Summary of How 2-Liter Dispensers Work
This article introduces two types of 2-liter soda dispensers designed to simplify pouring while maintaining carbonation. The first style uses a mounting stand, lever, and valve system to create a vacuum that prevents bottle collapse and gas loss. The second is a pressurized siphon-style dispenser with a spray cap and flow-restricting straw to minimize foam. Both mechanisms ensure the beverage stays fresh during use.
Parts used in the Two-Liter Soda Dispenser Project:
- Bottled soda dispenser
- Mounting stand
- Lever
- Nozzle
- Air tube
- Stopper valve
- Check valve
- Spring-loaded actuating levers
- Pressurized beverage dispenser
- Soda siphon style cap
- Straw
- Siphon tube
- Flow-obstructing devices
- Actuator
- Spray head
- Plug
The invention of two-liter bottle dispensers may change that. Two-liter dispensers come in two basic styles: a bottled soda dispenser with a mounting stand and a lever, and a pressurized beverage dispenser with a soda siphon style cap and straw that goes into the two-liter bottle. Both are designed to make pouring soda easier while keeping soda carbonated.
Mechanics of 2-Liter Dispensers
The bottled soda dispenser with a mounting stand and lever is a style similar to commercial soda dispensers (some types of this dispenser have a spigot, keg style, rather than a lever). It offers one-handed pouring and is designed to keep the beverage carbonated.
This style of dispenser relies on a mounting stand as a stable support base for the two-liter bottle, which is suspended upside down in a bottle holder. The threaded mouth of the soda bottle is screwed into a nozzle attached to the base. An air tube extends between a stopper valve and a check valve. Soda is dispensed through spring-loaded actuating levers, which turn the dispenser on and off as pressed. Because of the vacuum created by the check valve, as the level of soda dwindles, the plastic bottle doesn’t collapse or crunch but stays as taut as the unopened bottles on the shelves at the grocery store.
The stopper valve is mounted on the top of the actuating levers. When the lever is pressed to the “on” position, the stopper valve opens and soda is served from the apparatus. As soda begins dispensing, the check valve opens to allow air in, and also allows a steady flow of soda. During dispensing, this end of the air tube creates a vacuum inside the plastic bottle. This vacuum helps keep the bottle from depressurizing and therefore keeps the dissolved carbon-dioxide gas from escaping. When the dispenser is not in use, these valves seal both fluid and carbonation from escaping.
The second type of two-liter soda dispenser, the pressurized beverage dispenser, looks a lot like an old-fashioned seltzer siphon bottle, with a straw that extends into the soda bottle and a spray bottle style cap. A siphon tube (the straw) constructed with flow-obstructing devices to reduce the pressure of fluid as it dispenses is inserted into the soda bottle — those special features mean less foam and less carbon dioxide gas are released as you pour a glass of soda. The tube is attached to an actuator, which is the spray head of the mechanism, and a plug in the actuator seals the liquid and gas from leaking.
For more Detail: How 2-Liter Dispensers Work
- How does the check valve help keep the soda carbonated?
The check valve creates a vacuum inside the plastic bottle as soda dispenses, which keeps dissolved carbon-dioxide gas from escaping. - What prevents the plastic bottle from collapsing when the soda level dwindles?
The vacuum created by the check valve ensures the bottle stays taut rather than crushing or collapsing. - Can you pour soda with one hand using the mounting stand style?
Yes, the bottled soda dispenser with a mounting stand and lever offers one-handed pouring. - How does the siphon tube reduce foam in the pressurized dispenser?
The siphon tube contains flow-obstructing devices that reduce the pressure of the fluid as it dispenses, resulting in less foam. - What seals the liquid and gas from leaking when the pressurized dispenser is not in use?
A plug in the actuator seals the liquid and gas from leaking when the device is idle. - Does the stopper valve open when the lever is pressed to the on position?
Yes, pressing the lever to the on position opens the stopper valve so soda can be served. - What is the main design difference between the two dispenser styles?
One style uses a mounting stand and lever with a nozzle, while the other uses a siphon style cap and straw like an old-fashioned seltzer siphon. - How does air enter the bottle during dispensing in the lever style?
As soda begins dispensing, the check valve opens to allow air into the air tube, creating a steady flow.
