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EP0313384A1 - Soupape de distribution de boisson - Google Patents

Soupape de distribution de boisson Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0313384A1
EP0313384A1 EP88309918A EP88309918A EP0313384A1 EP 0313384 A1 EP0313384 A1 EP 0313384A1 EP 88309918 A EP88309918 A EP 88309918A EP 88309918 A EP88309918 A EP 88309918A EP 0313384 A1 EP0313384 A1 EP 0313384A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
syrup
flow
flowmeter
valve
fluidic oscillator
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP88309918A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
George J. Jarocki
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Coca Cola Co
Original Assignee
Coca Cola Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Coca Cola Co filed Critical Coca Cola Co
Publication of EP0313384A1 publication Critical patent/EP0313384A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
    • B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B67D3/00—Apparatus or devices for controlling flow of liquids under gravity from storage containers for dispensing purposes
    • B67D3/04—Liquid-dispensing taps or cocks adapted to seal and open tapping holes of casks, e.g. for beer
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
    • B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
    • B67D1/08—Details
    • B67D1/0855—Details concerning the used flowmeter
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
    • B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
    • B67D1/08—Details
    • B67D1/12—Flow or pressure control devices or systems, e.g. valves, gas pressure control, level control in storage containers

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to postmix beverage dispenser valves such as for soft drinks and juices, and in particular to the use of a fluidic oscillator as a volumetric flowmeter in such a valve.
  • Traditional postmix beverage dispensing valves include separate water (carbonated or still) and syrup (or concentrate) conduits and separate flow regulators located therein upstream of electrically or mechanically actuated on/off control valves.
  • Each flow regulator utilizes a spring-loaded cylindrical piston as a combination of force and valving element; the piston is able to reciprocate freely within the cylinder and respond to the pressure difference at the two ends of the cylinder, as shown, for example, in U.S. Patent 4,230,147; 3,422,842; and 2,984,261.
  • the function of the piston and cylinder assembly is to maintain a constant pressure differential across the metering orifice machined directly in the face of the cylindrical piston, and to thus provide a constant flow regardless of the fluid pressure changes at the dispensing valve inlets.
  • the flow regulator components operate at low force levels and operation at low force levels has a drawback of fostering hysteresis because of contaminants interposed between moving parts, and close fit between the parts themselves. Furthermore, it has been experienced that free pistons sometimes tend to stick in the regulator cylinder without regard to fit and finishing of the piston and the cylinder.
  • a postmix beverage dispenser valve comprising:
  • the invention provides a method of measuring the volumetric flow rate of syrup or water in a postmix beverage dispenser, comprising:
  • Figs. 3 and 4 show a postmix beverage dispenser valve 10 according to the present invention.
  • the valve 10 includes a body 12 having a syrup conduit 14 and a separate water conduit 16 extending therethrough from syrup and water inlet ports 18 and 20, respectively, to a mixing nozzle 22.
  • Each conduit includes a fluidic oscillator flowmeter therein upstream from a flow controller. Because these features are identical in the two conduits, a description of only one will be sufficient.
  • Pressurized syrup is delivered to the syrup inlet port 18 located in a detachable dispensing valve mounting block 24, flows through the syrup conduit 14, through the syrup fluidic oscillator 28, and then enters a syrup control valve 26.
  • Fluid oscillations are sensed by a sensor 30 located in a sensor plate 32, which is attached to the valve body 12 by screws.
  • the sensor 30 is able to detect the changes in one of the feedback branches 34 and 36 in the fluidic oscillator 28.
  • the frequency of the syrup oscillations is linearly related to the syrup velocity and hence to the volume flow rate. Because of the fact that the syrup velocity and pressure in the flowmeter 28 feedback branches 34 and 36 cycle between their minimum and maximum values, a variety of different types of sensors can be used to determine oscillation frequency.
  • the preferred sensor 30 is a resistance temperature detector (RTD), such as temperature sensitive grids (ETG-50) by Micro-Measurements, Inc.
  • RTD resistance temperature detector
  • the electrical signal from the sensor 30 representing actual syrup flow rate through the dispensing valve 10 is compared by the master controller 38 with a flow reference value, as illustrated in Fig. 2. If the actual flow value is not equal to the reference set point value, the error signal is processed by the controller 38 and the resulting manipulating signal acts on the syrup control valve 26 to correct the actual flow rate. If the desired flow rate reference value is kept constant, the controller action will provide constant syrup flow rate equal to the set point.
  • Fig. 4 shows a proportional solenoid 44 with a spring loaded armature 46 working as the control valve element.
  • the proportional solenoid 44 is a readily available commercial product.
  • the master controller 38 which will preferably include a microprocessor, generates the manipulating signal in a form wherein the voltage periodically energizes the solenoid 44 for a set interval of time.
  • the position of the solenoid armature 46 in relation to the orifice 48 in the valve seat 49 can be varied by changing the width of the pulses sent to the solenoid coil in response to the error signal. If the solenoid coil is not energized, the solenoid armature 46 is seated in the orifice 48 by a spring 50 located on the top of the armature 46.
  • the proportional solenoid armature 46 as shown in Fig. 4 is subjected to varying pressure drop between the channel 40 and a channel 51 downstream from the orifice 48.
  • the pressure of the flowing syrup in the channel 51 and in the mixing nozzle 22 is low and close to atmospheric pressure.
  • the pressure in channel 40 is highly dependent on the syrup pressure applied to the dispensing valve 10 and to the pressure loss in the fluidic oscillator 28. Therefore, the controller 38, whose task is to minimize the error signal, must compensate for the varying force created by the pressure drop and the plunger spring 50.
  • Fig. 5 shows a valve 58, which is an alternative embodiment for isolating the armature 46 from the varying syrup pressure, by means of a pressure compensation device 60.
  • Fig. 5 shows a diaphragm and control plunger assembly 62, a control spring 64, and an outlet orifice 66, all of which comprise the pressure compensating device 60 which maintains a small and constant pressure drop at the orifice 48, thus relieving the solenoid armature 46 from changing pressures.
  • the pressure drop at the orifice 48 can be determined by the spring 64 and the working area of the diaphragm itself.
  • the water side of the dispensing valves 10 and 58 operate the same as the syrup side described above, and therefore a detailed description thereof is not necessary.
  • the master controller can, if desired, provide information on the number of drinks per day, quantity of syrup sold per day, and total syrup sales.
  • the present invention provides a system having greater accuracy, lower cost, and higher reliability, because of the use of the fluidic oscillator which has no moving parts; and furthermore which overcomes some of the problems in postmix beverage dispensing valves using either the aforementioned flow regulators or the known flow meters; and furthermore provides a postmix beverage dispensing valve incorporating a fluidic oscillator as a volumetric flowmeter working in conjunction with a flow control element to measure and modulate the flow of carbonated water and syrup through the valve.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Devices For Dispensing Beverages (AREA)
EP88309918A 1987-10-23 1988-10-21 Soupape de distribution de boisson Withdrawn EP0313384A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US11290687A 1987-10-23 1987-10-23
US112906 2008-04-30

