Multiway distributor-tapping device for fluids

Abstract

 This invention concerns a multi-way distributor-tapping device for fluids, in particular but not only for drinks. For each of its ducts an obturator (30) is provided which is movable axially between a closed and open position of a respective valve seat and having a thrust stem (32) provided with semi-spherical configured head (35) of the stem of said obturators (30) and subject to at least guided angular movements to individually control each obturator and the selective opening/closing of each valve seat depending on the fluid to be delivered from time to time.

Description

Description

[0001] This invention concerns a multi-way distributor-tapping device for fluids, in particular but not only for drinks but also mixed.

[0002] Distributor-tapping devices for fluids of the type taken into consideration herein are already well known, but it is however an object of this invention to provide a multi-way distributor system which is particularly simple and functional, easy to use and suitable to control the independent delivery of each of two or more fluids.

[0003] Another object of the invention is to provide a distributor-tapping device for fluids in which every delivery duct includes its own valve device, and the valve devices of all the delivery ducts are actuated selectively by means of a single manoeuvre device in common for the individual distribution of as many different fluids provide a multi-way distributor-tapping device incorporating in addition a flow regulator for each delivery duct.

[0004] A further object of the invention is to propose a multi-way distributor-tapping device, in which every valve device is cartridge configured and easily extracted in block from the body of the device for maintenance and/or replacement purposes and/or adjustment of the flow regulator.

[0005] Said objectives and evident advantages deriving from them are achieved, according to the invention, with a distributor-tapping device for fluids that comprises
a body,
two, three or more chambers that extend in said body, parallel and each one in communication with an entrance duct of a respective fluid and an outlet duct of the fluid towards at least one delivery duct,
a valve seat in a position between said entrance ducts and the delivery ducts of the fluids in each chamber,
an obturator in each of said chambers, movable axially between a closed and an open position of the respective valve seat, and where

• each obturator has a stem guided in the relative chamber and provided with a semi spherical head configuration, and
• the body is associated with a single manoeuvre device interacting with the semi spherical head of said obturators and subject to at least guided angular movements by an individual control of each obturator for the selective opening and closing of each valve seat depending on the fluid to be delivered from time to time.

[0006] The exit ducts of the fluid from each chamber can all be in communication with a single delivery duct or each one with its own delivery duct.

[0007] The manoeuvre device can be in the shape of a lever connected to the body with the possibility of oscillating in as many different directions as the number of obturators to be controlled individually. As an alternative, the manoeuvre device can turn around a parallel axis of the obturators and having cam means engaged selectively with each of said obturators, or the manoeuvre device can be both turnable, for a choice from time to time of the obturator to be controlled, and oscillating due to the actual movements of the obturator selected.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008] The invention will however be described in greater detail in the continuation of this description made in reference to the attached indicative and not restrictive drawings, considering that the distributor-tapping device can be three way, without however excluding that there can also be two or four, always remaining however within the sphere of the invention. In said drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a view in perspective of a way of realising the three way distributor-tapping device of fluids with a single delivery duct and an oscillating manoeuvre device;

Figs. 2 and 3 respectively show a lateral view and a view from above;

Fig. 4 shows a longitudinal section according to arrows A-A in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 shows a cross section on a level with the exit ducts according to arrows B-B in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 shows an example of a three way distributor-tapping device of fluids and three independent delivery ducts:

Fig. 7 shows a cross section on a level with three spouts according to arrows C-C in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 shows a view from above of a selection ring for a three-way distributor;

Fig. 9 shows a longitudinal cross section of a variation of the distributor-tapping device incorporating a flow regulator;

Fig. 10 shows a cross section of another variation of the distributor-tapping device with turnable knob control;

Figs. 11, 12 and 13 show different views of the internal face of the control knob;

Fig. 14 shows, in a cross section, a distributor-tapping device as in Fig. 10, but with a delivery duct emerging from the top, through the control knob; and

Fig. 15 shows a distributor-tapping device with a turnable and oscillating manoeuvre device.

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0009] As shown, the distributor-tapping device for fluids proposed here comprise a body 21 with a geometric X axis, with a support base 22 integrated at the top with a metal selection ring 23 attached to the body 21 by means of a threaded ring 24. The body 21 is preferably made from a single piece, cylindrical, and is provided with at least two, preferably three or more chambers 25, around and parallel to the X axis.

[0010] Each chamber 25 is in communication with an entrance duct 26, connected, directly or by means of a union 26', to a feed conduit for a fluid coming from a respective container -non shown, and with an outlet duct 27 of the fluid towards at least one duct or delivery spout 28 placed on one side of the body 21.In fact, the outlet ducts of all the chambers can converge towards one single delivery duct 28, as shown in Figs. 1 to 5, or each one towards a relative delivery duct 28' as shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

[0011] However, the entrance duct 26 is preferably at the base of the body 21, whereas the output duct 27 is on an intermediate level of each chamber 25. Then, in each chamber, between the entrance duct 26 and the output duct 27 is provided a valve seat 29, preferably conical, and housing an obturator 30, associated with the valve seat 29 by means of a seal 31 and has a stem 32 facing upwards.

