EP0097843B1

EP0097843B1 - In-home drink dispenser

Info

Publication number: EP0097843B1
Application number: EP83105529A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Edward Lewis Jeans
Original assignee: Cadbury Schweppes Ltd
Current assignee: Mondelez UK Holdings and Services Ltd
Priority date: 1982-06-29
Filing date: 1983-06-06
Publication date: 1987-07-22
Also published as: AU561021B2; ES8501616A1; AU1632983A; ES523641A0; DE3372604D1; EP0097843A3; EP0097843A2

Description

This invention relates to a manifold for use with a beverage dispenser as specified in the precharacterising part of claim 1.
There has been set forth in European Patent Application No. 80200611.8 (EP-A2-0 022 589) dispensing devices for making carbonated beverage in the home and the present invention concerns improvements in the devices set forth in said European Patent Application.
In the said application, there is described a valve which is operated by hand for controlling the dispensing of diluent and concentrate from a manifold and concentrate package, and it has been found that the manual control of this valve can lead to inaccuracies in dispensings if the user does not fully move the control means, or moves it back and forth during dispensing, and the present invention provides a more positive means for operating the valve so that these difficulties are obviated or mitigated. The invention neatly makes use of the fact that the dispenser embodying the valve includes a source of gas under pressure and also a manifold for supplying the concentrate package.
According to the invention there is provided a manifold for use with a beverage dispenser wherein the manifold is adapted to receive in inverted condition a concentrate container having a displaceable cap for opening an outlet in the container to permit concentrate to flow therefrom, said manifold comprising a gas passage having an inlet for connection to a source of pressurizing gas and an outlet adapted to be coupled to a diluent supply, to provide pressurization thereof, a diluent passage having an inlet adapted to be coupled to the diluent supply and an outlet adapted to be coupled to a dispensing valve formed in said manifold, said dispensing valve comprising a rotatable valve member for receiving said concentrate container and disposed for rotation within said manifold to effect dispensing of diluent from the manifold and opening said concentrate container outlet to permit dispensing concentrate, characterised by a pneumatic actuator for rotating said rotatable valve member, said actuator comprising:

(a) a cylinder formed in said manifold;
(b) a piston disposed in said cylinder and having extending therefrom a piston rod;
(c) valving means for selectively admitting gas pressure from said source of pressurizing gas to opposite ends of said cylinder to act on opposite sides of said piston; and
(d) means coupling said piston rod to said rotatable valve member.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein;

Fig. 1 illustrates in part section, part of a manifold according to the invention;
Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the part of the manifold shown in Fig. 1, the section being on the line 25-25 of Fig. 1; and
Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but shows the actuator of the manifold in an alternative position.

