Peristaltic pump for pumping and dispensing liquid product

Abstract

The object of the invention is a peristaltic pump for pumping and dispensing liquid product from a storage container, wherein the pump comprises a body (1 ) of the pump and a replaceable cartridge (2) detachably connected to the body (1 ) of the pump, wherein the body (1 ) of the pump comprises a rotatable drive piece (3) of the pump and a drive of the pump connected to the drive piece (3), wherein the cartridge (2) comprises a flexible tube (5) in contact with the drive piece (3) along a part of the circumference of the drive piece (3) and the drive piece (3) comprises rollers (4) for compressing the flexible tube (5). The cartridge (2) further comprises a first connector (6) for connecting to the storage container and a second connector (7) for dispensing the liquid product, wherein the flexible tube (5) is connected at the first end thereof to the first connector (6) and connected at the second end thereof to the second connector (7).

Description

[0001] Peristaltic pump for pumping and dispensing liquid product

[0002] Technical Field

[0003] The invention relates to a peristaltic pump for pumping and dispensing liquid products from a storage container, in particular food and non-food products offered in packaging- free stores, which solves problems connected with requirements for hygienic operation and cost savings through reusing the pump and pumping different types of products.

[0004] Background of the Invention

[0005] With the growing demands for environmental friendliness and reduction of packaging material in the sale of both food and non-food products, there is also a growing need for packaging -free liquid sales, e.g., using a modular system of containers and dispensing valves. Known methods of dispensing liquids from storage containers in stands comprise primarily pumping from valves located at the bottom of the container using gravity alone with the use of taps or other conventional closures. However, gravitybased emptying is not suitable for viscous liquids such as honey or liquid soap, etc., and it is therefore necessary to use forced displacement of the liquid from the container. To displace the pumped product from the storage container, e.g., air is forced into the container or pumping driven by a pump, e.g., a gear or peristaltic pump, is used.

[0006] For example, from the document EP1462412 B2, a dispensing system for liquids comprising a number of peristaltic pumps is known, where a rotor of each pump is a fixed part of the dispensing system, wherein a tube for pumping the product is rigidly connected to a flexible container comprising the pumped product. This arrangement does not allow for flexible replacement of the pump between the individual containers, easy replacement of the entire pump, or replacement of the tube only. A disadvantage of the known solutions is that the pump (and / or at least a part thereof) is either rigidly connected directly to a replaceable storage container filled with the pumped product, or the pump is rigidly connected to the support structure of the dispensing or vending module. These pump designs thus entail problematic replacement of components or entire pumps, and in particular complicated cleaning or replacement of the piping of the pumped products.

[0007] Furthermore, the existing solutions for dispensing liquids in systems for packaging- free sale of liquid products do not address the issue of flexibility in the use of pumps for pumping completely different products, e.g., foods and also cleaning agents. None of the known pump solutions provides sufficient variability of use, particularly in terms of saving time and material resources for easy replacement, cleaning, and hygienic handling of the pump or individual parts of the pump.

[0008] Summary of the Invention

[0009] The above shortcomings are to a certain extent eliminated by a peristaltic pump for pumping and dispensing liquid product from a storage container according to this invention, wherein the pump comprises a body of the pump and a replaceable cartridge detachably connected to the body of the pump, wherein the body of the pump comprises a rotatable drive piece of the pump and a drive of the pump connected to the drive piece, wherein the cartridge comprises a flexible tube in contact with the drive piece of the pump along a part of the circumference of the drive piece and the drive piece comprises rollers for compressing the flexible tube, wherein the cartridge further comprises a first connector for connecting to the storage container and a second connector for dispensing the liquid product, wherein the flexible tube is connected at the first end thereof to the first connector and connected at the second end thereof to the second connector.

[0010] It is essentially a peristaltic pump that comprises a rotor and a stator, wherein the rotor is part of the body of the pump and the stator is part of the cartridge. The rotor of the pump therefore comprises a rotatable drive piece with rollers, which comes into contact with the flexible tube along a part of its circumference, wherein the flexible tube is part of the stator of the pump on the cartridge. By rotating the drive piece, e.g., with three rollers, the flexible tube is periodically compressed by the rollers, thereby creating a vacuum in the tube and pumping the product (when the pump is connected to the storage container with the pumped product via the first connector). The flexible tube can be pressed by the rollers especially against the wall of the cartridge, wherein the flexibility of the tube is understood as its compressibility by the rollers.

