Claims
- 1. A beverage dispenser for use with a container for holding concentrated juice, the container having an adapter with a ball valve which is at the bottom of the container when the container is inserted in the dispenser, the dispenser comprising:
- a housing having a chamber for holding a container in a stationary position when inserted;
- a dispenser valve mounted in the housing, the dispensor valve including:
- a pin which is vertically actuatable to a first position in which the pin is spaced from the ball valve so that the juice is contained and a second position in which the pin engages the ball valve to allow the concentrated juice to flow from the container, and
- a switch for moving the pin between the first and second positions;
- a conduit for providing water from a water supply;
- means for combining the water and the concentrated juice; and
- a tap for providing the combined water and concentrated juice; and
- a removable cleaning plug to allow cleaning of the dispenser valve.
- 2. The dispenser of claim 1 further comprising a second conduit for providing rinse water to the dispenser valve, wherein the dispenser valve has a moveable portion with an opening for receiving water into the dispenser valve from the second conduit when the opening is aligned with the conduit, the opening being aligned when the pin is in the first position.
- 3. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the dispenser valve has a stationary outer sleeve with raised tracks and a rotatable inner sleeve with radial pins which mate with the raised tracks when the inner sleeve is inserted in the outer sleeve, the inner sleeve further comprising a radially extending handle.
- 4. The dispenser of claim 2 wherein the dispenser valve has a stationary outer sleeve with raised tracks and a rotatable inner sleeve with radial pins which mate with the raised tracks when the inner sleeve is inserted in the outer sleeve, the inner sleeve further comprising a radially extending handle.
- 5. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the chamber holds a plurality of containers, the dispenser comprising an equal plurality of dispenser valves and pumps.
- 6. A beverage dispenser for use with a container for holding a concentrated beverage, container having an adapter which is resealably actuatable between an open position for allowing the beverage to flow from the container and a closed position for containing the beverage, the dispenser comprising:
- a housing having a chamber for holding a container in a fixed position;
- a dispenser valve including:
- an engaging mechanism for engaging the adapter, and
- a switch operable between a first position in which the engaging mechanism causes the adapter to be in the open position and a second position in which the adapter is maintained in the closed position;
- means for combining the concentrated beverage and water; and
- a removable cleaning plug to allow cleaning of the dispenser valve.
- 7. The dispenser of claim 6 wherein the adapter has a spring loaded ball valve, and the engaging mechanism includes a pin.
- 8. The dispenser of claim 7 wherein the switch comprises a manually rotatable handle for causing the pin to move vertically.
- 9. The dispenser of claim 8 further comprising a conduit for providing rinse water into the dispenser valve through an opening in the valve, the opening being aligned with the conduit when the adapter is in the closed position, the opening being out of alignment with the conduit when the adapter is in a open position.
- 10. A beverage dispenser for use with a container for holding a liquid, the container having an adapter which is mechanically actuatable between an open position in which the liquid can flow and a closed position in which the liquid is contained, the dispenser comprising:
- a housing having a chamber for holding at least one container with liquid;
- means for holding the container at a specified height in the chamber;
- a dispenser valve including:
- a support rigidly mounted in the housing under and at a fixed distance from the container,
- a movable engaging mechanism coupled to the support for actuating the adapter between the open and closed positions,
- an engaging switch for moving the engaging mechanism, and
- a removable cleaning plug to allow cleaning of the dispenser valve.
- 11. The dispenser of claim 10 wherein the engaging switch causes the engaging mechanism to move vertically into physical contact with the adapter.
- 12. The dispenser of claim 10 further comprising a conduit for providing rinse water to the valve, wherein the engaging mechanism is a pin mounted in a rotatable cup, the cup having an opening which is aligned with the conduit when the adapter is in the closed position, and non-aligned when the adapter is in the open position.
- 13. A beverage dispenser for use with a container for holding concentrated juice, the container having an adapter with a ball valve which is at the bottom of the container when the container is inserted in the dispenser, the dispenser comprising:
- a housing having a chamber for holding a container in a stationary position when inserted;
- a dispenser valve mounted in the housing, the dispensor valve including:
- a pin which is vertically actuatable to a first position in which the pin is spaced from the ball valve so that the juice is contained and a second position in which the pin engages the ball valve to allow the concentrated juice to flow from the container, the pin being integrally formed with the dispenser valve; and
- a switch for moving the pin between the first and second positions;
- a conduit for providing water from a water supply;
- means for combining the water and the concentrated juice; and
- a tap for providing the combined water and concentrated juice.
