GB2231938A - Pinch tap - Google Patents

Abstract

A dispensing pinch tap has a support (1) for fixing to a source of fluid, a cover (2) removably engageable with the support (1) in such a manner as to define a passage therebetween in which a delivery tube is received arranged in fluid flow connection with the fluid source and an actuating member (3) pivotally mounted on the support (1) to extend into the passage and selectively to constrict the tube with a protrusion (19) and hence regulate the flow of fluid therethrough. The tap is suitable for dispensing milk, the member (3) which is biassed by a spring (23) to its constricting position being released on engagement of a cup with formations (17). <IMAGE>

Description

A TAP This invention relates to a tap for controlling the dispensing of fluid from a source.

Taps for this purpose are known and generally comprise a one piece hollow body which is secured to a fluid source and a lever which is movable within the body and can act to restrict flow of fluid from the source.

It is common for some fluids, for example milk, to be provided in sterile bags having a dispense tube attached.

In this case it is necessary to insert the dispense tube into the tap between the lever and the body wall, the lever then acting to clam the tube and thus prevent the dispensing of fluid through the tap. With conventional taps this is a problem since it is not readily possible to gain access to the interior of the tap, and thus the dispense tube must be laboriously fed through the body which can b a time consuming task. Furthermore, another problem arises due to the fact that since the interior of the tap cannot be reached it may not be possible for such taps to be efficiently and properly cleaned. This of course poses enormous problems where milk is being dispensed, since, if exposed to the atmosphere, milk will decompose and this can lead to unhygienic conditions and undesirable odours within the tap.

It : F an object of the present invention to provide a tat wrich overcomes or at least minimises the abovementioned problems.

According to the present invention there is provided a tap for controlling the dispensing of fluid from a source thereof comprising a support part, a cover part releasably engageable with said support part, the support part and cover part being adapted collectively to define a through passage therebetween adapted to receive a delivery tube arranged in fluid flow connection with the fluid source, and a actuating member mounted to extend into said passage and operable selectively to reduce the transverse dimensions of said passage thereby to regulate the flow of fluid through sai tube by selective constriction thereof.

With this arrangement it is possible for the interior of the tap to be readily accessible whereby ease of replacement of fluid source and cleaning of the interior of the tap is facilitated.

Preferably the cover part engages with said support part via protruding pins fixed to said support part.

Said cover part may be provided with key hole apertures which can engage said pins to removably secure said cover part to said support part. Said actuating member may be pivotally mounted on said support part by way of a pivot pin. A spring may be provided between said actuating memDe- ans said support block to bias movement of said memre. Said spring may be disposed in a blind bore in said actuating member and may be normally biassed away from said support part.

A bore may be provided in said actuating lever through which a grub screw can engage said pivot pin to secure said lever.

The invention will now be described further, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing, the single figure of which shows an exploded view of one form of tap according to the invention.

Referring now to the figure, there is shown a dispensing tap which can be mounted relative to a milk container (not shown) and is operable to selectively allow flow of milk therfro. The tap comprises a support block 1, an actuating lever 3 pivotally mounted in the support block 1 and a cover 2 for closing off the internal structures of the tap.

The support block 1 comprises a solid structure of generally U-shaped configuration having two flange parts 4 disposed at opposite edges of and joined by a planar web 5. On an upper part of each respective flange part 4 there is a bore 6, 7 extending therethrough, the two bores C, 7 having a common axis. The bore 7 in one flange part 4 is provided with screw threads on an internal surface thereof for engagement with a pivot pin 8. Ot - ont surface 9 of each flange part 4 there is a blink rrnre 10 which has a screw threaded internal surface.

Pins 11 engage in the bores 10 in such a manner that a part of each pin shaft and each pin head protrude externally of the bores 10. This is achieved by the pins 11 being screw threaded over only a part 12 of the pin shaft.

The pivot pin 8 is a cylindrical member having screw threads 13 on an external surface of one end thereof for engagement with the correspondingly screw threaded bore 7 in the flange part 4. The other end of the pivot pin 8 has a groove 14 in the end face for engagement with a screw driving tool. The pivot pin 8 provides a mounting for an actuating lever 3. The lever 3 is an elongate member of generally rectangular configuration. At a lower end of a front face 15 of the lever 3 there is provides an engagement member 16 which comprises two outwardly extending parts 17 linked by an intermediate securing part 18 by which the member 16 is secured to the lever 3. The two parts 17 extend outwardly in a diverging manner whereby the separation increases with increasing distance from the lever 3.Spaced from the engagement member 16 and on the same side as the member, i.e. on the front face 15, there is a protrusion 19 of general 1 triangular form having its upper surface 20 substart-ally perpendicular to the front face 15 of the lever 1. On a back face 21 of the lever 3, substantially at the same level as the protrusion 19, there is a blind bore 22 in which a compression spring 23 locates and which acts to bias the lever 3 outwardly of the support block 1. At an upper end of the front face 15, the surface of such face is tapered in a direction towards a transverse section 24.This section 24 has a curved surface thereto and extending through the section is a bore 25 which is dimensioned such that the pivot pin 8 can extend therethrough in such a manner as to allow rotation of the lever 3 about the pin 8. Extending downwardly from an upper surface 24 of the lever 3 is a further bore 26 wnlcr has a screw threaded interior to receive a grub screw 27 ari which communicates with the bore 25. The grub sce 27 allows the lever 3 to be secured to the pivot pir. 8 to any desired degree.

