Dispensing tap

Abstract

 A spigot particularly suitable for on-tap dispensing of beer and other beverages, comprising a male element (2;16) and a female element (1;15), wherein the male element is made of flexible material and substantially cylindrical in shape, with a recess in a surrounding surface which is suitable to connect a flow intake duct (3) to a discharge duct (4) only in an open position, once inserted in the female element and subjected to axial compression of screw means meant to assemble the two elements, said male element undergoing a radial deformation which, though allowing it to perform the rotation applied by a lever (6;19) which is rigidly coupled thereto, ensures a perfect seal between the male and female elements.

Description

[0001] Spigots are notoriously the devices that control the flow of the fluid of a pipe, allowing both to adjust the flow-rate and to block it completely.

[0002] Generally, in their simplest form, conventional spigots consist of a piece of pipe in which the cavity is partially structured to accommodate the flow control element, which is provided with a through hole and can be rotated about its own keying axis, which is perpendicular to the axis of the pipe. In this manner, by turning the flow control element in order to vary the configuration of its through hole with respect to the axis of the pipe, the flow is changed from the maximum flow-rate value to the closure value.

[0003] The flow control element, commonly known as pin or plug, depending on the constructive and functional characteristics of the spigot, can be frustum-shaped, cylindrical, spherical or even composite in shape. However, both the female part and the male part are made of metal and their tightness is always ensured by the use of suitable gaskets.

[0004] However, conventional spigots currently used for this purpose do not allow to perform rapidly and satisfactorily the periodic cleaning required to ensure the efficiency of the device and the absolute hygiene of the dispensed liquid.

[0005] The aim of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned drawback, by providing a spigot which is adapted for on-tap dispensing of beer and other beverages.

[0006] The above aim and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter are achieved with the spigot according to the invention, as defined in claim 1, which also has the advantage of greater constructive simplicity and lower cost than any other conventional spigot.

[0007] The new spigot mainly and substantially differs from conventional ones in that the male part, in addition to having no through holes which can hinder cleaning, is made of Teflon or of another material which is flexible enough to allow, by way of the simple tightening of screw means, a radial deformation which ensures a perfect seal in the female part without the aid of any gasket.

[0008] This and other characteristics of the present invention are described in greater detail hereinafter with the aid of drawings illustrating preferred embodiments only by way of non-limiting example, wherein:

Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a side view and a front view of a first embodiment of the spigot of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view, taken along the line III-III;

Figure 4 illustrates the possible radial deformation of the male element when it is clamped in order to assemble the spigot;

Figures 5 and 6 are vertical sectional views, taken along the line V-V, of the spigot in each one of two extreme positions;

Figures 7 and 8 are respectively a side view and a front view of a second embodiment of the spigot of the present invention;

Figure 9 is a sectional view, taken along the line IX-IX;

Figure 10 is a view of the shape of the male element before its clamping inside the female element;

Figures 11 and 12 are sectional views, taken along the vertical line XI-XI, of the spigot in each one of the two extreme positions.

[0009] With reference to the accompanying drawings and starting from Figure 1, which relates to the first embodiment, the spigot according to the invention comprises a female element 1 and a male element 2. The female element 1, made of stainless steel or any other suitable rigid material (including food-safe plastics), is a cylindrical annular element which is meant to accommodate, in the wide central hole, the flow control element or male element 2. A flow intake duct 3 and a flow discharge duct 4 radially enter the female element 1 and accordingly open onto the seat that accommodates the male element 2.

[0010] In addition to the through holes for the coupling of ducts 3 and 4, the female element 1 has a port 5 from which a lever 6 for the actuation of the male element 2 with which it is rigidly coupled protrudes.

[0011] Accordingly, the port 5 is large enough to define the two extreme positions of the lever 6 and hence of the male element 2 rigidly coupled thereto.

[0012] The male element 2, made of Teflon or other suitable material and having a substantially cylindrical shape, has a radial seat 7 which accommodates the lever 6, which is perforated transversely in the end 8 and is rigidly coupled thereat by the insertion of a clamping bolt 9 in an axial hole 10 of the male element.

[0013] The male element 2 and the actuation lever 6, after their insertion in the female element 1, are clamped between two washers 11 and 12 by the bolt 9 and by a corresponding nut 13 or other equivalent screw means, optionally formed by a threaded stem and by two blind nuts.

[0014] In the cylindrical surface of the male element 2 there is provided a recess or channel 14 whose width and length are such as to connect the flow intake duct 3 to the discharge duct 4 only when the male element is in the open spigot position as in Figure 6.

[0015] If the lever 6 ensures the centering of the male element 2 in the female element 1 and the retention of the two elements in the assembled condition, the seal between the moving element and the fixed element is provided by the radial deformation that the male element 2 undergoes, as shown by way of example in Figure 4, with the clamping by means of the bolt 9 and of the corresponding nut 13 or of other equivalent means, in any case of the screw type, in order to allow periodic complete disassembly and cleaning of the components.

[0016] Since the invention is based on the radial deformation of the male element 2 that is axially compressed inside the female element 1, a similar result might be obtained if the seat where the male element is clamped were closed at the bottom and partially threaded at the inlet so as to be able to screw therein a sort of plug meant to provide said clamping. In this case, the male element 2 would have a threaded radial hole in which the actuation lever 6 provided for this purpose would be screwed, passing through the port 5 of the female element.

