraham MacLean (Arlington, VA); Giacomo Fornasini (Bethesda, MD); Heather Roach (Fairfax, VA); Mark Lyons (Ashburn, VA)

Assignee: Cirkul, Inc.

A47J31/407A47J31/4403A47J31/4492A47J31/52

Abstract

Claims (27)

1 . A beverage apparatus, the beverage apparatus being hand-holdable by a user of the beverage apparatus to be portable, the beverage apparatus comprising:

a chamber housing that includes a chamber, and the chamber defining an internal volume for storing a consumable liquid in the chamber;

a controller that includes a processor and a database portion, and the processor performing processing based on instructions in the database portion;

a base assembly, and the base assembly including:

an enclosure that provides an outer cover of the base assembly;

an inner receptacle member with a bay, and the bay for retaining a vessel with additive;

a skirt shoe; and

a skirt constructed of flexible material, and the skirt including an inner attachment edge portion and an outer attachment edge portion, the inner attachment edge portion being supported by a lower edge of the inner receptacle member, and the outer attachment edge portion being supported by the skirt shoe.

2 . The beverage apparatus of claim 1 , the inner receptacle member reciprocating up and down so as to dispense the additive in the vessel, and the skirt being constructed of the flexible material so as to provide for the reciprocating.

3 . The beverage apparatus of claim 2 , the base assembly further including a skirt ring, and the lower edge of the inner receptacle member being attached to the skirt ring, and a lower edge of the skirt ring being attached to the inner attachment edge portion.

4 . The beverage apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the lower edge of the skirt ring is bonded to the inner attachment edge portion by adhesive.

5 . The beverage apparatus of claim 4 , the skirt including a bottom button, wherein the bottom button is arranged to be depressable by a user so as to activate an internal switch in the base assembly, and wherein the internal switch is arranged to control operations of the base assembly.

6 . The beverage apparatus of claim 5 , the bottom button is positioned on a curved, outer, upper portion of the skirt.

7 . The beverage apparatus of claim 3 , the base assembly further including a shoe support, the shoe support including an annular structure that is supported within an enclosure; and

the shoe support engaged with and supporting the skirt shoe.

8 . The beverage apparatus of claim 7 , the shoe support including an interior diameter portion, and the interior diameter portion engaged with the skirt ring.

9 . The beverage apparatus of claim 2 , the base assembly further including a shoe support, the shoe support including an annular structure that is supported within the enclosure; and

the shoe support engaged with and supporting the skirt shoe.

10 . The beverage apparatus of claim 7 , the shoe support also engaged with and supporting the skirt.

11 . The beverage apparatus of claim 1 , the skirt shoe including a lower attachment flange, and such lower attachment flange defining a lower, outer peripheral extent of the base assembly.

12 . The beverage apparatus of claim 1 , the skirt shoe including an annular chamfer, and the annular chamfer positioned underneath the outer attachment edge portion.

13 . The beverage apparatus of claim 12 , the base assembly further including a plurality of electrical connections that are exposed to an exterior of the beverage apparatus, and the electrical connections each electrically connected to at least one internal component of the beverage apparatus.

14 . The beverage apparatus of claim 13 , the electrical connections each including a contact plate.

15 . The beverage apparatus of claim 14 , each of the contact plates being positioned in the annular chamfer.

16 . The beverage apparatus of claim 14 , the electrical connections further including a connecting rod and a contact tab, the connecting rod serving to connect the contact plate with a respective contact tab, and the contact an electrical communication with the at least one internal component of the beverage apparatus.

17 . The beverage apparatus of claim 13 , wherein each of the electrical connections extend up through or adjacent to the skirt shoe.

18 . The beverage apparatus of claim 1 , base assembly is in the shape of a squircle.

Assignments (4)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (400)