US 4,212,414 AGranted

Liquid dispensing head with rinsing fluid inlet and installation

AssigneeKonstruktie J. Lambrechts p.v.b.a.

InventorJozef Beyens

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Abstract

A dispensing head of the kind adapted to be fitted to a container, such as a beer keg, having a plunger with which the dispensing head co-operates to enable liquid in the container to be dispensed through the outlet of the dispensing head under pressure of carbon dioxide gas supplied to the container through the dispensing head. The dispensing head is provided with an inlet for connection to a source of rinsing water and a valve mechanism which can be operated to cut off the flow of liquid from the container through the outlet and to connect the water inlet to the outlet so that rinsing water flows through the oulet and through any pipe and dispensing tap connected to the outlet, which can thus be rinsed without removing the dispensing head from the container. In a preferred embodiment, the valve mechanism can be remotely operated, using the pressure of the carbon dioxide gas to operate the valve mechanism.

Claims11

Dependent claims

An installation for dispensing liquid from a container, comprising a dispensing head adapted to be fitted to the container having a valve plunger with which the dispensing head co-operates to enable liquid in the container to be dispensed through the dispensing head under pressure of a gas supplied to the container through the dispensing head, a source of pressurising gas connected to gas inlet means of the dispensing head and a dispensing tap connected to outlet means of the dispensing head through a length of delivery pipe, wherein the dispensing head has rinsing fluid inlet means connected to a source of a rinsing fluid and a valve member movable between a first position in which the rinsing fluid inlet means is closed, the gas inlet means is in communication with the interior of the container to which the dispensing head is fitted and the outlet means is in communication with the interior of the container through the valve plunger so that liquid is dispensed from the container through the dispensing tap, and a second position in which the outlet means is disconnected from the interior of the container and placed in communication with the rinsing fluid inlet means so that rinsing fluid flows through the outlet means, the delivery pipe and the dispensing tap, and wherein the installation includes control means operable from a position close to the dispensing tap for controlling the position of the valve member independently of the supply of gas to the gas inlet means.

A dispensing head adapted to be fitted to a container having a valve plunger with which the dispensing head co-operates to enable liquid in the container to be dispensed through the dispensing head under pressure of a gas supplied to the container through the dispensing head, the dispensing head having first gas inlet means for connection to a source of the pressurising gas, outlet means adapted to be connected to a source of rinsing fluid, a valve member movable between a first position in which the rinsing fluid inlet means is closed, the first gas inlet means is in communication with the interior of the container to which the dispensing head is fitted and the outlet means is in communication with the interior of the container through the valve plunger so that liquid is dispensed from the container, and a second position in which the first gas inlet means is closed and the outlet means is disconnected from the interior of the container and placed in communication with the rinsing fluid inlet means so that rinsing fluid flows through the outlet means, and means for moving the valve member to said first position, comprising a piston coupled to the valve member and movable in a cylinder forming part of the body of the dispensing head, and second gas inlet means separate from the first gas inlet means and opening into the cylinder so that on supply of gas under pressure to the second gas inlet means the valve member is moved to its first position irrespective of the supply of gas to the first gas inlet means.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.