A beer machine dispensing valve

Abstract

A beer dispenser valve. The present invention relates to the field of liquid filling equipment. A beer dispenser valve with a simple structure, convenient use and good user experience is proposed. Through a quick and efficient single cleaning, the dispenser valve can be kept clean and hygienic for a long time. It includes a valve body 1, a lever 2 and a valve stem 3. The valve body 1 is provided with a valve stem hole 11 adapted to the valve stem 3. The bottom of the valve body 1 is provided with a wine outlet pipe 13 connected to the valve stem hole 11. The side wall of the valve stem 3 is provided with a flow channel 32. The lever 2 is driven to drive the valve stem 3 to reciprocate in the valve stem hole 11. The dispenser valve also includes a valve base 5 fixedly connected to one side of the valve body 1. An accommodating space 6 is reserved between the valve stem hole 11 and the inlet hole 51. A valve core 4 fixedly connected to the valve stem 3 is provided in the accommodating space 6. A bubble exciting channel is provided in the valve core 4. The problem of flavor crosstalk and taste influence is avoided, so that the dispenser valve can be kept clean and hygienic for a long time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of liquid filling equipment, and in particular to an improvement on a beer dispensing valve of a beer vending machine. Background Art

[0002] At present, most of the existing beer machine beer valves (or beer taps) are as shown in a Chinese invention patent application entitled "Beverage injection plug valve, valve stem and beverage dispenser" and application number "201680091507.X" published by the State Administration on July 30, 2019, or as shown in a Chinese utility model patent entitled "Tap" and application number "201020553247.3" announced by the State Administration on July 27, 2011. During the use of this type of beer valve, when the valve stem is pushed to the front position, the purpose of beer can be achieved, and when the valve stem is pushed to the rear position, the purpose of foam can be achieved. Under normal circumstances, the valve stem is in the middle position, and the beer valve as a whole remains closed.

[0003] With the development of craft beer, there are more and more types and flavors of beer. When people drink beer, they tend to taste beer of various flavors. In this way, beer with different flavors or tastes will be output to the final beer outlet valve (or beer outlet tap). However, since such beer outlet valves have springs that are in contact with the beer for a long time, the overall structure is also relatively complex; therefore, it is difficult to ensure the cleanliness and hygiene of the beer outlet channel, and it is very easy for beer with different flavors or tastes to have taste problems when it finally flows out through the beer outlet valve.

[0004] In this regard, some people have proposed to purge the wine outlet valve with the help of gas after each wine dispensing. However, first of all, no matter what working state this type of wine outlet valve is in when it is purged, the gas cannot pass through the area where the spring is located. This will directly cause the area where the spring is located to become a sanitary blind spot of the wine outlet valve. After long-term use, it will not only cause problems such as cross-flavoring and affect the taste, but will also seriously affect the hygiene of the wine outlet valve.

[0005] Secondly, the wine outlet channel and foam outlet channel of this type of wine outlet valve are two different channels. If the purge is performed during the wine outlet state, the cleanliness of the foam channel cannot be guaranteed; if the purge is performed during the foam outlet state, the cleanliness of the channel through which the wine flows cannot be guaranteed; therefore, this type of wine outlet valve must undergo two independent purge processes to complete the purge of the entire wine outlet valve. The purge time is long and the control method during purge is complicated.

[0006] Moreover, even if the two states of the wine outlet valve are purged twice independently with the help of gas after each wine outlet, it is still impossible to solve the problem that the area where the middle spring is located will inevitably become a sanitary blind spot of the wine outlet valve. Summary of the invention

[0007] In view of the above problems, the present invention proposes a beer machine dispenser valve which has a simple structure, is easy to use and provides good user experience. The dispenser valve can be kept clean and hygienic for a long time through a quick and efficient single cleaning.

