Pump having flexible liner and compounding apparatus having such a pump

A pump for pumping a fluent material comprising:

• a liner including opposing walls of flexible material defining at least one pump cell, an inlet and an outlet, the pump cell being sized and shaped far receiving a quantity of the fluent material and being expandable for receiving fluent material and contractible for discharging fluent material;
• a rigid shell adapted to receive and substantially enclose at least the pump cell of the liner, the shell being formed with at least one receptacle therein to receive in close fitting relation the pump cell, said one receptacle being adapted for connection to a source of pressurized gas and for connection to a vacuum source for selectively applying a vacuum pressure and a positive pressure to the cell to selectively expand and collapse the cell for drawing fluent material into the pump cell and expelling the fluent material from the pump cell;
• the rigid shell being adapted to hold the walls of the liner in sealing relation around the receptacle,
• valves associated with the rigid shell and disposed for pinching engagement with the liner adjacent to the pump cell for selectively blocking and opening fluid communication of the pump cell thereby to pump the fluent material.

A pump for pumping a fluent material comprising:

• a liner including opposing walls of flexible material defining at least one pump cell, an inlet and an outlet, the pump cell being sized and shaped for receiving a quantity of the fluent material and being expandable for receiving fluent material and contractible for discharging fluent material;
• a rigid shell adapted to receive and substantially enclose at least the pump cell of the liner, the shell being formed with at least one receptacle therein to receive in close fitting relation the pump cell, said one receptacle being adapted for connection to a source of pressurized gas and for connection to a vacuum source for selectively applying a vacuum pressure and a positive pressure to the cell to selectively expand and collapse the cell for drawing fluent material into the pump cell and expelling the fluent material from the pump cell;
• the shell comprising first and second shell members hingedly attached to each other for opening and closing the shell to receive or remove the liner from the shell,
• valves associated with the rigid shell and disposed for pinching engagement with the liner adjacent to the pump cell for selectively blocking and opening fluid communication of the pump cell thereby to pump the fluent material.

Apparatus for dispensing a customized drink mixture comprising:

• a dispensing outlet for dispensing the drink mixture to a container;
• a first pump for pumping a base liquid of the drink mixture from a source to the dispensing outlet;
• a second pump for metering selected quantities of admixtures to the base liquid for forming with the base liquid the drink mixture in the container, the second pump comprising:
• a liner including opposing walls of flexible material selectively joined together to define at least two pump cells sized and shaped for receiving a quantity of one of the admixtures, the liner further including inlets and at least one outlet in communication with the pump cell so that admixture passes through the pump contacting only the liner;
• a rigid shell adapted to receive and substantially enclose at least the pump cells of the liner, the shell being formed with receptacles therein to receive in close fitting relation the pump cells, the receptacles being adapted for connection to a source of pressurized gas and for connection to a vacuum source for selectively applying a vacuum pressure and a positive pressure to the cell to selectively expand and collapse the cell for drawing fluent material into the pump cell and expelling the fluent material from the pump cell;
• valves associated with the rigid shell and disposed for pinching engagement with the liner adjacent to the pump cells for selectively blocking and opening fluid communication of the pump cells with the inlets and the outlet thereby to pump the admixture.

A pump for metering a fluent material comprising:

• a pump cell having flexible walls expandable between a fill configuration in which the walls enclose a first volume for receiving fluent material into the pump cell and a discharge configuration in which the walls enclose substantially no volume for discharging fluent material from the pump cell;
• a shell defining a space therein adapted to receive the pump cell for substantially enclosing the pump shell;
• a pressure source adapted for fluid communication with the shell space for applying positive fluid pressure in the space;
• a vacuum source adapted for fluid communication with the shell space for applying vacuum pressure to the shell space;
• a control for the pressure source and the vacuum source operable to first apply a vacuum pressure to the shell space for expanding the pump cell to the fill configuration for receiving fluent material into the pump cell, then to apply both a vacuum pressure and a positive fluid pressure for drawing one of the walls of the pump cell against the shell and pressing another of the walls of the pump cell against said one wall for moving the pump cell to the discharge configuration for discharging the fluent material.

