Patent ID: 7614524
Filing Date: 2009-11-10
Classification: A47J,B67D,G01F

Abstract:
1. A beverage dispenser comprising: a housing including a dispensing area for dispensing a beverage into a container; at least one of a pump and a control valve in communication with a source of diluent which is to be dispensed into the dispensing area; a cartridge receiving area in the housing; an electromagnetic dispensing actuator located in the cartridge receiving area in the housing; a concentrate/extract cartridge comprising a collapsible hollow body for containing liquid concentrate/extract that is connected to a cartridge dispensing tube having an internal pumping device located therein, the internal pumping device including a piston located in the tube that moves via a non-contact, electromagnetic drive from the dispensing actuator between a top position and a bottom position to pump a metered amount of a liquid concentrate/extract from the collapsible hollow body per piston stroke, the concentrate/extract cartridge being removably insertable into the cartridge receiving area in a position to be actuated by the dispensing actuator, and the dispensing tube includes a dispensing aperture positioned to dispense the concentrate/extract into the dispensing area upon placement of the concentrate/extract cartridge in the cartridge receiving area; and a controller located in the housing to control the actuator to discharge concentrate/extract from the cartridge by externally actuating the internal pumping device for a determined number of strokes per unit volume of diluent based on a user input for a desired beverage strength and to control the at least one of the pump and the control valve to discharge diluent so that the concentrate/extract and diluent are dispensed into the dispensing area to form the beverage with the desired strength.