WO2004065286A1

WO2004065286A1 - Thermo-sensitive pressure reducing valve for beverage distribution systems

Info

Publication number: WO2004065286A1
Application number: PCT/EP2003/014988
Authority: WO
Inventors: Carlo Maria Pensa
Original assignee: ODL SRL
Current assignee: ODL SRL
Priority date: 2003-01-23
Filing date: 2003-12-31
Publication date: 2004-08-05
Anticipated expiration: 2005-07-23
Also published as: AU2003296753A1; ITMI20030098A1

Abstract

A thermo- sensitive pressure reducing valve is described, in particular of a gas used for beverage distribution, having a reducing body with high pressure inlet conduits and regulated pressure outlet conduits, a reducing pressure valve sensitive to the temperature such that a distributing gas pressure corresponds to each temperature, to maintain constant the same value dissolved in the beverage, wherein it comprises two separate chambers, one for the ditributing gas expansion and one for the sensible element control, by a thermo-sensible gas mixture, said chambers being placed on the same axis and such that said chambers can be approached and moved away to perform the clearances setting and the sensible element is not influenced by the temperature prevailing in the expansion chamber of the distributing gas. This embodiment also allows to replace easily and quickly the cover of a traditional pressure reducing valve with the cover comprising the thermo-sensitive element according to the present invention.

Description

"THERMO-SENSITIVE PRESSURE REDUCING VALVE FOR BEVERAGE

DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS"

In the beverage distribution systems called "draught" the pressure regulators, which provide for delivering the gas used to maintain the beverage gassing and to push the same beverage from the barrel to the delivery cock, are elements of great importance. The usually employed gases are carbon dioxide or nitrogen, or mixtures composed by these gases.

Especially for aerated beverages, to maintain steady the dissolved gas quantity is necessary to provide for maintaining the pressure inside the barrel to a value which depends on the liquid temperature. Pressure reducing valves have been therefore studied and realized, with systems sensitive to the temperature so that it can be a correlation between the temperature itself and the gas pressure. Said systems comprise a sensible element usually provided with a bellows containing liquid or gas so that to a temperature variation correspond a variation either of length or of a strength resisting to a movement variation.

Many are the devices made with such systems; two are the disadvantages found, that the present invention solves.

The first one concerns the fact that the sensible element is normally placed directly in contact with the reduced pressure fluid so, when the delivery becomes continuous and plentiful, there is a temperature drop in the system because of the expansion in the pressure reducer, and consequently the reference temperature signal and the pressure are offset.

The second one concerns the requirement of mechanical constructions with very strict tolerances, as the sensible element rarely has a considerable range.

To solve these problems, with the present invention a device is provided, having two separate chambers for the gas expansion and for the control by the sensible element, said two chambers being also mutually connected by an adjustable system which allows the arrangement of constructive differences.

Furthermore, the present embodiment allows, for a traditional reducing valve, the easy and quick replacement of the cover comprising the antagonistic spring and the adjusting screw, with a new cover comprising the thermo-sensitive element. The thermo-sensitive pressure reducing valve according to the present invention will be better described in greater detail in the following description of two illustrative and not limiting embodiments of the invention, with reference to the annexed drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of the first embodiment;

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the second embodiment; and

Figure 3 is a frontal view of the embodiment shown in Figure 2.

Referring to the Figure 1 of the annexed drawings, which shows the first embodiment of the pressure reducing valve, with numeral 1 the reducing body is shown, which comprises the high pressure inlet conduits 2 and the reduced pressure outlet conduits 3, the expansion chamber 4 and the reduction valve 5 seat, consisting of a valve body closed by a filter 6 which blocks the jacket 7 opposing the gasket 8, on which seals the pin 9, contrasted by the spring 10. Said reduction valve 5 opens the gas passage from the conduit 2 to the chamber 4 when the pin 9 is pushed down and closes in opposite direction.

