IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
UP-0569066
(2009-09-29)
|
등록번호 |
US-7828020
(2010-11-25)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Girard, Jeffrey J.
- Vassaux, Mario E.
- Fischer, Roy Kenneth
- Symington, Richard
- Anderson, Erik Kenneth
- Greenwald, Shlomo
- Greenwald, Zipora
- Pirshafiey, Nassar
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- Intelligent Coffee Company, LLC
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
17 인용 특허 :
78 |
초록
▼
A concentrate/extract cartridge for a beverage dispenser adapted to dispense a liquid concentrate/extract and a diluent is provided. The cartridge includes a hollow body for containing liquid concentrate/extract and an aperture. A pumping device is connected to the hollow body for dispensing the liq
A concentrate/extract cartridge for a beverage dispenser adapted to dispense a liquid concentrate/extract and a diluent is provided. The cartridge includes a hollow body for containing liquid concentrate/extract and an aperture. A pumping device is connected to the hollow body for dispensing the liquid concentrate/extract from the hollow body through the aperture. A method for dispensing a liquid concentrate/extract from a beverage dispenser using a concentrate/extract cartridge is also provided in which the concentrate/extract does not come into contact with the dispenser.
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. A method of dispensing a liquid from a liquid dispenser comprising: providing a cartridge having; a hollow body for containing the liquid; an aperture defined in the hollow body; and an externally actuatable pumping device including: a dispensing tube which defines an interio
What is claimed is: 1. A method of dispensing a liquid from a liquid dispenser comprising: providing a cartridge having; a hollow body for containing the liquid; an aperture defined in the hollow body; and an externally actuatable pumping device including: a dispensing tube which defines an interior surface connected to the hollow body at the aperture for dispensing the liquid from the hollow body; a valve seat, including a port for passing the liquid through the dispensing tube, connected to the dispensing tube and fixed within a space defined by the interior surface of the dispensing tube; a valve body in removable contact with the valve seat on a discharge side thereof which covers the port in a closed position and uncovers the port in an open position; and a piston located on an upstream side of the valve seat that is fixed to the valve body and is moveable within the dispensing tube for forcing the liquid through the port; inserting the cartridge in the liquid dispenser; and moving the piston from a first position, away from the valve seat, in which the valve body is closed, to a second position, toward the valve seat and in a direction of liquid flow. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the valve seat and the piston are ferromagnetic, and wherein the step of moving the piston from the first position to the second position includes inducing an electromagnetic field causing the piston to be drawn toward the valve seat. 3. The method of claim 2 further comprising returning the piston to the first position to move the valve body from the open position to the closed position. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein a biasing element applies a biasing force on the valve body toward the first position, and wherein the step of returning the piston to the first position includes reducing the electromagnetic field such that the biasing force overcomes the electromagnetic field. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the piston includes a first side proximal to the hollow body and a second side proximal to the hollow body, and a displacement area is disposed between second side of the piston and the valve body, the method further comprising drawing the liquid from the hollow body and toward the first side of the piston by displacement during the step of moving the piston from the first position to the second position, and filling the displacement area with the liquid during the step of returning the piston to the first position. 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising repeating the steps of moving the piston from the first position to the second position while drawing the liquid from the hollow body and returning the piston to the first position to move the valve body from the open position to the closed position while filling the displacement area. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the liquid is dispensed into a dispensing area and the dispenser includes a diluent reservoir, the method further comprising discharging a diluent from the diluent reservoir into the dispensing area when the liquid is dispensed. 8. The method of claim 7, the method further comprising inputting a desired amount of mixed liquid, which includes a mixture of the liquid and the diluent, and controlling the amount of the liquid dispensed and the diluent discharged based on the desired amount of mixed liquid. 9. The method of claim 7, wherein the cartridge includes a controller recognizable ID and the method further includes identifying a proper amount of the liquid to dispense and a proper amount of the diluent to discharge based on the controller recognizable ID. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the controller recognizable ID is one selected from the group consisting of an RFID and a barcode. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid is a liquid concentrate/extract. 12. The method of claim 1 further comprising returning the piston to the first position to move the valve body from the open position to the closed position. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein a biasing element applies a biasing force on the valve body toward the first position, and wherein the step of returning the piston to the first position includes allowing the biasing force to return the piston to the first position. 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the piston includes a first side proximal to the hollow body and a second side proximal to the hollow body, and a displacement area is disposed between second side of the piston and the valve body, the method further comprising drawing the liquid from the hollow body and toward the first side of the piston by displacement during the step of moving the piston from the first position to the second position, and filling the displacement area with the liquid during the step of returning the piston to the first position. 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising repeating the steps of moving the piston from the first position to the second position while drawing the liquid from the hollow body and returning the piston to the first position to move the valve body from the open position to the closed position while filling the displacement area. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the liquid is dispensed into a dispensing area and the dispenser includes a diluent reservoir, the method further comprises discharging a diluent from the diluent reservoir into the dispensing area when the liquid is dispensed. 17. The method of claim 15, the method further comprising inputting a desired amount of mixed liquid, which includes a mixture of the liquid and the diluent, and controlling the amount of the liquid dispensed and the diluent discharged based on the desired amount of mixed liquid. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the cartridge includes a controller recognizable ID and the method further includes identifying a proper amount of the liquid to dispense and a proper amount of the diluent to discharge based on the controller recognizable ID. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the controller recognizable ID is selected from one selected from the group consisting of an RFID and a barcode. 20. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid is a liquid concentrate/extract.
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