US 12,303,062 B2
Beverage vessel support apparatus
Mark Thompson, Ash Aldershot (GB); David Hay, Basingstoke (GB); and Stephen Hobden, Basingstoke (GB)
Assigned to Luigi Lavazza S.p.A., Turin (IT)
Filed by Luigi Lavazza S.p.A., Turin (IT)
Filed on Feb. 19, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/581,086.
Application 18/581,086 is a division of application No. 17/268,808, granted, now 11,918,138, previously published as PCT/IB2019/000925, filed on Aug. 16, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 1813479 (GB), filed on Aug. 17, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2024/0188752 A1, Jun. 13, 2024
Int. Cl. A47J 31/44 (2006.01); A47J 31/46 (2006.01); B67D 1/08 (2006.01)
CPC A47J 31/4482 (2013.01) [A47J 31/4428 (2013.01); A47J 31/46 (2013.01); B67D 1/0891 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A beverage vessel support apparatus for a beverage dispensing apparatus, the beverage vessel support apparatus comprising:
a movable support member configured for supporting a beverage vessel at a plurality of different support positions;
an actuation assembly configured for adjusting a height of the movable support member;
a beverage vessel rim detector arranged at a first vertical position and configured to determine whether an uppermost part of a beverage vessel supported by the movable support member is at an appropriate position for a beverage to be dispensed into the beverage vessel;
a first beverage vessel detector arranged at a second vertical position below the first vertical position of the beverage vessel rim detector and configured to determine whether a beverage vessel is present on the movable support member; and
a second beverage vessel detector arranged at a third vertical position between the first and second vertical positions of the beverage vessel rim detector and the first beverage vessel detector and configured to determine whether a beverage vessel is present on the movable support member;
wherein the plurality of support positions of the movable support member comprise a lowermost support position and an uppermost support position, and a plurality of intermediate support positions between the lowermost and uppermost support positions; and
wherein the lowermost support position of the movable support member is below the vertical position of the first beverage vessel detector, such that the first beverage vessel detector is operable to detect a beverage vessel on the movable support member in the lowermost support position.