US 5,538,028 AGranted

Throttling and diffusing dispensing valve

OwnerSamuel N. Lombardoinventor

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Abstract

A valve suitable for dispensing effervescent liquids under pressure includes a frusto-conical core member disposed in a similarly configured frusto-conical valve chamber section to both define a restrictive diffusing flow path when the valve is open and the sole pressure seal when the valve is closed. The pressure seal is created along a substantial length of the core member which is preferably made of resiliently compressible plastic to enhance the seal. The outlet spout located downstream of the diffusing flow path is provided with interior baffles to prevent vortical flow and the resulting frothing in the liquid. The valve chamber and components are sloped to assure that all liquid downstream of the seal can flow toward the outlet spout after the valve is closed. Immediately downstream of the diffusing flow path there is a transition path permitting the flowing liquid to expand gradually without cavitation before entering the expanded downstream end of the valve chamber. That chamber is sized sufficiently small so that the outlet spout serves as a restriction to create a back pressure in the liquid and prevent gas bubbles from escaping.

Claims15

Dependent claims

In a dispenser valve of the type wherein a frusto-conical core member is movable axially in a similarly configured frusto-conical chamber to both define a variably restrictive diffuser flow path through the chamber and to alternatively block and pass flow of liquid under pressure through said flow path from an inlet opening at the upstream end of said chamber to and through a spout downstream of said core member, said diffuser flow path having an annular transverse flow cross-section of substantially constant width but increasing circumference as a function of downstream location, said substantially constant width being adjustable by axially moving said core member in said chamber, the method of dispensing an effervescent liquid comprising the steps of:

(a) blocking flow of liquid through said diffuser flow path to turn off said valve solely by forcing a circumferentially continuous and axially elongated frusto-conical surface of said core member into flush abutment with an angularly continuous and axially elongated frusto-conical wall section of said chamber downstream of said inlet opening, wherein the flush abutment of said surface and said wall section constitutes the only pressure seal for blocking flow of liquid through said valve when the valve is turned off, and wherein said surface and wall section serve both to define said diffuser flow path when said valve is open and to block liquid flow when said valve is closed;
and
(b) throttling flow of liquid into said diffuser flow path by establishing an annular nozzle passage for liquid flowing into said diffuser flow path, said annular nozzle passage being established by different constant taper angles of said adjacent portions of said core member and chamber to define a flow cross-section that gradually decreases in a downstream direction throughout the length of the nozzle passage such that the diffuser flow path upstream end corresponds to the downstream end of the nozzle passage and has a flow cross-section that is the minimum flow cross-section for both the diffuser flow path and the nozzle passage.

A liquid dispenser valve comprising:

a valve body;
inlet and outlet passages for said valve body;
a chamber defined within the valve body;
restrictor means in the chamber providing a restrictive diffusing flow path for liquid through said chamber when the valve is opened;
on-off means disposed in said chamber for alternatively passing and blocking liquid flow through said chamber;
and
a common actuating means for moving the restrictor means together with said on-off means between a closed position in which the on-off means cuts off flow of liquid through said chamber and an open position in which maximum flow of liquid through said chamber is achieved;
wherein said restrictor means comprises:
an axially movable core member having an upstream tip and a circumferentially continuous and axially elongated frusto-conical surface disposed in said chamber;
a circumferentially continuous and axially elongated frusto-conical wall of said chamber having a downstreamwardly diverging angle;
wherein said surface of said core member has an upstream frusto-conical section with a first downstreamwardly diverging constant angle and an immediately adjacent downstream frusto-conical section with a second downstreamwardly diverging constant angle smaller than said first angle and substantially equal to said angle of said chamber wall, whereby said upstream section of said core member and said chamber wall define an annular nozzle with a downstreamwardly gradually constricting flow path;
wherein said core member is disposed concentrically with respect to said wall to define said diffusing flow path between said downstream section of said surface and said wall in said open position of said valve;
and wherein said on-off means comprises said frusto-conical wall and said downstream section of said frusto-conical surface which, in said closed position, abut one another in flush circumferentially continuous contact along a substantial length of said core member.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/336,041Filed 4 Nov 1994 · continuation in part
Priority: 24 Mar 1992
Granted: 23 Jul 1996
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

B67D 1/0456
Apparatus utilising compressed air or other gas acting directly or indirectly on beverages in storage containers: siphons, i.e. beverage…
B67D 1/1455
Comprising a valve shutter movable in a direction perpendicular to the valve seat: the valve shutter being opened in the same direction as the…
B67D 1/1461
The valve shutter being opened in the same direction as the liquid flow: the valve shutter being integral with a compensator
Y10T 137/0385
Processes: carbonated beverage handling processes

Family

Serial856,690Parent of this division · filed 24 Mar 1992
Serial105,565Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 13 Aug 1993
US 5,390,832 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 5,244,117 AParent of this division
US 5,538,028 AThis patent

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