Flow control system for a beverage dispenser

Claim 1

A method for controlling the flow of a liquid in a beverage dispenser comprising the steps of: (a) providing a beverage dispenser with a flow control chamber having a liquid inlet opening and a liquid outlet opening; (b) providing a piston-sleeve assembly in said chamber; (c) providing said sleeve of said piston-sleeve assembly with a sidewall, an open proximal end, and at least one liquid outlet opening through said sidewall; (d) providing said piston of said piston-sleeve assembly slidably received within said sleeve for reciprocal sliding movement therein, said piston having a piston head at a proximal end thereof, an inlet port in said piston head providing liquid communication to said at least one outlet opening, and at least one axially extending flexible arm connected to said piston head at a proximal end of said arm and having a flow control pad on the distal end of said arm, said pad being in sliding engagement with an inside surface of said sleeve and being axially in-line with said outlet opening, and having size large enough to completely block said outlet opening; (e) sealing the space between said sleeve and said piston; (f) biasing said at least one pad into contact with said inside wall surface of said sleeve; and (g) spring-biasing said piston toward the proximal end of said piston-sleeve assembly.

Claim 2

A method for controlling the flow of a liquid in a beverage dispenser comprising the steps of: (a) providing a beverage dispenser with a flow control chamber having a liquid inlet opening and a liquid outlet opening; (b) providing a piston-sleeve assembly in said chamber; (c) providing said sleeve of said piston-sleeve assembly with a sidewall, an open proximal end, and at least one liquid outlet opening through said sidewall; (d) providing said piston of said piston-sleeve assembly slidably received within said sleeve for reciprocal sliding movement therein, said piston having a piston head at a proximal end thereof, an inlet port in said piston head providing liquid communication to said at least one outlet opening, and at least one axially extending flexible arm connected to said piston head at a proximal end of said arm and having a flow control pad on the distal end of said arm, said pad being in sliding engagement with an inside surface of said sleeve and being axially in-line with said outlet opening, and having size large enough to completely block said outlet opening; (e) sealing the space between said sleeve and said piston; (f) biasing said at least one pad into contact with said inside wall surface of said sleeve; and (g) spring-biasing said piston toward the proximal end of said piston-sleeve assembly.