[0011] The drive piece may comprise two or more rollers symmetrically arranged along the circumference of the drive piece and equidistant from the axis of the drive piece, preferably two to six rollers, wherein at each moment of pumping, the flexible tube must be compressed by at least one roller. Thus, the flexible tube surrounds the drive piece and is adjacent to the drive piece of the pump along a part of the circumference of the drive piece, during pumping, this part of the circumference of the drive piece means at least the location of the corresponding roller of the drive piece. Alternatively, the tube may also be adjacent to the drive piece in another part of the circumference of the drive piece, e.g., in between the rollers. If the drive piece comprises exactly two rollers, the flexible tube must surround the drive piece along the circumference of the drive piece by at least 180 degrees. If the drive piece comprises three rollers, the flexible tube must surround the drive piece along the circumference of the drive piece by at least 120 degrees. The roller generally means an element of the drive piece intended for compressing the flexible tube, otherwise also referred to as a cylinder, pulley, paddle, etc. The body of the pump and the cartridge are connected detachably, and thus the rotor of the pump and the flexible tube can also be easily separated and the tube can be cleaned or replaced.

[0012] The body of the pump and / or the cartridge may be made of multiple pieces which may be connected rigidly or detachably, e.g., by screws. The first connector and the second connector may be rigidly connected to the cartridge or the flexible tube, wherein the connectors may be provided with a seal at the point of connection to the flexible tube. The flexible tube can be made of any material that is suitable for the pumped product, e.g., a silicone tube is suitable for food. The flexible tube can be, e.g., slipped onto the connectors and fixed with a seal. The cartridge may comprise a groove or other shaping to house the flexible tube or connectors. The cartridge also protects the flexible tube from damage, even after the cartridge has been separated from the body of the pump.

[0013] The first connector is adapted for connection to the storage container, wherein it may comprise connecting elements for rigid connection of this connector to the storage container, a perforating tool for opening the storage container, a widened mouth to facilitate suction of the pumped product from the storage container, etc. The second connector is adapted for dispensing the pumped product, in particular into the user's external container or bottle. Thus, the second connector may be oriented vertically downwards and may comprise a nozzle or other shaping to facilitate dispensing of the pumped product, e.g., in the form of a funnel-shaped narrowing, pouring lip, etc. It can also be provided with an additional section of the tube to facilitate dispensing of the pumped product into a narrow-neck bottle. The connection of the connectors, the flexible tube, and support pieces within the cartridge may be rigid or preferably detachable, in the case of the cartridge pieces, e.g., by means of a screw connection. Another advantage of this solution of the pump is that the pump is very compact and comprises a second connector as a dispensing point of the pump, the flexible tube can thus be relatively short, whereby only a small part of the pump comes into contact with the pumped product and thus there is no need to clean long tubes.

[0014] An advantage of the above invention is that the cartridge with the flexible tube can be easily separated from the body of the pump with the drive of the pump for the purposes of cleaning or replacement. At the same time, the entire peristaltic pump is a separate functional unit with its own drive that can be detachably connected to the selected storage container. In addition to connecting the first connector to the storage container for pumping the product, the entire pump may comprise another connecting element or elements for connecting the pump to the storage container, e.g., to the outer surface of the storage container. Preferably, these elements may be part of the body of the pump, allowing the body of the pump to remain connected to the storage container and only detach or replace the cartridge.

