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Proportioning pump including integral orificeRelated Patent Categories: Pumps, Expansible Chamber Type, Having Pumping Chamber Pressure Responsive Distributor, Distributor Positioned Opposite Pumping Member End FaceProportioning pump including integral orifice description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060204390, Proportioning pump including integral orifice. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application is a divisional application of U.S. Ser. No. 10/391,678, which was filed on Mar. 18, 2003. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates generally to a proportioning pump having an integral orifice that controls the proportion of fluid in a mixture. More specifically, this invention relates to a proportioning pump employed in a frozen product system to regulate the amount of air combined with a mix to create a frozen product. [0003] A proportioning pump controls the proportion of a fluid in a mixture. The proportioning pump commonly employs an orifice to regulate the proportion of the fluid in the mixture. For example, a first fluid and a second fluid are mixed in a mixing chamber to form a mixture. If the proportion of the first fluid is to be regulated, the first fluid flows through an orifice prior to entering the mixing chamber, and the second fluid flows unrestricted into the mixing chamber. The orifice controls the proportion of the first fluid in the mixture. If the orifice is larger, the proportion of the first fluid in the mixture increases. If the orifice is smaller, the proportion of the first fluid in the mixture decreases. [0004] Frozen product systems commonly employ proportioning pumps in the preparation of frozen products, such as frozen beverages and frozen desserts, including milkshakes and soft serve ice cream. The frozen product is made of mix and air. The mix is stored in a hopper or other containing vessel. In the prior art, when the frozen product is to be prepared, a pump draws mix from the hopper into a mixing chamber. The pump also draws air from the atmosphere into the mixing chamber. The air is regulated by an orifice, the size of the orifice determining the amount of air that is combined with the mix in the mixing chamber. The air and mix combine in the mixing chamber to form a mixture. The mixture is pumped into a freezing cylinder where the mixture is refrigerated and scrapped to form the frozen product. When the frozen product is to be served, the frozen product is dispensed from the freezing cylinder. If the frozen product is a milkshake, the milkshake is pumped into a syrup chamber and mixed with a flavored syrup and is then dispensed for serving. [0005] In one prior art system, the same mix is employed to create both soft serve ice cream and milkshakes. More air is added to the mix to form soft serve ice cream than is added to the mix to form a milkshake. Therefore, a different size orifice is used to create soft serve ice cream and milkshakes. The orifice used with a soft serve ice cream pump is larger than the orifice used with a milkshake pump to incorporate more air into the mix to form the mixture. A drawback to the prior art pumps is that during assembly, the components of a pump used to create soft serve ice cream can be confused with the components of a pump used to create milkshakes. For example, if the orifice of a milkshake pump is accidentally assembled in the soft serve ice cream pump, not enough air is combined with the mix. [0006] The orifice that controls the air from the atmosphere into the mixing chamber is external. Therefore, the orifice is exposed to air and can dry out over time. If the orifice dries out, the air passage can be blocked, reducing the amount of air flowing through the orifice, affecting the consistency of the resulting frozen product and the frozen product overrun. Overrun is a measurement of the amount of air in the frozen product. If the orifice is exposed to air and exposed to user interface, the amount of overrun is not predicable. As overrun decreases, the amount of profit on the frozen product can decrease, as there is less air and more mix in the frozen product per unit volume, which can decrease profit because more mix is used. To prevent this, the orifice is usually removed and cleaned daily to prevent blockage of the air passage. [0007] A gasket controls the flow of fluids into and out of the mixing chamber. In the prior art, the gasket is complex and includes several components, increasing the complexity of assembly of the pump. [0008] There are several drawbacks to the proportioning pump of the prior art. For one, the pump includes numerous components, making assembly of the pump complex. Additionally, the pump does not include any fail-safe mechanism to ensure the pump is assembled properly and that the components of different pumps are not confused. Finally, the external orifice must be removed daily and cleaned, requiring additional labor. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0009] A pump in a frozen product system combines air and mix to form a mixture that is used to create a frozen product. The pump includes a piston slidably disposed in a housing that defines a mixing chamber. As the piston slides in the housing, the volume of the mixing chamber changes. [0010] A cap received in one end the housing includes an air inlet that allows air to enter the mixing chamber, a mix inlet that allows mix to enter the mixing chamber, and two mixture outlets that allow the mixture to dispense from the mixing chamber. An integral orifice is received in the air inlet to regulate the flow of air into the mixing chamber. By adjusting the size of the orifice, the proportion of air in the mixture can be regulated. [0011] A gasket positioned adjacent to the cap includes an air valve, a mix valve, and two mixture valves. When the gasket is aligned with the cap, the air valve aligns with the air inlet of the cap, the mix valve aligns with the mix inlet of the cap, and each of the mixture valves align with one of the mixture outlets of the cap. Each of the valves includes at least one slit which allows the passage of fluid through the valve. The gasket provides a liquid tight seal that prevents air and mix from entering the mixing chamber when mixture is dispensed from the mixing chamber and prevents the mixture from entering mixing chamber from the freezing cylinder while air and mix are drawn into the mixing chamber. [0012] An adapter draws air and mix into the mixing chamber. Air from the atmosphere enters the adapter through an air tube and exits the adapter through an air hole. Mix from the hopper enters the adapter through a mix tube and exits the adapter through a mix hole. After combining in the mixing chamber, the mixture is dispensed from the adapter through two mixture holes, through a feed tube, and into the freezer cylinder for cooling and preparation of the frozen product. [0013] A check ring positioned over holes in the feed tube regulates the pressure in the freezing cylinder. If the pressure in the freezing cylinder increases above a maximum threshold, the pressure in the freezing cylinder is relieved through the holes in the feed tube. The pressure forces the check ring away from the feed tube, allowing the pressure to escape. [0014] The cap includes a plurality of protrusions that each engage a respective hole in the adapter to ensure proper alignment of the cap and the adapter. The gasket also includes a protrusion that engages a cavity in the cap to ensure proper alignment of the gasket with the cap. [0015] During an intake stroke, the piston moves to enlarge the mixing chamber, drawing air and mix into the mixing chamber. Air and mix flow through the air valve and mix valve, respectively, of the gasket and enter the mixing chamber. The movement of the piston creates a suction that seals the mixture valves on the mixture outlets of the cap, preventing mixture in the freezing cylinder from leaking into the mixing chamber. During a compression stroke, the mixture in the freezing cylinder is dispensed through the mixture valves of the gasket. The movement of the piston creates a pressure that seals the air valve and the mix valve on the air hole and mix hole, respectively, of the adapter, preventing air and mix in the air tube and the mix tube, respectively, from leaking into the mixing chamber and preventing mixture from exiting the mixing chamber through the air hole and mix hole of the adapter. [0016] These and other features of the present invention will be best understood from the following specification and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0017] The various features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the currently preferred embodiment. The drawing that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows: [0018] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates the pump of the present invention employed in a frozen product system; [0019] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a perspective exploded view of the pump assembly of the present invention; [0020] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates another perspective exploded view of the pump assembly of the present invention; Continue reading about Proportioning pump including integral orifice... Full patent description for Proportioning pump including integral orifice Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Proportioning pump including integral orifice patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Proportioning pump including integral orifice or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Piston-type accumulator Next Patent Application: Housing mechanism for receiving memory card Industry Class: Pumps ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Proportioning pump including integral orifice patent info. 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