- 14. The dispenser of claim 13 further comprising a second conduit for providing rinse water to the dispenser valve, wherein the dispenser valve has a moveable portion with an opening for receiving water into the dispenser valve from the second conduit when the opening is aligned with the conduit, the opening being aligned when the pin is in the first position.
- 15. The dispenser of claim 13 wherein the dispenser valve has a stationary outer sleeve with raised tracks and a rotatable inner sleeve with radial pins which mate with the raised tracks when the inner sleeve is inserted in the outer sleeve, the inner sleeve further comprising a radially extending handle.
- 16. The dispenser of claim 14 wherein the dispenser valve has a stationary outer sleeve with raised tracks and a rotatable inner sleeve with radial pins which mate with the raised tracks when the inner sleeve is inserted in the outer sleeve, the inner sleeve further comprising a radially extending handle.
- 17. The dispenser of claim 13 wherein the chamber holds a plurality of containers, the dispenser comprising an equal plurality of dispenser valves and pumps.
- 18. A beverage dispenser for use with a container for holding a concentrated beverage, the container having an adapter which is resealably actuatable between an open position for allowing the beverage to flow from the container and a closed position for containing the beverage, the dispenser comprising:
- a dispenser valve including:
- an engaging mechanism for engaging the adapter,
- a switch operable between a first position in which the engaging mechanism causes the adapter to be in the open position and a second position in which the adapter is maintained in the closed position, and
- a removable cleaning plug to allow cleaning of the dispenser valve; and
- means for combining the concentrated beverage and water.
- 19. The dispenser of claim 18, wherein the adapter has a spring loaded ball valve, and the engaging mechanism includes a pin.
- 20. The dispenser of claim 19, wherein the switch comprises a manually rotatable handle for causing the pin to move vertically.
- 21. The dispenser of claim 20, further comprising a conduit for providing rinse water into the dispenser valve through an opening in the valve, the opening being aligned with the conduit when the adapter is in a closed position, the opening being out of alignment with the conduit when the adapter is in an open position.
- 22. the dispenser of claim 19, wherein the pin is integrally formed with the dispenser valve.
- 23. The dispenser of claim 22, wherein the pin is cylindrical and is connected to the dispenser valve by an x-shaped support member, the pin and the support member being integrally formed with the dispenser valve.
- 24. The dispenser of claim 18, wherein the removable cleaning plug includes a handle.
- 25. A beverage dispenser for use with a container for holding a concentrated beverage, the container having an adapter which is resealably actuatable between an open position for allowing the beverage to flow from the container and a closed position for containing the beverage, the dispenser comprising:
- a dispenser valve including:
- an engaging mechanism for engaging the adapter, the engaging mechanism including a vertically oriented pin integrally formed with the dispenser valve,
- a switch operable between a first position in which the engaging mechanism causes the adapter to be in the open position and a second position in which the adapter is maintained in a closed position; and
- means for combining the concentrated beverage and water.
- 26. The dispenser of claim 25, wherein the switch includes a manually rotatable handle for causing the pin to move vertically.
- 27. The dispenser of claim 26, further comprising a conduit for providing rinse water into the dispenser valve through an opening in the valve, the opening being aligned with the conduit when the adapter is in the closed position, the opening being out of alignment with the conduit when the adapter is in an open position.
- 28. The dispenser of claim 25, wherein the pin is cylindrical and is supported by an x-shaped support member integrally formed with the dispenser valve.
- 29. The dispenser of claim 25, further comprising a removable cleaning plug to allow cleaning of the dispenser valve.
- 30. The dispenser of claim 29, wherein the removable cleaning plug includes a handle.
- 31. A dispenser valve for use in a beverage dispenser that holds a container with a concentrated beverage, the container having an adapter which is resealably actuatable between an open position for allowing the beverage to flow from the container and a closed position for containing the beverage, the valve comprising:
- an engaging mechanism for engaging the adapter, the engaging mechanism including a vertically oriented pin integrally formed with the dispenser valve,
- a switch operable between a first position in which the engaging means causes the adapter to be in the open position and a second position in which the adapter is maintained in a closed position.
- 32. The value of claim 31, wherein the pin is cylindrical and is supported by an x-shaped support member integrally formed with the dispenser valve.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 08/309,043, filed Sep. 20, 1994, now abandoned which is a continuation of Ser. No. 08/060,604, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,192.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
9203347 |
Mar 1992 |
WOX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
60604 |
May 1993 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
309043 |
Sep 1994 |
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