Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~LO'3759~ ~
~ he present invention relate~ to dispensing closures for
~quee~able containers.
Automatic dispensing closure valves for ~queezable
containers include valves which open in re~ponse to greatsr
than ambient pressure ins~de the container, ~he pressure
forces the fluid in the container through the valve then
through a discharge orifice to the ambient. To close the valve
the valve either has to be manually returned to the closed
position or, in some configurations, automatically return~ to
the closed position. In the latter valves, various ~pring
devices are provided which are placed under spring bias
pressure when the valve opens. Upon re~uction~ of prss~ure in
the container to ambient or les~, the spring bias pre~sure
closes the valve. While it i8 more desirable to pro~ide auto-
matic closure of the valve t~e addltional spring elements add
to the cost and complexity of the apparatus.
In a closure embodying the present invention for a
squeezable resilient container which during squeezing exhibits
an interior pre~sure greater than atmospheric and during its
return to the stable unsqueezed condition exhibits an interior
pressure less th~n atmospheric, a valve i~ provided which
includes first means in fluid communication with the interior
and ambient responsive to the pres~ure differential produced by
the greater interior pressure ~or placing the valve in the open
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1t3"7595
valve condition and second means in fluid communication
with the interior and ambient responsive solely to the
pressure di~ferential created by the less than atmospheric
pressure in the container for placing the valve in the
closed valve condition.
The present invention is directed to a closure for
dispensing a fluid stored in a squeezable resilient container.
The closure comprises a housing and a means for securing the
housing in Eluid communication with the interior of the
container. In addition, there is an annular tapered valve
seatin the housing having a surface at a first smaller
diameter which tapers toward a larger second diameter. The
smaller diameter is closest to the interior of the container.
The closure also comprises a tapered annular valve
member having a bottom surface and a tapered side surface.
The side surface complements the valve seat for providing a
substantially fluid tight seal when seated in the closed
valve position, and for providing a fluid passage at the
interface between the member side surface and the seat
when in the open valve position. A side of the member
opposite the bottom surface is coupled to the outside
atmosphere. The bottom surface and the interface are
positioned in fluid communication with the stored fluid so
that the fluid forced against the bottom surface displaces
the member to the open valve position and the fluid enters
into the interface in an annular continuous ring.
The closure also comprises fluid discharge conduit
means in fluid communication with and between the interface
and the outside atmosphere. Valve member displacement
limiting means are connected to the housing for limiting
the distance the member is permitted to displace from
the closed valve position to the open valve position.
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This serves to provide a maximum clearance between the
side surface and the seat at that value at which fluid in
the interface tends to effectively seal the interface
from ambient air when the container interior pressure is
less than ambient pressure such that the pressure
differential is sufficient to force the valve member to
its closed valve position.
The valve member has a shoulder and the housing has
a chamber adjacent the larger diameter. The shoulder is
positioned within the chamber and the chamber has an upper
wall which abuts the shoulder when the valve member is
displaced to the open valve position for forming the
displacement limiting means.
The housing may have a guide aperture aligned with the
seat in a direction parallel to a line connecting the
centers of the diameters. The closure may also include
guide means extending from the valve member into the guide
aperture.
The conduit means may be disposed between the guide
means and the aperture.
The valve member may be ~otatably mounted in the seat.
In such a configuration, the upper wall is spaced a first
distance from the larger diameter at one-annular loc~tion an
amount sufficient to force the valve member to the closed
position when the shoulder is at this first annular location.
The valve member is spaced a second distance greater than
the first distance at a second annular location an amount
sufficient to permit the valve member to displace to
the open valve position when the shoulder is at the second
annular location.
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~0~759~
The valve member may also include a stem extending
from the valve member in the housing to the ambient
atmosphere. The stem may include means for rotating
the stem and the member. The stem, the valve member and
the housing may include a valve locking means for locking
the valve member in the closed valve position in one
angular orientation. The valve locking means may also
be used to release the valve member in a second different
orientation.
The closure may also include an orifice in fluid
communication with the interior of the container and
the tapered valve seat, for distributing the fluid during
the squeezing against the valve member and into the interface.
The discharge means may include a groove in the valve
member and the stem in fluid communication with the interface
for receiving fluid to be discharged to the atmosphere.
The housing may also include a chamber on one side
of the valve member and an orifice on the other side of
the valve member. In this configuration, the orifice is
in fluid communication with the interior and the interface.
The chamber is in fluid communication with the discharge
means and the interface. The chamber may have a sloping
upper wall which at one angular position is closer to the
valve member than at a second different angular position.
