Patent ID: 9656849
Date: 2017-05-23
CPC Classifications: B67D

Claim:
1. A valve assembly for dispensing multiple beverages via a common nozzle dispense point, the valve assembly comprising: a plurality of valve modules, wherein each valve module in the plurality of valve modules has a plurality of separate fluid pathways; a plurality of flow control components that control flow of fluid in the plurality of separate fluid pathways, wherein a flow control component from the plurality of flow control components is provided for each separate fluid pathway in the plurality of separate fluid pathways; a backblock that couples the plurality of valve modules to a fluid source for providing a flow of fluid to the plurality of separate fluid pathways; a dispenser nozzle that forms the common nozzle dispense point for the plurality of valve modules; and a diffuser that receives the flow of fluid from the plurality of valve modules and diffuses the flow of fluid into the dispenser nozzle; wherein each of the plurality of valve modules have a back side that interfaces with the backblock, each of the plurality of valve modules have a bottom side that interfaces with the diffuser, wherein the bottom side is perpendicular to the back side, each of the plurality of valve modules have a front side that is opposite the back side and perpendicular to the bottom side, and each of the flow control components has a flow control device for controlling flow of fluid there through, each flow control device facing the front side so that the flow control device can be accessed without removing the flow control component from the valve assembly; wherein the each separate fluid pathway extends horizontally from the back side towards the front side and then vertically downwardly to the bottom side; wherein the plurality of separate fluid pathways extend parallel to each other from the back side towards the front side and wherein the plurality of separate fluid pathways extend parallel to each other towards the bottom side; wherein the plurality of flow control components in each valve module are vertically aligned on top of each other; wherein the plurality of flow control components in each valve module are horizontally offset from each other from the back side towards the front side; a plurality of shut off components that are configured to shut off flow of fluid in the plurality of separate fluid pathways, wherein one shut off component from the plurality of shut off components is provided for each separate fluid pathway in the plurality of separate fluid pathways; wherein the plurality of shut off components comprises first and second shut off components that are located at the bottom side and face each other on opposite sides of the plurality of separate fluid pathways.