IES80812B2 - Fob detector with improved float lifting mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fob detector which can be used in the supply line between a pressurised beverage container and a dispensing means, and is particularly useful in supply lines for beers. The fob detector comprises a chamber with a liquid inlet pipe and a liquid outlet, a float valve having a float which seals against a seating in the outlet and a means to displace the float from the outlet aperture when desired. The float has a nose portion which extends into the outlet aperture downstream of the seating and the means to displace the float is mounted downstream of the seating where it co-operates with a nose portion of the float. .

Description

This invention relates to a fob detector for use in the supply line between a pressurized beverage container and a dispensing means, particularly for beers.

Background Art One of the problems encountered when dispensing draught beers, and especially draught stout, occurs when the pressurized container from which the beer is to be dispensed is nearly empty and there is a build up of the fob or froth which constitutes a considerable wastage. Several pints of fob must be cleared from the dispensing system when the next full beer container is connected to the system. It is known to use a fob detector in the beer line between the container and the dispensing point - see British Patent Specification No. 1, 357, 953 of Porter-Lancastrian Limited. Irish Patent Specification No. 47813 (the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference) describes apparatus for use in inhibiting dispense of fob comprising a chamber having an inlet aperture for receiving liquid beverage under pressure from a supply source, and an outlet aperture for discharging such liquid beverage to a dispensing means, the outlet aperture being surrounded by a seating, a float movable within the chamber relative to the seating, the float being buoyant in the liquid beverage but not in fob and being arranged to make sealing engagement with the seating when the chamber is empty or substantially empty of liquid beverage, and means to displace the float from the seating. The chamber is provided with a vent communicable with the top of the chamber and closable by a valve unit.

Further fob detectors are shown in US Patent No. 5,504, 459 of Seamus C. Dunne and International Patent Publication No. WO 97/42123 of Seamus C. Dunne and Simon R. Miller.

In fob detectors of the type discussed above, the float has a sealing region with an O-ring or other sealing member which engages against the seating at the outlet aperture. In known fob detectors the means to displace the float from the seating involved a lift mechanism which acted on the float above the sealing region, inside the chamber. In the type of fob detector illustrated in Irish Patent Specification No. 47813 and commercial products developed from it, the lift mechanism included a plunger rod which extended horizontally into the chamber close to the base of the chamber. This resulted in a confined area below the plunger in which beer “stone” could build up and which was difficult to access for cleaning. In another type of commercial product, the lift mechanism was housed in the base and included a lift rod which extended vertically into the chamber (see US Patent 5,564, 459). The bore in the base which housed the lift rod was open to the chamber and beer stone could lodge in this bore which was difficult to clean.

The risk of infection in the beer dispensing system arises when a component is substantially empty. It is an object of this invention to overcome the problem of potential infection resulting from prior art lift mechanisms.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a fob detector for use in the supply line between a pressurized beverage container and a dispenser comprising: (i) a chamber defined by a wall, a base component and a top component, (ii) a liquid inlet pipe for receiving liquid beverage under pressure from the container, the inlet pipe having a liquid inlet aperture in the chamber, (iii) a liquid outlet aperture in the base component for discharging the liquid beverage via a main outlet pipe to a dispenser supply line, (iv) a float valve in the chamber for sealing the outlet aperture when supply of liquid beverage to the chamber is interrupted, the float valve comprising a float which seals against a seating in the outlet aperture, (v) means to displace the float away from the seating when desired, characterized in that, (vi) the float has a nose portion which extends into the outlet aperture downstream of the seating and (vii) the means to displace the float is mounted in the base component downstream of the seating and co-operates with the nose portion of the float.

The float displacement means is located on the outlet side of the valve seal, in a region which generally remains filled with beverage, so that the risk of infection is reduced. The lift mechanism does not involve any crevices or openings in the chamber where infection could build up.

Preferably the float displacement means comprises a spindle slidable in the base component in a horizontal passage which intersects with the outlet aperture below the seating.

