Beverage preparation machine with inlet arrangement

Abstract

An inlet arrangement of a beverage forming apparatus is provided, where the inlet arrangement is configured to deliver liquid to a beverage cartridge. The inlet arrangement includes a central inlet port and a plurality of inlet ports arranged around the central inlet port. The beverage forming apparatus has the ability to implement different dispensing operations in which dispensing occurs through selectable subsets of the inlet ports.

1 . A beverage forming system comprising:
 a brew chamber arranged to hold a beverage ingredient, the brew chamber including a liquid inlet to provide liquid for combining with the beverage ingredient to form a beverage and a beverage outlet to allow beverage to exit the brew chamber, the liquid inlet comprising a central inlet port and a plurality of peripheral inlet ports arranged around the central inlet port; and   a control circuit configured to control dispensing from the liquid inlet using at least two of the following dispensing operations:   (a) a first operation comprising dispensing from the central inlet port only,   (b) a second operation comprising dispensing from at least one of the plurality of peripheral inlet ports only, and   (c) a third operation comprising dispensing from the central inlet port and at least one of the plurality of peripheral inlet ports.   
     
     
         2 . The beverage forming system of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to control dispensing from the liquid inlet using all of the first, second and third operations. 
     
     
         3 . The beverage forming system of  claim 1 , wherein the second operation comprises dispensing from all of the plurality of peripheral inlet ports only. 
     
     
         4 . The beverage forming system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of peripheral inlet ports of the second operation and the at least one of the plurality of peripheral inlet ports of the third operation is the same peripheral inlet port. 
     
     
         5 . The beverage forming system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first valve to control fluid communication to the central inlet port; and   a second valve to control fluid communication to the plurality of peripheral inlet ports.   
     
     
         6 . The beverage forming system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first valve to control fluid communication to the central inlet port;   a second valve to control fluid communication to one of the plurality of peripheral inlet ports; and   a third valve to control fluid communication to another one of the plurality of peripheral inlet ports.   
     
     
         7 . The beverage forming system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a central delivery line configured to deliver liquid to the central inlet port; and   a peripheral delivery line configured to deliver liquid to the plurality of peripheral inlet ports, the central delivery line and the peripheral delivery line being separate and distinct from one another.   
     
     
         8 . The beverage forming system of  claim 1 , further comprising a first tank and a second tank separate and distinct from the first tank, the first tank configured to provide liquid to the central inlet port and the second tank configured to provide liquid to the peripheral inlet ports. 
     
     
         9 . The beverage forming system of  claim 8 , further comprising a liquid supply configured to provide liquid to the first tank and configured to provide liquid to the second tank. 
     
     
         10 . The beverage forming system of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to control liquid delivery through the central inlet port into the brew chamber at a first flow rate, and is configured to control liquid delivery through one of the peripheral inlet ports into the brew chamber at a second flow rate, the second flow rate being different from the first flow rate. 
     
     
         11 . The beverage forming system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of peripheral inlet ports comprises four ports. 
     
     
         12 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The beverage forming system of  claim 1 , wherein the central inlet port and the plurality of peripheral inlet ports each comprises a piercing element configured to pierce a container holding a beverage ingredient. 
     
     
         17 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . The beverage forming system of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to perform two dispensing operations to form a single beverage. 
     
     
         20 . The beverage forming system of  claim 1 , wherein the beverage forming system is configured to deliver a first liquid from the central inlet port and a second liquid from at least one of the plurality of peripheral inlet ports, the first liquid being different from the second liquid. 
     
     
         21 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . The beverage forming system of  claim 1 , wherein the central inlet port has a length that is different from a length of at least one of the plurality of peripheral inlet ports. 
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . The beverage forming system of  claim 1 , wherein the central inlet port has a length that is longer than a length of at least one of the plurality of peripheral inlet ports. 
     
     
         28 . The beverage forming system of  claim 1 , wherein the central inlet port has a shape that is different from a shape of at least one of the plurality of peripheral inlet ports. 
     
     
         29 . The beverage forming system of  claim 1 , further comprising a gasket arrangement with a plurality of openings, where each of the central inlet port and the plurality of peripheral inlet ports are received within an associated opening. 
     
     
         30 . The beverage forming system of  claim 29 , wherein the gasket arrangement comprises a plurality of gaskets that are connected by bridges. 
     
     
         31 - 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . The beverage forming system of  claim 1 , further comprising a reader configured to read indicia on a beverage cartridge. 
     
     
         35 . The beverage forming system of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to execute one of the dispensing operations based on a type of beverage to be formed. 
     
     
         36 . The beverage forming system of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to execute one of the three dispensing operations based on a strength of beverage to be formed. 
     
     
         37 . The beverage forming system of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to execute one of the three dispensing operations based on a type of beverage cartridge used to form a beverage. 
     
     
         38 . A method of forming a beverage, comprising:
 providing a beverage ingredient in a chamber of a beverage forming apparatus;   dispensing liquid into the chamber to introduce the liquid to the beverage ingredient to form a beverage by performing at least one of the following dispensing operations:   (a) a first dispensing operation comprising dispensing only from a central inlet port of a plurality of ports, the plurality of ports including a plurality of peripheral inlet ports arranged around the central inlet port; and   (b) a second dispensing operation dispensing only from at least one of the peripheral inlet ports.   
     
     
         39 - 51 . (canceled) 
     
     
         52 . A beverage forming system comprising:
 a brew chamber arranged to hold a beverage ingredient, the brew chamber including a liquid inlet to provide liquid for combining with the beverage ingredient to form a beverage and a beverage outlet to allow beverage to exit the brew chamber, the liquid inlet comprising a central inlet port and a plurality of peripheral inlet ports arranged around the central inlet port, the plurality of peripheral inlet ports including four peripheral inlet ports positioned at a respective vertex of an isosceles trapezoid and the central inlet port being positioned within the isosceles trapezoid;   a liquid supply configured to provide liquid to the liquid inlet;   a liquid conditioner configured to heat and/or cool the liquid provided to the liquid inlet; and   a control circuit arranged to control operation of the liquid supply and the liquid condition to provide liquid to the liquid inlet.   
     
     
         53 - 67 . (canceled) 
     
     
         68 . The beverage forming system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of peripheral inlet ports include four peripheral inlet ports positioned at a respective vertex of an isosceles trapezoid and the central inlet port is positioned within the isosceles trapezoid.