[0012] The obturator 30, together with the stem 32, is movable axially in its respective chamber 25 between a closed and an open position of the valve seat 29. The stem 32 has a tapered portion 33, in its intermediate part, so as to delimit, with the internal surface of the chamber 25, an annular opening 34 on a level with the outlet duct 27. The opening 34 extends along the stem 32 in a length to become in communication with the entrance duct 26 and connects the latter with the output duct 27 when the obturator 30 is in the open position of the valve seat 29.

[0013] At its top, each stem 32 is provided with a thrust head 35 having a part which is basically semi-spherical and facing upwards, which can be inserted and fixed in any way to the stem 32 or to form a single piece integral with the stem itself.

[0014] In any case, the stem 32 is associated with a return spring 36, which in the example illustrated is positioned and held between the body 21 and the head 35 of the stem and acts by way of inserting into and maintaining the obturator 30 normally in the closed position of the valve seat 21, therefore in the retracted stop position of the fluid flow to be delivered.

[0015] The movement of each obturator 30 in the open position of the valve seat 29 is provoked by a manoeuvre device 37 assembled, accessible and movable in the upper part of the body 21 and interacts with the semi-spherical head 35. In the execution shape shown in Figs. 1-7, the manoeuvre device 37 is the oscillating type. It is made up of an actuator element 38, placed between the body 21 and the selection ring 23 and fixed to a gripper handle 39 protruding from said selection ring. More in particular, the actuator 38 has a bottom spherical portion, an upper spherical portion and an annular portion 40, continuous and interrupted, which is in sectors, at an intermediate level between said two spherical portions, which can have equal or different radii one from the other.

[0016] The lower spherical portion rests on a saddle inserted and fixed coaxially in the upper part of the body 21 and acting as a fulcrum for the oscillations of the manoeuvre device 37. The upper portion unites with a guide ring 42 placed inside the selection ring in combination with an elastomeric element 43, or a spring, compensating the tightening of the pack assembly of the actuator device. The intermediate annular portion 40 is designed to rest and engage individually on the heads 35 of the stems 32 for the selective opening/closing of each obturator 30 in answer to the oscillations of the manoeuvre device 37 controlled manually by the gripper handle 39. This handle extends in an opening 44 provided in a transversal part of the selection ring 23, an opening which has the same number of radial recesses 45 as obturators 30, that is the delivery conduits in the body of the distributor; in this case three as shown in Fig. 8. The selection ring 23 is oriented and blocked so that each recess 45 corresponds to a stem 32 to be controlled and which can receive the handle 39 plus limit the oscillations of the manoeuvre device 37 when the latter is moved to provoke from time to time the delivery of a fluid.

[0017] In practice, the manoeuvre device 37 normally keeps a neutral, erect closed position of all the obturators 30, due to the action of the return springs of the stems. On the other hand by acting on the handle in the direction to move it towards a respective reference recess 45 in the selection ring, an oscillation of the manoeuvre device 37 is provoked corresponding to the resting of its annular portion 40 on the head 35 of the selected stem and the consequent movement of the obturator 30 associated with said stem in the opening position. The handle will in this case remain in this position for a length of time depending on the quantity of fluid to be tapped; then, when it is released it returns to the initial closed position of the distributor-tapping device.

[0018] In a construction variation of the distributor-tapping device, as partially shown in Fig.9, every chamber 25 is provided in the body 21 with a bush or jacket 51 and below this with a flow regulator 52 , either of the two removable from the top.

[0019] The bush 51 defines internally a valve seat 53 and presents on one side a bore hole 54 on a level with the output duct 27 of the fluid towards the delivery duct. In the bush is housed and movable an obturator 54 associated with the valve seat 53 and having, likewise, as described above, a stem 55, provided with a semi-spherical head 56 and stressed by a spring 57 tending to maintain the obturator 54 normally in a closed position. The spring 57 can be placed between the obturator and the flow regulator as shown in the same Fig. 9 or along the stem as in the way of execution shown in Fig.4.

