Patent ID: 6478192
Filing Date: 2002-11-12
Classification: B67D,Y10T

Abstract:
A dispensing device for mixing one or more concentrates with two or more diluents, comprising:one or more concentrate lines providing for separate fluid connection between corresponding individual one or more pressurized sources of concentrate and corresponding one or more concentrate control valves, and the concentrate control valves individually fluidly connected to separate concentrate outlets in a dispensing head, two or more diluent lines providing for separate fluid connection between corresponding individual two or more pressurized sources of diluent and separate two or more inlets of a change over valve mechanism, the change over valve mechanism having a single diluent outlet for fluid connection to a common diluent line, a control valve having an inlet fluidly connected to the common diluent line and an outlet fluidly connected to a separate diluent outlet of the dispensing head, a closure member operated by a drive means and movable thereby in a passageway of the control valve to a plurality of positions between the inlet and the outlet thereof from a first position in which the valve is fully closed to a second position in which the valve is fully open, a wall of the passageway of the closure member defining at least one groove, the groove having a transverse cross-section that increases in area in a downstream direction wherein diluent flows through the passageway from the control valve inlet to the control valve outlet, and the movement of the closure member from the first closed position towards the second open position opens a flow channel through the groove of increasing size, a control for regulating the operation of the one or more concentrate control valves, the change over valve mechanism and the drive means of the control valve for controlling dispensing from the dispensing head of various mixtures of the one or more concentrates with the two or more diluents and for controlling the flow rate of the selected diluent.