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 extending through an opening in the piston, a valve stem having a first end and a second end and that passes through a port of a valve seat integrally formed with the dispensing tube, the port defining a flow passage through the dispensing tube, and a valve body located at the 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 dispensing tube includes a top and bottom flexing member, and the piston is connected to an intermediate portion of the dispensing tube between the top and bottom flexing members, the valve seat is located on a side of the piston facing the valve body, and the piston being moveable up and down through flexing of the top and bottom flexing members.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
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. A liquid dispenser suitable for numerous applications and having a removably insertable concentrate/extract cartridge and a method of dispensing a liquid are also provided.
118 Citations
13 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 extending through an opening in the piston, a valve stem having a first end and a second end and that passes through a port of a valve seat integrally formed with the dispensing tube, the port defining a flow passage through the dispensing tube, and a valve body located at the 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 dispensing tube includes a top and bottom flexing member, and the piston is connected to an intermediate portion of the dispensing tube between the top and bottom flexing members, the valve seat is located on a side of the piston facing the valve body, and the piston being moveable up and down through flexing of the top and bottom flexing members. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13)
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12. 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