As disclosed in said European Application (EP-A2-0 022 589), a beverage dispensing system comprises a source of gas under pressure, a tank or diluent, a concentrate package, and a manifold having a dispensing valve. The source of gas under pressure is a cylinder of carbon dioxide, and the tank contains water which is carbonated by carbon dioxide gas from said source.
The manifold valve comprises relatively rotatable components which are adapted to receive the top end of the concentrate package when the package is inverted and inserted therein. The top end of the package has relatively movable parts forming a package valve such that the parts can be moved between a package valve open position and a package valve closed position and in the open position, concentrate can flow from the package whereas in the closed position such flow is prevented. The manifold valve parts can be operated manually to move the package valve parts.
The manifold also includes a first passage coupling the source of gas under pressure to the diluent tank and a second passage coupling the diluent tank to a diluent outlet and flow from the diluent outlet is controlled by the dispensing valve, such that when the dispensing valve is moved to the position permitting flow of concentrate from the concentrate package, at the same time diluent is allowed to flow from the diluent outlet and the concentrate and diluent mix to form a beverage. When the dispensing valve is positioned to the position terminating-the flow of concentrate, the flow of diluent ceases.
In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 3, an alternative means for actuating the rotary dispensing valve is provided, and referring to Figs. 1 to 3, the rotary valve is illustrated generally by reference 79, and the manifold by reference 80. The package is for receipt in rotary valve member 81 and by rotation of this member, when the dispenser is operated the control of the flow of the concentrate and diluent is effected.
The package and the coupling to the rotary valve and the diluent supply and its connection to the rotary valve are not shown as they form no part,,f the present invention. The present invention is concerned with the means, the actuator, or the manifold for rotating the rotary valve member 81, and said activator comprises a link 901 connected by means of a screw 903 to the rotary valve member 81. Link 901 is also coupled through a joint 905 to another link 907 connected through joint 908 to a movable block 909. Block 909 is contained within a suitable bore 911 and is coupled by a rod 913 to a piston 915 disposed in a cylinder 917. The end of the cylinder 917 adjacent to block 909 is sealed by a plug 919 which has a projection 921 at its end inserted into the cylinder and sealing theragainst with an 0-ring 923 between the cylinder wall and the plug. Another 0-ring 925 seals against the rod 913 attached to the piston. The piston, itself, seals against the cylinder 917 by means of another O-ring 927. Cylinder 917 has an inlet at each end, thus, there is an inlet 931 and an inlet 933. To insure that with the piston 915 at its end positions there is a space for gas to be admitted to the cylinder, raised areas 935 are formed at each side of the piston. In the position shown in Fig. 1, gas is admitted through the passage 933, driving the piston 915 to one end and operating valve 79 to cause dispensing of concentrate and diluent. This is accomplished by pressing a button 937 extending through an opening in the manifold 80. Button 937 is an extension of a rectangular member 939 containing a cylindrical chamber 941. Member 939 slides in a suitable recess formed in the manifold. There are two outlet passages from chamber 941 an outlet 943 and an outlet 945 and in the position shown the outlet 943 is aligned with passage 933, the junction between outlet 943 and passage 933 being sealed with an 0-ring 947.
Similarly, there is an 0-ring 949 surrounding the passage 945. Passage 931 is venting to the atmosphere because of a small gap A (Fig. 3 only) between the member 939 and the recess in the manifold containing member 939. Carbon dioxide at the same pressure as is used in the diluent, is supplied through a fitting 951 screwed into a suitable threaded bore in the manifold through a passage 953 to a connecting piece 955 contains a central bore 957 which is in communication with the cavity 941 in the member 939. As illustrated by Fig. 2, the cavity 941 is of circular cross-section and seals against the connecting tube 955 by means of an 0-ring seal 959. Also visible in this view are the seals 925 and 923 sealing the cylinder 915. When the button is released, because of the carbon dioxide pressure in the cavity 941, the button will move outwardly to the position shown in Fig. 3. Now, the passage 945 is aligned with the passage 931 and carbon dioxide is admitted to the other end of the cylinder 915 acting on the other side of piston 921 to immediately drive the piston and with it the block 909, thereby moving linkages 907 and 901 to the position shown in Fig. 3 to close the dispensing valve 79. The cylinder 912 on the other side of the piston 915 vents through the passage 933 and the gap formed between member 939 and the recess in the manifold. To prevent the button 937 and more importantly the block 909 and its associated linkage from remaining in an operating position due to the loss of carbon dioxide pressure, spring biasing is also provided. Thus, there is a spring 963 biasing the member 937 outwardly into the closed position. Similarly, a spring 965 biases the block 909 outwardly to move the valve to the closed position.
The diameter of the cylindrical chamber 941 should be kept small to minimize the force needed to push button 937. The diameter of cylinder 917 should be as large as practical taking into consideration the loss of gas on each operation. The pneumatic arrangement provides a snap action on and off control preventing the valve being partially on or off, as can happen with the arrangement as disclosed in said European application, so as to maintain a high quality drink.

Claims

1. A manifold for use with a beverage dispenser wherein the manifold (80) is adapted to receive in inverted condition a concentrate container having a displaceable cap for opening an outlet in the container to permit concentrate to flow therefrom, said manifold comprising a gas passage having an inlet for connection to a source of pressurizing gas and an outlet adapted to be coupled to a diluent supply, to provide pressurization thereof, a diluent passage having an inlet adapted to be coupled to the diluent supply and an outlet adapted to be coupled to a dispensing valve formed in said manifold, said dispensing valve comprising a rotatable valve member (81) for receiving said concentrate container and disposed for rotation within said manifold to effect dispensing of diluent from the manifold and opening said concentrate container outlet to permit dispensing concentrate, characterised by a pneumatic actuator (915, 917) for rotating said rotatable valve member (81), said actuator comprising:

(a) a cylinder (917) formed in said manifold (80);

(b) a piston (915) disposed in said cylinder (917) and having extending therefrom a piston rod (913);

(c) valving means (937, 939) for selectively admitting gas pressure from said source of pressurizing gas to opposite ends of said cylinder (915) to act on opposite sides of said piston (915); and

(d) means (901, 903, 907, 909) coupling said piston rod (915) to said rotatable valve member (81).

2. A manifold according to claim 1, wherein said valving means (937, 939) is characterised by:

a) an elongate hollow control member (939) having at least one flat face;

b) a bore in said manifold for receiving said member (939) and permitting sliding movement of said member (939) therein adjacent said cylinder (917);

c) a first and second passage (943, 945) through said flat surface to said bore;

d) third and fourth passages (931, 933) from said cylinder (917) to said bore and entering said cylinder at opposite ends thereof;

e) seals (947, 949) surrounding said first and second passage (943, 945);

f) means spacing said flat face from said bore;

g) means (951, 953) for admitting gas pressure into the interior of the member (939); and

h) said member (939) being displaceable such that when without any external pressure applied to said member (939) said second passage (945) will be in position to admit gas through the third passage (931) to move said piston (915) to a position to close said rotatable valve and when external pressure is applied to said member (939) said first passage (943) will be in position to admit gas through said fourth passage (933) to open said valve, the one of said third and fourth passages (931, 933) not admitting gas being vented to the atmosphere along said flat face.