[0015] The storage container can be any rigid container or container with rigid walls, e.g., a plastic container or capsule, but also a flexible container in the form of a flexible bag (flexible bag or pouch) with elastic walls. The storage container may also comprise a rigid outer capsule and further a flexible bag inserted into the rigid capsule. In this case, the first connector may be used to open the storage container with the product, i.e., to rupture the wall of the flexible bag, while the body of the pump may be connected to the outer capsule of the storage container. The capsule or the flexible bag itself may comprise a dispensing point in the form of a dispensing neck (spout) covered by a seal or an elastic protective layer, wherein this dispensing neck is used for opening the storage container by the first connector. Thus, the connecting elements can connect the pump or the body of the pump itself to the outer rigid capsule, to the flexible bag, or directly to the dispensing neck, or to several of these elements simultaneously (e.g., to the capsule and to the dispensing neck).

[0016] The connection of the flexible tube to both the first connector and the second connector is preferably detachable. An advantage of this embodiment is that only the tube can be replaced from the entire cartridge, the position and attachment of which are precisely determined by the connectors. The tube may have a much shorter life than the entire cartridge, or some pumped products may require the flexible tube to be disposable, wherein the cartridge may be reused again with a new tube. If the support piece or support pieces of the cartridge is / are detachably connected also to the connectors, the tube with the connectors can also be removed from the cartridge.

[0017] The cartridge preferably comprises a first piece and a second piece, wherein the first and the second piece are detachably connected and the flexible tube is sandwiched between the first and the second piece. The first piece and the second piece of the cartridge may be mirror-symmetric pieces and may be connected, e.g., by screws, mechanical snap-fits, or a combination of these methods. Said arrangement of the cartridge allows for easy unfolding of the cartridge and for removal and reinsertion of the flexible tube into the cartridge.

[0018] The body of the pump preferably comprises a first piece and a second piece of the body of the pump, wherein the first and the second piece of the body of the pump are detachably connected, wherein both the drive piece as well as the cartridge are at least partially housed between the first and the second piece of the body of the pump. As in the case of the cartridge, the first piece and the second piece of the body of the pump may be mirror-symmetric and may be connected, e.g., by screws, mechanical snap-fits, or a combination of said methods. When the drive piece of the pump is housed between the first piece and the second piece of the body of the pump, a space can be created for inserting and attaching the cartridge with the flexible tube. This space may take the form of, e.g., a longitudinal groove between the first and the second piece of the body of the pump. The drive piece is rotatable, i.e., rotationally connected to the remaining parts of the body of the pump, thus, when the drive piece is housed between the pieces of the body of the pump, the ability of the drive piece to rotate must be maintained, even when the cartridge is housed between the first and the second piece of the body of the pump. An advantage of housing the cartridge between the pieces of the body of the pump is the protection of the cartridge from damage and the precise positioning of the flexible tube relative to the drive piece.

[0019] The first connector preferably comprises a perforating tool for opening the storage container. Opening the container means, e.g., rupturing the perforable wall of the storage container from which the pumped product is being withdrawn. In this case, the wall of the container may be the wall of the container itself, e.g., if the pumped product is pumped from a container of an elastic material in the form of a beverage bag or pouch. Alternatively, this wall can also mean a seal or an elastic protective layer covering the dispensing point (dispensing neck) of the rigid or flexible container in which the pumped product is housed. The perforating tool may be, e.g., a spike, a needle, or other sharp object that is used to rupture the wall of the container.

[0020] The second connector preferably comprises a nozzle for dispensing the liquid product. The nozzle means a separate piece connected to the second connector, or an integral part of the second connector such as, e.g., a shaped edge of the second connector, which is used to easily direct the pumped product into the target container. The nozzle may be, e.g., an extension of the second connector, a narrowing of the second connector into a funnel, or a shaping, e.g., in the form of a pouring lip that facilitates the pouring of the product. The nozzle may also be connected to the second connector indirectly, e.g., via a section of another tube piece.

