Liquid dispensers

Abstract: A water dispenser which dispenses liquid from an inverted bottle includes a housing 31 provided with a mounting arrangement for the bottle. A feed tube projects into the neck of the bottle to conduct water to a reservoir from which water is discharged through a valve 80. The valve includes a pinch bar 106 acting on a flexible plastics or rubber tube 96 which can easily be replaced. The outlet end of the tube is recessed behind the housing 31 to prevent accidental hand contact.

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to liquid dispensers such as bottled water dispensers. BACKGROUND Bottled water dispensers are usually arranged to receive the neck of an inverted bottle filled with clean water. Sometimes, as in US 4 699 188 and WO 90/03919 for example, the bottle is provided with a cap through which a feed tube is inserted to discharge the water from the bottle into one or more reservoirs inside the dispenser. The water in the respective reservoir may then be heated, cooled or carbonated for example, from whence the water can be drawn via a discharge valve. There is currently a requirement to maintain strict hygiene in water dispensers. In the majority of water dispensers the reservoir and other components which come into contact with the water are sterilised in situ. This is a difficult task which is not always carried out as thoroughly as it should be. Considering the discharge valve in particular, this can pose a potential source of contamination since the valve outlet is often disposed in a position which allows direct hand contact by users. Removal of the valves for sterilisation would be a time-consuming operation. US-A-2 806 482 and US-A-3 539 081 disclose forms of liquid dispenser having pinch valves from which a flexible tube can be removed. In the form of liquid dispenser disclosed in US-A-3 445 039, on which the two-part form of Claim 1 is based, the valve and the tube are removed together. An aim of the present invention may be viewed as being to improve the hygiene of liquid dispensers. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention proposes liquid dispensing apparatus as set forth in Claim 1. Preferred features of the apparatus are set forth in the dependent claims. With this form of valve there are no components in contact with the liquid which need to be sterilised except for the tube which is easily removed and replaced. The tube could be sterilised for re-use, although since it is a relatively inexpensive item the tube will often be discarded. The risk of contamination is reduced still further by the fact that the discharge outlet is shrouded to prevent direct hand contact with the outlet. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The following description and the accompanying drawings referred to therein are included by way of non-limiting example in order to illustrate how the invention may be put into practice. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a front view of a water discharge valve of a water dispenser of the invention, Figure 2 is a plan view of the valve on section II-II of Fig. 1, and Figure 3 is a vertical section III-III through the valve of Fig. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Before considering the drawings in detail, it will be noted that the illustrated discharge valve is incorporated in a water dispenser of the kind which includes a housing 31 having a generally funnel-shaped mounting portion in its top wall for receiving and supporting an inverted water bottle. The mounting portion leads downwardly to a central opening for receiving a neck of the bottle, and a feed tube projects axially upwards through the opening to pass sealably into the neck. The lower end of the feed tube is connected by suitable lengths of tubing to supply water to hot and cold water reservoirs. The cold reservoir typically includes a cooling coil for cooling the water contained therein whereas the hot reservoir is provided with a water-heating element. Each reservoir is further connected by further tubing to a respective discharge tap, which will be described in detail below. At this point however, it is to be noted that although a water dispenser having two water reservoirs has been described, the dispenser could equally have only one reservoir or more than two reservoirs. Referring to the drawings, the discharge valve 80 is mounted above a recess 81 formed in a front wall of the housing 31. An operating lever 82 projects through the front wall of the housing and is mounted between rearwardly extending arms 84, 85 (Fig. 2) to pivot about a generally horizontal axis 86 lying parallel to the front wall. The lever 82 is biassed upwardly by a tension spring 88 which acts between a lug 89 on the lever and a suitable projection 90 on the inside of the housing. Referring particularly to Fig. 3, a valve body 94 is mounted on a support plate 95 beneath the rear end of the lever 82. The valve body is shaped to closely receive a flexible plastics or rubber tube 96, which leads from the respective hot or cold reservoir, such that the end portion 97 of the tube extends vertically downwards to terminate within a cylindrical outlet 98 formed integrally with the valve body. A pinch member 100 is pivotally mounted on pins 101, 102 within the valve body to move about an axis which is substantially parallel to the pivot axis 86 of the operating lever 82. The pinch member includes side cheeks 104 and 105 which are disposed on opposite sides of the tube 96 and which are joined by a pinch bar 106. This pinch bar bears against the rear of the vertical portion 97 of the tube under the action of a compression spring 108, acting between the rear of the bar 106 and an abutment 110 on the valve body, such that the tube 96 is nipped between the pinch bar 106 and an upper extension 107 of the outlet 98. The spring 108 is of sufficient strength to completely close off the tube 96 and prevent passage of water. A further bar 115 joins the cheeks 104 and 105 in front of the vertical tube portion 97 and is positioned such that when it is required to dispense water, downward movement of the lever 82 against the action of spring 88 causes a nose 83 on the lever 82 to bear against the bar 115. This causes the pinch member 100 to pivot clockwise, as shown, further compressing the spring 108 and releasing the nip of the pinch bar 106 on the tube 96. Water can therefore flow through the tube. It will further be noted in the drawings that the outlet 98 is disposed above an opening 120 formed in the housing 31, in the top wall of the recess 81. Furthermore, the outlet 98 is completely enclosed behind a forward deformation 121 of the housing 31, so that there is minimal risk of accidental contact between the hands of a user and the outlet end of the tube 96. During a maintenance operation when the reservoirs are removed for cleaning, the operating lever 82 is moved downwards to release the nip of pinch bar 106 on the tube 96, which is then drawn out of the valve body and removed. A clean length of tubing can then be fed through the valve body 94 with gentle pressure, whereupon the lever 82 is released to grip the tube.

Claims: Liquid dispensing apparatus comprising a housing (31), a liquid reservoir contained within the housing, and a manually operated discharge valve (80) arranged to control the discharge of liquid from the reservoir, said discharge valve being disposed at the top of a dispensing recess (81) formed in a front wall of the housing, and the discharge valve comprising a pinch member which is arranged to act on a flexible tube (96) through which liquid flows from the reservoir, said tube (96) terminating in a discharge outlet (98) which is shrouded by a cover (121) to prevent direct hand contact with said outlet, characterised in that the housing is provided with a mounting arrangement for receiving and supporting an inverted liquid container thereon, said container having a neck through which the liquid is discharged, and a feed tube which is arranged to project into the neck of said liquid container to conduct liquid therefrom to the reservoir, said reservoir being provided with means for heating or cooling the liquid contained therein, said discharge valve being fixed with the housing (31), and wherein, during a maintenance operation, said reservoir can be removed and the tube (96) leading from said reservoir can be removed from the valve and replaced whilst the valve remains in situ fixed with the housing. Apparatus according to Claim 1, in which said valve includes a valve body (94) which receives an end portion (97) of said tube proximal to said discharge outlet (98), and said valve body is provided with opposed lugs to hold an adjacent portion of said tube at an angle to said end portion. Apparatus according to Claim 1 or 2, in which said pinch member comprises a pinch bar (106) which acts against said tube and said valve comprises spring means (108) which acts directly on said pinch bar (106) in a direction which urges said pinch bar against said tube, and a pivotally mounted operating lever (82) which, when manually pivoted, acts on said pinch member to move said pinch bar against the action of said spring means.

Inventors: GIBBS ANDREW, SALKELD PAUL, TANSLEY ROBERT THE ELMS, GIBBS, ANDREW, SALKELD, PAUL, TANSLEY, ROBERT, THE ELMS
Applicants: EBAC LTD, EBAC LIMITED
Application year: 1993
Main classification: B67D3
IPC codes: B67D3