GB2206185A

GB2206185A - Dispense tap

Info

Publication number: GB2206185A
Application number: GB08812150A
Authority: GB
Inventors: George Mitchell Hastie
Original assignee: Scottish and Newcastle Breweries PLC
Current assignee: Heineken UK Ltd
Priority date: 1987-05-21
Filing date: 1988-05-23
Publication date: 1988-12-29
Anticipated expiration: 2008-05-23
Also published as: GB8712016D0; GB8812150D0; GB2206185B

Abstract

A dispense tap for dispensing carbonated liquids includes a flow regulator which is operated when the tap is in an intermediate position between open and closed. Preferably the intermediate position is defined by a cam surface on the tap actuator 3 and the flow regulator comprises a shoulder 12 and flow laminator 13 for providing a head on the liquid when the actuator is in the intermediate position. <IMAGE>

Description

"Dispense Tap This invention relates to a dispense tap, especially to a tap for the dispensing of carbonated beers, carbonated soft drinks and the like, from kegs, casks and other containers and pipework, wherein carbon dioxide is employed as the dispensing/preserving medium.

The type of head on a glass of beer changes with the type of beer (e.g. lager or stout) and is varied according to the country or part of the country in which it is served. Some conventional beer taps have only the facility to produce a straight full flow of beer. These have the disadvantages that they require a skilled operator to ensure the correct height and type of head and, without such operators, may lead to a great deal of wasted overspill when highly carbonated beers are being used. It is especially difficult for an unskilled operator to produce a creamy, fine froth head of the right height and persistence.

In an attempt to mitigate the problem, certain taps have been fitted with flow restrictors. Generally these are actuated by a "flip-top" or vertical lever action handle, employing two cam faces at right-angles to one another with just a deep relief radius joining the two. With these devices it proves very difficult to achieve the desired position for flow restriction since this is on the curvature or at the apex of the lift and thus is passed too quickly both on opening and closure of the tap.

According to the present invention there is provided a dispense tap having a closed position and an open position which are separated by an intermediate position wherein a flow regulator is actuated.

Further according to the present invention there is a dispense tap having a closed position and an open position which are separated by an intermediate position which is determined by cam means of an actuator.

Preferably, the closed position and the open position are separated by an intermediate position which is determined by cam means of an actuator and wherein the flow restrictor is actuated.

Preferably, the actuator is in the form of a lever and thus the cam means is lever-operated; most preferably, the lever is pivotally connected to a spindle and the spindle is coaxial with and within the body of the tap; operation of the lever causes cam lift or descent of the spindle.

Preferably, the cam means is in the form of a rotable bevelled cam surface; preferably, the cam follower is in a locked position and is in the form of the upper surface of the tap body.

Preferably, the bevelled cam surface is trifaceted, with one facet corresponding to each postion; most preferably, two facets are at right angles to one another separated by an obliquely angled third facet.

Preferably, the intermediate facet has a relief radius; most preferably, the relief radius is very shallow but assists in providing a momentary dwell in spindle movement during continuous lever-operation from the open position to the closed position.

Preferably, the spindle is provided with a valve member which, when the tap is closed, rests on a valve seat in outlet means. Preferably, the valve member is a ring of circular section positioned in a receiving groove encircling the spindle.

The spindle may terminate in a flow regulator in the form of a flow restrictor, which may be in the form of a creaming shoulder and/or subtending flow laminator.

Preferably, the creaming shoulder is an outwardly projecting ring of a diameter just smaller than the diameter of a bore of the outlet means.

Preferably, in the intermediate position of the tap, the spindle is at a height where the valve member is clear of the value seat. Flow is thus restricted to an annular orifice between the creaming shoulder and the bore of the outlet means.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a part sectional view of a dispense tap according to the present invention in a closed position; Fig. 2 is the dispense tap of Fig. 1 in a intermediate, or creaming, position; and Fig. 3 is the dispense tap of Figs. 1 and 2 in a fully open position.

Referring to the drawings, there is provided a tap 1 for the dispensing of carbonated beers and the like from casks and kegs.

The tap 1 comprises a hollow and substantially cylindrical tap body 2 and a handle 3, the handle 3 being pivotally attached to a spindle 4 coaxial with and retained within the tap body 2. The tap body 2 has inlet means in the form of a radially arranged duct (not shown) and outlet means in the form of a nozzle 5 with an internal bore X which extends downwardly from the chamber 7 of the tap body 2 and which is provided with a valve seat 8 of frusto-conical shape. The lower portion of the spindle 4 projects into the bore 6 and has the valve member 9 which sits on the valve seat 5. The valve member 9 is in the form of ring of circular section and is retained in a receiving groove 10 encircling the spindle 4.