[0021] Preferably, the cartridge further comprises a first retaining element and the body of the pump further comprises a sliding member comprising a second retaining element, wherein the first retaining element and the second retaining element are mutually interlocked. Thus, the first and the second retaining element serve for easy mechanical connection of the cartridge to the body of the pump, wherein the interlocking is facilitated by the sliding movement of the sliding member toward the first retaining element on the cartridge. Thus, the sliding member with the second retaining element may be movable by the sliding movement between two positions in the direction to / from the first retaining element on the cartridge, wherein in the first position of the sliding member, the second retaining element is interlocked with the first retaining element on the cartridge and the cartridge is thus connected to the body of the pump. In the second position of the sliding member, the second retaining element is released from the first retaining element and the cartridge can thus be separated from the body of the pump. The sliding member can be located on the outer side of the body of the pump such that the sliding member and its movement can be easily controlled, i.e., the sliding member can protrude from the outer surface of the pump and the sliding movement of the sliding member can be controlled, e.g., manually with fingers (the sliding member can function as a sliding button). The first and the second retaining element may be, e.g., a pair of mutually corresponding protrusion and recess, where one element of the pair of protrusion and - recess is located on the sliding member and the second element of the pair is located on the cartridge. The retaining element may also be only a surface at the corresponding point of the cartridge or sliding member that is otherwise adapted to ensure the interlocking of the cartridge with the body of the pump, e.g., by rubberizing or surface treatment, etc.

[0022] The body of the pump preferably further comprises a spring, wherein the sliding member is biased by the spring in the direction of sliding. By providing the sliding member with the spring, the sliding member exhibits a greater resistance that must be overcome to release the cartridge from the body of the pump after the first and the second retaining element are interlocked, in other words, the spring pushes the sliding member towards the second retaining element. Preferably, the entire sliding member is pressed by the spring to the cartridge after the first and the second retaining element are interlocked, which increases the strength of the interlocking of the first and the second retaining element, and thereby also the connection of the cartridge to the body of the pump.

[0023] The peristaltic pump preferably further comprises an electronically readable code carrying information about the body of the pump and / or the cartridge. The electronically readable code may be, e.g., an NFC tag or RFID tag that carries the necessary information about the body of the pump (e.g., about the drive of the pump), or information about the cartridge (e.g., about the flexible tube), or about the entire pump. The information may comprise data on the number of cycles of use of the corresponding pump component, the number of cleaning cycles of the component, the handling of the flexible tube of the cartridge or the parameters of the flexible tube (e.g., the material from which the tube is made). The cartridge or flexible tube data may also include a history and specification of the products that have been pumped by the cartridge / tube, e.g., number of products and specification of whether they were food or non-food products. The code may also comprise data on pumping parameters that are suitable for the selected pumped product, e.g., pumping speed, etc. The drive of the pump preferably comprises an electric motor and a contact for connecting the drive to a power source, wherein this contact is brought out to the outer surface of the pump. Bringing the contacts of the electric motor out to the outer surface of the pump, e.g., in form of flat contacts made of bent sheet metal, is preferable for easy connection of the electric motor to the power supply. The entire pump is thus easily connectable to the power source without cables etc.

[0024] Description of Drawings

[0025] The essence of the invention is further clarified using exemplary embodiments thereof, which are described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0026] Fig. 1 shows an axonometric view of the peristaltic pump of this invention,

[0027] Fig. 2 shows a lateral view of the pump,

[0028] Fig. 3 shows a vertical longitudinal section through the pump,

[0029] Fig. 4 shows an axonometric view of the pump in the direction from the first connector,

[0030] Fig. 5 shows an axonometric view of the body of the pump,

[0031] Fig. 6 shows a lateral view of the body of the pump,

[0032] Fig. 7 shows an axonometric view of the body of the pump in the direction from the first connector,

[0033] Fig. 8 shows a vertical longitudinal section through the body of the pump,

[0034] Fig. 9 shows a bottom view of the body of the pump,

[0035] Fig. 10 shows a top view of the body of the pump,

[0036] Fig. 1 1 shows an axonometric view of the cartridge, Fig. 12 shows an axonometric view of the cartridge in the direction from the first connector,

[0037] Fig. 13 shows a vertical longitudinal section through the cartridge including the flexible tube and the connectors, Fig. 14 shows a vertical longitudinal section through the cartridge without the flexible tube and the connectors,

[0038] Fig. 15 shows a vertical section through the flexible tube and the connectors,

[0039] Fig. 16 shows an axonometric view of the pump with the first connector mounted on the dispensing neck (dispensing spout) of the storage container, Fig. 17 shows a lateral view of the pump connected to the storage container,

[0040] Fig. 18 shows a vertical longitudinal section through the pump connected to the storage container.

