Liquid concentrate/extract beverage dispenser with replaceable concentrate/extract cartridge
First Claim
1. An appliance including a dispenser for a liquid and comprising:
- a housing including a dispensing area for dispensing a fluid;
a cartridge receiving area in the housing;
an electromagnetic 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 fluid to be dispensed into the dispensing area after placement into the cartridge receiving area, the concentrate/extract cartridge comprising;
a hollow body adapted to contain the fluid to be dispensed;
a dispensing tube connected to the hollow body;
a piston located in the dispensing tube; and
a valve having a first end connected to the piston or extending through an opening in the piston, 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, 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 the fluid to be dispensed from the cartridge;
wherein the piston has a piston flow through area, corresponding to a flow area of through apertures in the piston added to a flow area through an annular gap between the outer perimeter of the piston and an interior surface of the dispensing tube, of between 20% to 40% of a flow area defined by the interior surface of the dispensing tube, and the through apertures have a depth which is three to five times their respective width.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A concentrate/extract cartridge for dispensing a liquid concentrate/extract is provided. The cartridge includes a hollow body and a dispensing tube that contains a pumping device. The cartridge includes a valve having a valve stem that passes through a port of a valve seat connected to the dispensing tube. A piston is located 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. The piston can also includes a membrane positioned on a side facing the valve stem configured to permit a flow of fluid into the dispensing tube when the valve body is in contact with the valve seat and to permit the fluid to be forcibly expressed from the dispensing tube when the valve body is moved from its contact position. A liquid dispenser suitable for numerous applications, having a removably insertable concentrate/extract cartridge and a method of dispensing a liquid are also provided.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. An appliance including a dispenser for a liquid and comprising:
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a housing including a dispensing area for dispensing a fluid; a cartridge receiving area in the housing; an electromagnetic 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 fluid to be dispensed into the dispensing area after placement into the cartridge receiving area, the concentrate/extract cartridge comprising; a hollow body adapted to contain the fluid to be dispensed; a dispensing tube connected to the hollow body; a piston located in the dispensing tube; and a valve having a first end connected to the piston or extending through an opening in the piston, 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, 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 the fluid to be dispensed from the cartridge; wherein the piston has a piston flow through area, corresponding to a flow area of through apertures in the piston added to a flow area through an annular gap between the outer perimeter of the piston and an interior surface of the dispensing tube, of between 20% to 40% of a flow area defined by the interior surface of the dispensing tube, and the through apertures have a depth which is three to five times their respective width. - 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 concentrate/extract cartridge for a fluid dispenser adapted to dispense a fluid, 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 first end connected to the piston or extending through an opening in the piston, 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, the piston includes a membrane configured to permit a flow of fluid into the dispensing tube when the valve body is in contact with the valve seat and to forcibly express fluid from the dispensing tube when the piston is moved downwardly and the valve body is moved from a contact position with the valve seat; wherein the piston has a piston flow through area, corresponding to a flow area of through apertures in the piston added to a flow area through an annular gap between the outer perimeter of the piston and an interior surface of the dispensing tube, of between 20% to 40% of a flow area defined by the interior surface of the dispensing tube, and the through apertures have a depth which is three to five times their respective width. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A concentrate/extract cartridge for a fluid dispenser adapted to dispense a fluid, the cartridge comprising:
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a hollow body; a dispensing tube connected to the hollow body, the dispensing tube includes a top and bottom flexing member, and a piston is connected to an intermediate portion of the dispensing tube between the top and bottom flexing members; and a valve having a valve stem that passes through a port of a valve seat formed in the piston, the port defining a flow passage through the dispensing tube, 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, the valve stem extends through an opening in the piston and the valve seat is located on a side of the piston facing the valve body, the piston being moveable up and down through flexing of the top and bottom flexing members; wherein the piston has a piston flow through area, corresponding to a flow area of through apertures in the piston added to a flow area through an annular gap between the outer perimeter of the piston and an interior surface of the dispensing tube, of between 20% to 40% of a flow area defined by the interior surface of the dispensing tube, and the through apertures have a depth which is three to five times their respective width.
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Specification