Frozen beverage machine valving

1. A dispensing apparatus ( 20 ; 300 ; 400 ) comprising:

a freezing cylinder ( 40 );

a water flowpath ( 526 );

a first controllable valve ( 130 ) along the water flowpath;

a syrup flowpath ( 528 ), merging with the water flowpath and proceeding as a water/syrup flowpath ( 552 ) to the freezing cylinder;

a second controllable valve ( 132 ) along the syrup flowpath; and,

a carbon dioxide flowpath ( 572 , 574 ) merging with the water/syrup flowpath, the carbon dioxide flowpath comprises a branch ( 576 ) extending to the water/syrup flowpath and the freezing cylinder,

wherein the first controllable valve and the second controllable valve each comprise:

a valve body ( 144 ; 432 ) having a cartridge compartment ( 164 , 166 ), an inlet ( 176 ) to the cartridge compartment, and an outlet ( 178 ) from the cartridge compartment; and

a valve cartridge ( 162 ) having a unitary construction so as to allow removal from the valve compartment and replacement as a unit, the valve cartridge comprising:

a cartridge body ( 200 ) mounted in the cartridge compartment and having a valve seat;

a valve element ( 222 ) carried by the cartridge body and having a head shiftable between a first condition disengaged from the valve seat and permitting communication between the inlet and the outlet and a second condition engaged to the valve seat and blocking communication between the inlet and the outlet; and,

a solenoid ( 224 ) carried by the cartridge body and coupled to the valve element to drive movement of the valve element.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein, for the first controllable valve and the second controllable valve the cartridge body:

is captured to the valve body by a capture plate ( 190 );

has a threaded engagement with the valve body; and/or

has a snap-fit engagement with the valve body.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising

a mix reservoir ( 70 ) along the water/syrup flowpath, the carbon dioxide flowpath comprises a second branch ( 574 ) extending to the mix reservoir.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a carbon dioxide tank ( 28 ) connected to the carbon dioxide flowpath.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the first controllable valve and the second controllable valve have identical cartridges.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a controller ( 32 , 34 ; 320 ; 32 , 420 ) configured for pulse width modulated operation of the first controllable valve and the second controllable valve.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the controller comprises:

a main controller ( 34 ; 420 ); and

a manually-adjustable pulse width modulated timing circuit ( 32 ) intervening between the main controller and the first controllable valve and the second controllable valve.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the controller is configured to:

output separate pulse width modulated power to the first controllable valve and the second controllable valve.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a refrigeration system ( 44 ) with the freezing cylinder as a heat exchanger ( 43 ).

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the freezing cylinder is a first of a plurality of freezing cylinders;

each of the plurality of freezing cylinders beyond the first also has associated therewith a first controllable valve and a second controllable valve each comprising:

a valve body having a cartridge compartment, an inlet to the cartridge compartment, and an outlet from the cartridge compartment; and

a valve cartridge comprising:

a cartridge body mounted in the cartridge compartment;

a valve element carried by the cartridge body and shiftable between a first condition permitting communication between the inlet and the outlet and a second condition blocking communication between the inlet and the outlet; and

a solenoid carried by the cartridge body and coupled to the valve element to drive movement of the valve element.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein:

a single piece ( 432 ) forms main portions of the valve bodies in common associated with the plurality of cylinders.

12. A method for using the apparatus of claim 1 , the method comprising:

running the freezing cylinder to discharge a product from an outlet.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

removing, as a unit, the valve cartridge of one or both of the first controllable valve and the second controllable valve; and

replacing, as a unit, the removed cartridge with a replacement cartridge.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein:

the removing comprises removing a capture plate.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

providing separate pulse width modulated power to the first controllable valve and the second controllable valve.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein:

the separate pulse width modulated power to the first controllable valve and the second controllable valve are of different duty cycles.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

manually adjusting the different duty cycles.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein:

the manually adjusting is of respective timing circuits intervening between a main controller and the first controllable valve and the second controllable valve.

19. The method of claim 12 used to dispense a frozen carbonated beverage product.

20. A dispensing apparatus ( 20 ; 300 ; 400 ) comprising:

a freezing cylinder ( 40 );

a water flowpath ( 526 );

a first controllable valve ( 130 ) along the water flowpath;

a syrup flowpath ( 528 ), merging with the water flowpath and proceeding as a water/syrup flowpath ( 552 ) to the freezing cylinder;

a second controllable valve ( 132 ) along the syrup flowpath; and,

a carbon dioxide flowpath ( 572 , 574 ) merging with the water/syrup flowpath, the carbon dioxide flowpath extending to the freezing cylinder,

wherein the first controllable valve and the second controllable valve each comprise:

a valve body ( 144 ; 432 ) having a cartridge compartment ( 164 , 166 ), an inlet ( 176 ) to the cartridge compartment, and an outlet ( 178 ) from the cartridge compartment; and

a valve cartridge ( 162 ) comprising:

a cartridge body ( 200 ) mounted in the cartridge compartment;

a valve element ( 222 ) carried by the cartridge body and shiftable between:

a first condition permitting communication between the inlet and the outlet; and

a second condition blocking communication between the inlet and the outlet; and,

a solenoid ( 224 ) carried by the cartridge body and coupled to the valve element to drive movement of the valve element.

21. A dispensing apparatus ( 20 ; 300 ; 400 ) comprising:

a freezing cylinder ( 40 );

a water flowpath ( 526 );

a first controllable valve ( 130 ) along the water flowpath;

a syrup flowpath ( 528 ), merging with the water flowpath and proceeding as a water/syrup flowpath ( 552 ) to the freezing cylinder;

a second controllable valve ( 132 ) along the syrup flowpath;

a mix reservoir ( 70 ) along the water/syrup flowpath; and,

a carbon dioxide flowpath ( 572 , 574 ) merging with the water/syrup flowpath, the carbon dioxide flowpath extending between the mix reservoir and the freezing cylinder,

wherein the first controllable valve and the second controllable valve each comprise:

a valve body ( 144 ; 432 ) having a cartridge compartment ( 164 , 166 ), an inlet ( 176 ) to the cartridge compartment, and an outlet ( 178 ) from the cartridge compartment; and

a valve cartridge ( 162 ) comprising:

a cartridge body ( 200 ) mounted in the cartridge compartment;

a valve element ( 222 ) carried by the cartridge body and shiftable between:

a first condition permitting communication between the inlet and the outlet; and

a second condition blocking communication between the inlet and the outlet; and,

a solenoid ( 224 ) carried by the cartridge body and coupled to the valve element to drive movement of the valve element.