Beverage dispenser
AssigneeIMI Vision Limited
InventorRichard John Nighy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A disposable pump cartridge for use in conjunction with a pump driver characterized in the disposable pump unit containing a pair of piston pumps and inlet and outlet valves positioned at one end of each piston. The piston pump has a pair of pistons arranged for reciprocal motion and which are retained by a retainer adjacent the inlet and outlet valves during transit.
Claims17
A disposable pump comprising:
- a pump section having two pump barrels each having a piston therein, said pistons having means for releasably connecting said pistons to a non-disposable pump drive for driving said pistons of said disposable pump cartridge;
- and
- a valving chamber having a fluid inlet for connection to a source of fluid to be pumped, a fluid outlet through which pumped fluid is expelled from said pump cartridge, a pump inlet chamber intermediate and connecting said fluid inlet to said pump barrels via inlet valves thereof, and a pump outlet chamber intermediate and connecting said pump barrels to said fluid outlet via outlet valves thereof,
- wherein said pump section and said valving chamber comprise a single unitary cartridge.
A disposable pump cartridge for use with a non-disposable pump drive, the cartridge comprising:
- two pump barrels each having an associated piston therein, said pistons having means for connecting them to a drive means for driving the pistons of the disposable pump cartridge,
- a fluid inlet for connection to a source of fluid to be pumped, said fluid inlet leading to two inlet valves each leading into one of the two barrels,
- two outlet valves each leading from one of said two barrels to a pump outlet, and
- retention means arranged to retain the pistons in a position adjacent the inlet and outlet valves during transit,
- wherein the retention means comprises one or more protrusions on one of the barrel and piston of each associated barrel and piston which retain the piston in the position adjacent the inlet and outlet valves.
A unitary disposable pump cartridge for use with a non-disposable pump drive, said cartridge comprising:
- two pump barrels each having a piston therein, said pistons having means for releasably connecting said pistons to the non-disposable pump drive for driving said pistons of said disposable pump cartridge, said releasably connecting means accommodating convenient attachment of said pistons to the non-disposable pump drive for use of said disposable pump cartridge in pumping fluid from a supply of the fluid, and convenient detachment of said pistons from the non-disposable pump drive for replacement of said disposable pump cartridge with another disposable pump cartridge upon replacement of the supply of the fluid,
- a fluid inlet for connection to a source of fluid to be pumped, said fluid inlet leading to two inlet valves each leading into one of said two barrels, and
- two outlet valves each leading from one of said two barrels to a pump outlet.
A unitary disposable pump cartridge for use with a non-disposable pump drive, said cartridge comprising:
- two pump barrels each having a piston therein, said pistons having means for releasably connecting said pistons to the non-disposable pump drive for driving said pistons of said disposable pump cartridge, said releasably connecting means accommodating convenient attachment of said pistons to the non-disposable pump drive for use of said disposable pump cartridge in pumping fluid from a supply of the fluid, and convenient detachment of said pistons from the non-disposable pump drive for replacement of said disposable pump cartridge with another disposable pump cartridge upon replacement of the supply of the fluid,
- a fluid inlet for connection to a source of fluid to be pumped, said fluid inlet leading to two inlet valves each leading into one of said two barrels, and
- two outlet valves each leading from one of said two barrels to a pump outlet,
- wherein said pump cartridge substantially comprises plastics injection molding.
In combination, a fluid container and a disposable pump cartridge coupled to said fluid container for pumping fluid from said container, said disposable pump cartridge comprising a fluid inlet coupled to fluid in said container, a fluid outlet, two pump barrels each having a piston therein, two inlet valves fluid coupled to said fluid inlet and each leading to one of said two barrels, two outlet valves fluid coupled to said fluid outlet and each leading from one of said two barrels, said pistons having means for releasably connecting said pistons to a non- disposable pump drive for driving said pistons of said disposable pump cartridge, said releasably connecting means accommodating convenient attachment of said pistons to the non-disposable pump drive for operation of said disposable pump cartridge to pump fluid from said container, and convenient detachment of said pistons from the non-disposable pump drive for discard of said disposable pump cartridge and container upon exhaustion of the fluid in said container and replacement of the same with another disposable pump cartridge and fluid container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.