EP1931591B1

EP1931591B1 - Tapping head for pressurized beverage dispensing systems

Info

Publication number: EP1931591B1
Application number: EP06763649A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Valeria Boero
Original assignee: Radia Srl
Current assignee: Radia Srl
Priority date: 2005-09-13
Filing date: 2006-06-12
Publication date: 2009-02-25
Anticipated expiration: 2026-06-12
Also published as: WO2007031350A1; EP1931591A1; ATE423748T1; DE602006005380D1; ITTO20050617A1

Abstract

A tapping head (9) for pressurized beverage dispensing systems (1), wherein a bell (32) is connected to two conduits (55, 53) for feeding pressurized gas and a wash fluid respectively into the bell (32), has a coolant circulating chamber (34a), has a connecting member (23), at an open first end, for connection to an outlet neck (25) of a relative barrel (5), and is fitted integrally, at the other end, with a tubular body (39) communicating with the inside of the bell (32) and housing in sliding manner a tubular slide member (56), which has a further, axial through, conduit (62) communicating with the bell (32), and is movable between an extracted position opening both the outlet neck (25) and the pressurized-gas feed conduit (55), and a withdrawn position detached from the outlet neck (25) and closing the pressurized-gas feed conduit (55); and wherein a gate member (47) cooperates with the bell (32) and is movable to and from a closed position to define, inside the bell (32) and when the tubular slide member (56) is in the withdrawn position, a fluidtight chamber (32a) connecting the further conduit (62) and the pressurized-gas feed conduit (55).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a tapping head for pressurized beverage dispensing systems according to the preamble of claim 1 and known from FR-A-2 659 074 .

