초록 ▼

A disposable concentrate pump for use with a liquid reservoir, with the actuating solenoid mounted in the dispenser. The pump has a body with flexible walls, a top-cap, a seal-base and a nozzle, with a seal-rod extending from the top-cap to the nozzle, stretching the flexible walls of the body and c

A disposable concentrate pump for use with a liquid reservoir, with the actuating solenoid mounted in the dispenser. The pump has a body with flexible walls, a top-cap, a seal-base and a nozzle, with a seal-rod extending from the top-cap to the nozzle, stretching the flexible walls of the body and creating a net restoring force on the seal-base. A seal-head on the seal-rod seals a central opening in the seal-head when pressed against a side of the seal-head by the net restoring force. Reciprocally moving the seal-head parallel to an axis of the pump body operates the pump.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A pump for use with a fluid reservoir, comprising: a) a hollow pump body comprising flexible walls having an inner surface and an outer surface, a first end for connecting to the reservoir and a second end for dispensing liquid,b) a top-cap sealed to the first end of the pump body, having at leas

1. A pump for use with a fluid reservoir, comprising: a) a hollow pump body comprising flexible walls having an inner surface and an outer surface, a first end for connecting to the reservoir and a second end for dispensing liquid,b) a top-cap sealed to the first end of the pump body, having at least one through hole for passage of fluid from the reservoir into the pump body;c) a nozzle sealed to the second end of the pump body, having at least one through hole for passage of fluid out from the pump body;d) a seal-base located between the nozzle and the top-cap, having a central seal-base opening, the seal-base dividing the pump body into an upper chamber between the seal-base and the top-cap and a lower chamber between the seal-base and the nozzle;e) a rigid seal-rod extending along an axis of the pump body from the top-cap to the nozzle through the seal-base opening, having a seal-head for sealing the opening in the seal-base by sealing against a side of the seal-base;the seal-base being movable from a first position in which the seal-head is sealed against a side of the seal-base, blocking flow of liquid through the opening in the seal-base, to a second position in which the seal-head is not in contact with the seal-base, allowing flow of liquid through the opening in the seal-base;the flexible walls surrounding the upper chamber being held in a stretched condition by the seal-rod, creating a restoring force between the top-cap and the seal-head; and the flexible walls surrounding the lower chamber being held in a stretched condition by the seal-rod, creating a restoring force between the seal-head and the nozzle;the restoring force of the flexible walls surrounding the lower chamber and the restoring force of the flexible walls surrounding the upper chamber, being selected to create a net restoring force pulling the seal-base into the first position and pressing the seal-head into the opening in the seal-base, sealing the seal-base opening and isolating the upper chamber from the lower chamber;such that when the seal-base is reciprocally moved parallel to the axis of the pump body, the seal-base is moved between the first position and the second position. 2. The pump of claim 1, in which the flexible walls of the pump body comprise an elastic tube, and the top-cap, the seal-head and the nozzle are located inside the elastic tube, and the pump further comprises a plurality of clamping rings surrounding the elastic tube for clamping the top-cap, the seal-head and the nozzle to the elastic tube. 3. The pump of claim 1, in which the flexible walls of the pump body comprise an upper tube section surrounding the upper chamber and a lower tube section surrounding the lower chamber, and the upper tube section and the lower tube section each comprise a mounting ring at each end, the mounting rings being sealed to the top-cap, the seal-head and the nozzle. 4. The pump of claim 1, further comprising: a solenoid coil surrounding the pump body and coupled to the top-cap; anda plunger slideably movable inside the solenoid coil and surrounding at least part of the lower chamber, coupled to the seal-base;a pole piece inside the solenoid coil and surrounding at least part of the upper chamber, the pole piece being separated from the plunger by a gap;such that when the solenoid coil is actuated, the plunger is drawn magnetically toward the pole piece, moving the seal-head between the first position and the second position. 