Title: Syrup feed system for drink distribution apparatus of the after-mixing type

What we claim is:

1. A syrup feed system for drink distribution apparatus of the after-mixing type, comprising a mixing zone, means for dispensing syrup to said zone and means for simultaneously feeding water to said zone with which to dilute the syrup, the system comprising a flexible container containing syrup and provided with apierceable nozzle, support means for said container, means for receiving at least part of said nozzle, means for piercing said nozzle and means for conveying the syrup from the pierced nozzle to said syrup dispensing means.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible container is of thermoweldable material, and is provided with an aperture through which there projects the nozzle, which is fixed by thermowelding on the inner side of the contour of said aperture.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the nozzle comprises a fixing flange provided with radial channels.

4. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the flexible container is a bag with side bellows, comprising transverse welds.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the bag with side bellows comprises longitudinal welds along its edges.

6. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the flexible container is an envelope.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the nozzle is closed by a transverse wall in one piece therewith, and provided with a zone of lesser resistance.

8. A system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the transverse wall is spaced apart from the end of the nozzle.

9. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the nozzle incorporate a non-return valve.

10. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer end of the nozzle is of decreasing cross-section.

11. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support means for the flexible container are in the form of a tray, with the support surface for the container inclined to facilitate the emptying thereof.

12. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for receiving at least part of the nozzle are connected to the container support means.

13. A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the means for piercing the nozzle are associated with the means for receiving it.

14. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the means for piercing the nozzle are constituted by a flute neck tube portion.

15. A system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the flute neck tube portion is disposed in the means for receiving the nozzle, which are of tubular shape and are provided with an inner transverse support from which the tube portion extends upwards, said support extending over only part of the cross-section of said means.

16. A system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the means for receiving the nozzle comprise a hollow cylindrical appendix rigid with the bag support means, a bush provided with an inner transverse support from which the tubular portion extends upwards, a ring nut screwed on to said cylindrical appendix, and a non-return valve.

17. A system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the syrup conveying means comprise a chamber connected to the syrup dispensing means, and to which the means for receiving the nozzle are removably connected.

18. A system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the means for receiving the nozzle are associated with the container support means and with the means for piercing it, and further comprise a non-return valve and are removably insertable into the chamber of the syrup conveying means, there projecting into said chamber an appendix for opening the valve.

19. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the syrup dispensing means comprise a worm and means for operating said worm.

20. A system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the worm rotates in a first chamber of slightly greater diameter which has an outlet comprising unidirectional valve means which partly border a second chamber into which the water feed means open.

21. A system as claimed in claim 20, wherein said second chamber is disposed upstream of the outlet of the valve means.

22. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the valve means comprise a flange projecting into said second chamber.

23. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mixing zone is situated in a drink delivery mouthpiece.

24. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the nozzle has a cross-section conjugate with that of the means for receiving it.

25. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible container provided with the nozzle is filled with the syrup and sealed in an automatic machine in which the container is fed intermittently under a series of operating stations disposed in succession one to the other.

26. A system as claimed in claim 25, wherein the automatic machine comprises an intermittently rotating table supporting a series of raisable receptacles into which the flexible containers provided with their nozzle are placed.

27. A system as claimed in claim 26, wherein the receptacles are raised by stationary pressurised fluid jacks.

28. A system as claimed in claim 26, wherein the receptacles comprise a series of separate compartments for housing the flexible containers.

29. A system as claimed in claim 26, wherein the raisable receptacles comprise means for shutting the mouth of the flexible containers.

30. A system as claimed in claim 25, wherein a first operating station comprises sucker means for widening the mouth of the flexible containers, and means for metering and feeding the syrup to the containers.

31. A system as claimed in claim 25, wherein a second operating station comprises means for shutting the mouth of the flexible containers.

32. A system as claimed in claim 31, wherein the second operating station is provided with means for sealing the mouth of the flexible container by thermowelding.

33. A system as claimed in claim 25, wherein a third station comprises means for sealing the mouth of the flexible container by thermowelding.


Other info:


Inventors: Goglio, Luigi (Via Frua 11, Milano, IT)
Bassetti, Aldo (Via Serbelloni 1, Milano, IT)

Application Number: 06/036735
Filing Date: 1979-05-07
Publication_date: 1982-02-09
Assignee: Goglio, Luigi
Bassetti, Aldo

Primary Class(es): 366/156.100 222/413, 99/275, 222/105
Other Classes: B65D75/58; B67D1/00; B65D75/52; B01F15/02
US Patent Ref:

3081911	March, 1963	Scholle	222/105	Drainage fitting for collapsible container
3083877	April, 1963	Gash	222/105	Collapsible container with corrugations to facilitate the collapse of its walls
3140861	July, 1964	Krup	366/156	Mixing device
3379116	April, 1968	Martin	99/275	Beverage or food dispenser
3648904	March, 1972	Teige	222/413	LIQUID DISPENSING APPARATUS
3920223	November, 1975	Krueger	366/156	Plural component mixing head
4138036	February, 1979	Bond	222/105	Helical coil tube-form insert for flexible bags
4189069	February, 1980	Stoody	222/105	Squeeze tube sack for aerosol type containers

Other Refs:
Primary Examiner: Jenkins, Robert W.
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney: Steinberg & Raskin