The valve member may include an upstanding ridge which
engages the upper wall in the first angular position to
force and lock the member in the closed valve position and
which engages and abuts the upper wall in the second
angular position when the valve member is in the open
valve position.
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~CI`'375~5
IN THE DRAWING:
FIGURE 1 iS an elevation view of a closure embodying
the present invention mounted on a squeezable container,
FIGURE 2 iS a plan view of the closure of FIGURE l,
FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the closure of FIGURE 2
taken along Lines 3-3 showing the valve in the unlocked closed
valve position,
FIGURE 4 iS a perspective view of the valve, stem and
discharge orifice of the closure of FIGURES 1 and 2,
FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of the closure similar to
the view of FIGURE 3 but with the valve in the closed and locked
position, and
FIGURE 6 is a sectional view of the closure and container
in the inverted position dispensing a fluid from the container.
In FIGURE l, the closure 10 embodying the present inven-
tion is illustrated as being usable with a plastic "squeeze"
container 12 for various fluids, including liquids and pastes
and the like. By depressing the container 12 at the sides, the
container depresses or "squeezes" as shown dashed. The sides
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1~
being resilient rsturn to their original ~tate (solid) when
released~ The squeezed condition increase~ the pres~ure in the ¦
Gontainer above ambient and forces the contents from the
container through the closure as will be described. ~he
closure has a lock ~tate to prevent the contents of the
container from discharging unintentionally in case of accidental
squeezing as might occur during transit.
Container 12 has a threaded throat 14 on which the closure
10 is mounted via internal threads 16, FIGURE 3, formed in
housing 18. The housing external to threads 16 ha~ ~erratio~s
20 to aid the user to mount and unmount the closure on the
container. Any other fa~tening device~ may be used instead of
threads as may be convenient ~or a par~icular implementation.
Housing 18 may b~ formed of any suitable material such as ? for
example, thermoplastic~. :
Internal to housing 18 iB a tapered valve seat 22. Seat 22
has a frustro-conical ~hape with its smalle~t diameter 24 closest
to container 12 and it~ largest diameter 26 furtherest fro~
container I2~ Seat 22 tapers outwardly and upwardly from
diameter 24 to diameter 26. The slope of the seat surface i~
about 10 degrees with the vertical (top to bottom in th~
drawing~. Thi~ angle i~ not critical a~d can vary somewhat
from this range which i~ given by way of example. Seat 22
~urrounds and forms the side wal~ o~ a hollow cavity in
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housing 18.
Conduit 28 is centrally po~itioned within the circumference
of diameter 24 and provides fluid communication between the
cavity surrounded by seat 22 and the container 12 interior.
h circular recess 30 which i9 disc-like in ~hape i8 formed in
the lower interior surface of housing 18 to form a raised
annular washer-like lip 32. ~ip 32 engages the lip of the
container 12 for sealing the container to housing 18. A gasket
ring may also be u~ed to seal th~ lip of the container to
housing 18.
~ he upper edge o~ seat 22 terminates a~ bottom circular
wall 34 which joins c~lindrical up~tanding sid~ wall 36 to form
an interior chamber 38 in housing 18 open to the cavity sur-
rounded by seat 22. Chamber 38 h~s an upper ring-like coiling
wall 40. Wa:Ll 40 has a sloped shape ~or provlding locXing
action as will be described. Wall 40 along lines 3-3~ ~IGU~E 2,
i~ spaced a distance d (t~e height of wall 36) from bottom ~all
34. Wall 40 along lin~s 3a-3a, ~IGURE 2, i8 spaced a distance
d' (next to wall 36) from bottom wall 34, lines 3a-3a being
90 degrees from lines 3-3. Wall 40 tapers smoothly from
distance d to di~tance d' in a continuous ~mooth downwardl~
facing shoulder. Thi~ ceiling wall 40 also ~lopes upwardl~
and radially inwardly from it~ outsr circumferenceO Di~tance
d' is greater than distance-d as will be explained.
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A cylindr~cal long~tud1n~1 ~tem ~ulde ap~rture 42 1~ ~ormed¦
in housing 18 open to chamber 38 at its lower end and to the
ambient at its upper end. ~perture 42 is coaxial with the
seat 22 and conduit 38 at the intersection of llnes 3-3 and
3a-3a when connected.