In the preferred embodiment the spindle has a tip which defines a cam surface and the nose portion of the boss has a chamfered corner which co-operates with the tip of the spindle so that the float can be lifted from its seating by pushing the spindle against the nose portion.

According to one feature of the invention, the float displacement means is mounted in the base component with a screw-threaded engagement. This facilitates removal of the float displacement means for cleaning when required.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS One embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a fob detector according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly cut away to medial cross-section, of the fob detector of figure 1, showing the float in the closed position.

Figure 3 is a view similar to figure 2, showing the float in the open position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in the drawings, the fob detector comprises a cylindrical chamber 1 defined by a wall 2 of transparent material, a base component 8 and a top component 11 held together by two vertical bolts 12. The assembly is mountable on a wall or the like by means of a bracket 30.

The inlet aperture 3 is at the top of a vertical inlet pipe 4 extending upwardly through the chamber. The inlet pipe 4 is connected by a beer line (not shown) to a pressurised beer keg (not shown). The outlet aperture 5 is formed in the base component 8 and connects with a main outlet pipe 6. The outlet pipe 6 is connected by a beer line (not shown) to a dispensing means such as a tap (not shown). The float 7 sits into the outlet aperture 5 when there is not sufficient liquid in the chamber 1 to keep the float 7 buoyant. The float 7 is guided by the two vertical bolts 12 and inlet pipe 4 which are accommodated in grooves in the float 7.

The top of the main chamber is closed by the top component 11, on which is secured a vent valve unit 14 having a handle 14a and a horizontal vent outlet 14b. The valve unit is described in U.S. Patent No. 5,564,459 of Seamus C. Dunne.

The outlet aperture 5 is formed as a downwardly -tapering axial bore or funnel in the base component 8 which defines the seating for the float valve. The lower end of the funnel communicates with the mouth of the outlet pipe 6 which comprises a vertical portion 6a extending downwardly through and out of the base component, and a horizontal portion 6b to which the beer line (not shown) is connected.

The float 7 comprises a generally cylindrical body which has an axial boss 9 extending downwardly from it. The boss 9 is of downwardly - tapering frusto-conical shape and is provided at roughly its waist or mid-portion with an annular groove which accommodates an O-ring 13. The lower portion 15 of the boss 9, below the O-ring 13, is formed as a nose with a chamfered comer 16. When the float 7 is in the closed position shown in figure 2, the boss 9 extends downwardly into the outlet aperture 5 and the O-ring seals against a seating region 17 of the funnel wall 18 of the aperture. The nose 15 of the boss projects further downwardly into the outlet aperture 5, downstream of the seating region 17.

The lift mechanism 20 comprises a lift spindle 21 which is slidable in a radial passage 22 which extends horizontally through the base component 8 from one side wall thereof to the funnel wall 18 of the outlet aperture 5. The radially outermost portion of the passage 22 is of enlarged diameter and is internally screw-threaded. The body of the lift mechanism comprises a block 23 which has a hexagonal cross section like a nut. The block 23 is hollow and has a sleeve 24 projecting rearwardly from it, the sleeve being externally screw-threaded for engagement with the screw-threaded portion of the passage 22 in the base component.

The spindle 21 is slidable in the block 23, sleeve 24 and passage 22. The portion of the spindle sliding in the passage 22 is provided with a pair of O-rings 25 for sealing purposes. The spindle has a conical tip 28 at its rearward end.

At its forward end, the spindle 21 has a head 26 which is also of hexagonal cross section. A spring 27 is mounted on the spindle 21, in the space inside the block 23, and acting against the head 26 to urge the spindle 21 outwardly to the position of figure 2. An annular rib 29 is engageable with a lip on the front edge of the block 23 by twisting, so that the plunger can be retained in the position of figure 3.

The passage 22 intersects with the outlet aperture 5 below the seating region 17 i.e. below the region where the O-ring 13 on the float 7 seals against the wall of outlet aperture 5.