[0041] Exemplary Embodiments of the Invention

[0042] The invention will be further clarified using exemplary embodiments with reference to the respective drawings. One exemplary embodiment is a peristaltic pump for pumping and dispensing a liquid product from a storage container, wherein this pump is shown in Fig. 1 to Fig. 4.

[0043] The pump of the first exemplary embodiment comprises two detachably connected parts, namely a body 1 of the pump and a replaceable cartridge 2. The body 1 of the pump shown in Fig. 5 to Fig. 10 is made of plastic and comprises two pieces connected by screws, wherein a rotor of the pump, i.e., a rotatable drive piece 3 with rollers 4, is sandwiched between these two pieces. The remaining space between the two pieces of the body 1 also forms a point for insertion and attachment of the replaceable cartridge 2. The cartridge 2 is also composed of two axially symmetric pieces connected by screws, wherein a flexible tube 5 for transferring the pumped product is sandwiched between the pieces. The flexible tube 5 is bent into an arc and when the pump is assembled, it is adjacent to the drive piece 3, as can be seen in the section of Fig. 3. After inserting the cartridge 2 into the body 1 of the pump, the cartridge 2 is almost completely concealed in the body 1 of the pump, wherein only some circumferential parts of the cartridge 2 with the second connector 7 (Fig. 2) and the first connector 6 and the perforating tool 8 protrude outside the body 1 of the pump, which can be seen especially from the rear view of the pump of Fig. 4. The rear side of the pump intended for connection to the storage container is provided with connecting buttons 15 on the sides, which serve to connect the pump to the storage container, which takes the form of a storage capsule 19 with a flexible bag inserted inside and with a dispensing neck 18, as will be described below.

[0044] The space for inserting the cartridge 2 between the pieces of the body 1 of the pump is shown particularly in Fig. 5. The pump is driven by an electric motor 13, which is a direct part of the body 1 of the pump, as can be seen in particular in the vertical section through the body of the pump of Fig. 8. The drive comprises a rotatable drive piece 3 with three rollers 4, which is connected by gearing using gears (not shown in the drawing) to the electric motor 13, wherein all rotational parts of the drive are housed in bearings pressed into plastic pieces of the body 1 of the pump. Electric contacts 14 of the electric motor 13 are brought out to the outer lateral side of the body 1 of the pump near the connecting buttons 15 (Fig. 6 and Fig. 7). The electric contacts 14 are made of bent sheet metal and, when mounted on the dispensing valve of the storage container, they press against counterpart elements made of spring wire in such a way that they always provide the necessary pressure and thus a sufficiently conductive contact between the valve and the electric motor 13.

[0045] Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 show a bottom and top view of the body of the pump. The bottom view shows in particular a sliding member 1 1 for connecting the body 1 of the pump and the cartridge 2 (the elements for connecting the body 1 of the pump and the cartridge 2 will be described in more detail later). In particular, the top view shows the drive piece 3 between the pieces of the body of the pump, onto which the cartridge 2 with the flexible tube 5 is subsequently placed.

[0046] A separate cartridge 2 is shown in Fig. 1 1 to Fig. 15. Fig. 1 1 and Fig. 12 show external views of the cartridge 2 having approximately the shape of the letter U, with the first and the second connector 6, 7 protruding at opposite ends. The flexible tube 5 is made of silicone and is detachably connected to the first connector 6 at the one end thereof and to the second connector 7 at the other end thereof. From the section of Fig. 13, it can be seen that the first and the second connector 6, 7 are also sandwiched between the first and the second piece of the cartridge 2 and partially protrude out of the cartridge 2. Each connector 6, 7 comprises a circumferential flange that secures the position of the connectors 6, 7 in the cartridge 2.

