Coffee machines and / or vending machines capable of disposing of food waste

Abstract

The beverage brewing device of the present invention is a beverage brewing device that receives a disposable beverage cartridge, and includes a mill machine that receives the cartridge from the beverage brewing device and crushes the cartridge, and a compost bin that receives the cartridge crushed by the mill machine. The disposable beverage cartridge contains beverage ingredients for brewing a beverage, and is discarded after brewing the beverage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] [Related Applications] This application claims priority based on U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 144,473, filed on February 1, 2021, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to an improved coffee machine or vending machine, and a method of using the same, and more particularly to a coffee machine or vending machine that collects and composts disposable coffee cartridges, capsules, or pods.

Background Art

[0003] In the conventional method, since a large amount of beverage is placed in a large container at the top of a warmer and left as it is, the flavor of the beverage may deteriorate. Single-serve coffee machines or beverage dispensing devices have become increasingly popular in recent years due to their flavor and convenience, and are highly evaluated by consumers because they avoid the problems of the conventional method by not leaving the beverage unattended and can make delicious individualized coffee at home.

[0004] However, the biggest drawbacks of the system are the cartridges and the machine. First, the cartridge is made of a sealed plastic cup or metal cup, with beverage materials inside, sealed with aluminum foil or other types of lids, and the type of beverage material, lot number, etc. are printed on the plastic and / or aluminum foil using special ink. Generally, the lid is attached to the plastic cup via an adhesive. The cartridge may have a filter inside the plastic cup. The filter can reduce or minimize the amount of beverage materials (such as coffee grounds, tea leaves, etc.) transferred to a mug, cup, and / or other containers for drinking the beverage made in the cartridge. The cartridge is not suitable for home composting and is difficult to recycle, which may leave a large amount of waste for the next generation.

[0005] Furthermore, coffee machines that use the aforementioned cartridges are not suitable for composting at home.

[0006] On the other hand, cafeteria vending machines also cannot manage waste. The main reason for this is that the containers used in vending machines cannot be recycled, let alone composted.

[0007] Therefore, there is a need for coffee machines and / or vending machines that can manage food waste. [Overview of the project]

[0008] The present invention provides a method and system for composting within a coffee machine and vending machine, or a method and system for composting connected to a coffee machine and vending machine. In one embodiment, the invention has a blender, crusher, slicer, shredder, or mill for destroying compostable food containers. In one embodiment, the invention provides a method for receiving the milled container fragments and coffee powder or food waste and composting them in a home.

[0009] The elements in the drawings are shown for the sake of simplicity and clarity of explanation, so that they can be understood by those skilled in the art, and not all means and options of connection are shown. For example, in order to make the various embodiments of the invention easier to see, common but well-understood elements that are used or necessary in commercially viable embodiments may be omitted. Furthermore, while operations and / or processes may be described in a particular order, those skilled in the art will understand that they are not limited to that order. Also, unless otherwise indicated, the terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary technical meanings understood by those skilled in the art. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a coffee system, which is one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of an automated vending system, which is another embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The drawings referenced to illustrate the embodiments in more detail are part of this specification and illustrate possible embodiments. The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings, but these are merely illustrative examples for understanding the embodiments, and the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments. The embodiments are disclosed to understand the scope of the present invention and its embodiments, but are not limited to them and can be implemented in many different forms. Furthermore, the present invention can be implemented as a method, system, computer-readable medium, apparatus, or device. Therefore, the present invention can be implemented as a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or a combination of software and hardware. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following detailed description.

[0012] The inventors of this application have provided innovative materials, methods for manufacturing the same, systems, etc., in one or more patents, applications, and patents, applications claiming priority thereunder, such as U.S. Patent Application Nos. 62 / 299,084, 13 / 878,986, 14 / 886,792, 15 / 353,212, 15 / 812,505, 16 / 079,463, 16 / 531,673, 63 / 019,845, 63 / 019,849, 63 / 019,852, 63 / 063,210 and related applications.

[0013] The inventors provide natural materials that do not contain toxic or harmful chemicals commonly used in food or beverage containers. Green composite materials (GCMs) do not contain coating or laminating materials found in plastics such as perfluoro or polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFAS) and bisphenol A (BPA), and have few bioplastic elements. Examples of such bioplastic elements include the following compounds.

[0014] Starches

[0015] Celluloses: Cellulose pulp derived from wood

[0016] Polyhydroxyalkanoates (polyhydroxybutyrates) (PHA, PHB) - derived from microorganisms

[0017] Polylactic acid (PLA) - Fermented lactic acid

[0018] Therefore, GCM is suitable for home composting. For further disclosures, please refer to the attachments to the specification.

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a beverage system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, the device 102 is a coffee machine 102 used to receive disposable beverage cartridges or pods. In one embodiment, the coffee machine 102 may be a device for dispensing other types of beverages, provided that the beverage material is stored in disposable cartridges or pods.

[0020] In one embodiment, the coffee machine 102 may be connected to a grinding machine 104. In one embodiment, the grinding machine 104 may be a blender, slicer, crusher, shredder, etc. In one embodiment, the grinding machine 104 may be used to grind the cartridge. In one embodiment, the grinding machine 104 receives the used disposable cartridge from the coffee machine 102 after the beverage has been poured or the material in the cartridge has been used. In one embodiment, the consumer inserts the disposable cartridge into the grinding machine 104. In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the disposable cartridge is dropped from the coffee machine 102 into the grinding machine 104.