The cover 2 comprises an n-shaped solid structure general similar to the support block 1. Two transversely extending flanges 28 are linked by a planar web 29. Cut-outs 30 are provided in the flanges 28 to facilitate easy grip of the cover 2. In a lower surface of each flange 28 there are provided key hole apertures 3i wic extend through the flange 28 and open out into the cut-outs 30.The larger part of the key hole apertures 31 is dimensioned such that the head of the resp-s--- pin 11 can pass through it however the smaller part c: tre aperture 31 is dimensioned such that the head of such pin 11 is retained externally of the aperture 31, on the cut-out side thereof, and thus can act to secure the cover 2 to the support block 1.

In use the support block 1 is mounted on or relative to a milk container in any suitable manner.

Generally the milk to be dispensed is contained within a bag-like structure (not shown) having a dispense outlet (not shown) in the form of a flexible tube connected to the bag, the tube being sealed at one end prior to use.

The bag is placed in a suitable container, for example a metal box on which the support block 1 is fixed. With the support 1 in position on the container the lever 3 is located in position between the two flanges 4 of the support 1 and fixed in position by way of the pivot pin 8. In this disposition the lever 3 is biassed away from the support 1 by the spring 23 arranged in the blind bore 22 in the back face 21 of the lever 3. The grub screw 27 can be used to secure the lever 3 to the pivot pin 8.

With the lever 3 in position the flexible dispense tube of the milk bag can be placed in position, i.e. can be passed over the lever 3 between the two flanges 4 of the support block 1. The pins 11 are inserted in the bores 1 in the flanges 4 of the support block 1 and the covey fixed onto them. This is achieved by aligning the large part of the respective key hole apertures 31 in the flanges 28 of the cover 2 with the heads of the respective pins 11. As mentioned above, the large part of the key hole aperture 31 is dimensioned such that the pin heads can pass through them. Thus the cover 2 is pushed towards the block 1 to engage the pin heads and then pulled downwardly such that the pin heads are retained on the outer side of the small part of the key hole aperture 31.Thus it will be appreciated that due to the simplicity of the fixing arrangement the cover can be readily removed and replaced allowing ease of cleaning of the tap and facilitating ease of positioning of the dispense tube when replacing empty milk bags.

Once the cover plate 2 has been located in position, and since the lever 3 is biassed away from the support 1 by the spring 23, the protrusion 19 on the lever 3 will act to constrict the flexible dispense tube by pinching it of against the web 29 of the cover 2 thus preventing flow of fluid along it. Therefore the sealed end of the tube can be cut and the milk is retained within the bag structure.

In order to dispense milk from the bag a container, sucks as a cup, is placed between the engagement members 17, 18 on the lever 3 and is used to push the lever 3 towards the support block 1 against the action of the sprit . When this is done the constriction of the tube u - to the protrusion 19 is removed and flow of milk down the tube into the container can occur. The rate at which milk is dispensed depends on the extent to which the constriction is removed, which is directly dependent on the distance the lever 3 is pushed towards the support block 1.

With this arrangement it is possible to provide a fluid dispensing tap which is both hygienic in so far as it is easy to clean the interior of the structure and where the fluid is provided in a bag, can facilitate ease of replacement of fluid bags.

It is of course to be understood that the invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above embodiment which are described by way of example only.

Thus for example the milk may be provided in a rigid container ? n which case the tap can be fixed directly onto the container.

Claims (9)

1. A tap for controlling the dispensing of fluid from a source thereof comprising a support part, a cover part releasably engageable with said support part, the support part and cover part being adapted collectively to define a through passage therebetween adapted to receive a delivery tube arranged in fluid flow connection with the fluid source, and an actuating member mounted to extend into said passage and operable selectively to reduce the transverse dimensions of said passage thereby to regulate the flow of fluid through said tube by selective constriction thereof.

2. A tap according to claim 1, wherein said cover part engages with said support part via protruding pins fixed to said support part.

3. A tap according to claim 2, wherein said cover part is provided with keyhole apertures which engage said pins to removably secure said cover part to said support part.

4. A tap according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said actuating member is pivotally mounted on said support part by way of a pivot pin.

5. A tap according to claim 4, wherein a spring is provided betwen said actuating member and said support part C bias movement of said actuating member.

6. L tap according to claim 5, wherein said spring is disposer in a blind bore in said actuating member.

7. A tap according to claim 5 or claim 6, wherein said actuating member is normally biassed away from said support part.

8. A tap according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein said actuating lever has a bore therein through which a grub screw can engage said pivot pin to secure said lever.

9. A tap substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying figure.