Beverage maker

Abstract

A device for dispensing individual servings of a cold beverage, either having a refrigeration unit to chill the beverage or a removable pitcher that may be put in a refrigerator. A special disposable beverage cartridge or beverage pouch fits into the holder. This cartridge or pouch may have pressure rupturable seals or diaphragms and contain beverage concentrate. A dispensing mechanism puts pressure on the cartridge or the pouch to break the pressure rupturable seal or diaphragm to discharge the concentrate into a mixing structure. The mixing structure also receives chilled liquid from the refrigeration unit or the pitcher, and ensures that the concentrate mixes with the liquid without contacting the walls of the mixing structure.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A beverage dispensing pouch, comprising:
 a pouch body enclosed in an impermeable seal substantially impermeable to liquids at room temperature, the pouch body having a pouch void and a lower end;   a hanger hole;   a machine-readable identification element suitable to be read by optics or electronics in a beverage dispensing device;   a pressure rupturable seal that seals the lower end, wherein   when pressure is applied to the pouch void, the pressure rupturable seal is ruptured, allowing liquid in the pouch void to flow through the lower end.   
     
     
         2 . The beverage dispensing pouch of  claim 1 , wherein pressure is applied to the pouch void with a press plate located in the beverage dispensing device. 
     
     
         3 . The beverage dispensing pouch of  claim 1 , wherein said beverage is a single-serve beverage. 
     
     
         4 . The beverage dispensing pouch of  claim 1 , wherein the machine-readable identification element is a QR code. 
     
     
         5 . The beverage dispensing pouch of  claim 1 , wherein the pouch body is made from foil or plastic. 
     
     
         6 . The beverage dispensing pouch of claiml, where in the pouch body has at least one layer selected from the group consisting of Foil, Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE), Polypropylene (PP) and Polyethylene (PE). 
     
     
         7 . The beverage dispensing pouch of  claim 6 , wherein the pouch body is multi-layered. 
     
     
         8 . The beverage dispensing pouch of  claim 1 , wherein the lower end has a pressure rupturable seal. 
     
     
         9 . The beverage dispensing pouch of  claim 1 , wherein the lower end has a tear off pouch strip. 
     
     
         10 . The beverage dispensing pouch of  claim 1 , wherein the impermeable seal is continuous around the pouch body. 
     
     
         11 . A beverage dispensing device comprising:
 a pouch holder;   a dispensing mechanism, operative to apply pressure to the beverage dispensing pouch to discharged a beverage: and   a transmitting device located in the beverage dispensing device, wherein the transmitting device communicates with the Internet.   
     
     
         12 . The beverage dispensing device of  claim 11 , wherein the beverage dispensing device can read a machine readable identification element on a pouch. 
     
     
         13 . The beverage dispensing device of  claim 11 , wherein the beverage dispensing device can read a machine readable identification element on a pouch using optics or electronics. 
     
     
         14 . The beverage dispensing device of  claim 11 , wherein beverage dispensing device may also include a telemetry control and a data retrieval system. 
     
     
         15 . The beverage dispensing device of  claim 11 , wherein the beverage dispensing device has a WiFi card or a transmitting device implanted into the circuits of the beverage dispensing device, allowing it to communicate and connect to the user's home WiFi network and the Internet. 
     
     
         16 . The beverage dispensing device of  claim 11 , wherein the user may register their machine and MAC Address with a designated website or application and create a user profile. 
     
     
         17 . The beverage dispensing device of  claim 16 , wherein the beverage dispensing device communicates with a supplier's back end servers to track a user's personal consumption. 
     
     
         18 . The beverage dispensing device of  claim 17 , wherein the beverage dispensing device allows an automated re-order system to know when to send out the user's next order of consumables. 
     
     
         19 . The beverage dispensing device of  claim 18 , wherein the beverage dispensing device helps to identify what flavors of beverage are selling best and allow a manufacturing facility to streamline what is manufactured to avoid excessive warehousing of inventory. 
     
     
         20 . The beverage dispensing device of  claim 19 , wherein the beverage dispensing device allows a supplier to target a user with special offerings. 
     
     
         21 . The beverage dispensing device of  claim 15 , wherein the beverage dispensing device communicates with a specific program for smart phones or other hand-held computing devices to allow the users to see their consumption and receive notifications when they are running low on consumables such as beverage pouches. 
     
     
         22 . The beverage dispensing device of  claim 21  wherein said beverage dispensing device dispenses juice. 
     
     
         23 . The beverage dispensing device of  claim 11  wherein pressure is applied to a pouch with a press plate located in the beverage dispensing device. 
     
     
         24 . The beverage dispensing device of  claim 11  further comprising a beverage dispensing pouch having:
 a pouch body enclosed in an impermeable seal substantially impermeable to liquids at room temperature, the pouch body having a pouch void and a lower end; 
 a hanger hole; 
 a machine-readable identification element suitable to be read by optics or electronics in a beverage dispensing device; 
 a pressure rupturable seal that seals the lower end, wherein 
 when pressure is applied to the pouch void, the pressure rupturable seal is ruptured, allowing liquid in the pouch void to flow through the lower end.