US 2008/0185385 A1Published application

Locking mechanism for the cover for a drink dispensing machine

AssigneeS.P.M. Drink Systems S.P.A.

InventorMassimo Grampassi

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A tank for receiving a drink to be dispensed, the tank is rectangular in shape and opens upwardly, a discharge valve is located at the lower, front end of the tank, and a cover fits over the open end of the tank. Detents are formed at the upper end of the walls of the tank. A manually operable locking mechanism secures the cover in fixed position atop the tank. The locking mechanism comprises a vertical shaft or axle that extends through the central part of the cover. A knob is secured to the upper end of the shaft, and a cam is secured to the lower end of the shaft. A plurality of elongated rods pass through diametrically opposed slots in a housing secured to the underside, or interior, of the cover. One end of each rod has a contact surface which is urged against the perimeter of the cam, while the opposite end of the is a locking surface. When the knob is rotated in one direction, the locking surfaces of the rods are forced into the detents to lock the cover in fixed position. When the cam is rotated in the opposite direction, compression springs retract the rods from the apertures, to allow the removal of the cover from the open end of the tank.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A locking mechanism for use with the cover of a tank for a drink dispensing mechanism, said mechanism comprising, in combination,

a) a tank comprising front, rear and side walls, a bottom connecting said walls, and an open upper end to accept a supply of the drink to be dispensed,
b) a discharge valve joined to one of said walls to dispense the drink in measured quantities,
c) detents formed in the upper ends of opposing walls,
d) a removable cover extending over said open upper end of said tank,
e) a locking mechanism situated on the underside of said cover for securing said cover to said tank and blocking access to the interior of said tank,
f) said locking mechanism including at least a pair of axially movable rods disposed in a horizontal plane, each rod having a locking surface on its outer end and a contact surface on its inner end,
g) an actuator including a vertically oriented shaft extending through said cover,
h) a cam with contact surfaces secured to the lower end of said axle, and
i) biasing means urging the contact surface on each rod against said contact surface of said cam, whereby rotation of said actuator shifts said rods so that said locking ends of said rods fit into said detents and lock said cover in fixed position.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/010,460Filed 25 Jan 2008
Priority: IT MO2007A00002025 Jan 2007
Published: 7 Aug 2008
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

B67D 1/08
Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught: details
B67D 3/00
Apparatus or devices for controlling flow of liquids under gravity from storage
B67D 3/0058
Apparatus or devices for controlling flow of liquids under gravity from storage containers for dispensing purposes: details
E05B 65/006
Locks or fastenings for special use: for covers or panels

Family

US 8,157,117 B2Related patent
US 2008/0185385 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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