Liquid concentrate/extract beverage dispenser with replaceable concentrate/extract cartridge
First Claim
1. A beverage dispenser comprising:
- 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;
an electromagnetic dispensing actuator located in the cartridge receiving area in the housing;
a concentrate/extract cartridge comprising a collapsible hollow body for containing liquid concentrate/extract that is connected to a cartridge dispensing tube having an internal pumping device located therein, the internal pumping device including a piston located in the tube that moves via a non-contact, electromagnetic drive from the dispensing actuator between a top position and a bottom position to pump a metered amount of a liquid concentrate/extract from the collapsible hollow body per piston stroke, the concentrate/extract cartridge being removably insertable into the cartridge receiving area in a position to be actuated by the dispensing actuator, and the dispensing tube includes a dispensing aperture positioned to dispense the concentrate/extract into the dispensing area upon placement of the concentrate/extract cartridge in the cartridge receiving area; and
a controller located in the housing to control the actuator to discharge concentrate/extract from the cartridge by externally actuating the internal pumping device for a determined number of strokes per unit volume of diluent based on a user input for a desired beverage strength 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 to form the beverage with the desired strength.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A beverage dispenser for dispensing a beverage into a container is provided. The dispenser includes a housing having a dispensing area. A pump or a control valve is in communication with a source of diluent which is to be dispensed into the dispensing area. A cartridge receiving area and a dispensing actuator are located in the housing. A concentrate/extract cartridge is removably insertable into the cartridge receiving area in a position to be actuated by the dispensing actuator, the concentrate/extract cartridge being adapted to hold a beverage concentrate/extract and including a dispensing aperture for dispensing a beverage concentrate/extract into the dispensing area upon placement of the concentrate/extract cartridge in the cartridge receiving area. A controller is located in the housing to control the actuator to discharge concentrate/extract into the dispensing area. A method of dispensing a selected beverage made from concentrate/extract and a diluent is also provided.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. 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;an electromagnetic dispensing actuator located in the cartridge receiving area in the housing; a concentrate/extract cartridge comprising a collapsible hollow body for containing liquid concentrate/extract that is connected to a cartridge dispensing tube having an internal pumping device located therein, the internal pumping device including a piston located in the tube that moves via a non-contact, electromagnetic drive from the dispensing actuator between a top position and a bottom position to pump a metered amount of a liquid concentrate/extract from the collapsible hollow body per piston stroke, the concentrate/extract cartridge being removably insertable into the cartridge receiving area in a position to be actuated by the dispensing actuator, and the dispensing tube includes a dispensing aperture positioned to dispense the concentrate/extract into the dispensing area upon placement of the concentrate/extract cartridge in the cartridge receiving area; and a controller located in the housing to control the actuator to discharge concentrate/extract from the cartridge by externally actuating the internal pumping device for a determined number of strokes per unit volume of diluent based on a user input for a desired beverage strength 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 to form the beverage with the desired strength. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of dispensing a selected beverage made from concentrate/extract and a diluent, the method comprising:
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providing a beverage dispenser with a dispensing area, providing a removable concentrate/extract cartridge comprising a collapsible hollow body for containing liquid concentrate/extract that is connected to a cartridge dispensing tube having an internal pumping device located therein and a dispensing aperture, the internal pumping device having a piston located in the tube that moves via an electromagnetic drive of a dispensing actuator in the beverage dispenser between a top position and a bottom position, inserting the removable concentrate/extract cartridge into the beverage dispenser, providing a diluent to the dispenser; placing a container into the dispensing area, selecting from one of a number of different concentrate/extract dispensing rates using a control interface on the dispenser so that the controller signals the electromagnetic dispensing actuator to increase or decrease a volume of concentrate/extract being dispensed in order to make a beverage of a desired strength, dispensing concentrate/extract from the cartridge through the dispensing aperture and into the container located in the dispensing area by externally actuating the piston using the electromagnetic drive of the dispensing actuator to move between the top position and the bottom position and pump a metered amount of concentrate/extract from the collapsible hollow body per piston stroke, with the controller varying the number of strokes per unit volume of diluent so that the beverage dispensed has the selected strength, and dispensing diluent into the container located in the dispensing area to form the beverage in the container. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of dispensing a selected beverage made from concentrate/extract and a diluent, the method comprising:
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providing a dispenser comprising;
a housing including;
a dispensing area;
at least one of a pump and a control valve in communication with a source of diluent;
a cartridge receiving area; and
electromagnetic dispensing actuator;providing at least one removable concentrate/extract cartridge comprising a collapsible hollow body for containing liquid concentrate/extract that is connected to a cartridge dispensing tube having an internal pumping device located therein and a dispensing aperture, the internal pumping device including an electromagnetically actuatable piston that moves between a top position and a bottom position to pump a metered amount of concentrate/extract from the collapsible hollow body per piston stroke, inserting a first one of the concentrate/extract cartridges having a first selected beverage concentrate/extract in the cartridge receiving area; providing a diluent to the dispenser; inserting a container into the dispensing area; dispensing a stream of the first selected beverage concentrate/extract from the first concentrate/extract cartridge into the container located in the dispensing area by externally actuating the piston in the dispensing tube; dispensing a stream of diluent into the container by actuating the at least one of the pump and the control valve; opening a loading door in the housing to access the cartridge receiving area; removing the first concentrate/extract cartridge; inserting a second one of the concentrate/extract cartridges with a second selected beverage concentrate/extract; and dispensing the diluent and the second selected beverage concentrate/extract to form a second selected beverage. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification