Claims
- 1. Apparatus for dispensing cold drinks comprising:
- a line for supplying cold water for drinks adapted for continuous flow of water therethrough;
- a valve for dispensing water from said supply line, said valve comprising a valve body having an inlet interconnected with said line at a first point along said line, an outlet for delivery of water from the valve body into a cup, a delivery passage in the body for delivery of water from the inlet to the outlet, a valve seat in the body adjacent the outlet, and a valve member associated with the body movable between a closed position engaging the seat blocking flow of water through the outlet and an open position for flow of water through the outlet; and
- a system for maintaining a continuous flow of the cold water through said delivery passage and back to said line when the valve member is closed to assure having cold water on tap for being dispensed when the valve member is opened, comprising a return passage in the valve body interconnected with the delivery passage downstream from the inlet and upstream from but adjacent the valve seat and a return connection from said return passage to said supply line at a second point along said line downstream from said first point, and means for causing a pressure differential in the water between said first and second points such that, when the valve member is closed, cold water flows continuously from said first point along said line to the inlet, through said delivery passage, through said return passage and through said return connection back to the line at said second point along said line.
- 2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 having a flow control in said delivery passage upstream from the valve seat, said return passage being interconnected with said delivery passage downstream from said flow control.
- 3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 having a check valve in said return passage in the valve body for preventing flow of liquid from said second point along the line back through said return passage to said delivery passage when the valve is open.
- 4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said means for causing the pressure differential comprises a Venturi in said supply line at said second point, said return connection being in communication with the Venturi throat.
- 5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the valve body further has a syrup passage for flow of syrup for a drink from a syrup supply to the outlet for mixing with cold water flowing through the outlet, and a syrup valve for said syrup passage, said syrup passage being in heat-exchange relation with said cold water flow system in said valve body to assure having cold syrup available for being dispensed when the syrup valve is opened.
- 6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 having a flow control in the syrup passage in heat-exchange relation with said cold water flow system.
- 7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 having a water flow control in said delivery passage upstream from the valve seat, and a syrup flow control in the syrup passage, water flowing from the water flow control in heat-exchange relation with the syrup flow control and then to said return passage.
- 8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein the water flow control and syrup flow control are side-by-side in the valve body.
- 9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein the valve body has a first chamber for the water flow control and a second chamber alongside the first, with a first space around the water flow control in the first chamber through which water flows from the water flow control and a second space around the syrup flow control in the second chamber, said body having a port interconnecting said spaces, and said exit passage from said second space to the return passage.
- 10. Apparatus as set forth in claim 9 wherein the syrup flow control comprises an outer cylinder fixed in said second chamber with said second space extending around said outer cylinder, and an inner cylinder slidable in the outer cylinder, and a partition for said second space between said port where the water enters said space and said exit passage whereby water flows through said second space around said outer cylinder and exits from said second space through said exit passage.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending application Ser. No. 234,350, filed Feb. 13, 1981, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
234350 |
Feb 1981 |
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