The tip 28 of the plunger 21 is adjacent to the nose 15 of the float 7 but in the position of figure 2 it does not engage the float.

When the plunger 21 is pressed rearwardly (to be left in figure 2) by manual pressure on the head 26 (against the spring 27), the tip 28 of the plunger protrudes into the outlet aperture 5 and is pushed against the chamfered comer 16 of the nose of the float, the chamfered comer having a similar angle of inclination to that of the cam surface of the tip 28. The rearward movement of the plunger thus causes the float 7 to rise to the position shown in figure 3, unsealing the O-ring 13 from the seating.

If beer is flowing into the chamber 1, it will keep the float in the open position. The spindle 21 can therefore be released and it will return under spring urging to its forward position (fig. 2). However if it is desired to keep the float in its raised position even though beer is not flowing (e.g. for cleaning purposes), the head 26 can be twisted to retain the plunger temporarily in the rearward portion (fig 3).

Except during cleaning, the outlet aperture 5 below the seating region 17 will normally be full of beer even though a pressurized container is being changed. When fob is detected in the chamber 1, the float will drop into the sealing position and beer will be retained in the outlet aperture 5 and outlet pipe 6 during the change-over of pressurized containers. Therefore the plunger will remain in a space which is filled with beer. This significantly reduces the risk of infection as compared to the prior art devices which had a lift mechanism extending, above the float valve seating, into the chamber which would be substantially empty, except for fob, during the change-over. There are no crevices or openings in the chamber to accommodate the lift mechanism and so the number of locations for potential build-up of infection is reduced.

When cleaning of the lift mechanism is required, the housing can easily be removed from the base component 8 by applying a hexagonal tool (such as a 12 mm spanner) to the block 23 and unscrewing it, allowing the whole mechanism to be removed and cleaned while the fob detector is in location.

The depth of the base component can be substantially less than in prior art fob detectors, resulting in a saving in materials and reduction in the bulk of the assembly.

The lift mechanism will not be locked in the lifting position (figure 3) unless the operator deliberately chooses to do so by turning the head 26, whereas in the type of fob detector having a vertically slidable lift rod with a cam-type handle, the operator who has lifted the float by turning the handle is required to remember to turn the handle back again in order to return the lift mechanism to its inactive position.

Claims (5)

1. A fob detector for use in the supply line between a pressurized beverage container and a dispenser comprising: (i) a chamber (1) defined by a wall (2), a base component (8) and a top component (11), (ii) a liquid inlet pipe (4) for receiving liquid beverage under pressure from the container, the inlet pipe having a liquid inlet aperture (3) in the chamber (1), (iii) a liquid outlet aperture (5) in the base component (8) for discharging the liquid beverage via a main outlet pipe (6) to a dispenser supply line, (iv) a float valve in the chamber for sealing the outlet aperture (5) when supply of liquid beverage to the chamber is interrupted, the float valve comprising a float (7) which seals against a seating (17) in the outlet aperture, (v) means to displace the float (7) away from the seating (17) when desired, characterized in that, (vi) the float (7) has a nose portion (15) which extends into the outlet aperture (5) downstream of the seating (17) and (vii) the means to displace the float (7) is mounted in the base component (8) downstream of the seating and co-operates with the nose portion (15) of the float (7).

2. A fob detector according to claim 1 wherein the float displacement means comprises a spindle (21) slidable in the base component (8) in a horizontal passage (22) which intersects with the outlet aperture (5) below the seating (17).

3. A fob detector according to claim 2 wherein the spindle (21) has a tip (28) which defines a cam surface, and the nose portion (15) of the boss has a chamfered corner which co-operates with the tip of the spindle so that the float (7) can be lifted from its seating (17) by pushing the spindle (21) against the nose portion (15).

4. A fob detector according to any of the preceding claims wherein the float displacement means is mounted in the base component (8) with a screw-threaded engagement.

5. A fob detector substantially as described herein with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.