[0047] The ends of the flexible tube 5 have a larger diameter than the middle part of the flexible tube 7, wherein these ends are slipped onto the connectors 6, 7. An integral part of the first connector 6 is a spike as the perforating tool 8 for rupturing the protective seal that covers the dispensing neck 18 of the flexible bag with the pumped product. The second connector 7 comprises a nozzle 9 for facilitating the dispensing of the pumped product, wherein this nozzle 9 is oriented downward. A section through the cartridge 2 before the flexible tube 5 is inserted is shown in Fig. 14. The pieces of the cartridge 2 are reinforced with ribs, wherein the shaped ribs also define the position of the flexible tube 5 and the first and the second connector 6, 7. A separate flexible tube 5 with the ends slipped onto the first and the second connector 6, 7 is shown in Fig. 15.

[0048] The pump comprises a plurality of connecting elements for connecting the body of the pump 1. and the cartridge 2, which ensure the connection and the correct relative position of the body 1 and the cartridge 2. The body 1 of the pump comprises one connecting opening on each of the two pieces of the body 1 for hooking the cartridge 2, wherein in the first exemplary embodiment, these connecting openings 1 are located in the vicinity of the second connector 7. The cartridge 2 further comprises a first retaining element 10 and the body 1 of the pump comprises a second retaining element 16 located on the sliding member 1 1 provided with a spring 12. The first and the second retaining element 10, 16 are adapted in shape for mutual contact and for interlocking the cartridge 2 and the body 1 of the pump, which can be seen in particular in the section of the pump of Fig. 3. The first and the second retaining element 10, 16 comprise a corresponding shaping, wherein the spring 12 biases the sliding member 1 1 towards the first retaining element 10 of the cartridge 2, wherein after the cartridge 2 is secured to the body 1 of the pump, this spring 12 prevents the sliding member 11 from moving backward and the cartridge 2 from separating from the body 1 of the pump.

[0049] The peristaltic pump further comprises an electronically readable code 17, which, in the first exemplary embodiment, is an NFC tag located on the front side of the cartridge 2 closer to the second connector 7 with the dispensing nozzle 9 (see Fig. 1 and Fig. 7). In this case, the NFC tag is used to store and transmit data, in particular about the frequency of use of the cartridge 2, which are then used for the recycling of the cartridges 2 and their subsequent sanitation, or service, or replacement.

[0050] The pump is intended for connection to the valve of the storage container in which the pumped product is housed, wherein in the first exemplary embodiment, this container comprises an outer and an inner part: the capsule 19 of a rigid material as the outer part and further the flexible bag or pouch as the inner part. The pumped product is thus housed in the flexible bag that is inserted into the capsule 19. The flexible bag comprises a dispensing point comprising the dispensing neck 18 as the dispensing point for transferring the pumped product away from the bag. The dispensing neck 18 of the bag is provided with an elastic film, wherein the elastic film is ruptured by the perforating tool 8, which is part of the first connector 6 of the pump, when the pump is mounted on the dispensing neck 18. The connection of the pump to this dispensing neck 18 is shown in Fig. 16. The assembly of the capsule 19 with the pump connected is shown in Fig. 17 and Fig. 18, where the pump is connected to the capsule 19 detachably by the connecting buttons 15 with snap-fits. Further, an extension adapter 20 for facilitating the pumping of the product from the bottom of the container is connected to the dispensing neck 18.

[0051] After connecting the pump to the capsule 19, this whole assembly is placed at the corresponding point within the BMS module (Bulk Modular System), i.e., the dispensing / vending module used mainly in packaging -free stores, wherein this dispensing module comprises a number of capsules 19 with various products, electronically controlled valves for dispensing the products from the capsules 19, integrated scales, information displays, etc. The assembly of the pump and the capsule 19 is therefore placed into the dispensing module, wherein a valve (not shown in the drawing) is subsequently mounted on this assembly, rotatable about a fixed axis in the structure of the module. When the valve is mounted, a fixed mechanical connection is made between the pump and the capsule 19 by means of the connecting buttons 15 fitting into the openings in the body of the capsule 19, and the electrical contacts 14 between the pump and the valve are also connected.