[0020] As regards to the flow regulator 52, it comprises a female element 58 fixed in the body 21 in line with the entrance duct 26 of the fluid and has a conical seat 59, and a male element 60 that fits into said conical seat 59 and which has a leg screwed into a fixed support ring 61 having also some holes or slots 62 to allow the fluid to flow towards the obturator 54. The male element 60 of the regulator can be turned to tighten/loosen it on the support ring 61 and correspondingly to adjust the channel that is defined between the surfaces of the male and female elements. The male element can be tightened/loosened by means of the stem 55. The latter will therefore turn inside the bush 51 and be equipped at the top, with a gripper means 63 with a key or screwdriver and, below, with a tang 64 designed to engage with a female broach 65 provided in the top of the male element 60 to be positioned, by simply pressing the stem in opposition to the relative spring.

[0021] After being inserted in the relative chamber 25, the bush 51 is held axially by the selection ring fixed to the body. However, by separating the ring from the body, the bush 51, and with it the stem 55 with obturator 54, can be extracted from the top of the body like a cartridge for maintenance work and/or to allow access to the male element 60 of the flow regulator for each of its positions with regard to the female element 59 according to requirements.

[0022] Granted that for the rest of the distributor-tapping device, be it without or with a flow regulator 51, the control of each stem to run the delivery of each fluid, instead of being with a lever oscillating organ as described above in regards to Figs. 1-9, can also be performed by a turning element, for example in the form of a knob 70 mounted coaxially to the body 21, and fixed to the top of the latter by means of a centre screw 71, as shown in Fig. 10. The knob 70 will be equipped externally with an arm or however configured to facilitate gripping it manually, and on its internal face it will be provided with at least two cam sectors 72, 72', however with the same number of cams as the delivery ducts of the distributor.

[0023] In the example shown in Figs. 10-13, the knob is provided to control a two-way distributor-tapping device starting from an intermediate position 0, corresponding to the closing of both ducts; it turns in one direction to operate the obturator of one duct and in the opposite direction to operate the obturator of the other duct. For this purpose the cam sectors 72, 72' face in opposite directions and each one is in the shape of a recess with a variable depth - Figs. 11-13- with the initial part deeper than the final part. In this way, when the knob is in the intermediate position the initial deeper portion of the cam sectors 72, 72' is in line with a respective stem 32 or 55, this is and remains retracted with the relative obturator 20 or 54 in the closed position. On the contrary -Fig. 13- when, following the rotation of the knob, the shallower end part of a cam sector 72 or 72' is in line with a respective stem, the latter is pressed, consequently moving the obturator into the open position to deliver the fluid required. The intermediate start position, that is the closing of the delivery ducts, is defined, for example, by a stop spring 73 such as a sphere, positioned on board the knob and engaging a notch or gap provided in the body. The extreme positions of the knob to control one or the other of the delivery ducts are defined by an end of stroke pin 75 fixed to the body and engaging in an arch shaped slot 76. In addition, in the shallower end part of each cam sector 72, 72' a recess or a horizontal plane can be provided to interact with the head of the thrust stem and define the station of the knob in the open position of a duct. As an alternative, a sloping surface can be provided to interact with the head of a respective thrust stem and provoke a rotation in the opposite direction, which is towards the initial closing position of the knob as soon as the latter is released.

[0024] This form of execution with a turnable knob control can also be equipped with a single delivery duct 128 which is at the head of all the ducts and which, instead of being positioned beside the body, can extend upwards through the knob with the possibility of turning so as to vary its direction, as shown in Fig. 14.

[0025] In a further way of execution, as shown in Fig. 15, the position of the obturators 32 and the presence of a delivery duct 128 emerging from the top of the body, remaining the same, the distributor-tapping device has a manoeuvre device made up of an element or knob 170 subject both to rotation around an axis defined by a guide bush 171 that envelopes the delivery duct, and to oscillation on an axis172 at a right angle to the rotation axis. This is such so that the rotation of the manoeuvre device 170 corresponds to a choice of at least one of the obturators 30 to be controlled and the oscillation to the axial movements of the same obturator or even to two obturators at the same time for the mixture of two fluids. Fig. 15 also shows how to the top of the stem 32 of the obturator 30 and the manoeuvre device can be interposed a contact sphere 173.

[0026] It should be remembered that different changes or detailed variations can be added to what has been described above without by this digressing from the sphere of the invention. In this way, for example, the knob 70 may also have more than two cam sectors, in which case the same must be able to turn continuously in the same direction for the opening in succession of each duct. Furthermore, the distributor-tapping device, whatever the control device version may be, may be associated with a fluid mixer 174 connected in the input, by means of conduits 175 to supply two different fluids and in output to one additional adjustment duct 176 as shown in particular in Fig. 15.

