JPS63281994A - Nozzle-assembly for drink dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a nozzle assembly for a carbonated beverage valve assembly used in a post-mix dispenser.

After a description of the prior art, a nozzle assembly of a carbonated beverage valve assembly for a mixed beverage dispenser is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4.2.
66.726 and 4.509.690.

The soda water and syrup are mixed together in a nozzle assembly and the mixture is dispensed into the cup.

The nozzle assembly must reduce the pressure and velocity of the soda water without causing an unacceptable amount of foaming and without losing too much carbonation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The nozzle assembly of the present invention requires fewer parts than comparable known valve assemblies, is made at a lower cost, and provides at least comparable performance. The nozzle assembly of the present invention has a 1.5oz/sec
used at both a standard flow rate of 3.0 oz/sec and a high flow rate of 3.0 oz/sec.

The nozzle assembly of the present invention includes a diffuser assembly inside a hollow, generally cylindrical nozzle. The diffuser assembly includes a tubular diffuser and a diffuser plate. The diffuser includes an upper cylindrical portion and a lower enlarged circular portion. A syrup passageway extends through the diffuser and terminates at a syrup spray head below the diffuser plate. An annular carbonated water flow path is provided between the diffuser and the nozzle. The diffuser plate extends vertically across the annular flow path above the circular portion and includes a plurality of equally spaced apertures.

The syrup flows down the syrup passage inside the diffuser, while the soda water flows down the annular flow path between the diffuser and the nozzle. The syrup and soda water streams are then flowed against each other under the diffuser where they are mixed together in the lower part of the nozzle before being discharged into the cup.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved nozzle assembly for a post-mix beverage dispenser valve assembly.

It is another object of the invention to provide a nozzle assembly that is easily disassembled and cleaned.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a nozzle assembly that uses fewer parts and is less expensive to manufacture.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a modified nozzle assembly for use in a gravity dispenser.

EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Like reference numbers refer to like elements in this case.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a valve assembly 10 of a known type is shown for use in a known post-mix beverage dispenser (not shown). valve assembly lO
includes a nozzle assembly 12 of the present invention for mixing syrup and soda water together and dispensing the mixture into a cup (not shown).

Nozzle assembly 12 includes a diffuser assembly 14 located inside nozzle 16 .

Diffuser assembly 14 includes diffuser 18.
It includes an O-ring 20 and a diffuser plate 22.

The O-ring fits into the groove 24 and seals the diffuser against the wall 26 of the slit-fit valve assembly IO. Diffuser plate 22 snaps onto the outside of diffuser 18 against shoulder 28 . Diffuser plate 2
The ridges 30 at 2 snap into grooves 32 in the diffuser. Diffuser 18 includes a syrup passageway 34 from a syrup inlet port at the top end to a syrup spray head 36 at the bottom end. syrup·
Spray head 36 preferably includes four identical equally spaced discharge ports 38. Diffuser plate 22 includes a plurality of equally spaced apertures 40. Diffuser 18 includes a generally cylindrical upper portion 41 and a lower enlarged disk portion 43 . The circular portion has an outer edge spaced from the nozzle to provide an annular flow path for the carbonated water, and also includes a plurality of (preferably four) lugs 46 that seal against the inner nozzle wall. including.

Nozzle assembly 12 is assembled by first pressing diffuser assembly 14 against wall 26 and then separately mounting nozzle 16 onto diffuser assembly 14 and opening 42 in wall 44 of valve assembly 10.
and by rotating the nozzle 16 and connecting it to the wall 44 between the lug 47 and the flange 48 on the nozzle 16 in a known manner.

In operation, when the valve assembly IO is energized to dispense a beverage, soda water is drawn into the upper chamber 50.
and the syrup flows into syrup passage 34. The syrup flows directly into the syrup spray head 36. The soda water, on the other hand, swirls in the chamber 50 and flows through the openings 40 in the diffuser plate 22. These openings are of sufficient length to allow carbonated water to flow directly into the vacuum and deceleration chamber 52. Carbonated water is in room 5
2, it hits the smooth concave surface 54 of the diffuser 18, which changes the direction of the carbonated water and causes it to flow outward, in this case it reaches the nozzle 1
6 and is changed direction again and the annular slot 56 between the diffuser disk part 43 and the nozzle 16
flows downward through. When the carbonated water flows through the slot 16, it is again redirected by the concave surface 58 of the nozzle and flows radially inward, in this case it hits the syrup and the syrup spray head 3
It flows out from 6. At this point, the syrup and carbonated water are mixed together in the lower fully open section 64 of the nozzle. The mixture is then discharged from the outlet opening 60 of the nozzle 16 into a cup (not shown). The underside of the disc portion of the diffuser has a smooth concave surface 62.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the diffuser plate 2
2 has twelve apertures 40, each having a diameter of approximately 0.080 inches and a length of approximately 0.90 inches. Syrup spray head 36 has four openings, each having a diameter of approximately 0.7 inches. syrup aisle 3
4 has a diameter of approximately 140 inches. The radius of the curved surface 54 is approximately.

