Portion control valve and system and method utilizing the same

摘要

A delivery system comprising a pump connectable to a source of pumpable material, such as flowable condiment, and a control valve including a valve body and a valve element. The valve body has an inlet coupled to the pump to receive the pumpable material from the pump, a resiliently expandable portion chamber, an inlet passage extending from the inlet to the portion chamber, an outlet and a discharge passage extending from the portion chamber to the outlet. The valve element is movable in the valve body between a charging position in which the valve element blocks the discharge passage and does not block the inlet passage so the pump can supply the pumpable material under pressure to the portion chamber to resiliently expand the portion chamber and a discharge position in which the valve element blocks the inlet passage and does not block the outlet passage so the portion chamber can resiliently contract to move the pumpable material from the portion chamber toward the outlet. The outlet is equipped with a normally closed valve.