EP1448474B1 - Liquid dispensing tap - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to the field of the manufacture of liquid dispensing valves contained in small rigid, semi-rigid or flexible containers, in particular food liquids, and relates to such a valve.

Currently, the distribution of food beverages, especially table wines, fruit juices or ultra-high temperature sterilized milk from small rigid, semi-rigid or flexible containers, such as plastic bottles, is carried out usually by means of taps fixed on the drain of these containers.

For this purpose, there are known faucets constituted by a mounting body in the bung of a container and a piston for releasing the liquid loaded by a spring and guided in the body, the piston acting on an integral elastic sealing membrane. from the body. The mounting body in the bung is provided with a fixing fitting cooperating snap-fitting with the bung.

Such valves allow a correct distribution of the liquid and are ideally suited to either a bottling operation or a series of withdrawals, they are performed in a sterile environment, such as a sterile chamber on aseptic filler, or no, for example for filling glasses or small containers, that is to say for private use or catering for small flows of a single drink or a single raw.

There are also known liquid dispensing valves, in particular aseptic or non-automatic self-closing food liquids, which are constituted by a mounting body in the bung of a container and by a liquid-releasing piston acting on a diaphragm. elastic seal integral with the body, these valves being provided with a holding means in the open position of the piston.

There are still other ball type valves, in which the passage of the liquid is achieved by matching passage openings by means of a lever or an operating handle.

All these known faucets allow to properly fulfill their essential function of sealing a container with possibility of withdrawal of the liquid contained.

However, these known valves have the disadvantage of being of relatively complex constitution, requiring the implementation of several parts, so that their material cost, as well as mounting costs are relatively high. In addition, the actuation of the piston or the closing diaphragm of the dispensing orifice is always effected by means of intermediate parts for transmitting and transforming the movement.

Thus, it is also known from US-A-4,693,400, a liquid dispensing valve, according to the preamble of claim 1, constituted by a mounting body in the bung of a container and dispensing the liquid, by a shut-off valve sealed to a liquid distribution orifice, provided with a control member and produced in the form of a monobloc element with said control member and with means for sealing said shut-off valve the dispensing orifice of the liquid on its seat, said valve being housed in the part of the body opposite to that of mounting in the bung, and by means for actuating said control member.

Similarly, US-A-6,045,119 and US-A-5,553,745 also disclose multi-piece valves.

The present invention aims to overcome the disadvantages of known dispensing valves and to provide such a valve having a simpler constitution and less expensive manufacturing.

According to the invention, the liquid dispensing valve, which essentially consists of a mounting body in the bung of a container and dispensing the liquid, by a valve or a sealing diaphragm a port of distribution of the liquid, provided with a control member and produced in the form of a monobloc element with said control member and with means for sealing said shutter or sealing diaphragm of the liquid distribution orifice on its seat, said valve or membrane being housed in the part of the body opposite to that of mounting in the bung, and by means for actuating said control member, the sealing means of the sealing valve or diaphragm sealing of the liquid distribution orifice on its seat being constituted by an elastically deformable element forming a spring and connected, on the one hand, to the valve or sealing diaphragm of the liquid distribution orifice and the control member via a common guide member and, secondly, a fastening flange cooperating with fixing studs and centering of the body.

• la figure 1 est une vue en élévation latérale et en coupe du robinet conforme à l'invention, en position fermée ;
• la figure 2 est une vue analogue à celle de la figure 1, représentant le robinet en position ouverte de service ;
• la figure 3 est une vue en coupe suivant A-A de la figure 2, du corps de robinet seul ;
• la figure 4 est une vue en coupe suivant B-B de la figure 1, et
• la figure 5 est une vue en perspective de l'élément monobloc.

The invention will be better understood, thanks to the following description, which refers to a preferred embodiment, given by way of non-limiting example, and explained with reference to the attached schematic drawings, in which:

• Figure 1 is a side elevational view in section of the valve according to the invention, in the closed position;
• Figure 2 is a view similar to that of Figure 1, showing the valve in the open position of service;
• Figure 3 is a sectional view along AA of Figure 2, the valve body alone;
• Figure 4 is a sectional view along BB of Figure 1, and
• Figure 5 is a perspective view of the one-piece element.

Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings show a liquid distribution valve, which consists essentially of a body 1 for mounting in the bung of a container (not shown) and liquid distribution, by a valve or a membrane 2 sealing a sealing orifice 3 of liquid distribution, provided with a control member 4 and made in the form of a monobloc element with said control member 4 and with a means 6 for sealing said valve 2 or sealing diaphragm of the orifice 3 of liquid distribution on its seat, said valve or membrane 2 being housed in the part of the body 1 opposite that of mounting in the bung, and by means 5 for actuating said body order 4.

According to the invention and as shown more particularly, by way of example, Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, the means 6 for sealing application of the valve 2 or sealing diaphragm of the orifice 3 distribution liquid on its seat is constituted by an elastically deformable element forming a spring and connected, on the one hand, to the valve or membrane 2 sealingly closing the liquid distribution orifice 3 and to the control member 4 by the intermediate of a common guide member 7 and, secondly, a fastening flange 8 cooperating with fastening and centering studs 9 of the body 1 (Figure 4).