The reducing body is then closed with the cap 11 by the screws 12 and seals the gasket 13; said cap 11, which can comprise in particular some fins 14, is provided with an internally drilled threaded pin 15, on which through the thread 16 the thermo-sensitive system basement 17 is screwed, then fixed by the lock nut 18. Between the pin 15 and said basement 17 there is the sealing gasket 19.

By the ring nut 20 on the basement 17 the sensible element 21 is then fixed, comprising an external envelope 22 and an internal bellows 23 containing the gaseous element 24, which may consist of such a mixture of different gases that a related internal pressure suitable for the operation corresponds to each temperature.

The ball 25 closes the same element's charging hole, inside the threaded pin 15, while the control pin 27, which makes contact between the sensible bellows element 23 and the reduction valve 5, slides inside the hole 26; clearly said pin 27 does not seal into the hole but allows the balance between the pressure in the chamber 4 and in the chamber 28, being that chamber 28 formed between the sensible element 23 and the thermo-sensitive system basement 17.

It should be understood that the gas flow expanding to the exit does not directly involve said chamber 28 and thus allows to maintain the element temperature constant and at the ambient value.

Furthermore it is well evident that the present embodiment allows the easy setting of the clearances due to the mechanical construction and to the different configurations of the reducing valves.

Said embodiment then well lends itself to the replacement of the traditional cap with the thermo-sensitive system.

Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 2 (section view) and in Figure 3 (frontal view), with the thermo-sensitive reduction valve placed on the tapping head. Obviously, said thermo-sensitive reduction valve body can be directly placed into the head body or can be directly connected to said body by a thread or in other way without falling out from the general conception of the invention.

With numeral 30 the tapping head is generally indicated, which is fastened to the relating tap placed in the barrel (not shown in figure) where the beverage to be tapped is contained. The pressure reducing valve 31 is placed at the inlet gas conduit, with the reducing valve 32, the safety valve 33, the high pressure gauge 34, the inlet gas line 35, from the gas bottle or- from a primary reducing valve, and with the connection 36 for the thermo-sensitive element always placed in a separate chamber from the expansion chamber 38; the regulated pressure gas inlet conduit 39 to the tapping head could have check valves not shown in the drawing.

Said solution comprises the invention advantages and allows to measure with better precision the temperature inside the barrel.

It is evident that numerous alterations, variations and additions could be resorted to the pressure reducing valve according to the present invention, without departing from its object and even without falling outside its scope of protection, as it is also defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A thermo-sensitive pressure reducing valve, in particular of a gas used for beverage distribution, having a reducing body with high pressure inlet conduits and regulated pressure outlet conduits, a reducing pressure valve, an expansion chamber and a control system for the reduction valve sensitive to the temperature such that a distributing gas pressure corresponds to each temperature, to maintain constant the same value dissolved in the beverage, wherein it comprises two separate chambers, one for the distributing gas expansion and one for the sensible element control, by a thermo-sensible gas mixture, said chambers being placed on the same axis and such that said chambers can be approached and moved away to perform the clearances setting and the sensible element is not influenced by the temperature prevailing in the expansion chamber of the distributing gas.

2. The reducing valve according to claim 1 , wherein the control system sensitive to the temperature comprises an external envelope and an internal bellows which define, in the space delimited by them, the chamber containing the thermo-sensitive gas mixture, so that for each temperature the bellows controls a corresponding pressure of the beverage distributing gas.

3. The reducing valve according to the preceding claims, wherein said two chambers are connected to each other by a thread which allows the clearances adjustment.

4. The reducing valve according to the preceding claims, wherein the reducing body is closed by a cap provided with fins, to allow the thermal exchange with the environment.

5. The reducing valve according to the preceding claims, wherein the control system pin directly acts on the control pin of the reducing valve.

6. The reducing valve according to the preceding claims, wherein the reducing valve is directly placed on or into the tapping head.