U.S. patent number 3,589,564 [Application Number 04/782,073] was granted by the patent office on 1971-06-29 for dispensing valve.
This patent grant is currently assigned to The Cornelius Company. Invention is credited to Paul Keller.
United States Patent |
3,589,564 |
Keller |
June 29, 1971 |
DISPENSING VALVE
Abstract
A dispensing valve includes a valve body within which is
disposed a valve which is reciprocated by an actuator acting
through a lost-motion connection. Locking means hold the valve in a
closed position to prevent unauthorized opening thereof, and the
actuator disables or unlocks the locking means before reciprocating
the valve. The valve has a tip contoured to combine a tubular flow
of liquid into a solid stream and to clear the outlet of any
remaining liquid and to throw off such liquid from the tip by
inertia. A flavoring passage extends through the body and through
the valve to an outlet in the tip. Further, a number of such valve
bodies are combined to receive liquid from a single source.
Inventors: |
Keller; Paul (Coon Rapids,
MN) |
Assignee: |
The Cornelius Company (Anoka,
MN)
|
Family
ID: |
25124864 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/782,073 |
Filed: |
December 9, 1968 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
222/153.14;
222/559; 251/77; 251/109 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B67D
1/12 (20130101); B67D 1/1277 (20130101); B67D
1/0081 (20130101); B67D 1/005 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B67D
1/12 (20060101); B67D 1/00 (20060101); B67d
005/5 () |
Field of
Search: |
;251/77,95,92,109,116
;222/504,510,522,525,561,477,498,499,518,153,129,129.1,559
;141/108,105,107 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Reeves; Robert B.
Assistant Examiner: Scherbel; David A.
Claims
I claim as my invention:
1. A dispensing valve, comprising:
a. a valve body having a passage therethrough including means
defining a valve seat encircling said passage;
b. a valve reciprocably guided in said body, having a first portion
normally engaging said seat and closing said passage, and having a
second portion extending out of said body at the upstream side of
said seat;
c. an actuator disposed outside of said passage and connected to
said second portion of said valve for reciprocating it; and
d. locking means disposed outside of said passage and preventing
said valve from being moved out of engagement with said seat, and
responsive to initial movement of said actuator to be rendered
ineffective.
2. A dispensing valve according to claim 1, including a lost-motion
connection disposed outside of said passage by which said actuator
is connected to said second portion of said valve and by which said
valve reciprocation in an opening direction is delayed until after
said locking means has been rendered ineffective.
3. A dispensing valve according to claim 1, wherein said actuator
is the plunger of an electric solenoid.
4. A dispensing valve according to claim 1, wherein said valve seat
faces generally in an upstream direction, and said first valve
portion includes a circular elastomeric seal.
5. A dispensing valve according to claim 1, said valve having a tip
normally projecting from the outlet end of said passage, said valve
tip having a contour in the direction of flow which constitutes
means for combining a tubular liquid flow of liquid into a solid
stream.
6. A dispensing valve, comprising:
a. a valve body having a passage therethrough including means
defining a valve seat encircling said passage;
b. a valve reciprocably guided in said body and having a portion
normally engaging said seat and closing said passage;
c. an actuator connected to said valve for reciprocating it;
and
d. locking means preventing said valve from being moved out of
engagement with said seat, and responsive to initial movement of
said actuator to be rendered ineffective, said locking means
including
1. a shoulder on said valve facing generally in the direction in
which said valve moves in going from a closed to an open
position;
2. a locking pawl movably supported on said valve body and normally
being in a position to abut said shoulder; and
3. a cam driven by said actuator to displace said locking pawl from
said shoulder.
7. A dispensing valve according to claim 6, in which said shoulder
comprises one of a series of successive shoulders arranged in a
stairlike manner.
8. A dispensing valve according to claim 7, in which said series of
shoulders are annular and concentric with each other.
9. A dispensing valve according to claim 6, in which said locking
pawl is pivotably supported.
10. A dispensing valve according to claim 9, including a spring
biasing said pawl to said normal position, and said cam being
secured to said actuator.
11. A dispensing valve according to claim 6, which includes a
spring biasing said pawl to said normal position.
12. A dispensing valve according to claim 6, wherein said shoulder
has an effective slope, said locking pawl being pivotally supported
to intersect said slope.
