Patent ID: 7631788
Filing Date: 2009-12-15
Classification: B67D

Abstract:
1. A liquid dispensing apparatus for beverages, the apparatus comprising: a) a liquid reservoir for storing a liquid flavoring; b) a diaphragm pump operable over discrete cycles, each discrete cycle comprising an intake stroke in which the liquid flavoring is drawn into the diaphragm pump from the liquid reservoir, and an expulsion stroke in which the liquid flavoring is expelled from the pump through a dispensing outlet, and wherein fully completing both the intake stroke and the expulsion stroke dispenses a predetermined volume of the liquid flavoring; c) a DC power source for generating a series of electrical pulses for applying power to the diaphragm pump, each of the electrical pulses operating the diaphragm pump over at least one of the intake stroke and the expulsion stroke, each of the electrical pulses having pulse characteristics that affect an application of power to the diaphragm pump, the pulse characteristics comprising a pulse duration and a pulse frequency; and d) a controller for controlling the DC power source, the controller being operable to vary at least one of the pulse characteristics based upon characteristics of the diaphragm pump and the liquid flavoring such that the diaphragm pump dispenses the predetermined volume of liquid flavoring over each discrete cycle.