BACKGROUND ART

The present invention may be used to advantage in systems for pressurized dispensing beverages in general, such as beer, to which the following description refers purely by way of example.
Pressurized beer dispensing systems are known to employ at least one tapping head of the type described above to supply a tap dispenser, via a feed circuit, with beer from a barrel normally located remotely with respect to the tap dispenser.
If for any reason (empty barrel, system stoppage, etc.), the beer contained, normally at room temperature, inside the feed circuit is left to settle for any length of time, residue and/or bacteria may form inside the feed circuit and, before dispensing can be resumed, must be washed out using a detergent and sterilizing wash fluid.
For this purpose, the tapping head of known systems of the type described above is detached from the outlet neck of the barrel and connected to a similar outlet neck of a wash fluid dispensing circuit, which feeds the wash fluid along the entire feed circuit and out through the tap dispenser. The tapping head is then fitted back onto the barrel, or a new barrel, to resume operation.
A known tapping head of the type described above therefore in no way provides for automatic washing, and must always be detached manually from the barrel and connected manually to the wash fluid dispensing circuit.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a tapping head which is cheap and easy to produce and, at the same time, provides for washing itself as well as the piping connecting it to the dispenser, with no direct manual work involved, and, in particular, with no need to detach the tapping head from the barrel.
According to the present invention, there is provided a tapping head as claimed in Claim 1 and, preferably, in any one of the Claims depending directly or indirectly on Claim 1.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A non-limiting embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows, schematically, a beer dispensing system incorporating a preferred embodiment of the tapping head according to the present invention;
Figure 2 shows a larger-scale side view of the Figure 1 tapping head;
Figures 3 to 5 show the Figure 2 tapping head in respective different operating configurations;
Figure 6 shows a larger-scale, exploded detail of Figure 3;
Figure 7 shows a larger-scale section along line VII-VII in Figure 3;
Figure 8 shows a partly exploded, top plan view of the Figure 6 detail.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Number 1 in Figure 1 indicates as a whole a system for pressurized dispensing a beverage by means of a tap dispenser 2 controlled by a lever 3 for opening a faucet 4 controlling dispenser 2. In the example shown, dispenser 2 dispenses beer tapped selectively from a series of barrels 5 used successively, and each of which is connected to dispenser 2 by piping 6 comprising a header 7, a conduit 8 connecting header 7 to dispenser 2 and common to all of barrels 5, a tapping head 9 fitted removably to barrel 5, and a conduit 10 connecting tapping head 9 to header 7.
System 1 also comprises a circuit 11 for selectively feeding pressurized gas to each of barrels 5 from a cylinder 12.
Circuit 11 comprises a header 13 common to all of tapping heads 9; a conduit 14 common to all of tapping heads 9 and extending through faucet 4 to connect cylinder 12 to header 13; and, for each tapping head 9, a conduit 15 connecting header 13 to tapping head 9.
System 1 also comprises a wash circuit 16, in turn comprising piping 6 on one side, and, on the other, feed piping 17 for feeding wash fluid to each tapping head 9.
Feed piping 17 comprises a valve 18, possibly comprising a drain outlet (not shown) which, by simultaneously cutting off wash fluid supply and first opening dispenser 2, may be opened selectively to drain out any wash fluid from piping 17 and tapping head 9. Together with tapping heads 9 and headers 7 and 13, valve 18 is controlled by a central control unit 19 operated from a pushbutton control panel 20 having a number of buttons 21, each for controlling a standard wash and tap cycle for a relative barrel 5, and a further button 22 for controlling a discretionary wash cycle of the currently used barrel 5.
As shown more clearly in Figures 3 to 5, each tapping head 9 comprises a tubular member 9a having a connecting device 23 at the bottom for connection to a flange 24 extending outwards from the top of an outlet neck 25 of a relative barrel 5.
Inside neck 25, barrel 5 has a valve 26 comprising a fixed outlet conduit 27, which is coaxial with the axis of neck 25 and has lateral openings 28 and a circular axial cover plate 29; and an annular plate 30 fitted to outlet conduit 27 and movable, in opposition to a spring 31, from a raised closed position contacting the periphery of plate 29, to a lowered open position (Figure 4) opening lateral openings 28.
Tubular member 9a comprises a downward-facing bell 32, a lateral wall 33 of which is fitted, on it free bottom end, with connecting device 23, which comprises an annular flange 34 having a C-shaped section with its concavity facing radially inwards and defining an annular groove 35 coaxial with an axis 36 of bell 32. Flange 34 is interrupted at a lateral opening 37 by which to insert neck 25 of a barrel 5 transversely inside bell 32 and into a position, coaxial with axis 36, in which flange 24 engages annular groove 35 to connect bell 32 and barrel 5 axially.
Bell 32 is closed at the top by a top wall 38 perpendicular to axis 36 and for connecting bell 32 to a tubular body 39, which, together with bell 32, defines tubular member 9a, and has an open-topped, cylindrical axial hole 40 coaxial with axis 36 and communicating at the bottom with the inside of bell 32 via two chambers 41 and 42 arranged in series and coaxial with axis 36. Chamber 41 is cylindrical and located above chamber 42, which has a top surface defining an annular shoulder with an inside diameter equal to the outside diameter of chamber 41.
