FR2518505A1 - Dispenser for viscous liq(s). - uses vertical flexible tube and peristaltic principle to discharge batch through spring-loaded valve - Google Patents

Abstract

A dispensing device for small batches of thick liquids and pastes employs a movable wheel to compress a flexible tube, forcing the liquid out against a spring-loaded valve. The travel of thc wheel along the tube is adjusted by means of movable stops so that the quantity dispensed can be preset. Used in the dispensing of creams, dressings, pastes, etc. in canteens and restaurants. The device is used for materials which would otherwise be dispensed by spoon, and is consequently much cleaner in operation.

Description

Device for dispensing portions of thick liquid products.

 The present invention relates to an apparatus for dispensing portions of thick, semi-pasty to pasty liquid products.

 The distribution of portions of thick liquid products presents difficulties due to the low fluidity of such products.

 These difficulties arise, for example, in restaurants, canteens and other communities when it comes to forming portions or doses of products such as creams, desserts or other food products of semi-pasty or pasty consistency. Indeed, for communities / these products are generally supplied in buckets, boots or similar containers whose volume corresponds to a large number of doses or individual portions. To distribute the contents of these containers, in the form of doses or portions, in baskets, plates, or other individual containers, a spoon, ladle or similar utensil has been used so far. Such a distribution method is slow, imprecise and messy, since it is practically impossible to prevent product from dripping from the spoon or ladle during distribution.

 The present invention relates to a device for distributing portions of thick liquid products, allowing rapid and precise distribution of portions of thick liquid products, without any risk of soiling.

 The device according to the invention for distributing portions of thick liquid products comprises a flexible pipe, the upper end of which is connected to the bottom of a reservoir of product to be dispensed, and a device for crushing said pipe. crushing is movable back and forth along said tube, between two stops, preferably adjustable, so as to pinch the pipe during movement in a first direction towards the free lower end of the pipe, and to release the pipe during movement in the opposite way.

 Thus, after having poured the quantity of thick liquid product to be dispensed into the reservoir and after having adjusted the two stops according to the volume of the portions to be dispensed, it suffices to move the crushing device back and forth. along the pipe, by placing a new ravier, plate, or similar individual container, intended to receive a portion, below the free end of the pipe, before each new movement of the-crushing device towards the free end of the During this movement of the crushing device for which the product contained below the crushing device in the pipe is discharged into the individual container placed below the free end of the pipe, thick liquid product is automatically re-aspirated from the tank in the part of the pipe located above the crushing device.

 Preferably, the pipe crushing device comprises a clamp having a part mounted to slide parallel to the axis of the pipe and a part pivotally mounted on said sliding part, said pivoting part serving to control both the clamping of the pipe and the movement pliers along the pipe.

 To make this maneuver even easier and reduce.

the risk of wear of the pipe, it is advantageous that each of the two parts of the clamp carries a roller, the two rollers crushing the pipe between them during the movement of the clamp towards the free end of the pipe.

 To further simplify the operation of the crushing device, it is advantageous for the pivoting part of the clamp to be produced in the form of a lever with two arms. This lever carries one of said rollers at one of its ends and an operating handle at its other end. The lever of two arms is articulated on the sliding part of the clamp so that when an effort is exerted towards the free end of the pipe on said handle, the lever pivots so that its roller crushes the pipe against the roller of the sliding part, before said sliding part moves in the direction of the free end of the pipe.

 Preferably, an advantageously adjustable stop is arranged on the clamp to limit the pivoting of the lever with two arms in the direction of crushing of the pipe.

 To prevent with certainty any unintentional flow of product out of the pipe even in the case of thin liquids, it is advantageous to provide a check valve which normally closes the free end of the pipe, but whose closing force is overcome by the pressure established in the pipe, below the crushing device, when the latter moves towards the free end of the pipe.

 Referring to the appended drawing, an illustrative and nonlimiting embodiment of a dispensing apparatus according to the invention will be described below in more detail, shown in side elevation in the single figure of the appended drawing.

