Patent ID: 8800820
Filing Date: 2014-08-12
Classification: A47J,A47L,Y10T

Abstract:
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.