Liquid concentrate/extract beverage dispenser with replaceable concentrate/extract cartridge
First Claim
1. A concentrate/extract cartridge for a beverage dispenser adapted to dispense a liquid concentrate/extract and a diluent, the cartridge comprising:
- a hollow body;
a dispensing tube connected to the hollow body;
a piston slideably contained by an interior surface of the dispensing tube; and
a valve having a valve stem that passes through a port of a valve seat connected to the dispensing tube, the port defining a flow passage through the dispensing tube, the valve stem being connected to the piston at a first end of the valve stem, and a valve body located at a second end of the valve stem in removable contact with the valve seat, for alternately opening and closing the port.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A concentrate/extract cartridge for a beverage dispenser for dispensing a liquid concentrate/extract and a diluent is provided. The cartridge includes a hollow body and a dispensing tube connected to the hollow body. A piston is slideably contained by the dispensing tube. The cartridge includes a valve having a valve stem that passes through a port of a valve seat connected to the dispensing tube. The port defines a flow passage through the dispensing tube. The valve stem is connected to the piston at a first end of the valve stem, and a valve body is located at a second end of the valve stem in removable contact with the valve seat for alternately opening and closing the port. A beverage dispenser having a removably insertable concentrate/extract cartridge and a method of dispensing a beverage made from concentrate/extract and a diluent are also provided.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A concentrate/extract cartridge for a beverage dispenser adapted to dispense a liquid concentrate/extract and a diluent, the cartridge comprising:
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a hollow body;
a dispensing tube connected to the hollow body;
a piston slideably contained by an interior surface of the dispensing tube; and
a valve having a valve stem that passes through a port of a valve seat connected to the dispensing tube, the port defining a flow passage through the dispensing tube, the valve stem being connected to the piston at a first end of the valve stem, and a valve body located at a second end of the valve stem in removable contact with the valve seat, for alternately opening and closing the port. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A beverage dispenser comprising:
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a housing including a dispensing area for dispensing a beverage into a container;
at least one of a pump and a control valve in communication with a source of diluent which is to be dispensed into the dispensing area;
a cartridge receiving area in the housing;
a dispensing actuator located in the housing;
a concentrate/extract cartridge removably insertable into the cartridge receiving area in a position to be actuated by the dispensing actuator, the concentrate/extract cartridge adapted to hold a beverage concentrate/extract and to dispense the beverage concentrate/extract into the dispensing area upon placement of the concentrate/extract cartridge in the cartridge receiving area, the concentrate/extract container comprising;
a hollow body;
a dispensing tube connected to the hollow body;
a piston slideably contained by an interior surface of the dispensing tube; and
a valve having a valve stem that passes through a port of a valve seat connected to the dispensing tube, the port defining a flow passage through the dispensing tube, the valve stem being connected to the piston at a first end of the valve stem, and a valve body located at a second end of the valve stem in removable contact with the valve seat, for alternately opening and closing the port; and
a controller located in the housing to control the actuator to discharge concentrate/extract from the cartridge and to control the at least one of the pump and the control valve to discharge diluent so that the concentrate/extract and diluent are dispensed into the dispensing area. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of dispensing a selected beverage made from concentrate/extract and a diluent, the method comprising:
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providing a removable concentrate/extract cartridge comprising;
a hollow body;
a dispensing tube connected to the hollow body;
a valve seat connected to the dispensing tube defining a port for passing a flow of concentrate/extract through the dispensing tube;
a piston slideably contained by an interior surface of the dispensing tube; and
a valve having a valve stem that passes through the port of the valve seat, the valve stem being connected to the piston at a first end of the valve stem, and a valve body located at a second end of the valve stem in removable contact with the valve seat, for alternately opening and closing the port;
inserting the removable cartridge with a selected beverage concentrate/extract into a beverage dispenser, the cartridge dispensing tube positioned for dispensing in a dispensing area of the dispenser;
providing a diluent to the dispenser;
dispensing a stream of concentrate/extract from the cartridge into a container located in the dispensing area by actuating the piston by applying an intermittent magnetic field in proximity to the dispensing tube, and dispensing a stream of diluent into the stream of concentrate/extract. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification