Beverage dispensing valve

• US 5,129,549 A
• Filed: 10/11/1989
• Issued: 07/14/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IMI Cornelius Incorporated (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: IMI Cornelius Incorporated (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Austin, Forrest L.
• Primary Examiner(s): BARTUSKA, FRANCIS JOHN
• Application Number:
  US07/419,813
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 222/129.1, 222/129.2, 222/129.3, 222/129.4, 222/144.5, 222/145, 222/501, 222/505, 222/506, 222/289, 222/504, 137/607
• 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. A post-mix beverage dispensing valve for connecting to fluid beverage sources for dispensing a beverage from below the valve into a suitable receptacle, comprising:

a valve main body having a first connecting end and a second end opposite therefrom and the main body having a pair of fluid ports lying side by side and substantially coextensive to each other and extending longitudinally through the main body from the connecting end towards the second end,

a pair of horizontal pallet valves, each pallet valve having a horizontal actuator stem extending therefrom and terminating with an anvil end and each valve stem extending longitudinally of the main body,

a valve block securable to the main body for holding the pallet valves between the valve block and the main body and for providing fluid communication from the fluid ports to a common dispensing channel, operating means for operating the pallet valves coordinately, including an actuator lever having an actuating end and a hammer end, the hammer end for making operative contact with the anvils for operating the pallet valves substantially simultaneously, and the actuator lever pivotally secured to the main body at a point along the lever between the actuating and hammer ends, and the operating means further including a single solenoid, the solenoid secured to the main body above the pallet valves and having a linearly operable plunger extending downwardly therefrom transversely to the extension of the valve stem and the plunger connected to the actuator lever actuating end for providing operating thereof, and in turn both of the valve stems substantially simultaneously, and the lever providing for placing of the solenoid with respect to the valves for providing mechanical advantage in the operating of the valves and for permitting orienting of the valves with respect to the solenoid, and wherein the plunger operates the valves indirectly through operation of the actuator lever, and a pair of flow control means held in the main body one flow control in fluid communication with each of the fluid ports, the flow control means for controlling fluid flow through the ports to the pallet valves.

2. The dispensing valve as defined in claim 1, and the each of the hammer ends having adjustment means for providing adjusting of the contact thereof with each of the anvils.

3. The dispensing valve as defined in claim 2, and the adjustment means including screws extending through each of the hammer ends transversely to the extension of the anvils and the screws having upward facing engaging means for providing adjustment of the screws from above the main body.

4. The dispensing valve as defined in claim 1, and each flow control means having adjustment means on an end thereof extending outwardly of the main body for providing easy flow control adjustment.

5. The dispensing valve as defined in claim 1, and further including a valve protecting plate securable to and below the main body, and the plate including an aperture there through for registering with the beverage orifice for permitting unobstructed beverage flow from the beverage orifice to the receptacle.

6. The dispensing valve as defined in claim 5, and further including a beverage dispensing nozzle, the nozzle having retainer ears extending transversely from a connecting end thereof for cooperation with cam means and slot means around the perimeter of the plate aperture for providing releasable inserting rotational engagement between the nozzle and the shroud.

7. The dispensing valve as defined in claim 6, and the valve block having an annular means around the orifice thereof for holding an elastomeric seal for providing fluid sealing engagement between the nozzle connecting end and the valve block when the nozzle is secured to the plate.

8. The dispensing valve as defined in claim 7, and further including a diffuser, the diffuser having a first end and a second end opposite there from, and the first end for releasable fluid sealing inserting engaging with a syrup port of the valve block, the syrup port extending centrally of and within the dispensing port, and the diffuser having a syrup channel extending there through for delivering syrup to a syrup distributor on the diffuser second end.

9. The dispensing valve as defined in claim 8, and the diffuser having abutment legs extending around the perimeter thereof substantially centrally of the diffuser first and second ends and the abutment legs for cooperating with an interior annular shoulder of the nozzle for providing retaining of the diffuser within the nozzle and for retaining the diffuser first end in sealing engagement with the syrup port.

10. The dispensing valve as defined in claim 1, and the valve block having a valve seat for each pallet valve, and each valve seat having a valve seat orifice for providing fluid communication from the valve seat to a respective fluid channel and each fluid channel extending through the valve block for providing fluid communication from each valve seat orifice to the dispensing channel.

11. The dispensing valve as defined in claim 10, and the valve block releasably secured to the valve body for providing reversing of the orientation of the valve seat orifices with the pallet valves.