Beverage dispensing valve

• US 4,936,488 A
• Filed: 06/10/1987
• Issued: 06/26/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cornelius Co. (Minnesota) (IMI PLC)
• Original Assignee: Cornelius Co. (Minnesota) (IMI PLC)
• Inventors: Austin, Forrest L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bartuska, F. J.
• Application Number:
  US07/060,783
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• Field of Search: 222/129.1, 137/607, 137/614.06, 251/149.9, 285/24-29, 285/137 R, 285/305, 285/317, 403/13, 403/14, 403/317, 403/330
• US Class Current: 222/129.1
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0082 entirely mechanical
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0085 electro-mechanical

Abstract

A beverage dispensing valve primarily for post-mix has a valve body that will accept all known types of beverage flow controls, water and syrup valves that are interchangeable in either of two fluid ports, a reversible block between the valves and a nozzle that enables syrup to be used in either port and water to be used in either port, a positively sealing and easily removable nozzle for improved sanitation and mixing, and multiple fulcrums in the valve body that will respectively accept a manual actuator or a switch actuator and a solenoid driven actuator. A receiver on the valve body accepts a single solenoid for both valves and an electronic dispensing control which is restrained in place by a removable cover, a finger pad in the valve actuator provides manual override for electrical component failure, an alternate actuator opens the water valve only regardless of which side the water valve is in and regardless of whether the dispensing valve is manual or electric, the water and syrup valves are pallet type valves positioned horizontally and the valve actuator goes over the top of the valves to reach forward located valve anvils and reduce the size of the dispensing valve, and a manifold and latch mechanism provide either quick disconnect or manually disconnectable mounting of the valve body.

Claims

1. An improved detachable beverage dispensing valve, comprising:

(a) a dispensing valve manifold fixedly securable to structure for supporting a beverage valve, said manifold having a fluid inlet leading to a first half of a beverage fluid connector;

(b) a beverage dispensing valve body having a normally closed valve, means for selectively opening said normally closed valve, and a second half of a fluid connector for a beverage line, said second half being fluid tightly connectible to said first half;

(c) a lock pin fixed in and projecting from the rear of the valve body, said lock pin being receivable by the manifold and having means for being locked to the manifold;

(d) a latch movably mounted on said manifold to locking the pin in the manifold and thereby connecting and securing the valve body to the manifold, said latch having a lock surface for lockably engaging the pin, means for manually moving and disengaging the latch, and a latch lock aperture; and

(e) a lock carrier movably mounted upon the manifold, said carrier having a latch lock bolt which is movable into and out of the latch lock aperature for selective locking and unlocking of the latch.

2. The improved detachable beverage dispensing valve of claim 1, in which the manifold includes a pair of side by side fluid inlets, a respective pair of connector first valves and a respective pair of shut off valves with there being one shut-off valve for each connector, said lock carrier being slidably mounted to the top of said manifold by a carrier retainer positioned in-between the shut-off valves.

3. The improved detachable beverage dispensing valve of claim 1, in which the manifold includes a pair of side by side fluid inlets, a respective pair of connector first valves and a respective pair of shut-off valves with there being one shut-off valve for each connector, said carrier having a pair of spaced apart lockhead apertures, said shut-off valves each having a lockhead selectively movable into and out of engagement with a respective lockhead aperture, said latch lock aperture and said latch lock bolt being positioned in-between the lockheads and the lockhead engaging apertures.

4. The improved detachable beverage dispensing valve of claim 1, in which the carrier has means for retaining a valve cover to the manifold.

5. The improved detachable beverage dispensing valve of claim 4, in which said cover retaining means also comprises a handle for manual manipulation of the carrier between locking and unlocking positions.

6. The improved detachable beverage dispensing valve of claim 1, in which

(a) the latch has a journaled end about which the latch is pivotable and a retainer end spaced from and on an opposite side from the journaled end;

(b) a pivot pin through the journaled end, said pin being transversely positioned off to a first side of the manifold and pivotally securing the latch to the manifold;

(c) a retainer pin fastened to the manifold and transversely positioned off to a second and opposite side of the manifold, said retainer pin having a head under which the latch retainer end is slidably retained; and

in which

(d) said latch lock surface and said latch lock bolt are both positioned about midway in-between said pivot pin and said retainer pin.