The common guiding element 7 is constituted in the form of a slider and cooperates with two guide rails 10 integrated in the body 1 of the valve, which is advantageously in the form of a one-piece element, at the end opposite to that of mounting said body in the bung (Figures 1, 2 and 4).

The means 5 for actuating the control member 4 is constituted, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 of the accompanying drawings, by a pushbutton in the form of an elastically deformable membrane provided on the body 1 of the tap and connected to it in a sealed manner.

The elastically deformable element 6 forming a spring and constituting the means 6 for sealing the valve 2 or sealing diaphragm of the orifice 3 for distributing the liquid on its seat is advantageously constituted in the form of a pair of elastic blades. each connected at one end to the common guiding element 7 on the opposite side to the connecting part between the control member 4 and the valve or membrane 2 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 5), and at the other end to the fastening flange 8 cooperating with the fastening and centering studs 9 of the body 1 (Figure 4), said elastic blades forming a loop between their two ends. Such an embodiment of the means 6 makes it possible, simply because of the construction in the form of looped blades, to load the movable elements, formed by the control member 4 and the valve or membrane 2, under a predetermined tension in the direction closing the orifice 3 by the valve or membrane.

The fastening flange 8, connected to the elastically deformable element 6 forming a spring and constituting the means 6 for sealing the valve 2 or sealing diaphragm of the orifice 3 for distributing the liquid on its seat, is provided with holes 9 'of corresponding shape to that of the fixing and centering studs 9 and is secured to them by riveting or by welding after mounting (Figures 4 and 5).

The operation of the valve according to the invention is perfectly clear from the representation according to FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5.

Starting from a tap according to FIG. 1, this tap being mounted in a bung of a container, a pressing on the push button forming the means 5 for actuating the control member 4 will have the effect of displacing the latter together with the valve or membrane 2 against the action of the elastically deformable element 6, via the slider forming such a common guiding element 7. Such displacement is effected with guidance by cooperation of the common guiding element 7 with the guide rails 10 integrated in the body 1 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 4).

In the position shown in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings, the liquid distribution port 3 is released by lifting the valve or membrane 2 of its seat and the liquid contained inside the container to which the valve is connected can s' flow through said liquid distribution port 3 and can thus be transferred into a consumption container or into an intermediate container before consumption. A release of the pressure on the push button 5 has the immediate effect of a return to position of the control member 4 and the valve or membrane 2, under the action of the element 6, and thus a closure of the orifice 3.

Due to the provision of guiding means formed by the rails 10 and the slider forming the common guide member 7, all moving elements of the valve are perfectly maintained during their movement.

Thanks to the invention, it is possible to achieve a liquid dispensing valve contained in small rigid, semi-rigid or flexible containers, in particular food liquids, allowing a very reliable operation and easy maneuvering. In addition, this tap is of simple construction and requires few parts to assemble, so that its cost of production is relatively low. Finally, because of the simplicity of its design, this valve can be made in a compact form.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiment described and shown in the accompanying drawings. Modifications are possible, in particular from the point of view of the constitution of the various elements or by substitution of technical equivalents, without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined by claim 1.

Claims (5)

1. Tap for the dispensing of liquids, substantially consisting of a body (1) for mounting in the bung of a receptacle for dispensing the liquid, of a valve or a membrane (2) for tight closure of an opening (3) for dispensing the liquid, provided with a control member (4) and configured in the form of an element in one piece with said control member (4) and with a means (6) for tight application on its seat of said valve (2) or member for tight closure of the opening (3) for dispensing the liquid, said valve being accommodated in the portion of the body (1) opposite that for mounting in the bung, and of a means (5) for actuating said control member (4), the means (6) for tight application on its seat of the valve (2) or member for tight closure of the opening (3) for dispensing the liquid consisting of an elastically deformable element forming a spring and connected to the valve or membrane (2) for tight closure of the opening (3) for dispensing the liquid, and to the control member (4), characterised in that said elastically deformable element is connected to said valve and control member by means of a common guide element (7), and in that said elastically deformable element is also connected to a mounting flange (8) cooperating with lugs (9) for mounting and centring the body (1).
2. Tap according to claim 1, characterised in that the common guide element (7) is in the form of a slide and cooperates with two guide rails (10) integrated in the body (1) of the tap, which is in the form of a one-piece element, at the end remote from that at which said body is mounted in the bung.
3. Tap according to claim 1, characterised in that the means (5) for actuating the control member (4) consists of a pushbutton in the form of an elastically deformable membrane provided on the body (1) of the valve and connected thereto in a tight manner.
4. Tap according to claim 1, characterised in that the elastically deformable element (6) forming a spring and constituting the means (6) for tight application on its seat of the valve (2) or membrane for tight closing of the opening (3) for dispensing the liquid is in the form of a pair of resilient blades each connected at one end to the common guide element (7) on the side remote from the connection portion between the control member (4) and the valve or membrane (2), and at the other end to the mounting flange (8) cooperating with the mounting and centring lugs (9) of the body (1), said resilient blades forming a loop between their two ends.
5. Tap according to claim 1, characterised in that the mounting flange (8), which is connected to the elastically deformable member (6) forming a spring and constituting the means (6) for tight application on its seat of the valve (2) or membrane for tight closure of the opening (3) for dispensing the liquid, is provided with perforations (9') of a shape corresponding to that of the mounting and centring lugs (9) and is joined to said lugs by riveting or welding after mounting.

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