IE46177B1 - Valve dispensing head - Google Patents

Abstract

The dispenser for automatic drinks machines includes a container for the ingredients which are to be dispensed and a valve (2) for controlling this supply. The valve and the container are built as an integral unit which can be thrown away and replaced when empty thereby avoiding complicated cleaning of the machine. The valve contains a member moved between an open position in which the ingredients are dispensed and a closed position in which it is held under the force of gravity when correctly mounted in the machine. The container for the ingredients (12) is provided with a neck (6) and the valve is fitted with a valve support sleeve, with the neck and this sleeve each having an engagement unit such as an annular groove and resilient fingers by means of which the neck and sleeve can be snapped together.

Description

This invention relates to dispensing devices, especially vending machines, and particularly to a dispenser assembly for use in a vending machine dispensing beverages.

As is well-known, a beverage vending machine includes 5 a number of containers each of which contains a beverageforming ingredient in powder or particulate form. Thus, for example, a succession of containers may contain, respectively tea, coffee, sugar, cream, chocolate and cocoa in powdered form. When a beverage is reguired, the user operates the machine which dispenses into a cup a measured charge of the required ingredients (for example coffee powder, sugar and Cream) and then adds hot water to this powder mixture.

The powdered ingredients are normally contained in X5 plastics containers, which are inverted in the vending machine and attached, at their neck or other outlet portions, to dispensing valve assemblies. The conventional valve assemblies are rigid, fairly expensive multi-part devices Which are normally precision moulded from, for example, a high density plastics material. They comprise an outer sleeve which receives a lower valve body which is in turn attached to an upper valve body by means of a spacer sleeve and one or more spacer rings, the number of which in any particular case determines the length of the valve body and hence the amount of ingredient discharged in any one valve operation. The lower valve body provides, at its lower end, a valve seat for a stainless steel or other ball, and a second valve seat is provided by the lower end of the spacer sleeve. The upper valve body is provided with 48177 a screw-thread, for threaded attachment to the neck of the ingredient container. In use the valve assembly iB screwthreadedly attached to the ingredient container, which is then inverted and the valve assembly placed in the field of an electro-magnetic coil.

In the inoperative state the stainless steel ball is seated on the lower valve seat and beverage-forming ingredient is retained above it. When the electro magnetic coil is energised, the ball is caused to move off the lower valve seat and towards the upper valve seat, thus allowing a charge of powder to fall from the lower end of the outer sleeve, and blocking off the flow of powdered ingredient from the container. When the requisite charge of ingredient has been freed, the ball is allowed to drop back onto its lower valve seat,to close the valve once again. A typical valve assembly of the type which is at present used is shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 being a schematic sectional view of the device as assembled, and Figure 2 being an exploded view of the device, showing the various components thereof.

Further in our co-pending Irish Application No. 1999/82 (Specification No. 46178 ) there is provided a dispense valve for a vending machine said valve comprising a valve body, a dispense channel in said body, a valve member, and a valve accommodating bore in said body and opening into said channel, said valve being movable in said bore between a closed position obturating said channel and an open position; the arrangement being such that the quantity of ingredients dispensed from said channel is a function of the time the valve member is held in the open position. - 3 46177 In order that the prior art dispensing devices should be efficient, and should remain so, and also for purposes of hygiene, they should be regularly cleaned. Thus, the valve assembly should be removed, each day from the coil and should be cleaned, at least to the extent of removing any powdered material which •has accumulated around the steel ball. Every fortnight or so, and certainly no less regularly than at monthly intervals, the entire dispensing head assembly should be dismantled,thoroughly cleaned and dried, and reassembled.. Scrupulous drying of the parts is most important, since if any moisture is left in the valve assembly the beverage-forming ingredients, which are hygroscopic, will tend to cake. it is an unfortunate fact that the regular cleaning of the parts of a dispensing mechanism is often, indeed almost invariably, neglected, with the inevitable result that after a time the mechanism fails to function properly.