As shown more clearly in Figures 3 and 7, above flange 34, lateral wall 33 has two diametrically opposite openings 43, one of which is located directly over lateral opening 37. Two superimposed annular seals 44, coaxial with axis 36, extend through openings 43 and define a gap 45 for fluidtight passage, through bell 32, of the movable gate member of a valve device 46, which defines, inside bell 32 and above gap 45, a chamber 32a closed in fluidtight manner at the bottom and communicating at the top with axial hole 40 of tubular body 39. The movable member is defined by a plate 47 perpendicular to axis 36, having a through hole 48 with a diameter equal to the inside diameter of lateral wall 33, and movable, crosswise to axis 36, between a forward open position (Figures 3 and 4), in which hole 48 is coaxial with axis 36, and a withdrawn closed position (Figure 5), in which a solid end portion of plate 47 closes the part of bell 32 over gap 45 in fluidtight manner to define chamber 32a.
As shown in Figure 2, plate 47 of valve device 46 defines an end arm of an L-shaped bracket 49, another arm of which, parallel to axis 36 and projecting laterally with respect to plate 47, is connected to the end of a screw 50, parallel to plate 47, of a known screw-nut screw coupling (not shown) controlled by an electric motor reducer 51 - preferably a direct-current motor reducer - fitted laterally to tubular body 39 to move plate 47 between the forward open and withdrawn closed positions. Bracket 49 is fitted with a hook 52 facing lateral opening 37 of flange 34, and which substantially closes lateral opening 37 by locking, in use, onto flange 24 of barrel 5, when plate 47 is in the forward open position, to lock tapping head 9 mechanically to barrel 5.
A substantially radial conduit 53 is formed through lateral wall 33 of bell 32, communicates at its inner end with chamber 41, and is connected at its outer end to the outlet of relative piping 17 of wash circuit 16.
A toroidal chamber 34a (optional) is formed inside lateral wall 33 of bell 32, is coaxial with axis 36, and communicates with a substantially radial conduit (not shown) for supplying coolant by which to cool bell 32 and limit the formation of bacteria.
An annular chamber 54 is formed inside tubular body 39 and in an intermediate portion along axial hole 40, and communicates, by a conduit 55 formed through tubular body 39, with the outlet of relative conduit 15 of pressurized-gas feed circuit 11.
Along tubular body 39 slides a tubular slide member, defined by a cylindrical sleeve 56, of a valve device 57 comprising an electric motor reducer 58 - preferably a direct-current motor reducer - fitted laterally to tubular body 39 to activate, by means of a known screw-nut screw coupling not shown, a screw 59 parallel to axis 36 and connected to sleeve 56 by a transmission comprising a lever 60, a first end of which is hinged to an arm projecting upwards from tubular body 39, a second end of which is hinged to the free end of screw 59, and an intermediate portion of which is hinged to a portion of sleeve 56 projecting from the top of tubular body 39.
Sleeve 56 comprises two outer annular ribs having respective sealing rings 61 fitted in sliding and fluidtight manner to the inner surface of axial hole 40, and has an axial conduit 62 connected at one end to relative conduit 10, and communicating at the other end with the inside of bell 32.
The bottom end of sleeve 56 projecting inside bell 32 is fitted with an annular seal 63, which has a number of axial through holes communicating with chamber 42, is fitted to sleeve 56 to slide axially between a top flange 64 and a bottom flange 65 of sleeve 56, and engages in sliding manner the inner surface of lateral wall 33 to move, following axial displacement of sleeve 56, between a raised position (Figures 3 and 5), in which annular seal 63 is compressed by bottom flange 65 against the top surface of bell 32 and is housed entirely inside chamber 32a, and a lowered position (Figure 4), in which annular seal 63 extends through hole 48 in plate 47 and is compressed axially, in use, by top flange 64 against flange 24 of neck 25 of relative barrel 5.
Operation of system 1 and, in particular, of a tapping head 9, will now be described, by way of example, as of the instant in which the barrel 5 currently being used runs out, and a new tapping head 9 is activated to wash the relative piping 6 and commence drawing from the relative barrel 5.
To begin with, the tapping head 9 to be activated is in the Figure 5 configuration, i.e. is connected by relative connecting device 23 to flange 24 of neck 25 of relative barrel 5, with relative sleeve 56 in the raised position, and with plate 47 in the withdrawn closed position. In this configuration, plate 47 defines, beneath sleeve 56, chamber 32a, which communicates on one side with conduit 53 and therefore with wash circuit 16, and, on the other side, with axial conduit 62 and therefore with piping 6 and tap dispenser 2. Pressurized-gas supply, on the other hand, is cut off by sealing rings 61 on opposite sides of annular chamber 54.
At this point, when relative button 21 is pressed by the operator, valve 18 opens, and wash fluid flows along conduit 53, through chamber 32a, along axial conduit 62 and piping 6, and out through tap dispenser 2.
Washing completed, central control unit 19 closes valve 18 and activates valve devices 46 and 57 to move plate 47 into the forward open position (Figure 3) with hole 48 coaxial with axis 36, and then move sleeve 56 into the lowered position (Figure 4). When moving into the lowered position, sleeve 56 engages hole 48, moves annular plate 30 down to open lateral openings 28 in outlet conduit 27 of barrel 5, connects pressurized-gas feed conduit 53 to outlet conduit 27 via chambers 41 and 42 and the holes formed through annular seal 63, and compresses annular seal 63 between flanges 24 and 64, so that the beer in barrel 5 flows to tap dispenser 2 when lever 3 is operated to open faucet 4.
As will be clear from the foregoing description, once barrels 5 to be tapped are connected in battery formation to relative tapping heads 9, passage from one barrel 5 to another and the relative wash cycles can be performed fully automatically with no manual labour required.
In a variation not shown, system 1 is connected to a single barrel 5 by one tapping head 9. In which case, headers 7 and 13 are eliminated, conduits 8 and 14 are connected directly to the one tapping head 9, and pushbutton panel 20 has only one button 21.