[0008] The technical scheme of the present invention is as follows: it comprises a valve body 1, a lever 2 and a valve stem 3, wherein a valve stem hole 11 adapted to the valve stem 3 is provided in the valve body 1, a wine outlet pipe 13 connected to the valve stem hole 11 is provided at the bottom of the valve body 1, and a flow passage 32 connected to the wine outlet pipe 13 is provided on the side wall of the valve stem 3, and the lever 2 is moved to drive the valve stem 3 to reciprocate in the valve stem hole 11;

[0009] The wine outlet valve further comprises a valve base 5 fixedly connected to one side of the valve body 1, an inlet hole 51 for the wine is provided in the valve base 5, and an accommodation space 6 is reserved between the valve stem hole 11 and the inlet hole 51;

[0010] A valve core 4 fixedly connected to the valve stem 3 is disposed in the accommodating space 6 ; a bubbling channel is provided in the valve core 4 , one side port of the bubbling channel faces the inlet hole 51 , and the other side port faces the inner wall of the accommodating space 6 .

[0011] When the valve is closed, the valve core 4 blocks the valve stem hole 11, so that the flow passage 32 is separated from the accommodating space 6;

[0012] When dispensing wine, the valve core 4 is located in the middle of the accommodating space 6, so that the inlet hole 51 is connected with the flow passage 32 through the accommodating space 6;

[0013] When foaming or purging, the valve core 4 blocks the inlet hole 11, so that the inlet hole 51 is connected with the flow channel 32 through the bubble exciting channel and the accommodating space 6.

[0014] A wine inlet blind hole 42 is provided on the end of the valve core 4 facing the inlet hole 51, and at least one bubbling hole 43 connected with the wine inlet blind hole 42 is provided on the side wall of the valve core 4 facing the accommodating space 6, so that a bubbling channel is formed by the wine inlet blind hole 42 and the bubbling hole 43.

[0015] The inner diameter of the wine inlet blind hole 42 is smaller than the inner diameter of the inlet hole 51, and the two are coaxial.

[0016] An outwardly recessed impact annular surface is formed on the inner wall of the accommodating space, and the bubbling holes 43 are arranged toward the impact annular surface.

[0017] When the valve core 3 blocks the inlet hole 51, the center line of the bubble hole 43 is perpendicular to the impact annular surface.

[0018] A sealing gasket 41 is fixedly connected to the end surface of the valve core 4 facing the valve stem hole 11 , and the side wall of the valve core 4 is conical; the outer diameter of the valve core 4 gradually increases from the side where the inlet hole 51 is located.

[0019] A groove 14 is formed on one end surface of the valve body 1 facing the valve base 5, and the bottom of the groove 14 is connected to the valve stem hole 11;

[0020] A second groove 52 is formed on the end surface of the valve base 5 facing the valve body 1, and the bottom of the second groove 52 is connected to the inlet hole 51;

[0021] The groove 1 14 and the groove 2 52 are connected to each other to form an accommodating space 6.

[0022] The valve body 1 and the valve base 5 are fixedly connected via a valve cover 7 sleeved outside the valve body 1 and the valve base 5 , and an outer sealing ring 61 is provided between the valve body 1 and the valve base 5 .

[0023] The side wall of the valve stem 3 is provided with an annular step or an elongated groove extending to the position of the valve core 4 , and a flow passage 32 is formed through the gap between the annular step and the valve stem hole 11 or the space in the elongated groove.

[0024] An annular sealing groove 33 is also provided on the side wall of the valve stem 3 , and an inner sealing ring 34 is provided in the sealing groove 33 ; the inner sealing ring 34 fits the inner wall of the valve stem hole 11 and is always located on the side of the wine outlet pipe 13 away from the valve base 5 .

[0025] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0026] 1. In this case, the spring structure in the prior art that is in long-term contact with the wine liquid is eliminated, so that the hygiene of the wine outlet valve can be significantly improved after purging after a single wine discharge and periodic cleaning, which effectively solves the problem of sanitary dead corners that are inevitable in the prior art, and ensures that there are no sanitary dead corners in the valve body of this case, making this case more efficient and thorough in purging or cleaning, avoiding the problem of odor cross-talk and affecting the taste, so that the wine outlet valve can maintain long-term cleanliness and hygiene.

[0027] 2. In this case, after the foaming work is completed, there is no need to adjust the position of the lever. The CO2 can be directly connected to complete the comprehensive and efficient purging of the inside of the wine valve (covering the entry hole, bubble channel, accommodating space, flow channel and wine outlet pipe). During the purging process, there is no need to separately purge the position where the wine flows and the position where the foam flows. It is very convenient to control or operate, and has the advantages of fast purging speed, high purging efficiency, no residue, no dead angle, and more thoroughness.