On the spindle 4, subtending up the valve member 9, there is provided a flow restricter 11 in the form of a creaming shoulder 12 and a subtending flow laminator 13 with parallel vertical ridges 14.

The spindle 4 is lifted, and thus the valve member 9 brought away from the valve seat 8, by lever-operated cam means.

The cam means comprises the tap handle 3 provided with a cam surface 16 that has the upper surface 21 of the tap body 2 as its locked cam follower. The handle 2 and spindle 4 are pivotally attached by a pin 15 and the cam surface 16 is bevelled with three facets 17, 18, 19. Facet 17 is a greater distance from the pin 15 than facet 19 or intermediate facet 18, and facet 19 is in closest proximity thus cam lift or descent of the spindle 4 is provided on the interchange of a facet 17, 18, 19 with the cam follower 21.

The intermediate facet 18 is provided with a shallow relief radius 23 to produce a detent on lift or descent.

In operation, the handle 3 is moved by a operator from an upright, valve closed position (Fig. 1), wherein facet 19 of the cam surface 16 is in contact with the cam follower 21 on the tap body 2, to a right-angled, open position (Fig. 3) wherein facet 17 is in contact. Both on initiation of dispense and return to the closed position, the handle passes through the intermediate position (Fig. 2) wherein cam surface 18 is employed.

In the closed position (Fig. 1), the spindle 4 is fully lowered and the valve member 9 is located on the valve shoulder 8 and the creaming shoulder 12 located within the bore 6 of the outlet nozzle 5.

In the intermediate position (Fig. 2) in which the spindle 4 is partially raised, the valve member 9 is lifted from the valve seat 8 but the creaming shoulder 12 is still within the bore 6 and restricts the flow of fluid to an annular orifice 20. This creates a pressure drop between the creaming shoulder 12 and the restricted diameter bore 6 which, depending on beer carbonation, beer velocity, beer temperature and line pressure, creates an upset in the equilibrium of the dissolved gases of the beer, creating a fob. The flow laminator 13 helps to disperse the fob in an even manner. It is the fob which gives the operator the ability to enrich a beer with the desired creamy head.

In the fully open position (Fig. 3) in which the spindle 4 is fully raised, neither the valve member 9 nor the creaming shoulder 12 restricts the flow of beer through the outlet bore 6, but the flow laminator 13 once again helps to dispense the beer in a uniform manner.

The bevelled cam surface of the handle 2 ensures a stepped operater action, however quickly the "flip-top" handle 2 is "flipped". The relief radius of the middle facet ensures a certain momentary dwell in the creaming position both on initation of dispense, thereby promoting head formation, and on closure of the tap, thereby laying a creamy head onto the dispended product. Additionally, the creaming position may be purposely held, if so required, with little difficulty.

The bevelled profile and detent of the cam surface 16 therefore allows even unskilled operators to serve a glass of beer with whichever head is desired.

Modifications and improvements may be incorporated without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A dispense tap having a closed position and an open position which are separated by an intermediate position at which a flow regulator is actuated.

2. A dispense tap as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said intermediate position is determined by cam means on a tap actuator.

3. A dispense tap as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the actuator is in the form of a lever and the cam means is lever-operated.

4. A dispense tap as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the lever is pivotally connected to a spindle and the spindle is coaxial with and within the body of the tap, operation of the lever causing cam lift or descent of the spindle.

5. A dispense tap as claimed in Claims 2 to 4, wherein the cam means is in the form of a rotable bevelled cam surface.

6. A dispense tap as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the bevelled cam surface is trifaceted, with one facet corresponding to each post ion.

7. A dispense tap as claimed in Claim 6, wherein two facets are at right angles to one another separated by an obliquely angled intermediate facet.

8. A dispense tap as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the intermediate facet has a relief radius which provides a momentary dwell in spindle movement during continuous leveroperation from the open position to the closed position.

9. A dispense tap as claimed in any one of Claims 3, 6 and 8, wherein the spindle is provided with a valve member which, when the tap is closed, rests on a valve seat in outlet means, the valve member being a ring of circular section positioned in a receiving groove encircling the spindle

10. A dispense tap as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the spindle terminates in a flow regulator in the form of a flow restrictor in the form of a creaming shoulder and/or subtending flow laminator.

11. A dispense tap as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the creaming shoulder is an outwardly projecting ring of a diameter just smaller than the diameter of a bore of the outlet means.

12. A dispense tap as claimed in Claim 9, wherein in the intermediate position of the tap, the spindle is at a height where the valve member is clear of the value seat such as to restrict flow to an annular orifice between the creaming shoulder and the bore of the outlet means.

13. A dispense tap substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.