Syrup dispenser valve assembly

In combination:

• a bottle adapted for receiving and storing a quantity of a selected liquid, said bottle having an opening;
• a dispenser station including a generally cylindrical and upwardly open support socket for receiving and supporting said bottle in an inverted position with said bottle opening presented downwardly;
• a dispenser valve assembly comprising a cap plate mounted generally to extend across said bottle opening and having a dispense port and a vent port formed therein a valve member for respectively opening and closing said dispense port, means for movably mounting said valve member at one side of said cap plate in a position within said bottle for movement between a first position closing said dispense port and second position opening said dispense port to permit flow of liquid from within said bottle through said dispense port to the exterior of said bottle, a vent tube having one end connected to said one side of said cap plate in flow communication with said vent port and projecting from said cap plate into the bottle, and check means on said vent tube for preventing flow of liquid from within the bottle through said vent port and for permitting flow of air into the bottle through said vent port when said cap plate is mounted across the bottle neck;
• and
• means for controllably displacing said valve member to open and close said dispense port;
• said valve member being formed from a magnetically attractable material, said means for displacing said valve member comprising a solenoid actuator coil mounted on said support socket in a position for generally surrounding said valve member when said bottle is supported by said socket, and means for connecting said coil to an electrical current for electromagnetically displacing said valve member relative to said dispense port.

A dispenser valve assembly for mounting within the neck of a bottle, said valve assembly comprising:

• a cap plate having a size and shape for mounting across the neck of a bottle, said cap plate having a dispense port and a vent port formed therein;
• a vent tube connected to said cap plate in flow communication with said vent port and projecting from said cap plate into the bottle when said cap plate is mounted across the bottle neck;
• a solenoid armature valve member;
• means for mounting said valve member at one side of said cap plate and at a position within the bottle when said cap plate is mounted across the bottle neck, said valve member being mounted relative to said dispense port for movement between positions respectively opening and closing said dispense port;
• and
• check means associated with said vent tube for preventing flow of liquid within the bottle through said vent port and for permitting flow of air into the bottle through said vent port when said cap plate is mounted across the bottle neck.