Single serve beverage additive cartridge
Beverage additive cartridges, beverage brewing systems and methods of brewing a beverage whereby a beverage additive cartridge containing an ingredient is used in combination with a beverage brewing cartridge to add the ingredient of the additive cartridge to the brewed fluid flow of the brewing cartridge. The resultant brew is an ingredient-brewed fluid mixture that outflows a brewing machine via an outlet probe.
1. A beverage additive cartridge, comprising:
a container having at least a first surface area comprising a rigid, piercable continuous surface with no openings residing therein prior to use thereof, and rigid sidewalls extending from said first surface area, the first surface area and rigid sidewalls comprising a same material;
a portion of the container being in communication with a sealed beverage brewing cartridge that is separate and distinct from said container; and
an ingredient residing inside the container that is added to a brewed fluid flow of the beverage brewing cartridge to generate an ingredient-brewed fluid mixture, whereby the container having the ingredient comprises a single-serve beverage additive cartridge.
2. The beverage additive cartridge of claim 1 wherein the first surface area comprises a bottom surface area of the container with upwardly extending sidewalls, a portion of an interior surface area of said sidewalls comprising the portion of the container that is in communication with the beverage brewing cartridge.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the portion of the container that is in communication with the beverage brewing cartridge is a friction fit between contact of interior surface areas of the container sidewalls with exterior surface areas of the beverage brewing cartridge.
4. The beverage additive cartridge of claim 1 further including a layer on a top surface area of the container that hermetically seals the beverage additive cartridge and the ingredient residing therein prior to use thereof.
5. The beverage additive cartridge of claim 1 wherein the container is a single-serve disposable beverage additive cartridge.
6. The beverage additive cartridge of claim 1 wherein the container is a reusable single-serve beverage additive cartridge.
7. A beverage brewing apparatus for use in a single serve beverage brewing machine, the beverage brewing apparatus comprising:
a beverage brewing cartridge that is sealed and containing a material to be brewed;
a beverage additive cartridge having at least a first rigid, piercable continuous surface area with no openings residing therein prior to use thereof and sidewalls extending from said first surface area, the beverage brewing cartage and the beverage additive cartridge being two separate distinct cartridges;
an ingredient residing in the beverage additive cartridge, the ingredient being a material capable of being added to a brewed fluid of the beverage brewing cartridge to generate an ingredient-brewed fluid mixture; and
a connection that provides the beverage additive cartridge in communication with the beverage brewing cartridge,
wherein at least the beverage additive cartridge has one or more physical properties at enables the beverage additive cartridge to adhere to the beverage brewing cartridge at said connection during use of both said beverage additive cartridge and said beverage brewing cartridge within the single serve beverage brewing machine.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the connection that provides the beverage additive cartridge in communication with the beverage brewing cartridge is a fastening means that secures the beverage additive cartridge to the beverage brewing cartridge.
9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the ingredient is selected from the group consisting of a flavoring agent, an ingredient, a vitamin, a medicament, a coloring agent, a sweetening agent, a lightening agent, a flavored lightening agent, an extract, a concentrate, and combinations thereof.
10. The beverage additive cartridge of claim 7 wherein the ingredient is in a physical form selected from the group consisting of a liquid, gel, powder, particulate, solid, crystalline, vapor, flavor packet, and combinations thereof.
11. The apparatus of claim 7 further including a lifting component inside the beverage additive cartridge, the ingredient residing on the lifting component to allow fluid to contact top and bottom surfaces of the ingredient.
12. The apparatus of claim 7 further including a filter material residing between a second surface area of the beverage additive cartridge and the first surface area of the beverage additive cartridge to provide a chamber, the ingredient residing within the chamber.
13. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the ingredient is selected from the group consisting of a single ingredient or a combination of two or more ingredients.
14. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the beverage additive cartridge and the beverage brewing cartridge are shaped and sized to fit inside a housing of a single-serve brew machine.
15. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the connection comprises a friction fit attachment via contact of at least a portion of a surface area of the beverage additive cartridge with at least a portion of a surface area of the beverage brewing cartridge.
16. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the connection comprises an adhesion layer residing on a surface of the beverage additive cartridge.
17. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the beverage additive cartridge resides over the beverage brewing cartridge in a housing of a brew machine.
18. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the beverage additive cartridge resides below the beverage brewing cartridge in a housing of a brew machine.
19. The apparatus of claim 7 further including a layer on a top surface area of the beverage additive cartridge that hermetically seals the beverage additive cartridge and the ingredient residing therein.
20. A brewing additive cartridge used in combination with a beverage brewing cartridge containing a material to be brewed in a single serve beverage brewing machine, the brewing additive cartridge comprising:
a beverage additive cartridge including a rigid continuous bottom surface area with no openings therein connected to rigid sidewalls extending upwardly from the bottom surface area, and a top surface having an upper flange protruding outward from a top of the sidewalls, whereby the bottom surface area, sidewalls and upper flange comprise a single structure of a single material;
an ingredient residing in the beverage additive cartridge, the ingredient being a material that mixes with a brewed fluid of the beverage brewing cartridge to generate an ingredient-brewed fluid mixture;
a removable layer residing at the top surface of the beverage additive cartridge, the removable layer contacting and adhering to an upper surface area of the top surface flange, the removable layer seals the beverage additive cartridge and the ingredient residing therein prior to use thereof; and
a connection portion of the beverage additive cartridge that secures the beverage additive cartridge to the beverage brewing cartridge for generating the ingredient-brewed fluid mixture and allowing for the simultaneous removal of the beverage additive cartridge together with the beverage brewing cartridge from the single serve beverage brewing machine.