[0028] 3. In this case, the wine, foam, and CO2 during purging are all discharged outwardly through one outlet, namely the wine outlet pipe, so that the residual wine can be discharged in the form of foam during purging, without waste and dripping, and also makes the structure simpler and more sophisticated, and is more convenient for the manufacture and processing of the valve body.

[0029] Fourth, this case effectively solves the problems of complex internal structure of the valve body, high manufacturing cost, high precision requirements, and cumbersome assembly process in the prior art. First, this case has only two parts, the valve stem and the valve core, in the valve body, which is simple to process, low in manufacturing cost, and extremely convenient to assemble; second, this case only needs to set a seal on the side of the valve core facing the valve stem hole and between the valve stem and the valve stem hole, which significantly reduces the precision requirements of the internal structure of the wine valve, and reduces the difficulty and cost of processing.

[0030] 5. In this case, all the wine discharging, foaming and purging work can be completed through one movement from the rear position to the front position, and can be quickly reset to the rear position after completion, so that the wine discharging valve is in a closed valve state. It is not only very convenient to control or operate, but also very simple to set the control logic or operation logic.

[0031] In addition, it needs to be further explained that, while realizing all the functions of the wine dispenser in the prior art, this case has greatly simplified the internal structure and solved a series of technical problems such as slow cleaning speed and sanitary dead corners. It is a typical invention of element omission. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional diagram of this case.

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this case in the closed valve state.

[0034] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this case in the first valve opening state.

[0035] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this case in the second valve opening state.

[0036] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the valve body and valve base in this case.

[0037] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of the valve stem and valve core in this case;

[0038] In the figure, 1 is the valve body, 11 is the valve stem hole, 12 is the operating hole, 13 is the wine outlet pipe, 14 is the groove 1, and 2 is the lever;

[0039] 3 is the valve stem, 31 is the driving hole, 32 is the flow passage, 33 is the sealing groove, and 34 is the inner sealing ring;

[0040] 4 is a valve core, 41 is a sealing gasket, 42 is a wine inlet blind hole, and 43 is a bubble-stimulating hole;

[0041] 5 is a valve base, 51 is an entry hole, and 52 is a groove 2;

[0042] 6 is an accommodating space, 61 is an outer sealing ring, and 7 is a valve cover. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] In order to clearly illustrate the technical features of this patent, this patent is elaborated in detail below through a specific implementation method and in combination with its accompanying drawings.

[0044] The present invention Figure 1-6 As shown, it comprises a valve body 1, a lever 2 and a valve stem 3, a valve stem hole 11 adapted to the valve stem 3 is provided in the valve body 1, and an operating hole 12 is provided on the side wall of the valve body 1, a wine outlet pipe 13 connected to the valve stem hole 11 is provided at the bottom of the valve body 1, and a flow passage 32 connected to the wine outlet pipe 13 is provided on the side wall of the valve stem 3, the valve stem 3 is slidably arranged in the valve stem hole 11, and a driving hole 31 for accommodating the lever 2 is provided in the valve stem 3, the lever 2 is hinged to the valve body 1, the lever 2 passes through the operating hole 12, and one end of the lever 2 extends into the driving hole 31 on the valve stem 3, and the lever 2 can be driven by a linear drive mechanism (such as a cylinder, an electric push rod, etc.) to drive the valve stem 3 to reciprocate in the valve stem hole 11;

[0045] The wine outlet valve further comprises a valve base 5 fixedly connected to one side of the valve body 1, wherein the valve base 5 is provided with an inlet hole 51 for receiving wine, CO2 or cleaning fluid, and an accommodation space 6 is reserved between the valve stem hole 11 and the inlet hole 51;

[0046] A valve core 4 fixedly connected to the valve stem 3 is disposed in the accommodating space 6 ; a bubbling channel is provided in the valve core 4 , one side port of the bubbling channel faces the inlet hole 51 , and the other side port faces the inner wall of the accommodating space 6 .

