US 11,992,148 B2
Method for foaming a beverage
Izaak Koller, Seattle, WA (US); Joshua Kruger, Seattle, WA (US); and Timothy Hurd, Sumner, WA (US)
Assigned to Starbucks Corporation, Seattle, WA (US)
Filed by Starbucks Corporation, Seattle, WA (US)
Filed on Oct. 5, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/938,259.
Application 17/303,855 is a division of application No. 16/124,048, filed on Sep. 6, 2018, granted, now 11,058,250, issued on Jul. 13, 2021.
Application 17/938,259 is a continuation of application No. 17/303,855, filed on Jun. 9, 2021, granted, now 11,484,147.
Prior Publication US 2023/0022326 A1, Jan. 26, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A47J 31/44 (2006.01); A47J 31/52 (2006.01)
CPC A47J 31/4496 (2013.01) [A47J 31/4485 (2013.01); A47J 31/4489 (2013.01); A47J 31/5253 (2018.08); A47J 31/5255 (2018.08)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of producing a foamed liquid, the method comprising:
introducing a liquid into an interior of a container assembly;
selecting at least one finished beverage characteristic;
initiating a flow of steam into the interior of the container assembly;
sensing a characteristic of the liquid residing within the interior of the container assembly, the characteristic of the liquid excluding a mass of the liquid in the container assembly;
estimating a volume of liquid residing within the interior of the container assembly based on the sensed characteristic; and
modulating a flow of steam based on the estimated volume of liquid and the selected finished beverage characteristic.