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0313384A1 true EP0313384A1 (fr) 1989-04-26

Family

ID=22346479

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP88309918A Withdrawn EP0313384A1 (fr) 1987-10-23 1988-10-21 Soupape de distribution de boisson

Country Status (7)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0313384A1 (fr)
JP (1) JPH01240494A (fr)
KR (1) KR890006512A (fr)
CN (1) CN1035476A (fr)
AU (1) AU628296B2 (fr)
BR (1) BR8805453A (fr)
ZA (1) ZA887608B (fr)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1992011082A1 (fr) * 1990-12-17 1992-07-09 Imi Cornelius Inc. Vanne de distribution de boisson du type a melange s'effectuant juste avant la consommation et dans des proportions constantes
EP0530858A1 (fr) * 1989-05-23 1993-03-10 The Coca-Cola Company Assemblage de soupape de régulation de débit
WO2000068136A1 (fr) * 1999-05-08 2000-11-16 Imi Cornelius (Uk) Limited Soupapes de dosage a capteur de debit pour distributeur de boissons

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP3806636B2 (ja) * 2001-10-24 2006-08-09 三洋電機株式会社 液体送出方法および液体送出装置
US9370273B2 (en) * 2010-12-02 2016-06-21 Pepsico, Inc. Hot and cold beverage dispenser

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3889534A (en) * 1972-03-24 1975-06-17 Atomic Energy Authority Uk Flowmeters
DE3040521A1 (de) * 1980-10-28 1982-05-27 Robert Bosch Gmbh, 7000 Stuttgart Vorgesteuerte vorrichtung zur lastunabbhaengigen regelung wenigstens eines volumenstromes proportional zu einem eingangssignal
WO1983002935A1 (fr) * 1982-02-26 1983-09-01 Signet Scient Co Systeme distributeur de fluides
US4585206A (en) * 1984-10-29 1986-04-29 Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Proportional flow control valve
EP0229632A2 (fr) * 1986-01-10 1987-07-22 Mks Instruments, Inc. Vanne commandée par un débimètre

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3889534A (en) * 1972-03-24 1975-06-17 Atomic Energy Authority Uk Flowmeters
DE3040521A1 (de) * 1980-10-28 1982-05-27 Robert Bosch Gmbh, 7000 Stuttgart Vorgesteuerte vorrichtung zur lastunabbhaengigen regelung wenigstens eines volumenstromes proportional zu einem eingangssignal
WO1983002935A1 (fr) * 1982-02-26 1983-09-01 Signet Scient Co Systeme distributeur de fluides
US4585206A (en) * 1984-10-29 1986-04-29 Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Proportional flow control valve
EP0229632A2 (fr) * 1986-01-10 1987-07-22 Mks Instruments, Inc. Vanne commandée par un débimètre

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0530858A1 (fr) * 1989-05-23 1993-03-10 The Coca-Cola Company Assemblage de soupape de régulation de débit
WO1992011082A1 (fr) * 1990-12-17 1992-07-09 Imi Cornelius Inc. Vanne de distribution de boisson du type a melange s'effectuant juste avant la consommation et dans des proportions constantes
WO2000068136A1 (fr) * 1999-05-08 2000-11-16 Imi Cornelius (Uk) Limited Soupapes de dosage a capteur de debit pour distributeur de boissons
US6962270B1 (en) 1999-05-08 2005-11-08 Linda Barker, legal representative Dosing valve with flow rate sensor for a beverage dispenser

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU2346888A (en) 1989-04-27
BR8805453A (pt) 1989-06-27
KR890006512A (ko) 1989-06-14
JPH01240494A (ja) 1989-09-26
CN1035476A (zh) 1989-09-13
AU628296B2 (en) 1992-09-17
ZA887608B (en) 1990-05-30

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Effective date: 19910501