164 inches, and the radius of curved surface 58 is approximately 11 inches. The radius of the white wall 62 is approximately 250 inches. The width of annular slot 58 is approximately 235 inches. The height of diffuser 18 is approximately 1.002 inches. The axis of the ejection port 38 in the spray head 336 is approximately 45 degrees from vertical. The outside diameter of the majority of the cylindrical portion 41 of the diffuser 18 is approximately 473 inches, and the inside diameter of the adjacent nozzle wall is approximately 1.0 inches.
35 inches and for the annular water flow passage 52 approximately;
Offers a width of 280 inches. Fully open lower part of the nozzle 6
4 has a height of approximately 500 inches.

The nozzle assembly 12 is adapted for use in a gravity dispenser by removing the diffuser assembly and placing an orifice (or washer) inside the wall 26 and providing the correct size opening for the particular syrup being used. easily converted into

Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in detail above, it will be understood that variations and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The main features and aspects of the invention are as follows.

1. (a) a hollow nozzle; (b) a diffuser assembly located centrally inboard of the nozzle and providing an annular soda water flow path between the diffuser assembly and the nozzle; (i) an upper cylinder; a tubular diffuser including a shaped portion and a downwardly expanding circular portion and also including a central syrup passageway extending downwardly from an upper syrup inlet port at the top of the cylindrical portion to a lower syrup spray head below the circular portion; (i) a flat surface extending across said annular flow path, located in a plane perpendicular to said syrup passageway, extending between said diffuser and said nozzle, having a plurality of equally spaced identical water flow openings; (c) a circular portion of the diffuser having a smooth concave top surface for directing the flow of soda water at the bottom of the flow path outwardly toward the nozzle; (d) a circular portion having an outer edge spaced from the nozzle to provide an annular slot for soda water to flow through the circular portion; (e) an inner nozzle wall adjacent the edge of the circular portion having a smooth concave surface for directing the flow toward the spray head; and (e) the nozzle including a fully open lower portion below the spray head. Nozzle assembly for beverage dispenser valve assembly.

2. The syrup passage has a diameter of about 140 inches, and the annular water passage flow path has a diameter of about 28 inches.
The nozzle assembly of item 1 above having a width of 0 inches.

3. The concave upper surface of the circular portion has a radius of curvature of approximately 164 inches, the white wall of the nozzle has a radius of curvature of approximately 11 inches, and in this case several circular portions have a radius of curvature of approximately 164 inches; 2
3. The valve assembly of claim 2, comprising a smooth concave lower surface with a radius of 50 inches.

4. The nozzle according to item 1 above, wherein the diffuser plate is ring-shaped, snaps into the diffuser, and has about 12 identical equally spaced openings.
assembly.

5. The nozzle assembly of claim 4, wherein the diffuser plate openings each have a diameter of about 0.80 inches and a length of about 0.90 inches.

6. The nozzle assembly of claim 1, wherein the annular slot has a width of approximately 235 inches.

7. The nozzle assembly of claim 1, wherein the fully open lower portion of the nozzle has a height of approximately 500 inches.

8. the spray head includes a plurality of syrup openings;
The nozzle assembly of claim 1, wherein each opening has an axis at an angle of about 45 degrees to the vertical, causing the syrup to flow towards the carbonated water and out of the annular slot.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of a valve assembly showing a nozzle of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of the nozzle assembly of the present invention. 10... Valve assembly 12... Nozzle assembly 14... Diffuser assembly 16... Diffuser 20... O-ring 22... Diffuser plate 36... Syrup spray head 38... Discharge port

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. (a) a hollow nozzle; (b) a diffuser assembly located centrally inside the nozzle, the diffuser assembly providing an annular carbonated water flow path between the diffuser assembly and the nozzle; (i) includes an upper cylindrical portion and a lower enlarged disk portion and also extends downwardly from an upper syrup inlet port at the top of the cylindrical portion to a lower syrup spray head below the disk portion; (ii) a tubular diffuser including a central syrup passage; (ii) extending across the annular flow path, located in a plane perpendicular to the syrup passage, and extending between the diffuser and the nozzle; a diffuser assembly comprising: a flat diffuser plate having identical spaced-apart water flow openings; (c) a disc portion of the diffuser directs the flow of carbonated water at the bottom of the flow path to the nozzle; having a smooth concave upper surface to direct the flow outwardly toward the disk portion;
an outer edge spaced from the nozzle providing an annular slot through which carbonated water flows; (d) an inner nozzle wall adjacent the edge of the disc portion directs the flow of carbonated water through the disc portion; a post-mix beverage dispenser having a smooth concave surface for directing flow downwardly and toward the syrup spray head; and (e) the nozzle includes a fully downwardly opening portion below the spray head. Nozzle assembly for valve assembly.