Flow regulator particularly adapted for soft drink mixing and dispensing apparatus

Claim 1

IN A SOFT DRINK DISPENSING DEVICE OF THE TYPE HAVING A DISPENSER BODY IN WHICH THERE ARE ADJACENT DOWNWARDLY OPENING SYRUP AND WATER OUTLETS THROUGH WHICH FLAVORING SYRUP AND WATER FROM SEPARATE PRESSURIZED SOURCES THEREOF CAN ISSUE SUBSTANTIALLY SIMULTANEOUSLY TO BE MIXED WHILE BEING DISPENSED: (A) AN UPRIGHT SYRUP TUBE HAVING ITS UPPER END PORTION DETACHABLY RECEIVED IN THE DISPENSER BODY SUBSTANTIALLY COAXIALLY WITH THE SYRUP OUTLET, SAID SYRUP TUBE PROVIDING A SYRUP PASSAGE LEADING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE SYRUP OUTLET; (B) AN UPRIGHT SUBSTANTIALLY TUBULAR REGULATOR BODY HAVING (1) A BORE THERETHROUGH, IN THE UPPER PORTION OF WHICH THE LOWER PORTION OF THE SYRUP TUBE IS DETACHABLY RECEIVED, THE LOWER END PORTION OF WHICH IS INTERNALLY THREADED, AND THE MEDIAL PORTION OF WHICH HAS A UNIFORM DIAMETER ALONG ITS LENGTH; AND (2) A PORT OPENING LATERALLY THROUGH ITS WALL FROM THE LOWER END OF SAID MEDIAL PORTION OF THE BORE; (C) A SLEEVE ON THE REGULATOR BODY HAVING A COAXIAL SKIRT PORTION RADIALLY SPACED FROM THE EXTERIOR OF THE REGULATOR BODY AND EXTENDING AXIALLY FROM ABOVE THE PORT NEARLY TO THE LEVEL OF THE BOTTOM OF THE REGULATOR BODY TO COOPERATE WITH THE LATTER IN PROVIDING AN ANNULAR DOWNWARDLY OPENING OUTLET NOZZLE INTO WHICH SAID PORT OPENS; (D) A PLUNGER SLIDEABLE IN THE MEDIAL PORTION OF THE BORE IN THE REGULATOR BODY, (1) SAID PLUNGER BEING AXIALLY APERTURED TO PERMIT FLUID TO FLOW THEREPAST AND IN CONTACT THEREWITH IN PASSING FROM THE SYRUP TUBE TO THE PORT TO THEREBY PRODUCE A PRESSURE DROP ACROSS THE PLUNGER BY WHICH THE SAME IS URGED DOWNWARDLY, AND (2) SAID PLUNGER HAVING ITS LOWER END PORTION ADAPTED TO COOPERATE WITH THE PORT TO COVER THE SAME AND REDUCE THE EFFECTIVE SIZE THEREOF AS THE PLUNGER MOVES DOWNWARDLY; (E) AN AXIALLY ADJUSTABLE PLUG RECEIVED IN THE THREADED LOWER END PORTION OF THE BORE IN THE REGULATOR BODY; (F) A COILED COMPRESSION SPRING REACTING BETWEEN SAID PLUG AND THE PLUNGER TO BIAS THE PLUNGER UPWARDLY WITH A FORCE WHICH DEPENDS UPON THE AXIAL POSITION OF THE PLUG; (G) ANNULAR WATER SPREADER MEANS CARRIED BY THE SYRUP TUBE, CONCENTRICALLY SURROUNDING THE SYRUP TUBE ABOVE THE REGULATOR BODY AND HAVING CIRCUMFERENTIAL SURFACES THAT ALTERNATELY ALONG ITS LENGTH FACE UPWARDLY AND RADIALLY OUTWARDLY TO PROVIDE A DOWNWARD AND RADIALLY OUTWARDLY STEPPED FLOW PATH FOR WATER; (H) AN ANNULAR UPPER NOZZLE ELEMENT SUPPORTED ON SAID WATER SPREADER MEANS AND HAVING (1) A RIM AT ITS TOP WHICH ENGAGES THE UNDERSIDE OF THE DISPENSER BODY AND COOPERATES WITH THE SAME AND WITH THE UPPER PORTION OF THE SYRUP TUBE TO DEFINE AN ANNULAR WATER INLET CHAMBER INTO WHICH THE WATER OUTLET OPENS, AND (2) CIRCUMFERENTIAL INTERIOR AND DOWNWARDLY FACING SURFACES WHICH COOPERATES WITH AND ARE SPACED FROM THE OUTER SURFACES OF THE SYRUP TUBE AND WATER SPREADER MEANS TO DEFINE AN ANNULAR DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY STEPPED WATER PASSAGE THAT LEADS COAXIALLY DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID WATER INLET CHAMBER; AND (I) AN ANNULAR DOWNWARDLY CONVERGING LOWER NOZZLE ELEMENT DETACHABLY SECURED AT ITS TOP TO SAID UPPER NOZZLE ELEMENT AND HAVING ITS LOWER END SPACED SLIGHTLY BELOW THE LEVEL OF THE BOTTOM OF THE REGULATOR BODY, SAID LOWER NOZZLE ELEMENT BEING ADAPTED TO HAVE WATER ISSUING FROM SAID WATER PASSAGE FLOW DOWN ALONG ITS CONVERGING INSIDE SURFACE TO BE MIXED WITH SYRUP ISSUING FROM SAID DOWNWARDLY OPENING OUTLET NOZZLE, AND HAVING AN INSIDE DIAMETER AT ITS BOTTOM WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE OUTSIDE DIAMETER OF THE REGULATOR BODY SO THAT WATER AND SYRUP BEING DISCHARGED CAN CONVERGE ALONG FLOW PATHS WHICH DEFINE A SHARPLY ACUTE INCLUDED ANGLE TO MIX SMOOTHLY AND WITHOUT FOAMING.