13. A dispensing valve according to claim 6 wherein said cam is
secured to said actuator.
14. A dispensing valve according to claim 6 including a spring
biasing said cam and said actuator in a valve-closing
direction.
15. A dispensing valve, comprising:
a. a valve body having a passage therethrough including means
defining a valve seat encircling said passage, said valve seat
being a cylindrical outlet portion of said passage;
b. a valve reciprocably guided in said body and having a portion
normally engaging said seat and closing said passage, said valve
portion having a groove with an O-ring slidable into and out of
said cylindrical outlet portion;
c. an actuator connected to said valve for reciprocating it;
and
d. locking means preventing said valve from being moved out of
engagement with said seat, and responsive to initial movement of
said actuator to be rendered ineffective.
16. A dispensing valve, comprising:
a. a valve body having a passage therethrough including means
defining a valve seat encircling said passage, said passage having
a cylindrical outlet portion;
b. a valve reciprocably guided in said body and having a portion
normally engaging said seat and closing said passage, said valve
having a tip normally projecting from said cylindrical outlet
portion and retractable into said outlet portion when said valve is
open, said tip having a shoulder for removing liquid from the wall
of said cylindrical outlet portion, and having a shaped contour
from which any liquid on said tip will freely fly in consequence of
abrupt closing of said valve;
c. an actuator connected to said valve for reciprocating it;
and
d. locking means preventing said valve from being moved out of
engagement with said seat, and responsive to initial movement of
said actuator to be rendered ineffective.
17. A dispensing valve, comprising:
a. a valve body having a passage therethrough including means
defining a valve seat encircling said passage;
b. a valve reciprocably guided in said body and having a portion
normally engaging said seat and closing said passage, said valve
having a tip normally projecting from the outlet end of said
passage, said valve tip having a contour in the direction of flow
which constitutes means for combining a tubular liquid flow of
liquid into a solid stream;
c. means defining a flavoring passage when said valve is open, said
flavoring passage extending into said body and through said valve
and terminating in an outlet leading to the atmosphere in said tip,
said flavoring passage being interrupted and hence sealed in
consequence of movement of said valve out of the open position;
d. an actuator connected to said valve for reciprocating it;
and
e. locking means preventing said valve from being moved out of
engagement with said seat, and responsive to initial movement of
said actuator to be rendered ineffective.
18. A dispensing valve assembly comprising a plurality of valves
according to claim 17 wherein the upstream ends of said first-named
passage of the valve bodies are connected together to receive
liquid from a single source.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to dispensing valves of the
solenoid type, and more specifically to one having automatic
locking means.
2. Prior Art
Solenoid dispensing valves are known per se and are used in various
types of coin-operated beverage-dispensing machines. With some
types of construction, it is possible to push a wire up through the
outlet and to unseat the valve and thereby obtain a serving of
beverage without the deposit of a coin. Where a viscous beverage,
such as semifrozen carbonated beverage is to be dispensed, the
problem becomes more acute since the valve seat itself must be very
close to the cup into which it discharges.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The valve assembly includes locking means for preventing the valve
from being moved out of engagement with its seat, the locking means
being responsive to initial movement of an actuator to be rendered
ineffective or unlocked. Such unlocking is automatic by virtue of a
lost-motion connection by which a solenoid actuator unlocks the
locking means before it opens the valve. Such locking means
comprises a shoulder on the valve which is blocked in closed
position by a locking pawl that is swung away by a cam carried by
the actuator. The valve has a tip by which a tubular flow is
combined into a solid stream, and a flavoring passage leads to the
tip through the valve. The tip also removes all product from the
valve outlet and cleans itself by being abruptly closed. A number
of such valves are combined to receive nonflavored liquid from a
common source and flavoring from separate sources.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a
dispensing valve for dispensing a viscous liquid such as a slush
type of beverage.
Another object of this invention is to provide a dispensing valve
construction which will resist unauthorized opening of the
valve.
Another object of the present invention is to provide means by
which flavoring may be added to a semifrozen carbonated
beverage.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a
dispensing valve assembly by which a number of different flavored
beverages may be dispensed from a single source of nonflavored
beverage with flavoring added automatically.
