Liquid dispenser with sliding flow regulator

• US 6,497,343 B1
• Filed: 01/23/2001
• Issued: 12/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Whitewave Services, Inc. (Danone SA (Belgium))
• Original Assignee: CreaMiser Products Corporation
• Inventors: Teetsel, Charles F. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Yuen, Henry C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cartagena, Melvin A.
• Application Number:
  US09/767,540
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 222/1, 222/146.6, 222/185.1, 222/559, 222/81, 222/82, 222/83, 222/83.5, 222/181.1, 222/214, 222/105, 251/7, 251/8
• US Class Current: 222/1
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 7/26 combined with spouts
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 3/0009 provided with cooling arrangements cooling perse F25
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 3/041 operated by pinching action on flexible tubes

Abstract

A liquid dispenser for use with a disposable liquid supply container is described. The dispenser includes a support for holding the container in an elevated position above a sliding closure mechanism for regulating gravity flow of liquid from the dispenser and substantially sealing the liquid from the ambient air. A connector tube has a passage extending from an opening end through the sliding closure mechanism to a discharge end to permit the gravity flow of liquid from the container and out the discharge end. The sliding closure mechanism includes a slidable clamping member adapted to clamp a portion of the passage in a closed position to prevent the flow of liquid from the dispenser and to disengage the portion of the passage in an open position to permit the flow of liquid from the dispenser. A cooling plate is provided to cool the liquid in the connector tube passage.

Claims

1. A liquid dispenser for use with a liquid supply container, the liquid dispenser comprising:

(a) an enclosure;

(b) a support for holding the liquid supply container within the enclosure;

the support locating the container at a container location above a liquid dispensing location where dispensed liquid exists the dispenser;

(c) cooling means for cooling the interior of the enclosure;

(d) a removable valve assembly located between the container location and the liquid dispensing location, the removable valve assembly comprising;

(i) a platform removably located below the container location;

(ii) a passage defined in the platform between the container location and the liquid dispensing location to accommodate a liquid dispensing tube extending downward from the container;

(iii) a thermally conductive cooling member mounted on the platform at a location cooled by the cooling means and removable with the valve assembly, the cooling member having a thermally conductive cooling projection extending into the passage defined in the platform for cooling liquid in the liquid dispensing tube;

(iv) a pinch valve supported by and removable with the valve assembly, the pinch valve including a movable member engageable with the tube in the passage to pinch the tube closed, means for biasing the movable member into engagement with the tube, and a manually operable actuator for moving the slide against the bias of the means for biasing and out of engagement with the tube to dispense liquid from the container through the tube.

2. The liquid dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the support holds a container in a substantially elevated position above the valve assembly and the container includes a liner for containing the liquid.

3. The liquid dispenser according to claim 2 wherein the liner is prefilled with the liquid.

4. The liquid dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive cooling member is a plate of thermally conductive material having an upper surface located at least partially below a container when the container is held on the support within the enclosure, and having a bottom surface spaced at least in part from an upper surface of the platform.

5. The liquid dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the cooling projection defines an opening receiving the liquid dispensing tube.

6. The liquid dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the cooling projection comprises a generally downward projection from the plate, an opening communicating through the plate to the passage defined in the platform for receiving the liquid dispensing tube in proximity to the projection, the moveable member extending into the passage to pinch the liquid dispensing tube against the projection within the passage.

7. The liquid dispenser according to claim 6, wherein the platform has a passageway opening to the front of the platform, the passageway receiving in sliding engagement therein a valve activating stem projecting from the front of the platform forward to a location accessible for manual activation of the pinch valve.

8. The liquid dispenser according to claim 7, wherein the moveable member defines a slot aligned with the passage defined in the platform, the cooling projection extending through the slot, and the moveable member being connected with the valve activating stem, the bias means biasing an edge of the moveable member facing inwardly of the slot into tube-pinching position with respect to its projection.

9. The liquid dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the movable member has a spring support extending rearward and locating a coil spring captive between the movable member and a spring seat carried by the platform, whereby manual movement of the movable member rearward in the platform moves the movable member against the bias of the spring and out of tube pinching relation with the cooling projection to allow liquid to flow through the tube.

10. The liquid dispenser according to claim 9, wherein the platform further defines a drain opening downward through the platform from the interior of the dispenser to the exterior of the dispenser.

11. The liquid dispenser according to claim 10, wherein the platform forms a bottom interior surface of the enclosure.

12. The liquid dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the liquid dispensing tube, when in place, terminates at a lower end that is at or below the lower end of the passage defined in the platform.

13. The liquid dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the support of (b) is one of a plurality of such supports, and the removable valve assembly of (d) is one of a plurality of such valve assemblies, each individually removable and replaceable with respect to the enclosure.

14. A combined cooling and flow controlling module for a liquid dispenser of the kind that includes a cooling means cooling an interior thereof, a cooled liquid container location for a liquid container with a flexible dispensing tube in fluid communication with the interior of the liquid container to dispense liquid downward from the container by gravity flow;

the module including a valve housing with an opening therethrough to receive the dispensing tube, a movable valve member extending from an exterior manual activator into and carried by the housing, a thermally conductive projection removably extending into the opening through the housing along and proximate the location where the tube is received in the opening, the projection thermally connected to a thermally conductive member carried by the housing at a location cooled by the cooling means when the module is installed in the dispenser, means biasing the movable valve member into a tube pinching position with a tube engagement portion thereof extending into the opening in the housing to engage and pinch shut the tube, each of the valve housing, the movable valve member, the thermally conductive projection, the thermally conductive member and the biasing means being removable and insertable together as a unit relative to the dispenser.

15. The combined fueling and flow control module according to claim 14, wherein the movable valve member defines a tube-receiving opening positioned in alignment with the opening through the housing, the thermally conductive projection extending into the tube-receiving opening of the movable valve member.

16. The combined cooling and flow control module according to claim 15, wherein the biasing means biases the movable valve member into a tube-pinching position that pinches the tube between the movable valve member and the thermally conductive projection.

17. The combined cooling and flow control module according to claim 16, wherein the thermally conductive projection is integrally connected with the thermally conductive member, both of which are manually separable from the housing and movable valve member, and the movable valve member is manually separable from the housing.

18. The combined cooling and flow control module according to claim 17, wherein, when the module is assembled, the thermally conductive projection blocks withdrawal of the movable valve member from the housing.

19. The combined cooling and flow control module according to claim 18, wherein the movable valve member extends forward of the housing to the exterior of the housing for manual activation of the valve by movement of the movable valve member rearward in the housing against the bias of the biasing means.

20. The combined cooling and flow control module according to claim 19, wherein the biasing means is a spring engaged between the movable valve member and the housing.

21. The combined cooling and flow control module according to claim 20, wherein the housing defines a guideway receiving the movable valve member for sliding forward and rearward movement therein.

22. The combined cooling and flow control module according to claim 18, wherein the housing defines an upper surface at least partially spaced from a lower surface of the thermally conductive member.

23. The combined cooling and flow control module according to claim 18, wherein the housing defines upper surfaces forming a catch basin, the housing defining a further opening through the housing from the catch basis to drain the catch basin.