Pump for liquid beverage preparation devices

Abstract

A device for the preparation of a liquid food or beverage, such as tea, coffee or soup from a preferably portioned ingredient, in particular in the form of capsules, housed within a beverage preparation chamber. The device includes a housing, a pump comprising a pump chamber, in particular a pump chamber containing a piston moveably mounted therein, the pump further comprising a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, a liquid supply which is in fluid connection with the liquid inlet of the pump, a pump support connected to the housing of the device at which the pump is mounted, and 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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device for the preparation of a liquid food or beverage, such as tea, coffee or soup from a preferably portioned ingredient, in particular in the form of capsules, housed within a beverage preparation chamber, such device comprising:
 a housing,   a pump comprising a pump chamber, in particular a pump chamber containing a piston moveably mounted therein, the pump further comprising a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet,   a liquid supply which is in fluid connection with the liquid inlet of the pump,   a pump support connected to the housing of the device at which the pump is mounted, and   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.   
     
     
         2 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the pre-suction chamber is designed to be driven by the vibrations of the pump. 
     
     
         3 . The device according to  claim 2 , wherein the pre-suction chamber has a volume and the pump is arranged so that the pump vibrations induce an oscillating movement of the pre-suction chamber such that the volume of the chamber intermittently changes. 
     
     
         4 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the pre-suction chamber is at least partially enclosed by an elastic support member, in particular a bellow-shaped support member, of the pump support disposed at the liquid inlet of the pump. 
     
     
         5 . The device according to  claim 4 , 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. 
     
     
         6 . The device according to  claim 4 , 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. 
     
     
         7 . The device according to  claim 1 , comprising a rigid duct that is connected to the liquid inlet or outlet of the pump by a connector, wherein the pump chamber vibrates during use and the connector comprises 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. 
     
     
         8 . The device according to  claim 7 , wherein the connector is designed to pivotally connect the duct to the liquid inlet or outlet of the pump. 
     
     
         9 . The device according to  claim 7 , wherein the connector further comprises fastening means designed to secure the position of the elastic member of the connector. 
     
     
         10 . The device according to  claim 1 , comprising a duct that is mechanically connected to the housing and to the pump inlet or outlet and that is arranged to guide liquid from or to the pump, wherein:
 the pump chamber vibrates during use, the pump chamber containing in particular a piston moveably mounted therein, the pump being arranged for displacing a liquid from the pump inlet to the pump outlet;   the pump support secures the vibrating pump chamber to the housing and comprises an elastic support member, in particular integrally formed with the pump support, for resiliently supporting the vibrating pump chamber in the housing;   the duct is rigid and connected with the pump inlet or outlet by an elastic sealing member for resiliently connecting the rigid duct to the vibrating pump chamber.   
     
     
         11 . The device according to  claim 10 , wherein the elastic support member comprises at least one elastic leaf member, such as a bellow-shaped elastic support member for resiliently supporting the pump, the elastic support member being optionally arranged to be deformable around a plurality of flexion axes to absorb vibrations from the vibrating pump chamber, such as a plurality of flexion axes oscillating in opposition to one another. 
     
     
         12 . The device according to  claim 10 , wherein the elastic support member is arranged to absorb vibrations exerted on the support member in all three degrees of freedom. 
     
     
         13 . The device according to  claim 10 , wherein the elastic support member comprises electric connection means for connecting the pump of the device, in particular electric connection means that are incorporated into the elastic support member. 
     
     
         14 . The device according to  claim 10 , wherein the pump support is connected to the liquid inlet or outlet of the pump. 
     
     
         15 . The device according to  claim 10 , wherein the rigid duct is connected to the liquid outlet of the pump by a connector comprising the elastic sealing member to resiliently connect the pump chamber to the rigid duct. 
     
     
         16 . 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 pump support connected to the housing of the device at which the pump is mounted, and   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.   
     
     
         17 . The device according to  claim 16 , wherein the pre-suction chamber is designed to be driven by the vibrations of the pump. 
     
     
         18 . The device according to  claim 16 , wherein the pre-suction chamber is at least partially enclosed by an elastic support member associated with a pump support and disposed at the liquid inlet of the pump. 
     
     
         19 . The device according to  claim 18 , 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. 
     
     
         20 . The device according to  claim 18 , 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.