A pump for metering a fluent material comprising:

• a pump cell having flexible walls expandable between a fill configuration in which the walls enclose a first volume for receiving fluent material into the pump cell and a discharge configuration in which the walls enclose a second volume less than the first volume for discharging fluent material from the pump cell;
• a shell defining a space therein adapted to receive the pump cell for substantially enclosing the pump cell;
• a pressure source adapted for fluid communication with the shell space for applying positive fluid pressure in the space;
• a vacuum source adapted for fluid communication with the shell space for applying vacuum pressure to the shell space;
• a control for the pressure source and the vacuum source operable to first apply a vacuum pressure to the shell space for expanding the pump cell to the fill configuration for receiving fluent material into the pump cell, then to apply both a vacuum pressure and a positive fluid pressure for drawing one of the walls of the pump cell against the shell and pressing another of the walls of the pump cell toward said one wall for moving the pump cell to the discharge configuration for discharging the fluent material.

A pump for metering a fluent material using a pump cell having flexible walls expandable between a fill configuration in which the walls enclose a first volume for receiving fluent material into the pump cell and a discharge configuration in which the walls enclose a second volume less than the first volume for discharging fluent material from the pump cell, the pump comprising:

• a shell defining a space therein adapted to receive the pump cell for substantially enclosing the pump cell;
• a pressure source adapted for fluid communication with the shell space for applying positive fluid pressure in the space;
• a vacuum source adapted for fluid communication with the shell space for applying vacuum pressure to the shell space;
• a control for the pressure source and the vacuum source operable to first apply a vacuum pressure to the shell space for expanding the pump cell to the fill configuration for receiving fluent material into the pump cell, then to apply both a vacuum pressure and a positive fluid pressure for drawing one of the walls of the pump cell against the shell and pressing another of the walls of the pump cell toward said one wall for moving the pump cell to the discharge configuration for discharging the fluent material.

A pump for pumping a fluent material comprising:

• a liner including opposing walls of flexible material defining at least one pump cell, the pump cell being sized and shaped for receiving a quantity of the fluent material and being expandable for receiving fluent material and contractible for discharging fluent material;
• a rigid shell adapted to receive and substantially enclose at least the pump cell of the liner, the shell being formed with at least one receptacle therein to receive in close fitting relation the pump cell, said one receptacle being adapted for connection to a source of pressurized gas and for connection to a vacuum source for selectively applying a vacuum pressure and a positive pressure to the cell to selectively expand and collapse the cell for drawing fluent material into the pump cell and expelling the fluent material from the pump cell;
• the rigid shell being adapted to hold the walls of the liner in sealing relation around the receptacle;
• valves associated with the rigid shell and disposed for pinching engagement with the liner adjacent to the pump cell for selectively blocking and opening fluid communication of the pump cell thereby to pump the fluent material.

A pump for pumping a fluent material comprising:

• a liner including opposing walls of flexible material defining at least one pump cell, the pump cell being sized and shaped for receiving a quantity of the fluent material and being expandable for receiving fluent material and contractible for discharging fluent material;
• a rigid shell adapted to receive and substantially enclose at least the pump cell of the liner, the shell being formed with at least one receptacle therein to receive in close fitting relation the pump cell, said one receptacle being adapted for connection to a source of pressurized gas and for connection to a vacuum source for selectively applying a vacuum pressure and a positive pressure to the cell to selectively expand and collapse the cell for drawing fluent material into the pump cell and expelling the fluent material from the pump cell;
• the shell comprising first and second shell members hingedly attached to each other for opening and closing the shell to receive or remove the liner from the shell;
• valves associated with the rigid shell and disposed for pinching engagement with the liner adjacent to the pump cell for selectively blocking and opening fluid communication of the pump cell thereby to pump the fluent material.