[0052] The valve is used for complex control of the dispensing of the product from the storage container, wherein counterpart elements made of spring wire for powering the electric motor 13 of the pump via the electric contacts 14 are part of the electronics of this valve. This allows the pump to be controlled by these electronics. The valve also comprises the electronically readable code 17, which is located on the cartridge 2 of the pump and also on the corresponding capsule 19 to which the pump is connected. Thus, both information about the cartridge 2 and information about the specific pumped product in the capsule 19 are used for the electronic control of the valve. Based on these data, the valve pumps the pumped product with ideal parameters. The following section describes the alternative embodiments of the peristaltic pump according to this invention. The first and the second connector 6, 7 can be connected to the cartridge 2 additionally, e.g. by screwing, instead of being inserted between the pieces of the cartridge 2. In this embodiment, a sufficient seal must be provided between the flexible tube 5 and the screwed connectors. Similarly, the perforating tool 8 may be screwable or otherwise removable relative to the first connector

[0053] 6. An advantage of these embodiments is that in case of damage to the connectors, it is not necessary to disassemble the entire cartridge 2.

[0054] Industrial Applicability

[0055] The peristaltic pump described above can be used for pumping any liquid products, where the use of a replaceable cartridge and / or a flexible tube is advantageous.

[0056] List of Reference

[0057] 1 body of the pump

[0058] 2 cartridge

[0059] 3 drive piece

[0060] 4 roller

[0061] 5 flexible tube

[0062] 6 first connector

[0063] 7 second connector

[0064] 8 perforating tool

[0065] 9 nozzle

[0066] 10 first retaining element

[0067] 1 1 sliding member

[0068] 12 spring

[0069] 13 electric motor

[0070] 14 electric contact

[0071] 15 connecting button

[0072] 16 second retaining element

[0073] 17 electronically readable code

[0074] 18 dispensing neck (dispensing spout)

[0075] 19 capsule

[0076] 20 extension adapter

Claims

CLAIMS1 . A peristaltic pump for pumping and dispensing a liquid product from a storage container, wherein the pump comprises a body (1 ) of the pump and a replaceable cartridge (2) detachably connected to the body (1 ) of the pump, wherein the body (1 ) of the pump comprises a rotatable drive piece (3) of the pump and a drive of the pump connected to the drive piece (3), wherein the cartridge (2) comprises a flexible tube (5) located in contact with the drive piece (3) along a part of the circumference of the drive piece (3) and the drive piece (3) comprises rollers (4) for compressing the flexible tube (5), characterized in that the cartridge (2) further comprises a first connector (6) for connecting to the storage container and a second connector (7) for dispensing the liquid product, wherein the flexible tube (5) is connected at the first end thereof to the first connector (6) and connected at the second end thereof to the second connector (7).

2. The peristaltic pump according to claim 1 , characterized in that the connection of the flexible tube (5) to both the first connector (6) and the second connector (7) is detachable.

3. The peristaltic pump according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cartridge (2) comprises a first piece and a second piece, wherein the first and the second piece are detachably connected and the flexible tube (5) is sandwiched between the first and the second piece.

4. The peristaltic pump according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the body (1 ) of the pump comprises a first piece and a second piece, wherein the first and the second piece are detachabl connected, wherein both the drive piece (3) and the cartridge (2) are at least partially housed between the first and the second piece of the body (1 ) of the pump.

5. The peristaltic pump according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first connector (6) comprises a perforating tool (8) for opening the storage container.

6. The peristaltic pump according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second connector (7) comprises a nozzle (9) for dispensing the liquid product.

7. The peristaltic pump according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cartridge (2) further comprises a first retaining element (10) and the body (1 ) of the pump further comprises a sliding member (11 ) comprising a second retaining element (16), wherein the first retaining element (10) and the second retaining element (16) are mutually interlocked.

8. The peristaltic pump according to claim 7, characterized in that the body (1 ) of the pump further comprises a spring (12), wherein the sliding member (1 1 ) is biased in the direction of displacement by the spring (12).

9. The peristaltic pump according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises an electronically readable code (17) carrying information about the body (1 ) of the pump and / or the cartridge (2).

10. The peristaltic pump according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drive of the pump comprises an electric motor (13) and a contact (14) for connecting the drive to a power source, wherein this contact (14) is brought out to the outer surface of the pump.

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