[0047] In general, firstly, this case eliminates the traditional spring structure, making the valve body more hygienic, with no sanitary dead corners during purging, and making the purging more efficient and thorough. Secondly, a single purge in the foaming state of this case can complete the comprehensive purging of the inside of the wine outlet valve, with fast purging speed and high purging efficiency. Thirdly, in this case, the wine, foam, and CO2 are all discharged outward from one outlet, so that the residual wine can be discharged in the form of foam during purging, without waste and dripping. Fourthly, this case has a simple structure and a small number of parts in the valve body, with only a valve stem and a valve core, which is extremely convenient to process, with low manufacturing cost and low assembly difficulty.

[0048] When the valve is closed, the valve core 4 blocks the valve stem hole 11, so that the flow passage 32 is separated from the accommodating space 6; Figure 1-2 As shown, when the lever is in the rear position, that is, in the rear limit position, the valve core will move along with the valve stem toward the side where the valve stem hole is located to the limit position, thereby blocking the orifice of the valve stem hole, so that the wine outlet valve is in a closed valve state, that is, the inlet hole and the wine outlet hole are not connected.

[0049] When dispensing wine, the valve core 4 is in the middle of the accommodating space 6, so that the inlet hole 51 is connected with the flow passage 32 through the accommodating space 6; Figure 3 As shown, when the lever is in the middle position, that is, between the front limit position and the rear limit position, the valve core will move into the accommodating space along with the valve stem, neither blocking the valve stem hole nor the inlet hole, so that the wine outlet valve is in the first valve opening state, that is, the inlet hole is directly connected to the wine outlet pipe through the accommodating space and the flow channel.

[0050] When foaming or purging, the valve core 4 blocks the inlet hole 11, so that the inlet hole 51 is connected to the flow channel 32 through the bubble exciting channel and the accommodating space 6. Figure 4 As shown, when the lever is in the front position, that is, in the front limit position, the valve core will move to the limit position along with the valve stem toward the side where the entrance hole is located, thereby blocking the orifice of the entrance hole, so that the wine outlet valve is in the second valve opening state, that is, the entrance hole needs to pass through the bubble exciting channel before it is connected to the wine outlet pipe through the accommodating space and the flow channel.

[0051] In actual use, the wine outlet valve is normally in a closed valve state, and the lever is in the rear position at this time; when starting to take wine, the wine outlet valve can be controlled to enter the first open valve state first, and the lever is in the middle position at this time, and the wine is introduced from the valve base to the wine outlet valve, so that the wine can directly enter the accommodating space and the flow channel from the inlet hole, and finally flow out from the wine outlet pipe, so as to perform the wine outflow work;

[0052] After the beer has finished flowing out, the beer outlet valve can be controlled to enter the second valve opening state. At this time, the lever is in the front position, and the beer is introduced from the valve base to the beer outlet valve, so that the beer can enter the bubble channel from the inlet hole, and first accelerate the flow rate in the bubble channel, and then hit the inner wall of the accommodating space, thereby destroying the stability of CO2 dissolved in the beer, causing the gas to overflow and generate foam. After that, the foam will flow out from the beer outlet pipe after passing through the accommodating space and the flow channel, and the foam will flow out;

[0053] After the foam flows out, the wine outlet valve can be maintained in the second valve opening state, and CO2 is introduced into the wine outlet valve from the valve base, that is, CO2 is injected into the inlet hole, so that CO2 passes through the inlet hole, the bubble exciting channel, the accommodating space, the flow channel and the wine outlet pipe in sequence, thereby completing the comprehensive and efficient purging work inside the wine outlet valve;

[0054] After the purge is completed, the wine dispensing valve can be controlled to quickly reset to a closed valve state, waiting for the user to take wine next time.

[0055] After the wine outlet valve has been used for a certain period of time, the inside of the wine outlet valve can be cleaned with a cleaning fluid (including acidic water, alkaline water, purified water at room temperature, or purified water at a temperature greater than 75°C) to complete the periodic cleaning.