Many other advantages, features and additional objects of the
present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art
upon making reference to the detailed description and the
accompanying sheet of drawings in which a preferred structural
embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is
shown by way of illustrative example.
ON THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a dispensing
machine having a pair of dispensing valves provided in accordance
with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG.
1;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a dispensing valve
assembly incorporating a plurality of dispensing valves of the type
shown in FIG. 2, but slightly modified as shown in FIG. 4; and
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV
of FIG. 3.
AS SHOWN ON THE DRAWINGS
This invention is particularly useful when embodied in a valve
assembly 10 such as illustrated in FIG. 1 where the same forms a
part of a coin-operated frozen-carbonated-beverage-dispensing
machine generally indicated by the numeral 11. The dispensing
machine 11 has a first source 12 of semifrozen carbonated beverage
and a second such source 13 for a different type or flavor of such
beverage. In response to the deposit of suitable coinage, and the
pressing of an appropriate selection button, one of the dispensing
valves 10 is opened to discharge product into a cup 14 which has
been previously vended automatically from above to the position
illustrated. In order to facilitate vending of the cup 14 by
gravity, and in order to enable two different flavors to be
dispensed into the cup 14 alternatively, the dispensing valves 10
are mounted above and to the rear of the cup 14 and each aimed at
approximately the center of the cup. The lower ends of the
dispensing valves 10 are inclined slightly toward the viewer.
As best seen in FIG. 2, the dispensing valve 10 includes a valve
body 15, a valve 16 guided by the body 15, an actuator 17 which is
a plunger of a solenoid 18, and locking means generally indicated
at 19.
The valve body 15 has a passage 20, the upstream end of which is
ordinarily horizontal. The angle illustrated between the axis of
the valve 16 and the upstream end of the passage 20 is an
indication of the angle that the discharge of the valves 10 is
directed toward the viewer. The passage 20 extends into the valve
body 15 and includes a cylindrical bore 21 which is counterbored at
22, the interior of the valve body or the passage including means
defining a valve seat that encircles the passage 20. In this
embodiment, there are two such valve seats. The first one of these
is an annular valve seat 23 which faces in an upstream direction,
and the second of these is a cylindrical outlet portion 24.
Correspondingly, the valve 16 has two portions which engage the
valve seats respectively and close the passage 20. The first of
these is a circular elastomeric seal 25 which has a cylindrical
projection that extends upwardly into a counterbore in a stem
portion 26 of the valve 16, the second of these is an O-ring 27
disposed in a groove 28 carried by a valve tip 29 which is threaded
through the circular seal 25 into the valve stem 26. The O-ring 27
has a sliding sealing fit with the cylindrical outlet portion 24
and when the valve 16 is retracted, the ring moves out of such
portion 24.
The lower end of the valve stem 26 is provided with a number, such
as 3 or 4, of centering ears 30, which slidably engage the interior
of the bore 21 to hold the valve 16 is concentric relation with the
seats 23, 24 when the valve 16 is in an open position. The opposite
end of the valve stem 26 is slidably guided in a bushing 31 which
in turn is received in the counterbore 22. A pair of O-rings 32, 33
respectively comprise dynamic and static seals for sealing the
upper end of the bore 21.
The upper end of the valve 16 has a lost motion connection 34 with
the actuator 17, and to that end includes an eyelet 35 adjustably
threaded into the upper end of the valve 16, the lower end of the
actuator 17 being split to receive the eyelet 35 and carrying
therein a pin 36 of a smaller diameter than the opening 37 in the
eyelet. The specific construction of lost-motion connection is
exemplary of one way of constructing a pin and slot type of
lost-motion connection. A snapring 39 provides a shoulder on the
lower end of the actuator 17 on which there rests a portion of the
lock means 19 described below. A spring 40 acts between the
solenoid housing and the snapring 39 to urge the actuator 17 in a
downward direction and also for positively moving the valve 16 to a
point where the O-ring 27 enters the cylindrical outlet portion 24.
As such closing involves releasing considerable energy from the
spring 40, the valve 16 moves by inertia to a closed position and
is aided by fluid inlet pressure in maintaining such closed
position.
