| APPLICATION
XTRA - Valves and Cylinders |
 Ice cream dispenser
• valve is cylinder actuated
• automatic, safe pressure exhaust
When a soft serve ice cream manufacturer approached KIP for aid in the design of a new, point-of-use, soft serve ice cream dispensing machine, the key issues of this project were safety and ease-of-use.
Soft serve ice cream is not very soft at all when kept in a standard commercial freezer. Therefore, the ice cream dispenser, which doubles as a freezer, is kept at a temperature that allows the soft serve ice cream to be smooth and pliable. Most soft serve ice creams come pre-mixed, in all kinds of different flavors, some including special treats like chocolate chips or peanut butter crunchies.
In this application, the soft serve ice cream is delivered to the vendor in plastic bags, approximately 24-in. long by 4-in. in diameter, resembling a large sausage. The bag is then placed in a large cylinder, similar to a torpedo tube, inside the dispensing machine. The machine is loaded from the front. A quick-latch door provides easy access to the inside of the dispenser. Once the bags are installed, the front door is locked, and the machine is ready for action.
 Pulling the handle to dispense the ice cream actuates a solenoid valve, which allows air pressure from the compressor to actuate a cylinder. This cylinder pushes a plastic piston against the back of the ice cream bag, so that the cool treat can be dispensed. The bag stays under constant pressure while the machine is in use. When the ice cream is fully expended from the bag, the operator activates a switch, which reverses the valves and retracts the cylinders. This action allows the operator to reload. However, if the operator should open the cabinet before the ice cream is fully dispensed, a quick exhaust feature incorporated into the valve manifold immediately dumps any pressure, so that the ice cream will not be ejected suddenly and forcibly from the machine. Since the cylinder is under a tremendous amount of pressure, it is imperative that the air pressure is exhausted quickly and safely. The specially designed quick exhaust vent in the solenoid valve manifold assures safe operation of the dispenser at
all times.
This custom-designed solution uses both Series 2 and Series 3 valves, specially modified to handle the pressure and flow requirements of this application.
KIP Inc, Farmington, CT.
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