Claims

A tapping head for pressurized beverage dispensing systems (1), the tapping head (9) comprising a tubular member (9a) having an axis (36) and in turn comprising a bell (32) coaxial with said axis (36) and having, at an open first end, connecting means (23) for connection to an outlet neck (25) of a relative barrel (5), and a tubular body (39) coaxial with said axis (36), communicating with the inside of the bell (32), and integral with a second end of the bell (32) opposite the first end; a first conduit (55) formed through the tubular member (9a) to feed pressurized gas into the bell (32); and a first valve device (57) comprising a tubular slide member (56), which is coaxial with said axis (36), has a second, axial through, conduit (62) communicating with the bell (32), and is mounted to slide along the tubular member (9a) between an extracted position opening both the outlet neck (25) and the first conduit (55), and a withdrawn position detached from the outlet neck (25) and closing the first conduit (55), and a third conduit (53) formed through the tubular member (9a) to feed a wash fluid into the bell (32); the tapping head (9) being characterized by comprising a second valve device (46) comprising a gate member (47) cooperating with the bell (32) and movable to and from a closed position and to define in its closed position, inside the bell (32) and with the tubular slide member (56) in the withdrawn position, a fluidtight chamber (32a) connecting the second and third conduit (62, 53).
A tapping head as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said tubular member comprises an inner coolant circulating chamber (34a).
A tapping head as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the inner coolant circulating chamber (34a) is a toroidal chamber coaxial with said axis (36).
A tapping head as claimed in one of the foregoing Claims, wherein the bell (32) comprises a lateral wall (33) having two openings (43) formed through the lateral wall (33), between said connecting means (23) and the tubular body (39); and wherein the gate member (47) engages the two openings (43) in sliding and fluidtight manner.
A tapping head as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the gate member (47) comprises a plate (47) perpendicular to said axis (36) and movable crosswise to said axis (36) to and from the closed position.
A tapping head as claimed in one of the foregoing Claims, wherein the second valve device (46) comprises first actuating means (51) for moving the gate member (47), in a direction crosswise to said axis (36), between an open position opening the fluidtight chamber (32a) and the closed position.
A tapping head as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the gate member (47) comprises mechanical locking means (52), which engage the outlet neck (25) of the relative barrel (5) to lock the barrel (5) mechanically to the tapping head (9) when the gate member (47) is in the open position.
A tapping head as claimed in Claim 6 or 7, wherein the gate member (47) comprises an opening (48) for passage of the tubular slide member (56), as the tubular slide member (56) moves to and from the extracted open position; the opening (48) being so located on the gate member (47) as to be coaxial with said axis (36) when the gate member (47) is in the open position, and to be located outside the bell (32) when the gate member (47) is in the closed position.
A tapping head as claimed in one of the foregoing Claims, wherein the first valve device (57) comprises second actuating means (58) for moving the tubular slide member (56) between the extracted position and the withdrawn position.
A tapping head as claimed in Claims 6 and 9, wherein said first and second actuating means (51, 58) are direct-current electromechanical actuating means.
A tapping head as claimed in Claims 6 and 9 or Claim 10, wherein the first and second actuating means (51, 58) are fitted to the tubular member (9a), outside the tubular body (39) and the bell (32).
A tapping head as claimed in Claim 10 or 11, wherein each of said first and second actuating means (51, 58) comprises an electric motor reducer (51; 58) having a movable output member defined by a screw (50; 59) movable axially and connected to the relative electric motor reducer (51; 58) by a screw-nut screw coupling.
A tapping head as claimed in Claim 12, wherein the screw (50) of the second valve device (46) is parallel to the gate member (47) and connected directly to the gate member (47).
A tapping head as claimed in Claim 12 or 13, wherein the screw (59) of the first valve device (57) is parallel to the tubular slide member (56) and connected to the tubular slide member (56) by a lever transmission (60).
A pressurized beverage dispensing system comprising at least one tapping head (9) as claimed in any one of the foregoing Claims.
A system as claimed in Claim 15, and comprising a tap dispenser (2), and piping (6) connecting the dispenser (2) to the second conduit (62) of the tapping head (9).
A system as claimed in Claim 16, and comprising a circuit (11) for selectively feeding pressurized gas to a said barrel (5) connected to the tapping head (9); said circuit (11) comprising a pressurized-gas source (12), and connecting means for connecting the pressurized-gas source (12) to the first conduit (55) of the tapping head (9).
A system as claimed in Claim 15, and comprising at least two said tapping heads (9) connectable to respective barrels (5); a tap dispenser (2); and piping (6) connecting the dispenser (2) to the second conduit (62) of each of said tapping heads (9); said piping (6) comprising a first header (7), a fourth conduit (8) connecting the first header (7) to the dispenser (2), and, for each tapping head (9), a fifth conduit (10) connecting the first header (7) to the second conduit (62) of the relative tapping head (9).
A system as claimed in Claim 18, and comprising a circuit (11) for selectively feeding pressurized gas to each said barrel (5); said circuit (11) comprising a pressurized-gas source (12), a second header (13), a sixth conduit (14) connecting the pressurized-gas source (12) to the second header (13), and, for each tapping head (9), a seventh conduit (15) connecting the second header (13) to the first conduit (55) of the relative tapping head (9).
A system as claimed in one of Claims 15 to 19, and comprising a wash circuit (16), in turn comprising said piping (6) on one side, and, on the other, feed piping (17) supplying a wash fluid.
A system as claimed in Claim 20, and comprising a valve (18) for controlling the feed piping (17); a central control unit (19) for controlling the valve (18); and a pushbutton panel (20) for controlling the central control unit (19).
A system as claimed in Claim 21, wherein the central control unit (19) controls the first and second header (7, 13).
A system as claimed in Claim 22, wherein the pushbutton panel (20) comprises, for each tapping head (9), a button (21) controlling performance of a standard wash and tap cycle of the relative tapping head (9); the pushbutton panel (20) comprising a further button (22) controlling a discretional wash cycle of a currently used barrel (5).