[0017] With reference to the second embodiment, shown in Figures 7-12, it is noted that a female element 15, made of stainless steel or any other suitable rigid material (including food-safe plastics), is a cylindrical annular element which is meant to accommodate, in its large central hole, a flow control element or male element 16. A flow intake duct 3 and a flow discharge duct 4 are radially inserted in the female element 15 and accordingly face the seat that accommodates the male element 16.

[0018] The male element 16, made of Teflon or other suitable material and having a substantially cylindrical shape, with an axial hole 17 for the clamping bolt 9, has, in its cylindrical surface, a recess or channel 18 whose width and length are such as to be able to connect the flow intake duct 3 to the discharge duct 4 only when the male element is in the open spigot position as in Figure 12.

[0019] Differently from the preceding embodiment, an actuation lever 19 is located outside the female element 15 and is welded to a washer 20 which, together with a washer 21, clamps the male element 16 by means of a bolt 9 and of a corresponding nut 13 (the bolt and nut are the same as the first embodiment) or other equivalent screw means, optionally formed by a threaded stem and by two blind nuts.

[0020] A tooth 22 which protrudes from the internal side of the washer 20 and is inserted in a corresponding blind hole 23 of the male element, makes said male element move rigidly with the lever 19, whose arrangement in the two extreme positions is determined by the interference of teeth 24 and 25 which protrude from one side of the female element 15.

[0021] As an alternative to stop teeth 24 and 25, the same function might be obtained by giving the female element 15 dimensions by virtue of which it protrudes, on the side where the lever 19 is fixed, enough to form therein a recess by means of which the stroke angle of said lever 19 can be determined.

[0022] Another embodiment might consist in providing the stop teeth or raised portions of the lever 19 on the cylindrical surface of the female element 15 and in shaping the lever 19 so as to interfere with said teeth or raised portions.

[0023] Finally, as shown by the horizontal sectional view of Figure 9, the female element 15 accommodates the male element 16 (Figure 10) in a seat whose surface is slightly concave and barrel-shaped, so that the radial deformation of said male element clamped thereat, in addition to ensuring the necessary seal, prevents its extraction from the female element.

[0024] The present invention can be susceptible of further modifications and variations, which are in any case within the scope of the present invention, without altering the illustrated and described general features.

[0025] The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. FO99A000001 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.

[0026] Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

1. A spigot particularly suitable for on-tap dispensing of beer and other beverages, comprising a male element (2;16) and a female element (1;15), characterized in that the male element is made of flexible material and substantially cylindrical in shape, with a recess in a surrounding surface which is suitable to connect a flow intake duct (3) to a discharge duct (4) only in an open position, once inserted in the female element and subjected to axial compression of screw means meant to assemble the two elements, said male element undergoing a radial deformation which, though allowing it to perform the rotation applied by a lever (6;19) which is rigidly coupled thereto, ensures a perfect seal between the male and female elements.

2. The spigot according to claim 1, characterized in that said female element (1), made of rigid material is a cylindrical element in which the flow intake and discharge ducts (3,4) enter radially until they open onto a central seat which accommodates the male element and at a recess formed therein for the passage of the fluid.

3. The spigot according to claim 1, characterized in that said female element (1) is a cylindrical annular element in which a port (5) is present which is crossed by said lever (6), which is rigidly coupled to the male element (2) to be turned and has dimensions sufficient to define two extreme positions of said lever and accordingly of the male element.

4. The spigot according to claim 1, characterized in that the male element 2, in which a recess or channel (14) is provided whose width and length are such as to be able to connect the flow intake duct (3) to the discharge duct (4) only when the male element is in the open spigot position, has a radial seat (7) in which said lever (6) is accommodated which, perforated transversely in an end (8) thereof, is rigidly coupled thereat by the insertion of a clamping bolt (9) in an axial hole (10) of said male element.

5. The spigot according to claim 4, characterized in that the male element (2) and the actuation lever (6), after their insertion in the female element (1), are clamped between two washers (11) and (12) by said bolt (9) and by a corresponding nut (13).

6. The spigot according to claim 1, characterized in that said male element is accommodated in a seat of the female element, said seat being closed on one of its two sides and partially threaded at the inlet, a plug being screwed in said seat to clamp the male element, said male element having a threaded radial hole in which said actuation lever (6) is screwed, passing through a port (5) of the female element.

7. The spigot according to claim 1, characterized in that said actuation lever (19) is located externally with respect to the female element (15) and the male element (16), being welded to a first washer (20) which, together with a second washer (21), clamps the male element (16) by means of a bolt (9) and a corresponding nut (13).

8. The spigot according to claim 7, characterized in that the female element (15) accommodates the male element (16) in a seat which has a slightly barrel-shaped concave surface, so that the radial deformation of said male element clamped thereat, in addition to ensuring the necessary seal, also prevents its extraction from the female element.

9. The spigot according to claim 8, characterized in that a tooth (22), which protrudes from the internal side of said first washer (20) and is inserted in a corresponding blind hole (23) of the male element, rigidly couples said male element to the movements of said lever (19), whose arrangement in the two extreme positions is determined by the interference of a first (24) and second (25) teeth which protrude from one side of the female element (15).

10. The spigot according to claim 8, characterized in that the female element (15) protrudes, on the side where said lever (19) is fixed, enough to form thereat a recess by means of which the angle of movement of said lever (19) is determined.

11. The spigot according to claim 8, characterized in that a cylindrical surface of the female element (15) is provided with raised portions, said lever (19) being shaped so as to interfere with said raised portions.

Drawing