[0021] In one embodiment, the compost bin 106 is part of the mill machine 104. In other words, after crushing, slicing, mixing, shredding, etc., the contents and beverage residue (e.g., coffee or tea leaves) fall into the compost bin 106. In one embodiment, the compost bin 106 and the mill machine 104 may be separated from each other except for a chute or conduit. The chute or conduit is used to move the crushed, sliced, mixed, and shredded disposable cartridges from the mill machine 104 to the compost bin 106. The compost bin 106 may have a lid or valve to close the chute or conduit when there is nothing left to crush in the mill machine 104. In one embodiment, a timer may be used to control the opening and closing of the lid or valve.

[0022] Because disposable cartridges made of GCM are fiber-based, crushed, shredded, mixed, or julienned disposable cartridges are suitable for home composting. Unlike industrial composting conditions, home composting does not require heating or other treatment of the waste to enhance the composting effect. In one embodiment, the fiber-based cartridge or container may be made primarily of fiber-based material, and in other embodiments, it may contain a mixture of fiber and other polymers.

[0023] In other embodiments, various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. For example, the coffee machine 102, the mill machine 104, and the compost bin 106 may be arranged vertically as independent units. In one embodiment, the mill machine and the compost bin may be an integrated unit and further combined with the coffee machine 102. In one embodiment, the coffee machine 102 and the mill machine 104 are an integrated unit, and the compost bin is an independent unit.

[0024] In one embodiment, the coffee machine 102 and the grinding machine 104 are connected to a mobile terminal via a wireless connection and can exchange information such as alarms and control information with the mobile terminal.

[0025] Similar to the above disclosure, FIG. 2 shows that the coffee machine 102 can be further extended to a vending machine.

[0026] In one embodiment, various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. For example, the vending machine 202, the mill machine 204, and the compost bin 206 may be vertically arranged as independent units. In one embodiment, the mill machine and the compost bin may form an integrated unit and may be further combined with the vending machine 202. In one embodiment, the vending machine 202 and the mill machine 204 form an integrated unit, and the compost bin is an independent unit.

[0027] In one embodiment, the vending machine 202 and the mill machine 204 are connected to a mobile terminal via a wireless connection and can exchange information such as alarms and controls with the mobile terminal.

[0028] In one embodiment, the vending machine 202 may be connected to a heat source or a cooling source. For example, the vending machine 202 is connected to a cooling system that can maintain a fiber-based container at a specific temperature. In one embodiment, the vending machine 202 is connected to a steamer that can heat a fiber-based container before providing it to the consumer. In one embodiment, the vending machine 202 or the mill machine 204 includes a water source or a moisture source, or is connected to a water source or a moisture source, and can accelerate the polishing process by humidifying the crushed or shredded material.

[0029] The above description is merely illustrative, and the present invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art may modify the embodiments based on the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the embodiments is not limited to the above description, but is determined only by the claims or their equivalent scope.

[0030] Features of one embodiment can be combined with features of another embodiment without departing from the scope of the embodiment. Furthermore, terms such as "one" or "the foregoing" are used to mean "one or more" unless otherwise stated. Terms such as "and / or" indicate all possible combinations unless otherwise stated.

[0031] The present invention can be realized in many different forms. The drawings and the above description are illustrative for understanding one or more of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention to the illustrated embodiments.

[0032] According to the present invention, the problems of the past can be solved, and the waste disposal and recycling of coffee capsules can be carried out appropriately.

[0033] Those skilled in the art can modify and improve the above-described system and method.

[0034] The present invention is not limited to the contents of this specification, systems and methods, or examples, but can be realized in a wide range of embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Equivalent modifications and improvements made based on the scope and spirit of the invention are all included in the claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0035] 102 Coffee Machine 104 Mill Machine 106 Compost box 202 Vending Machines 204 Mill Machine 206 Compost box

Claims

1. A device for disposable beverage cartridges made of GCM that can be filled with beverage, A mill machine that receives a cartridge from the beverage dispenser and crushes the cartridge, The system includes a compost box that receives the cartridges crushed by the aforementioned milling machine, The aforementioned cartridge contains beverage material for holding a beverage, and is discarded after the beverage has been placed inside. A device for dispensing beverages.

2. The mill machine and the compost bin are further connected by a conduit. The apparatus for dispensing beverages according to claim 1.

3. The system further includes a valve that controls the opening and closing of the aforementioned conduit. The apparatus for dispensing beverages according to claim 2.

4. The milling machine has a blender, The apparatus for dispensing beverages according to claim 1.

5. The aforementioned disposable beverage cartridges made of GCM include disposable coffee cartridges made of GCM fiber base. The apparatus for dispensing beverages according to claim 1.

6. A housing for storing disposable GCM fiber-based containers for consumables, It has a display that shows the consumables that the user will purchase, This is a vending machine where the user can retrieve their beverage after completing the purchase. A receiving port for the disposable GCM fiber-based container whose consumables have been used up, A milling machine that crushes the GCM fiber-based disposable container received from the receiving port to produce a by-product, A compost box that receives the by-products from the milling machine, Vending machine.

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