Thus it will be appreciated that there is considerable advantage in having a dispensing assembly for a vending machine which eliminates completely any necessity for cleaning the dispensing head.

According to the present invention, there is provided a disposable container and dispenser assembly for a vending machine which assembly comprises a container body adapted to contain ingredients to be dispensed, and valve means for controlling the dispensing of said ingredients whereby the valve means is integral with, or substantially irreversibly captive with, the container body so that the assembly can be removed from its operative location in said machine for disposal as a single unit. - 4 46177 The valve means may include a valve member movable between an open position in which dispensing occurs and a closed position.

Thus, in accordance with the present invention, the valve means is captively associated with the ingredients container and is thrown away with the container.

In one embodiment at least one valve seat of the valve means is integrally formed with the container body, and in another embodiment the entire valve means, with the exception of the movable element e.g.: the ball, is formed as an integral part of the container body.

It is, however, possible in accordance with the invention for the valve means, or at least a part of it, to be formed separately from the container body and lockingly attached thereto, and according to another embodiment of the invention there is provided a container having a neck collar provided with an annular groove, and a valve member comprising a valve-carrying sleeve comprising a number of resilient fingers each having a bead at or adjacent its free end for snap-fitting engagement in the groove on the neck collar.

Preferably all the components of the new container/valve member assembly are made from synthetic plastics material, with the exception of the valve weight. Since the assembly of the invention is intended for use in vending machines, wherein the opening and closing action of the valve is controlled by an electro-magnetic coil, the valve weight is preferably made of a magnetic material having a high relative permeability, in order to obtain maximum coupling with the electro-magnetic coil, and hence minimise the coil power requirements. It is to be - 5 46177 understood of course that this in no way precludes the use of less magnetic materials, which would require a higher coil power to operate satisfactorily.

The ingredients container may be blow-moulded, injection-moulded or otherwise shaped from a material or materials approved by the appropriate food legislation bodies, Λ for example synthetic plastics or plastic film- metallic laminates, and may take the form of a rigid or non-rigid container. In the case of a non-rigid container a supporting device will normally be used to suspend the container in the dispensing machine. In one embodiment of the invention the container is provided with an upstanding neck collar, around the base of which is formed an external inwardly-directed annular groove. The groove may, if desired, be surrounded by a baulk ring, integrally moulded with the container.

In a modification of this particular embodiment the series of resilient fingers may be provided on the neck collar each having a bead for snap-fitting engagement in an annular groove formed on the valve carrying sleeve.

An air valve may be provided on the container to equalise the pressure within the container as the ingredient is dispensed.

This prevents air bubbles foaming the ingredient as it is > dispensed and allows a smoother, better controlled ingredient flow.

The valve-carrying sleeve may be injection moulded or otherwise shaped from a suitable approved material, e.g.: plastics, and is preferably cylindrical in shape and comprises a series of resilient fingers formed at one end and an outlet aperture at the other end defined by a fustro-conical wall. The resilient fingers may suitably be formed by injection moulding a hollow cylindrical sleeve having, at one end, an inwardly directed annular bead, and then cutting the end portion of the sleeve with axially-directed, equiangularly-spaced cuts, the fingers being formed between adjacent cuts. Alternatively, and preferably the resilient fingers are formed during the moulding of the sleeve, by the use of a finned mould. Each finger will be flexible towards and away from the axis of the sleeve independently of all the other fingers.

The different angles of the fingers allow assembly of the device with a relatively small force yet prevent dismantling except by means of much greater force. This provides a strong anti-tamper deterrent, and by varying the angles in conjunction with the finger dimensions, the assembly dismantle forces can be varied as required.

In yet a further modification the resilient fingers, formed on either the neck collar or the valve-carrying sleeve are dispensed with in favour of a continuous annular bead on one or other component snap-fitting into an annular groove formed on the other component . Such a structure is only feasible when either the neck collar or the valve-carrying sleeve is made of sufficiently flexible material.

