Beverage pod with a foldable segmented lid that contains whole brewing elements

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a beverage pod designed for whole brewing elements. Embodiments include a foldable segmented lid of a beverage pod comprising a plurality of foldable segments. The foldable segmented lid being one-hundred-and-eighty degrees rotationally symmetric. The foldable segmented lid of the beverage pod further comprises a segmented opening mechanism. The segmented opening mechanism comprises a first crease and a second crease of the foldable segmented lid. The foldable segmented lid breaks along either the first crease or the second crease when actuated between the closed state and the open state. In the open state, at least one of the first side segment and the second side segment of the foldable segmented lid is decoupled from the sidewall. This decoupling is achieved using at least one of the first crease and the second crease when actuated. The decoupling allows the brewable substance to exit the beverage pod.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A beverage pod for whole brewing elements comprising:
 a lower surface of a volumetric container;   a sidewall coupling the lower surface to a foldable segmented lid such that the lower surface, the foldable segmented lid, and the sidewall form a cavity of the volumetric container;   the foldable segmented lid comprising a plurality of foldable segments, the foldable segmented lid being one-hundred-and-eighty degrees rotationally symmetric and the plurality of foldable segments comprising:
 a middle segment; and 
 a first side segment and a second side segment, the first side segment being one-hundred-and-eighty degrees rotationally symmetric to the second side segment and the second side segment being one-hundred-and-eighty degrees rotationally symmetric to the first side segment; 
   a brewable substance contained within the cavity formed by the lower surface, the sidewall, and the foldable segmented lid;   the foldable segmented lid comprising a segmented opening mechanism for segmentally opening the foldable segmented lid including at least one of the first side segment and the second side segment from the sidewall, the segmented opening mechanism in a closed state and actuatable to an open state, the segmented opening mechanism comprising at a first crease and a second crease of the foldable segmented lid such that the foldable segmented lid breaks along at one of the first crease and the second crease when actuated between the closed state and the open state;   the closed state coupling the first side segment, the middle segment, and the second side segment with the sidewall such that the brewable substance contained within the cavity is sealed; and   the open state to decouple at least one of the first side segment and the second side segment from the sidewall using at least one of the first crease and the second crease when actuated such that the brewable substance exits the beverage pod.   
     
     
         2 . The beverage pod of  claim 1 , wherein an actuation mechanism that, when actuated, applies a force that breaks the segmented opening mechanism at the first crease such that the segmented opening mechanism changes from the closed state to the open state with the foldable segmented lid remaining at least partially attached to the sidewall in the open state. 
     
     
         3 . The beverage pod of  claim 2 , wherein the segmented opening mechanism for segmentally opening the foldable segmented lid further comprises a sidewall lip, wherein the sidewall lip in the closed state couples with the first side segment, the middle segment, and the second side segment and with the sidewall such that the brewable substance contained within the cavity is sealed. 
     
     
         4 . The beverage pod of  claim 3 , wherein the sidewall lip comprises a first notch and a second notch; wherein the segmented opening mechanism for segmentally opening the foldable segmented lid uses at least one of the first notch and the second notch for initiating the actuation mechanism that, when actuated, applies the force. 
     
     
         5 . The beverage pod of  claim 2 , wherein the first crease absorbs the force of the actuation mechanism such that the foldable segmented lid remains partially attached to the sidewall in the open state. 
     
     
         6 . The beverage pod of  claim 1 , wherein an actuation mechanism that, when actuated, applies a force that breaks the segmented opening mechanism at the second crease such that the segmented opening mechanism changes from the closed state to the open state with the foldable segmented lid remaining at least partially attached to the sidewall in the open state. 
     
     
         7 . The beverage pod of  claim 6 , wherein the second crease absorbs the force of the actuation mechanism such that the foldable segmented lid remains partially attached to the sidewall in the open state. 
     
     
         8 . The beverage pod of  claim 1 , wherein the first crease and the second crease comprise bending points of the foldable segmented lid. 
     
     
         9 . The beverage pod of  claim 1 , wherein the first crease is between the first side segment and the middle segment. 
     
     
         10 . The beverage pod of  claim 1 , wherein the second crease is between the second side segment and the middle segment. 
     
     
         11 . The beverage pod of  claim 1 , wherein the first crease is between the first side segment and the middle segment; and wherein the second crease is between the second side segment and the middle segment. 
     
