Liquid dispensing system

A concentrate/extract cartridge for a fluid dispenser adapted to dispense a fluid, the cartridge comprising:

• a hollow body;
• a dispensing tube connected to the hollow body;
• a piston slideably contained by an interior surface of the dispensing tube and comprising spaced apart internal webs with a ring connecting the webs and an external ferromagnetic material sleeve located around the external ring;
• and
• a valve having a valve stem that passes through a port of a valve seat connected to the dispensing tube, the port defining a flow passage through the dispensing tube, the valve stem being connected to the piston at a first end of the valve stem, and a valve body located at a second end of the valve stem in removable contact with the valve seat, for alternately opening and closing the port,
• the piston includes a membrane configured to permit a flow of fluid into the dispensing tube when the valve body is in contact with the valve seat and to forcibly express fluid from the dispensing tube when the piston is moved downwardly and the valve body is moved from a contact position with the valve seat.

A method of dispensing a refrigerated drink from a refrigerator or water cooler, comprising:

• providing a refrigerator or water cooler with a dispensing housing that opens into a drink dispensing area, the dispensing housing having a cartridge receiving opening, an electromagnetic dispensing actuator located in the dispensing housing around the cartridge receiving opening;
• a concentrate/extract cartridge removably insertable into the cartridge receiving opening 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 housing, the concentrate/extract cartridge including a hollow body, a dispensing tube connected to the hollow body, a piston located in the dispensing tube, and a valve having a valve stem that passes through a port of a valve seat connected to the dispensing tube, the port defining a flow passage through the dispensing tube, and a valve body located at a second end of the valve stem in removable contact with the valve seat, for alternately opening and closing the port the valve stem is connected to the piston at a first end of the valve stem, the piston comprising spaced apart internal webs with a ring connecting the webs, an external ferromagnetic material sleeve located around the external ring and a membrane configured to permit a flow of fluid into the dispensing tube when the valve body is in contact with the valve seat and to forcibly express the fluid from the dispensing tube when the piston is moved downwardly and the valve body is moved from a contact position with the valve seat, and a controller to control the actuator to discharge concentrate/extract from the cartridge;
• a user inserting a selected cartridge with a desired beverage concentrate/extract into the dispensing housing, with the dispensing tube located in the cartridge receiving opening;
• pressing a button to signal the controller to activate the electromagnetic dispensing actuator;
• the controller sending an intermittent current to the actuator causing the piston to reciprocate back and forth and forcibly expressing a precise measured amount of the concentrate/extract from the dispensing tube and into a stream of cold water as it is being dispensed.

A method of dispensing a medicament, comprising:

• providing a medicament dispenser with a dispensing housing that opens into a dispensing area, the dispensing housing having a cartridge receiving opening, an electromagnetic dispensing actuator located in the dispensing housing around the cartridge receiving opening;
• a concentrate/extract cartridge removably insertable into the cartridge receiving opening in a position to be actuated by the dispensing actuator, the concentrate/extract cartridge adapted to hold a fluid medicament to be dispensed, the concentrate/extract cartridge including a hollow body, a dispensing tube connected to the hollow body, a piston located in the dispensing tube, and a valve having a valve stem that passes through a port of a valve seat connected to the dispensing tube, the port defining a flow passage through the dispensing tube, and a valve body located at a second end of the valve stem in removable contact with the valve seat, for alternately opening and closing the port the valve stem is connected to the piston at a first end of the valve stem, the piston comprising spaced apart internal webs with a ring connecting the webs, an external ferromagnetic material sleeve located around the external ring and a membrane configured to permit a flow of fluid into the dispensing tube when the valve body is in contact with the valve seat and to forcibly express the fluid from the dispensing tube when the piston is moved downwardly and the valve body is moved from a contact position with the valve seat, and a controller to control the actuator to discharge concentrate/extract from the cartridge;
• a user inserting a selected cartridge with a desired medicament into the dispensing housing, with the dispensing tube located in the cartridge receiving opening;
• pressing a button to signal the controller to activate the electromagnetic dispensing actuator;
• the controller sending an intermittent current to the actuator causing the piston to reciprocate back and forth and forcibly expressing a precise measured amount of the concentrate/extract from the dispensing tube and into a stream of cold water as it is being dispensed.

A method of dispensing pool or pond chemicals or additives, comprising:

• providing a dispensing housing that is connected into a pool or pond water feed line, the dispensing housing having at least one cartridge receiving opening with an associated electromagnetic dispensing actuator;
• a concentrate/extract cartridge removably insertable into each of the at least one cartridge receiving openings in a position to be actuated by the associated dispensing actuator, the concentrate/extract cartridge adapted to hold a fluid chemical or additive to be dispensed into the dispensing housing, the concentrate/extract cartridge including a hollow body, a dispensing tube connected to the hollow body, a piston located in the dispensing tube, and a valve having a valve stem that passes through a port of a valve seat connected to the dispensing tube, the port defining a flow passage through the dispensing tube, and a valve body located at a second end of the valve stem in removable contact with the valve seat, for alternately opening and closing the port the valve stem is connected to the piston at a first end of the valve stem, the piston comprising spaced apart internal webs with a ring connecting the webs, an external ferromagnetic material sleeve located around the external ring and a membrane configured to permit a flow of fluid into the dispensing tube when the valve body is in contact with the valve seat and to forcibly express the fluid from the dispensing tube when the piston is moved downwardly and the valve body is moved from a contact position with the valve seat, and a controller to control the actuator to discharge concentrate/extract from the cartridge;
• a user inserting a selected cartridge with a pool or pond chemical or additive into the dispensing housing, with the dispensing tube located in the cartridge receiving opening;
• a controller activating the electromagnetic dispensing actuator by sending an intermittent current to the actuator causing the piston to reciprocate back and forth and forcibly expressing a precise measured amount of the pool or pond chemical or additive from the dispensing tube and into a stream of water as it is being fed to the pool or pond.

A method of dispensing chemicals or additives through a sprinkler system, comprising:

• providing a dispensing housing that is connected into a sprinkler system water feed line, the dispensing housing having at least one cartridge receiving opening with an associated electromagnetic dispensing actuator;
• a concentrate/extract cartridge removably insertable into each of the at least one cartridge receiving openings in a position to be actuated by the associated dispensing actuator, the concentrate/extract cartridge adapted to hold a fluid chemical or additive to be dispensed into the dispensing housing, the concentrate/extract cartridge including a hollow body, a dispensing tube connected to the hollow body, a piston located in the dispensing tube, and a valve having a valve stem that passes through a port of a valve seat connected to the dispensing tube, the port defining a flow passage through the dispensing tube, and a valve body located at a second end of the valve stem in removable contact with the valve seat, for alternately opening and closing the port the valve stem is connected to the piston at a first end of the valve stem, the piston comprising spaced apart internal webs with a ring connecting the webs, an external ferromagnetic material sleeve located around the external ring and a membrane configured to permit a flow of fluid into the dispensing tube when the valve body is in contact with the valve seat and to forcibly express the fluid from the dispensing tube when the piston is moved downwardly and the valve body is moved from a contact position with the valve seat, and a controller to control the actuator to discharge concentrate/extract from the cartridge;
• a user inserting a selected cartridge with a chemical or additive into the dispensing housing, with the dispensing tube located in the cartridge receiving opening;
• a controller activating the electromagnetic dispensing actuator by sending an intermittent current to the actuator causing the piston to reciprocate back and forth and forcibly expressing a precise measured amount of the chemical or additive from the dispensing tube and into a stream of water as it is being fed to the sprinkler system.