[0056] like Figure 6 As shown, a wine inlet blind hole 42 is provided on the end of the valve core 4 facing the inlet hole 51, and at least one bubbling hole 43 connected with the wine inlet blind hole 42 is provided on the side wall of the valve core 4 facing the accommodating space 6, and a bubbling channel is formed by the wine inlet blind hole 42 and the bubbling hole 43.

[0057] Preferably, the inner diameter of the wine inlet blind hole 42 is smaller than the inner diameter of the inlet hole 51, and the two are coaxial. Thus, in the second valve opening state, the wine can smoothly enter the wine inlet blind hole, and the design that the inner diameter of the wine inlet blind hole is smaller than the inner diameter of the inlet hole 51 can accelerate the flow rate of the wine and facilitate the formation of foam.

[0058] The inner wall of the accommodating space is provided with an impact annular surface that is concave outwards, and the bubbling holes 43 are arranged toward the impact annular surface. In this way, when foaming, the wine will first accelerate the flow rate in the wine inlet blind hole and the bubbling hole, and then quickly impact on the impact annular surface, thereby destroying the stability of CO2 dissolved in the beer, causing the gas to overflow and generate foam, and then enter the accommodating space, the flow channel and the wine outlet pipe in the form of foam.

[0059] Preferably, when the valve core 3 blocks the inlet hole 51, the center line of the bubble exciting hole 43 is perpendicular to the impact annular surface, so that the foam is formed better and more quickly.

[0060] like Figure 6 As shown, a sealing gasket 41 is fixedly connected to the end face of the valve core 4 facing the valve stem hole 11, and the side wall of the valve core 4 is conical; the outer diameter of the valve core 4 gradually increases from the side where the inlet hole 51 is located until it is larger than the inner diameter of the inlet hole 51. In actual use of this case, it is found that since the accommodating space and the valve stem hole need to be well sealed when the valve is closed, in the second valve opening state, even if the valve core and the orifice of the inlet hole are not completely sealed, a small amount of leakage between the two will not affect the foaming process. Therefore, in this case, a sealing gasket is only provided on the end face of the valve core 4 facing the valve stem hole 11, and no sealing gasket is provided on the side of the valve core facing the inlet hole.

[0061] In this way, when the valve is closed, the presence of the sealing gasket will ensure that the accommodating space and the valve stem hole are well sealed; and when in the second valve-opening state, the sealing requirement can be met by the conical outer wall of the valve core fitting against the orifice of the entrance hole.

[0062] like Figure 5As shown, a groove 14 is provided on one end surface of the valve body 1 facing the valve base 5, the bottom of the groove 14 is communicated with the valve stem hole 11, and a gap is always left between the side wall of the groove 1 and the valve core, thereby ensuring that wine, foam, CO2 or cleaning fluid can smoothly flow from the gap between the groove 1 and the valve core to the flow channel;

[0063] A second groove 52 is provided on the end surface of the valve base 5 facing the valve body 1. The bottom of the second groove 52 is connected to the inlet hole 51. When the valve core 3 blocks the inlet hole 51, a gap is left between the inner wall of the second groove and the valve core. The side wall of the second groove is conical, so that the impact annular surface mentioned above is formed by the side wall of the second groove. In this way, it can be ensured that in the second valve opening state, CO2 during foam or purge can smoothly flow to the flow channel through the gap between the second groove and the valve core and the distance between the first groove and the valve core.

[0064] The groove 1 14 and the groove 2 52 are butted together to form a receiving space 6. When the sealing gasket is fitted with the bottom of the groove 1, a good seal is formed between the receiving space and the valve stem hole. Meanwhile, during the purging or cleaning process, the butted groove 14 and the groove 2 52 will form a smooth inner wall surface in the receiving space 6, so that the purging or cleaning of the receiving space is more comprehensive and thorough without dead angles.

[0065] The valve body 1 and the valve base 5 are fixedly connected by a valve cover 7 sleeved outside the valve body 1 and the valve base 5, and an outer sealing ring 61 is arranged between the valve body 1 and the valve base 5. Thus, the accommodating space will not leak wine, foam, CO2 or cleaning fluid out of the wine outlet valve, and external debris is prevented from entering the accommodating space from between the valve body and the valve base.