Claims

1. A multi-way distributor-tapping device for fluids, in particular but not only for drinks, comprising:

a distributor body with a longitudinal axis (X),

two, three or more chambers that extend in said body, in parallel to said axis and each in communication with an entrance duct of a respective fluid and an outlet duct of the fluid towards at least one delivery duct,

a valve seat in each chamber in a position included between said entrance and output ducts of the fluid,

an obturator in each of said chambers, movable axially between a closed and open position of the respective valve seat, characterized in that

- each obturator (30) has a stem (32) seal guided in the respective chamber (25) and equipped with a semi-spherical head configuration (35), and

- the body is associated with a single manoeuvre device (37) interacting with the semi-spherical head (35) of the stem of said obturators (30) and subject to at least guided angular movements for an individual control of each obturator for the opening and closing of each valve seat depending on the fluid to be delivered from time to time.

2. Distributor-tapping device according to claim 1, wherein said body is integrated at the top with a selection ring (23), and wherein said manoeuvre device (37) is fulcrated between the body and selection ring and subject to oscillations with regard to the axis (X) of said body in as many different directions as there are obturators to be individually controlled to open them, and established by the same number of recesses defined by said ring starting from an initial position in which said organ is in a closed position of all the obturators.

3. A distributor-tapping device according to claim 2, wherein said manoeuvre device (37) consists in a control element (38) joined to a gripper handle emerging from the selection ring (23), where said control element has a bottom spherical portion resting on a seating acting as a fulcrum (41), a spherical top portion associated with a guide ring (42) placed inside the selection ring (23) and an annular portion (40), continuous or interrupted, designed to rest and engage directly, or through an inserted sphere, on the semi-spherical head (35) of the stems (32) to open/close each obturator (30) in answer to the oscillations of the manoeuvre device.

4. A distributor-tapping device according to claim 1, wherein said manoeuvre device is made up of a knob (70) assembled on the body and turning on an axis coincident with the axis (X) of said body, said knob having means interacting with the semi-spherical head (35) of the stems (32) for the individual, selective opening/closing of each obturator (30) in answer to the rotation of said knob.

5. A distributor-tapping device according to claim 4, wherein said knob (70) has an internal face equipped with at least two cam sectors (72, 72') each one associated with the semi-spherical head (35) of a stem (32) of the obturator (30) and defined by a hollow varying in depth starting from an initial deeper part up to a final shallower part, so that when the initial deeper part of a cam sector is in line with a respective stem of the obturator correlated and in the closed position and that when the final shallower part of the cam sector is in line with a respective stem, the obturator is open.

6. A distributor-tapping device according to claim 5, wherein means for defining the positions of the knob for closing and opening each obturator between said control knob (70) and the body, are placed.

7. A distributor-tapping device according to claim 5, wherein a recess or a horizontal plane designed to interact with the head of a respective thrust stem and define a station of the knob in the opening position of a duct in the shallower end part of each cam sector (72, 72'), is provided.

8. A distributor-tapping device according to claim 5, wherein a sloping plane designed to interact with the head of a respective thrust stem and provoke a rotation towards a closed position of the knob in the shallower end part of each cam sector (72, 72'), is provided.

9. A distributor-tapping device according to claim 1, wherein said manoeuvre device is made up of a knob (170) mounted on the body and subject both to rotating around an axis defined by a guide bush (171) and coincident with axis (X) of said body, and to the oscillation on an axis (172) at a right angle to said rotation axis until the rotation of said knob (170) corresponds to a choice of at least one of the obturators (30) to control and the oscillation corresponds to the axial movements of said obturator alone with another simultaneously.

10. A distributor-tapping device according to any of the previous claims, wherein the stem (32) of the obturator (30) is lodged in the respective chamber (25) directly or with an interposed guide bush (51) and it is stressed by at least one spring (36, 57) tending to maintain and move the respective obturator (30) into the closed position of the valve seat (29), the guide bush, the stem of the obturator and the spring associated with them being extractable in block from said chamber through the top of the body.

11. A distributor-tapping device according to any one of the previous claims, wherein in each chamber (25), in line with a relative obturator (30), is provided a flow regulator (52) comprising a female element (58) fixed to the entrance duct (26) of the fluid and having a conical seat (59), and a male element (60) that joins with said conical seat (59) and which has a leg screwed to a fixed supporting ring (61), and where the position of the male element compared to the female element can be adjusted by rotating the stem of the obturator, said stem and said male element having means to connect while up during rotation when the stem is moved axially towards the male element.

12. A distributor-tapping device according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the semi-spherical head (35) of each stem (32) of the obturator (30) is integral or moved and fixed to said stem.

13. A distributor-tapping device according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the output ducts of the fluid from the chambers in the body of the distributor are all in communication with a single delivery duct.

14. A distributor-tapping device according to any of the previous claims 1- 11, wherein in the output duct of the fluid from each chamber in the distributor body is in communication with a respective delivery duct.

15. A distributor-tapping device according to claim 12, wherein said delivery duct is placed on one side of the body of the distributor, or it extends according to the axis (X) of the body of the distributor, protruding from the control knob.

Drawing