 The device for dispensing portions of thick liquid products, illustrated in the single figure, comprises a rod 1 fixed in a vertical position on a support leg 2 produced in the form of a plate which can be fixed on a horizontal surface, for example a table surface, by means not shown.

 A tank 3 having a funnel-shaped bottom 4 is fixed by a support-5, -a'aide-d -'- a - locking --- screw 6, -on the rod 1.

 The upper end of a flexible pipe 7 is fitted on the lower end of the bottom 4 in the form of a funnel from the reservoir 3.

 A carriage 8 comprising two pairs of rollers 9 rolling on two opposite sides of the rod 1 is mounted on the latter, below the support 5 of the reservoir 3. This carriage 8 carries a pipe crushing device referenced 10 as a whole.

 The device 10 in the form of a clamp comprises a part 11 in the form of a yoke (which is U-shaped) which is integral with the carriage 8 and the two wings of which extend on either side of the pipe 7.

A roller 12 is mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis
between the two wings of part 11, in such a position
that the roller 12 crushes the pipe 7 about halfway, on the
side facing the carriage 8.

On the side of the pipe 7 opposite the carriage 8, a lever 13
with two arms is rotatably mounted about a horizontal axis
14 on the free ends of the wings of part 11. The
lever 13 has a first arm 15 on the free end
which a roller 16 corresponding to the roller 12 is mounted in
rotation around a horizontal axis. The other arm 17 of the lever
13 is extended by a handle 18.

The weight distribution of the lever 13 is such that, under
the effect of gravity, the lever 13 tends to occupy a
position in which the arm 15 carrying the roller 16 is
located at the bottom and the arm 17 carrying the handle 18
at the top.

A stop not shown limits the swivel movement
lie down arm 15 counterclockwise
those of a watch on the drawing, so that under
the effect of gravity, the roller 16 occupies, below
the axis 14 and the side turned towards the pipe 7, a position in
which it does not crush the pipe 7. Another stop 19 of
preferably adjustable, provided on part 11, limits the pivo
arm 15 in the opposite direction, that is to say in the
clockwise on the drawing, in a posi
tion such that the roller 16 delimits with the roller 12, a
slit with a width corresponding to twice the thickness of
wall of the pipe 7. In this position, the two rollers 12 and
16 therefore completely crush the pipe 7.

A cursor 20 comprising a locking system 21 with screws
is mounted on the rod 1, between the support 5 of the reservoir 3 and
the carriage 8, to serve as an upper stop for the carriage 8.

Another cursor 22 also provided with a blo system
screw cage 23 is mounted on the rod 1, between the carriage 8 and
the foot 2. This slider 22 carries a co-operating check valve 24
rant with the lower end of the pipe 7. In the example
shown, the valve 24 is constituted by a compor pliers
as a fixed support part 25 secured to the slider 22-and a movable clamping part 26 in U urged by springs 27 with a force adjustable by nuts 28 in the direction of part 25 by tightening between it and part 25 l free end of hose 7.

 A hook 29 pivotally mounted on the carriage 8 makes it possible to retain the latter, in the high position, relative to the upper stop 20.

 The operating mode of the apparatus described above is as follows.

 The thick liquid product to be dispensed is poured into the reservoir 3, for example as shown by placing the product packaging box, after opening, in an oblique position on the top of the reservoir 3. The carriage 8 is removed from the upper stop 20 and the lever 13 is pivoted from the position shown, by lowering the handle 18, clockwise in the drawing, so that the pipe 7 is crushed between the roller 12 and the roller 16 raised up 'in contact with the arm 15 with the stopper 19. Still continuing to exert a downward force on the handle 18, the carriage 8 is then made to slide downwards with the crushing device 10, the pipe 7 remaining crushed . The liquid product located below the point of crushing of the pipe 7 is thus discharged downwards. Under the effect of the pressure established in the liquid product contained in the pipe 7, the check valve 24 opens and leaves pass, as the descent of the crushing device 10, the product which can thus fall into a bowl, a plate or another container placed below places = free end of the pipe 7. The descent movement of the crushing disco 10 continues until the carriage 8 contacts the lower stop 22.