The locking means 19 includes a shoulder 41 on the valve 16, a
locking pawl 42 and a cam 43. The shoulder 41 faces generally in
the direction in which the valve 16 moves on being opened, and if
desired, as shown in FIG. 2, there may be a series of successive
shoulders to provide a stairlike appearance or construction
involving annular concentric shoulders that together have an
effective slope. The locking pawl 42 is pivotally supported
indirectly on the valve body 15 and is biased as by a spring 44 so
that its lower end pivots in a path that intersects or converges
with the slope of the shoulder 41. Therefore, no matter where the
valve 16 comes to rest either initially or following wear, the
locking pawl 42 can pivot to the extent needed to overlie the
shoulder 41. By use of a proper angle at the lower end of the
locking pawl 42, a type of vernier effect is thus obtained. The cam
43 is urged by the spring 40 in a downward direction as illustrated
so as to clear the locking pawl 42 leaving a cam follower surface
45 thereon disengaged.
Without the lockin means 19, an unauthorized force could be applied
to the valve tip 29 to unseat the valve 16 and thus obtain an
unauthorized serving of beverage. However, with the present
structure, any such force is completely blocked by the locking
means 19. On deposit of proper coinage, the solenoid 18 is
energized causing its plunger, namely the actuator 17 to move
upwardly as drawn, thereby urging the cam 43 against the cam
follower surface 45 and hence thereby pivoting the pawl 42 to a
position where it clears all of the shoulders 41. Such clearance is
obtained before there is any driving relation through the
lost-motion connection 34 whereby immediately following such
unlocking or disabling, the valve 16 is positively driven in an
opening direction to obtain the authorized serving. Thus, the
lost-motion connection 34 delays opening of the valve 16 to enable
the prior unlocking or disabling. The locking means 19 clearly
prevents unauthorized unseating of the valve 16 and is responsive
to initial actuator movement to be rendered ineffective or
unlocked.
The tip 29 normally projects from the cylindrical outlet portion 24
and when the valve 16 is retracted, the tip 29 is retracted, thus
enabling the product to flow about the entire circumference of the
tip 29 and in an axial direction. During such flow, adjacent to the
tip 29, the liquid flows as a tubular stream, and the lower end of
the tip 29 has a contour 46 that serves as a means for combining
the tubular flow into a solid stream of liquid. The contour
illustrated accomplishes this purpose. The contour 46, though,
merges into a shoulder 47 so that on closing, the body of the valve
tip 29 serves as a squeegee or scraper to remove all product from
the cylindrical outlet portion 24, and the contour 46 of the lower
end of the valve tip 29 also is such that when the valve 16 is
abruptly closed, the liquid product adhering to such valve tip is
propelled by inertia to fly off the tip and into the cup 14,
thereby keeping the dispensing station sanitary and preventing
postdispensing drip.
The beverage dispensed from the sources 12 or 13 is flavored before
it enters the valve. Only one such source is necessary where a
nonflavored beverage is used if the flavoring be subsequently
added. Heretofore, such flavoring has been manually added to a cup
and then nonflavored beverage added later. Not only is there a
problem in adequate mixing, but such a procedure is impractical for
a coin-operated machine. Accordingly, the structure of FIG. 2 can
be provided with a flavoring passage 48 which extends through the
body 15a and the bushing 31a to the surface of the valve stem 26a
of the valve 16a. A flavor source 49, which is a substantially
sugar-free extract in liquid form, is connected to the upstream end
of the passage 48 which, when the valve 16a is open, extends to an
annular groove 50, and thence axially through a portion 51 of the
passage 48 to one or more outlets 52 which intersect the contour
46a of the valve tip 29a to be added to the interior of the
tubularly flowing liquid and to merge into the solid stream as
explained before. In this manner and as shown in FiG. 3, a number
of the dispensing valves 10 may be in effect combined with the
upstream ends of their main passages connected together to receive
liquid from a single source. The flavoring passage 48 is
interrupted and sealed when the valve 16a is not open, as shown in
FIG. 4, such sealing being augmented by a number of O-rings
53--55.
Although various minor modifications might be suggested by those
versed in the art, it should be understood that I wish to embody
within the scope of the patent warranted hereon, all such
embodiments as reasonably and properly come within the scope of my
contribution to the art.
* * * * *