The valve itself, which is carried in the sleeve, is preferably a plastics moulding providing an internal passage of any cross-section, but preferably cylindrical, within which the valve weight may reciprocate. The valve suitably has a frusto-conical wall matching that of the sleeve, and, in operation, is held against the sleeve wall and an annular ledge formed internally of the sleeve by means of the free end of the container neck collar. For this purpose the valve body is suitably provided with an annular collar which rests upon the said ledge. This annular collar will contain an aperture, or apertures, through which ingredients Inay pass from the container to the sleeve. The valve will also Contain a lower port through which the ingredient flows upon raising the valve weight.

In a still further modification of the invention, the ingredient container is a flexible bag which is either integrally moulded with a more rigid neck collar or is clampingly secured to a separately formed neck collar.

A number of embodiments of the invention are illustrated in Figures 3 to 13 of the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 3 to 6 are cross-sectional views, schematic in nature, of different container/valve member assemblies; Figure 7 is both a plam and a schematic side elevation of an element forming an upper valve seat for any of the embodiments shown in Figures 3 to 6; Figure 8 is an elevation of one end of a sleeve of a valve member of the invention showing the fingers; Figure 9 is a section of the finger-end of the sleeve; Figure 10 shows the neck collar of the container adjacent the finger-end of the sleeve, before assembly; Figure 11 shows the attachment of a supplementary dispensing tube to the lower end of an assembly of the invention.

' Figure 12 and 13 show two assemblies wherein the ingredients container is a flexible bag which is clamped to a substantially - 8 46177 more rigid, separately-formed neck collar; Referring to Figure 3 a disposable container is provided having a body portion 1 and an elongate valve extension 2.

The body and valve extension are integrally moulded, suitably by a blow-moulding operation, from thin plastics material such as, for example, polyvinyl chloride or polyethylene. The extension 2 is waisted to form an upper valve seat 3 and a lower valve seat 4. Movable between valve seats 3 and 4 is a stainless steel ball 5, shown in both a lower and an upper position 5a and 5b respectively. The extremity of the valve extension 2 is provided with a screw-threaded neck portion 6 for threaded engagement with a cap 7. A score line 8 enables the screwthreaded neck to be removed, if desired.

At the other end of the container body 1 a filling orifice may be provided, sealed by means of a foil seal 9.

Xn use, the container/dispenser is based in the vending machine with the valve extension within the field of an electro-magnetic coil 10. The device is supported in its correct position by means of a support collar 11. When not being used the ball assumes a position on the lower valve seat 4, the ingredients 12 thus being allowed to fall into the chamber 13 of the valve extension. When a charge of ingredients is required, the ·, coil is activated and the ball moves upwards to seat on the upper valve seat 3, thus closing the body 1 and allowing the ingredients to fall from the chamber 13 into a cup disposed below the dispenser.

It will be seen that when the container has discharged all its ingredients, it, together with the integrally formed valve, may be thrown away and replaced by another container/valve assembly.

In the device shown in Figure 4, the upper valve seat 23 is integrally moulded with the container body 1.

The lower valve seat 24 is carried in a separately-formed, suitably injection-moulded, tubular attachment 22, Which additionally carries a screw-threaded cap 27. The extension of the body 1 providing the valve seat 23 is itself provided with a series of ratchet-like annuli 25, which lockingly engage with complementary annuli 26 formed internally of sleeve 22.

When sleeve 22 is pushed onto container body 1, the respective annuli 25, 26 lockingly engage such that the valve formed by their respective tubular members is captively retained on the container body 1. The capacity of the valve chamber can be readily varied by pushing sleeve 22 to a greater or lesser extent on the body 1.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the valve is formed as a separately moulded tubular body 32, providing upper and lower valve seats 33, 34 respectively. A tubular extension 35 is captively attached to a tubular extension 36 of container body 31 by means of matching ratchet-like threads 37.