During the downward movement of the crushing device 10, the pipe 7 being crushed, the pipe 7 is filled above the crushed part, by gravity and also by the suction effect which occurs in the pipe above. above the crushed part. When the crushing device 10 reaches the lower position determined by stop 22, the pipe is therefore again completely filled with product above the crushed part,
To raise the crushing device 10 to the upper position, an upward force is exerted on the handle 18, so that the lever 13 pivots anti-clockwise in the drawing, the roller 16 resuming the position in which it does not crush the pipe 7. By continuing this effort upwards on the handle 18, the crushing device 10 as a whole is then moved upwards with the carriage 8, without exerting any action on the pipe 7, until the carriage 8 contacts the stop 20.

 The operation of dispensing a dosing of product is then repeated, by exerting a downward force on the handle 18.

 Thanks to the nuts 28 which make it possible to adjust the force of the springs 27 of the clamp = 24 forming a check valve, it is possible to adjust the closing force of this check valve to the fluidity of the product to be dispensed.

 The stroke of the crushing device 10 is adjustable by means of the two stops 20 and 22.

 Cleaning the device is extremely simple. In fact, only the reservoir 3 and the pipe 7 are in contact with the product to be dispensed. It therefore suffices to loosen the locking screw 6 of the reservoir 3 and to release the reservoir 3 with the pipe 7 from the rod 1, after having removed the lower end of the pipe 7 from the clamp 24.

 The pipe 7 can be made of any suitable flexible material (natural or synthetic rubber, silicone) which must, of course, be of food grade when the device is used to dispense products. food.

 The device according to the invention can find numerous applications concerning the distribution of thick liquid products other than food products such as creams and desserts in restaurants, canteens and other communities.

 Furthermore, numerous modifications and variants are possible within the scope of the invention. Thus, the back-and-forth movement of the crushing device 10 could be curvilinear or else stretch straight. The throttle valve 24 could also be replaced by any other throttle valve, or by a check valve.

Claims (7)

 1. Apparatus for distributing portions of thick liquid products of semi-pasty consistency 9 pasty, ca = -terized by the fact that it comprises a flexible pipe (7) whose upper end is connected to the bottom. (4 ) of a supply tank (3) of product to be dispensed, and a device (10) for crushing said pipe, movable back and forth along said tube, between two preferably adjustable stops (20, 22 ), so as to pinch the pipe during the movement in a first direction towards the free lower end of the pipe, and to release the pipe during the movement in the opposite direction.  2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said crushing device comprises a clamp having a part (11) slidably mounted parallel to the axis of the pipe and a part (13) - pivotally mounted on said sliding part , the pivoting part serving to control both the clamping of the pipe and the movement of the clamp along the pipe.  3. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that each of said two parts (11, 13) carries a roller (12, 16), said two rollers crushing = between them the pipe during movement in said first direction.  4-. Apparatus according to Claim 3, characterized in that the said pivoting part (13) is produced in the form of a two-arm lever carrying one of the said rollers (16) at the free end of one of its arm (15) and a handle (18) the free end of its other arm (17), said lever being articulated on said sliding part (11) so that when a force is exerted downwards on said handle , the lever pivots so that its roller crushes the pipe against the roller of the sliding part before said sliding part moves downwards.  5. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises, in the vicinity of the lower end of the pipe, a throttle valve (24), preferably with adjustable closing force.  6. Apparatus according to any one of claims 2 5, characterized in that it comprises, on said crushing device, a stop (19), of Ls; adjustable reference, to limit the pivoting of said pivoting part in the direction of pipe crushing.  7. Apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that said sliding part (11) is mounted by rollers (9) on a bar (1) substantially vertical carrying said tank.