Pump for liquid beverage preparation devices
Devices for the preparation of a liquid food or beverage. One device includes a housing, pump, pump support for securing the pump to the housing, a rigid duct that is connected by an elastic sealing member to the housing and to an inlet or outlet of the pump. The pump support includes an elastic support member for resiliently supporting the pump chamber in the housing. Another device includes a pre-suction chamber connected to a liquid inlet of a pump and being designed to intermittently provide liquid to said liquid inlet. A further device includes a connector of at least one elastic sealing member designed to absorb vibrations from a pump of the device and to enable a relative movement of a duct and a liquid inlet or outlet of the pump.
1. A device for the preparation of a liquid food or beverage from a portioned ingredient placed within a beverage preparation chamber, the device comprising:
a housing,
a pump comprising a pump chamber that contains a piston moveably mounted therein and vibrates during use, for displacing a liquid from a pump inlet to a pump outlet,
a liquid supply which is in fluid connection with the liquid inlet of the pump, and
a pump support securing the vibrating pump chamber to the housing,
a duct that is mechanically connected to the housing and to one of the pump inlet or pump outlet and that is arranged to guide liquid from or to the pump,
wherein the pump support comprises an elastic support member for resiliently supporting the vibrating pump chamber in the housing, and
wherein the duct is rigid and connected with the pump inlet or pump outlet by an elastic sealing member for resiliently connecting the rigid duct to the vibrating pump chamber.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the portioned ingredient is provided in capsules that are placed within the beverage preparation chamber and the device introduces liquid into the capsules for preparation of the liquid food or beverage.
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the elastic support member comprises at least one elastic leaf member for resiliently supporting the pump, with the elastic support member being optionally arranged to be deformable around a plurality of flexion axes to absorb vibrations from the pump chamber, with the plurality of flexion axes oscillating in opposition to one another.
4. The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the elastic support member is arranged to absorb vibrations exerted on the support member in all three degrees of freedom.
5. The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the elastic support member is formed as an integral part of the pump support.
6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the elastic support member comprises electric connections for connecting the pump of the device with the electric connections incorporated into the elastic support member.
7. The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the pump support is connected to the liquid inlet or the liquid outlet of the pump.
8. The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the rigid duct is connected to the liquid outlet of the pump by means of a connector comprising the elastic sealing member to resiliently connect the pump chamber to the rigid duct.
9. A device for the preparation of a liquid food or beverage comprising:
a housing,
a pump comprising a pump chamber that contains a piston moveably mounted therein
and vibrates during use, and including a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet,
a liquid supply which is in fluid connection with the liquid inlet of the pump, and
a rigid duct which is connected to the liquid inlet or outlet of the pump by means of a connector comprising at least one elastic sealing member designed to absorb vibrations from the pump and to enable a relative movement of the duct and the liquid inlet or outlet of the pump.
10. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the connector is designed to pivotally connect the duct and the liquid inlet or outlet of the pump.
11. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the connector further comprises fastening means designed to secure the position of the elastic member of the connector.
12. The device of claim 1 , which further comprises a pre-suction chamber connected to the liquid inlet of the pump and being designed to intermittently provide liquid to the liquid inlet of the pump.
13. The device according to claim 12 ,
wherein the pre-suction chamber is designed to be driven by the vibrations of the pump.
14. The device according to claim 12 ,
wherein the pre-suction chamber is at least partially enclosed by an elastic support member associated with pump support and disposed at the liquid inlet of the pump.
15. The device according to claim 14 ,
wherein the pump support further comprises a rigid support member and wherein the pre-suction chamber is enclosed by the elastic support member and said rigid support member.
16. The device according to claim 14 , wherein a lower part of the elastic support member forms a moveable membrane which is designed to be driven by the vibrations of the pump.
17. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the connector is designed to pivotally connect the duct and the liquid inlet or outlet of the pump.
18. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the connector further comprises fastening means designed to secure the position of the elastic member of the connector.
19. A device for the preparation of a liquid food or beverage from a portioned ingredient placed within a beverage preparation chamber, the device comprising:
a housing,
a pump comprising a pump chamber that contains a piston moveably mounted therein and vibrates during use, for displacing a liquid from a pump inlet to a pump outlet,
a pre-suction chamber connected to the liquid inlet of the pump and being designed to intermittently provide liquid to the liquid inlet of the pump,
a liquid supply which is in fluid connection with the liquid inlet of the pump, and
a pump support securing the vibrating pump chamber to the housing,
a duct that is mechanically connected to the housing and to one of the pump inlet or pump outlet and that is arranged to guide liquid from or to the pump,
wherein the pump support comprises an elastic support member for resiliently supporting the vibrating pump chamber in the housing,
wherein the pre-suction chamber is at least partially enclosed by an elastic support member associated with the pump support and disposed at the liquid inlet of the pump, and
wherein the duct is rigid and connected with the pump inlet or pump outlet by an elastic sealing member for resiliently connecting the rigid duct to the vibrating pump chamber, wherein the elastic sealing member pivotally connects the duct and the liquid inlet or outlet of the pump, and the device includes fastening means that secures the position of the elastic sealing member of the connector.