Importance

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Abstract

A liquid dispensing system and a unified assembly for control of fluid flow in such a system has a container 1 from which liquid such as beer is drawn by an electrically controlled pump 2 to be supplied through a unified assembly 4 to a dispensing tap 5. The assembly 4 has an inlet 6 which communicates through a pressure biased non-return valve 8 with a high pressure chamber 9 and an outlet 11 to the tap 5. A piston 14 responds to high pressure in the chamber 9 to be displaced and pivot a rocking lever 26 to operate a microswitch 28 which is normally closed to operate the pump 2 but is opened in response to said displacement of the piston 14 to deactivate the pump 2. A low pressure chamber 35 communicates with the inlet passage 6 and the pressure of liquid in the system expands the chamber 35 to maintain a plunger 38 against its spring biasing. Upon entry of froth or foam into the passage 6 the low pressure thereof permits the chamber 35 to contract under the spring biasing of plunger 38 and displacement of the latter pivots the rocking lever 26 to open the microswitch 28 and deactivate the pump 2. With froth or foam in the passage 6 a normally closed bleed valve 48 is manually displaced to open communication between passage 6 and bleed outlet 47. Displacement of the valve 48 abuts and displaces the plunger 38 against its spring biasing to relieve pressure of the plunger on the rocking lever 26 so that the microswitch 28 reverts to its normal closed condition to operate pump 2 which can draw liquid from a fresh supply to displace the froth or foam from the passage 6 through the bleed outlet 47 and prime said passage with liquid for further dispensing when the bleed valve 48 reverts to its normal closed condition.

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First Claim