In the device shown in Figure 6, an elongate tubular extension 50 of container body 41 surrounds a separately formed valve body 42, providing valve seats 43, 44 against which ball valve 45 is caused to seat. The valve 42 is captively retained within extension 50 by means of an annular rib or a series of circumferentially spaced fingers 46.

In all the embodiments described herein the container/ - 10 4 617 7 dispensing valve assemblies are very simple and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble. It will be appreciated that in the embodiments shown in Figures 3, 5 and 6 the ball valve is placed in position in the valve chamber by forcing it past one of the valve seats. This will require, of course, that seat to be slightly resilient, which is of course a characteristic of the materials from which the containers and valve assemblies herein are proposed to be made.

Figure 7 shows both in section and in plan, a form of upper valve seat which may be used in any of the embodiments illustrated in Figures 3 to 6. The upper valve seat 53 shown in Figure 7 comprises a number (four are shown) of partepherical protuberances 54 spaced apart circumferentially of valve body 55. The number and size of these protuberances determines the size of the throughpassages 56 between them and hence the rate at which beverage-forming ingredient may flow past valve seat 53 when ball valve 57 is in its upper position. Thus, when the ball valve 57 is raised beverage forming ingredients are allowed to continue to flow past the ball through gaps 56 until such time as the magnetic coil is de-energised and the ball is allowed to fall onto its lower valve seating, creating a complete seal. The advantage of this system is that with the aid of time switches variable quantities of ingredients can be dispensed without any adjustment to the dispenser heat section.

Referring to Figures 8 and 10 a valve sleeve 105 is provided for attachment to a container 101 having an upstanding - 11 46177 neck collar 102 integrally moulded therewith. Formed around the base of collar 102 externally thereof, is an annular groove 103. The external wall of the collar 102 beneath the groove 103 is cylindrical. The internal wall is partly cylindrical and has a frusto-conical portion 104. At the upper end of the sleeve from the dispense aperture are a series of resilient fingers 109 formed by cuts 110 in the upper cylindrical part 111 of Valve sleeve 105. At the outer end of each finger 109 is an inwardly-directed bead 112, (Figure 9) having a shape which is complementary to that of annular groove 103, one form of which is shown in detail at the top of Figure 9, so that on assembly, the bead 112 on each finger 109 snaps into annular groove 103.

The sleeve 105 is mounted in use on the container 101 as shown in Figure 11. As the sleeve is pushed towards the container the beads 112 contact the free end of the collar 102, and the fingers 109 are caused to splay outwardly.

The beads 112 ride up the external wall of collar 102 until they snap into groove 103. Sleeve 105 is thereby held captive on collar 102. Additional security is provided by a security ring 119, moulded integrally with the container 101, which prevents access to the tops of fingers 109 once they have become engaged with groove 103. It is therefore not possible, or is possible only with very great difficulty to bend a sufficient number of fingers 109 outwardly, so that the beads 11.2 are clear of groove 103, to separate the sleeve 105 from the container 101 by pulling. Preferably the valve sleeve 105 has from 4 to 60 fingers 109, suitably about 20 such fingers.

A push-on or screw-on cap 7 closes aperture 8 (see Figure 3) during transport and is also used to prevent spillage of ingredient during dispenser replacement in the machine. The cap remains in place on the full dispenser until it is in the machine and is refitted to the empty container before removal from the machine. Instead of a cap, a plug or other internal stopper may be used.

In practice, the container 101 will be filled with the required ingredients, the valve body inserted into sleeve 105, the sleeve 105 push-fitted to the container 101 and the dispenser head assembly or the entire package sealed in an impervious membrane, for example plastics film, by a vacuum-sealing, heat-sealing or self-sealing packaging process. The dispenser can also be provided with a tube 130 (See Figure 11) suitably mounted at the outlet end of sleeve 105, to lead ingredient to a central dispensing station.

