US 7,165,488 · Granted 2007-01-23

The Keurig Brew Chamber That Revolutionized Single-Serve Coffee

Keurig patented the clever mechanical design that lets you pop a coffee pod into their brewer and have the lid automatically align everything perfectly for brewing. It's all about how the lid and the chamber work together—when you close the lid, it angles the pod holder into brewing position, and when you lift it, the chamber tips forward so you can easily grab the used pod.

Curated and verified by the IsItPatented Editorial team

The plain-English version

What it protects

The claim covers a brew chamber system where a receptacle (the pod holder) can pivot between two positions—one for brewing and one for accessing the pod. What's protected here is the mechanical linkage between the lid and receptacle: as you move the lid up and down, it automatically rotates the receptacle, so the user doesn't have to manually position anything. The specific geometry of how these parts pivot and connect is what the patent locks down.

Why it matters

This patent captures the core mechanical innovation that made Keurig's single-serve brewers so user-friendly and reliable. The automatic alignment of the pod means consistent brewing and fewer customer headaches with misaligned cartridges. This kind of thoughtful mechanical design is often what separates a product that feels premium from one that feels clunky—and in the competitive coffee brewer space, that difference matters for brand loyalty and market position.

Real-world use

Every time you load a K-Cup into your Keurig and flip the handle down, you're using the exact mechanical choreography this patent describes—the lid and chamber moving in synchronized tandem to position the pod perfectly for hot water.

Original USPTO abstract

A brew chamber for a single serve filter package. The chamber includes a receptacle having an open top, configured and dimensioned to receive the package. A frame for supporting the receptacle for pivotal movement about a first axis between a vertical brew position and a forwardly inclined open position. A lid is supported on the frame for pivotal movement about a second axis between a raised position allowing access to the open top when the receptacle is in the open position, and a lowered position closing the open top when the receptacle is in the brew position. The receptacle is linked to the lid such that the receptacle is pivoted between the brew and open positions in response to movement of the lid between the lowered and raised positions.

Patent details

Publication number: US 7,165,488
Filing date: 2003-12-12
Grant date: 2007-01-23
Assignee: Keurig, Incorporated
Inventor(s): BRAGG TIM A., LAI C. ANTHONY
CPC class: A47J31/3695

View original record on Google Patents →

Want to file your own patent?

If you're designing a kitchen gadget with moving parts that need to work together smoothly, use our free scanner to see what's already patented in your space before you build a prototype.

Free patentability scan