Patent ID: 7513398
Filing Date: 2009-04-07
Classification: B67D

Abstract:
1. A beverage dispense valve comprising (i) a valve body; (ii) a female taper member inside the valve body and defining an internal chamber in fluid communication with a beverage inlet port and a beverage outlet port; the internal diameter of the chamber increasing in a downstream direction away from the beverage inlet port; (iii) a male taper member having a taper portion receivable in said internal chamber, the external diameter of the taper portion increasing in a downstream direction so as to be at least partially complementary to the female taper member, and having a hollow outlet portion downstream of the taper portion, one taper member being slidable relative to the other so that a flow passageway can be formed in an annular gap between them, the flow passageway providing a restrictive diffusing flow path for beverage and the two taper members forming a flow regulator; (iv) one or more apertures penetrating through the male taper member to allow beverage to pass from the flow passageway into the interior of the outlet portion, (v) a valve closure arrangement for sealing flow between the beverage inlet port and the beverage outlet port; and (vi) an actuating mechanism outside the valve body to operate both the flow regulator and the valve closure arrangement; wherein said valve closure arrangement is located at or adjacent to the maximum external diameter of the male taper member so that in its closed position the closure arrangement seals the flow passageway at the downstream end of the diffusing flow path but upstream of the apertures(s) which penetrate through the male taper member.