This dispensing tube is preferably protected from contamination during insertion in the machine by a strippable sheath 131, which is partially removed when the container and the tube are fully installed in the machine. When the container is empty the remaining part of the protective sheath 131 is pulled over the end of the dispensing tube 130, sealing any ingredient in the tube, and allowing removal from the machine without mess. By this means the need to clean the dispensing station is much reduced.

Figure 12 shows a modification wherein the container 101 of Figures 8 to 11 is replaced by a flexible ingredient « ’ bag 132 which is attached to a separately formed neck collar 133 by means of a flexible band 134. A recess 135, which houses the flexible band 134 is shaped to provide a locking action preventing bag movement if the bag is pulled during filling, assembly or use. After filling the bag 132, a valve-sleeve- 136/ having flexible fingers as described hereinbefore, is pushed over the bag/collar assembly and is located on the groove 137, thus retaining the valve and valve weight as before and forming a secondary locking of the bag 132 to the collar 133. Thus, due to the finger locking action described above, the sleeve is difficult to remove and also prevents removal of the bag from the collar.

A flexible seal 138 provides a soft Seat ih the dispensing machine to prevent damage to the flexible bag. Alternatively, the groove 137 may be situated below the recess 135 (instead of above as Shown in Figure 12) so that when the sleeve 136 is fitted to the collar piece 133, the bag-retaining band 134 is accessible.

Figure 13 Shows a further method whereby a flexible bag 139 is held on a neck collar piece 140. In this case use is made of a locking collar 141. The locking collar 141 is flexible to allow engagement of lugs 142, and provides sufficient retaining force to prevent the bag being removed without tearing. The bag is filled and a sleeve 143, having flexible fingers as described above, is pushed over the collar piece 140 and locked into groove 144, preventing removal of locking collar 141. Sleeve 143 retains the valve and valve weight as before.

Claims (14)

1. CLAIMS:1. A disposable container and dispenser assembly for a vending machine which assembly comprises a container body adapted to contain ingredients to be dispensed, and valve means for controlling the dispensing of said ingredients whereby the valve means is integral with or substantially irreversibly captive with the container body so that the assembly can be removed from its operative location in said machine for disposal as a single unit.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the valve means includes a valve member movable between an open position in which dispensing occurs and a closed position.

3. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein valve means includes at least one seat formed integral with the container and wherein a dispensing from the container is closed by a valve member engaging said seat.

4. An assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein said valve member is maintained in the closed position under the influence of gravity when the assembly is in its operative location.

5. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the container body has a neck collar and the valve means comprises a valve carrying sleeve each of said neck and said sleeve having interengagement means whereby said sleeve and said neck can be snapped together.

6. An assembly as claimed in claim 5 wherein interengagement means comprises an annular groove on one component, and a plurality of resilient fingers about a free end of the other component, each of said fingers having a bead adapted to engage with said groove so that on entering the grooved component Within the annulus of the fingers of the other component the bead on each finger snaps Into the groove to lock components together.

7. An assembly as claimed in claim 6 wherein the groove is disposed about the collar and the fingers are provided on the sleeve.

8. An assembly as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7 wherein the groove is surrounded by a baulk ring.

9. An assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8 wherein the valve means comprises a cylindrical sleeve having a frusto-conical wall at one end defining a dispensing aperture.

10. An assembly as claimed in claim 9 wherein a valve member having a dispensing bore moves substantially coaxially with respect to the dispensing aperture, the diameter of the dispensing bore of the valve member being greater than that of the dispensing aperture.

11. An assembly as claimed in claim 2 or any one of claims 3 to 10 when dependant on claim 2 wherein the valve member is biased to the closed position.

12. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 11 wherein the valve member is a ball.

13. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in any one of Figures 3 to 13 of the accompanying drawings.

14. A vending machine for dispensing beverages which comprises an actuation station, a dispensing station, an assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims 5 and means for actuating the valve member of said assembly, whereby actuation of the machine from said actuation station operates the valve actuation means to move the valve member of the assembly to the open position to dispense ingredients from the container body for the formation 10 of a beverage at said dispensing station.