5. The pump of claim 1, further comprising a reservoir having an output coupled to the first end of the pump body. 6. The pump of claim 5, in which the collapsible reservoir is a bag-in-box. 7. The pump of claim 1, further comprising an upper rigid tube surrounding substantially all of the flexible walls of the upper chamber. 8. The pump of claim 7, in which the upper rigid tube is coupled to the seal-head. 9. The pump of claim 7, in which the upper rigid tube is coupled to the top-cap. 10. The pump of claim 1, further comprising a lower rigid tube surrounding substantially all of the flexible walls of the lower chamber. 11. The pump of claim 10, in which the lower rigid tube is coupled to the seal-head. 12. The pump of claim 10, in which the lower rigid tube is coupled to the nozzle. 13. The pump of claim 1, further comprising a lower nozzle mounted to the pump body below the nozzle, having a central fluid exit hole. 14. A method of assembling a pump for use with a fluid reservoir, the pump comprising a hollow pump body comprising an elastic tube with flexible walls having an inner surface and an outer surface, a first end for connecting to the reservoir and a second end for dispensing liquid, a top-cap having an outer diameter, a top-cap clamping ring, a nozzle having an outer diameter, a nozzle clamping ring, a seal-base having a seal-base opening and an outer diameter, a seal-base clamping ring, a rigid seal-rod having an upper end, a lower end, and a length therebetween, and a seal-head along the length of the seal-rod for sealing the opening in the seal-base by sealing against a side of the seal-base, the method comprising: a) passing the seal-rod through the seal-base opening, with the seal-head against a side of the seal-base;b) coupling the top-cap to the upper end of the seal-rod;c) coupling the nozzle to the lower end of the seal-rod;d) inserting the top-cap, seal-base, nozzle and seal-rod inside the elastic tube;e) clamping the elastic tube to the outer diameter of the top cap using the top-cap clamping ring to form a seal joint between the elastic tube and the outer diameter of the top cap;f) stretching the elastic tube downward until the seal-base is positioned on top of the seal-head;g) clamping the elastic tube to the outer diameter of the seal-base using the seal-base clamping ring to form a seal joint between the elastic tube and the outer diameter of the seal-base;h) stretching the elastic tube further downward; andi) clamping the elastic tube to the outer diameter of the nozzle using the nozzle clamping ring to form a seal joint between the elastic tube and the outer diameter of nozzle. 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising trimming the elastic tube around the nozzle. 16. A method of assembling a pump for use with a fluid reservoir, the pump comprising a hollow pump body comprising an upper chamber subassembly comprising an elastic tube with flexible walls, an upper ring and a lower ring, a lower chamber subassembly comprising an elastic tube with flexible walls, an upper ring and a lower ring, a first end for connecting to the reservoir and a second end for dispensing liquid, a top-cap, a nozzle, a seal-base having a seal-base opening, a rigid seal-rod having an upper end, a lower end, and a length therebetween, and a seal-head along the length of the seal-rod for sealing the opening in the seal-base by sealing against a side of the seal-base, the method comprising: a) attaching an upper ring and a lower ring to ends of the flexible walls of the upper chamber subassembly;b) attaching an upper ring and a lower ring to ends of the flexible walls of the lower chamber subassembly;c) attaching the upper ring of the upper chamber subassembly to the top-cap;d) attaching the lower ring of the upper chamber subassembly to the seal-base;e) attaching the upper ring of the lower chamber subassembly to the seal-base;f) attaching the nozzle to the lower end of the seal-rod;g) inserting the seal rod through the seal-base opening;h) connecting the upper end of the seal-rod to the top-cap;i) stretching the flexible walls of the upper chamber subassembly until the seal-base is resting on the seal-head;j) stretching the flexible walls of the lower chamber subassembly until the lower ring of the lower chamber subassembly can be fixed to the nozzle; andk) rigidly fixing the lower ring of the lower chamber subassembly to the nozzle.