[0066] like Figure 6 As shown, an annular step or an elongated groove extending to the position of the valve core 4 is provided on the side wall of the valve stem 3, and a flow channel 32 is formed through the gap between the annular step and the valve stem hole 11 or the space in the elongated groove.

[0067] like Figure 6 As shown, an annular sealing groove 33 is further provided on the side wall of the valve stem 3, and an inner sealing ring 34 is provided in the sealing groove 33; the inner sealing ring 34 is in contact with the inner wall of the valve stem hole 11 and is always located at the side of the wine outlet pipe 13 away from the valve base 5. Thus, the valve stem and the valve stem hole are effectively sealed at the side of the wine outlet pipe away from the valve base, thereby preventing the wine from leaking from the side of the valve stem hole away from the accommodating space, and preventing external debris from entering the flow passage from the side of the valve stem hole away from the accommodating space.

[0068] There are many specific implementation ways of the present invention. The above is only the preferred implementation mode of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention. These improvements should also be regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A beer dispenser valve, comprising a valve body (1), a lever (2) and a valve stem (3); a valve stem hole (11) adapted to the valve stem (3) is provided in the valve body (1); a beer outlet pipe (13) connected to the valve stem hole (11) is provided at the bottom of the valve body (1); a flow passage (32) connected to the beer outlet pipe (13) is provided on the side wall of the valve stem (3); the lever (2) is moved to drive the valve stem (3) to reciprocate in the valve stem hole (11); and the characteristics are as follows: The wine outlet valve further comprises a valve base (5) fixedly connected to one side of the valve body (1), an inlet hole (51) is provided in the valve base (5), and an accommodation space (6) is reserved between the valve stem hole (11) and the inlet hole (51); A valve core (4) fixedly connected to the valve stem (3) is provided in the accommodating space (6); a bubble exciting channel is provided in the valve core (4), one side port of the bubble exciting channel faces the inlet hole (51), and the other side port faces the inner wall of the accommodating space (6); When the valve is closed, the valve core (4) blocks the valve stem hole (11), so that the flow passage (32) is separated from the accommodating space (6); When dispensing wine, the valve core (4) is located in the middle of the accommodating space (6), so that the inlet hole (51) is connected to the flow passage (32) through the accommodating space (6); When foaming or purging, the valve core (4) blocks the inlet hole (11), so that the inlet hole (51) is connected to the flow channel (32) through the bubble exciting channel and the accommodating space (6); A wine inlet blind hole (42) is formed on the end of the valve core (4) facing the inlet hole (51), and at least one bubbling hole (43) communicating with the wine inlet blind hole (42) is formed on the side wall of the valve core (4) facing the accommodating space (6), so that a bubbling channel is formed through the wine inlet blind hole (42) and the bubbling hole (43).

2. A beer dispenser valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: A sealing gasket (41) is fixedly connected to the end surface of the valve core (4) facing the valve stem hole (11), and the side wall of the valve core (4) is conical; the outer diameter of the valve core (4) gradually increases from the side where the inlet hole (51) is located.

3. The beer dispenser valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: A groove 1 (14) is formed on one end surface of the valve body (1) facing the valve base (5), and the bottom of the groove 1 (14) is connected to the valve stem hole (11); A second groove (52) is provided on an end surface of the valve base (5) facing the valve body (1), and the bottom of the second groove (52) is communicated with the inlet hole (51); The groove one (14) and the groove two (52) are butted against each other to form a receiving space (6).

4. The beer dispenser valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The side wall of the valve stem (3) is provided with an annular step or an elongated groove extending to the position of the valve core (4), and a flow passage (32) is formed through the gap between the annular step and the valve stem hole (11) or the space in the elongated groove.

5. The beer dispenser valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: The valve body (1) and the valve base (5) are fixedly connected via a valve cover (7) sleeved outside the valve body (1) and the valve base (5), and an outer sealing ring (61) is provided between the valve body (1) and the valve base (5).

6. The beer dispenser valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: An annular sealing groove (33) is also provided on the side wall of the valve stem (3), and an inner sealing ring (34) is provided in the sealing groove (33); the inner sealing ring (34) is in contact with the inner wall of the valve stem hole (11) and is always located on the side of the wine outlet pipe (13) away from the valve base (5).

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