Importance

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Abstract

A filling valve assembly for filling a beverage container with a liquid beverage. The valve assembly includes a valve body having an outer wall and a vent tube for ventilating the container when the container is filled with the liquid. Fluid passageways are defined between the outer wall and the vent tube for allowing the liquid to discharge into the container. A notch is formed within the outer wall and a screen is disposed across the fluid passageway with an outer diameter extending into the notch. The valve assembly is characterized by the notch being a truncated cone extending axially in the direction of the fluid passageway to define an angled surface for facilitating disposition of the screen into the notch and within the fluid passageway. The assembly is also characterized by the screen having a chemically etched surface creating a plurality of square holes within the screen for preventing unnecessary dripping of fluid material into the container. In addition, a deflector is provided wherein the deflector extends across the fluid passageway for deflecting the fluid material toward the side of the container. The valve assembly is further characterized by the deflector being fixedly secured to the valve body such that the deflector remains adjacent to the fluid passageway and extends entirely across the fluid passageway during the discharge of fluid material into the container.

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First Claim