     
         12 . The beverage pod of  claim 1 , wherein the beverage pod is made of a compostable material. 
     
     
         13 . The beverage pod of  claim 1 , wherein the beverage pod is made of paper. 
     
     
         14 . The beverage pod of  claim 1 , wherein the brewable substance is whole coffee beans. 
     
     
         15 . The beverage pod of  claim 1 , wherein the brewable substance is tea leaves. 
     
     
         16 . The beverage pod of  claim 1 , wherein the foldable segmented lid comprises a machine-readable indicator that identifies the brewable substance in the beverage pod, a packaging date and time of the brewable substance, the packaging date and time changing behavior of a brewing machine relative to the brewable substance. 
     
     
         17 . The beverage pod of  claim 1 , wherein the foldable segmented lid comprises a machine-readable indicator that identifies a weight of the brewable substance, the weight changing a behavior of a brewing machine relative to the brewable substance. 
     
     
         18 . The beverage pod of  claim 1 , wherein the foldable segmented lid comprises a machine-readable indicator that is encrypted or obfuscated. 
     
     
         19 . The beverage pod of  claim 16 , wherein the machine-readable indicator is one or more of text, a QR code, a barcode, a symbol, or a picture. 
     
     
         20 . The beverage pod of  claim 16 , wherein the machine-readable indicator describes one or more of a type of the brewable substance, a brewing condition of the brewable substance, a brewing protocol for the brewable substance, an age of the brewable substance, and a parameter of the brewable substance. 
     
     
         21 . The beverage pod of  claim 1 , wherein the lower surface is circular and the foldable segmented lid is circular. 
     
     
         22 . The beverage pod of  claim 1 , wherein the sidewall coupling the lower surface to the foldable segmented lid comprises a mesh material, the mesh material allowing bidirectional air flow, the bidirectional air flow allowing air flow into the cavity and out of the cavity. 
     
     
         23 . A beverage pod for whole brewing elements comprising:
 a lower surface of a volumetric container;   a sidewall coupling the lower surface to a foldable segmented lid such that the lower surface, the foldable segmented lid, and the sidewall form a cavity of the volumetric container;   the foldable segmented lid comprising a plurality of foldable segments, the foldable segmented lid being one-hundred-and-eighty degrees rotationally symmetric and the plurality of foldable segments comprising:
 a middle segment; and 
 a first side segment and a second side segment, the first side segment being one-hundred-and-eighty degrees rotationally symmetric to the second side segment and the second side segment being one-hundred-and-eighty degrees rotationally symmetric to the first side segment; 
   the foldable segmented lid comprising a segmented opening mechanism for segmentally opening the foldable segmented lid including at least one of the first side segment and the second side segment from the sidewall, the segmented opening mechanism in a closed state and actuatable to an open state, the segmented opening mechanism comprising at least one crease of the foldable segmented lid such that the foldable segmented lid breaks along the at least one crease when actuated between the closed state and the open state;   the closed state coupling the first side segment, the middle segment, and the second side segment with the sidewall such that the cavity is sealed; and   the open state to decouple at least one of the first side segment and the second side segment from the sidewall at the at least one crease of the foldable segmented lid when actuated such that the beverage pod is opened.   
     
     
         24 . A beverage pod for whole brewing elements comprising:
 a lower surface of a volumetric container;   a sidewall coupling the lower surface to a foldable segmented lid such that the lower surface, the foldable segmented lid, and the sidewall form a cavity of the volumetric container;   the foldable segmented lid comprising at least one foldable segment;   a brewable substance contained within the cavity of the volumetric container formed by the lower surface of the volumetric container, the sidewall, and the foldable segmented lid;   the foldable segmented lid comprising a segmented opening mechanism for segmentally opening the at least one foldable segment from the sidewall, the segmented opening mechanism in a closed state and actuatable to an open state by peeling of the foldable segmented lid by a user, the segmented opening mechanism comprising at least one crease of the foldable segmented lid such that the foldable segmented lid breaks along the at least one crease when actuated between the closed state and the open state;   the closed state coupling the foldable segmented lid with the sidewall such that the brewable substance contained within the cavity is sealed; and   the open state to decouple the at least one foldable segment from the sidewall at the at least one crease of the foldable segmented lid when actuated such that the brewable substance exits the beverage pod.