A valve, stem and knob assembly 44 is mounted in seat 22,
chamber 38 and aperture 42. Assembly 44 is best seen in
figure 4 and includes a tapered valve 46 which seats in and
mates with seat 22. When ~ully seated in seat 22 the ~alve is
closed and no fluid can pass in the interface between the valve
46 and seat 22. ~he bottom surface 48 of valve 46 i~ flat and
is spaced from the housing lip 50 surrounding conduit 28 at the
base of seat 22 when the valve is closed. The tapered ~urface
46r of valve 46 terminates at it~ upper extremity at sho~ider 52.
3houlder 52 tapers downwardly and radially outwardl~ ~rom ~ts
more central portion to the tapered valve ~urface 46'. The
taper of shou:lder 52 is similar to the taper in ceiling wall 40
of chamber 38 which tapers in complementar~ fashion.
Two radially extending ridges 54 and 56 are on shoulder 52
at diametrically opposite side~ o~ valve 46. ~hese ridges are
molded integr~l with valve 46 in this example. When valve 46
is seated in seat 22 in the closed valve oondition and the
ridges 54 and 56 are aligned along lines 3a-3a ther~ is a
clearance distance between the ridges and ceiling wall 40 which
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~LO"7595
permits the valve to displace in the direction of arrow 58.
That i8, wall 40 acts as a ~top for ~alve 46 limiting its dis-
placement from ~eat 22 to a certain value whose lmportance will
be explained later. When the valve is ro~ated 90 degree~ 80
that the ridges are align~d ~ith imaginary lines 3-3, FIGURE 2 9
the ridges 54,56 engage ceiling wall 40. Distance d i8 made
that value such that there i9 a 81i ght interf~rence fit between
ridges 54 and 56 and ceiling wall 40 when at this angular
position and the valve is fully seated, Since the valve and
ridges and hou~ing are made of a somewhat pliable material such
as polypropelene or polyethelene, the slight interferenGe fit
forces and locks the valve 46 in the closed valve position and
excess pressure from within the container will not accidentall~
displace the valve 46 a~ar from the closed valve position. It
does not matter ln which direotion ~alve 46 i~ rotated. Whe~
ridge~ 54,56 are in line with lin~s 3a-3a the valve may ope~,
and with lines 3-3, the ~alve i8 locked closed.
Cylindrical ~tem 60 i~ integral with valve 46 and extends
centrally upwardly from valve 46. Stem 60 fits closely withi~
aperture 42 an amount sufficient to prevent nuid from seeping
between aperturs 42 and stem 46 but not so close as to prevent
stem 60 from sliding in aper~ure 42~ Stem 60 ~erves as a guide
for valve 46 to ensure that ~alve 46 seats properly in ~eat 22.
A longitudinQl fluid discharge channel 62 i~ ~ormed in a
l, l
l l ~
~ ~q75~S
side of stem 60 and extend~ through should~r 52 and terminates
in the tapered Ride wall 46' of valve 46. A3 seen in FIGURE 3
channel 62 thus terminat~s at one end in chamber 38 and at the
other end in the ambien~. Any ~luid under pressure in chamber
38 exits the chamber to the ambient between the channel 62 and
the aperture 42 side wall.
A ilat knob 64 extends from stem 60 and i~ in the form of
an arrow to indicate the locked (off) or unlocked (open)
position of the valve 46 (FIGURE 2). Rotation of the knob 64
positions the valve in the desired locked or unlocked position~
In FIGURE 2, the knob 64 indicates the valve i8 in the unlocked
(open) position of ~IGURE 3.
FIGURE 5 shows the valve rotated 90 degrees ~rom the
position o~ FIGURES 2 and 3. In ~hi~ position the valve 46 is
locked in the clo~ed valve position. Ridges 54 and 56 abut
ceiling wall 40 and force valve 46 tightly into seat 22
Pressure within container 12 can not open the valve.
In FIGURE 6, the inverted assembly iB discharging a fluid
66, contalner 12 being squeezed to increase the internal
pressure above ambient. The n uid flows throu~h conduit 28,
impinges against valve 46 bottom ~urface 48, forcing the valve
open in the direction of arrow 58. Fluid flows into the inter-
face 68 between seat 22 and the tapsred valve ~ur~ace o~
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valve 46. Because the conduit is centrally positioned and of
sufficient flow capacity for the particular fluid, fluid enters
into the interface 68 in an annular flow completely surrounding
the tapered surface of ~alve 46 and filling the entire interface
68. ~hi~ occurs because the clearance C between seat 22 and
valve 46 is sufficiently ~mall with respect to the volume of
fluid flowing, that is, the internal pressure at the ~,ot~om 48
of valve 46 i~ sufficiently high with respect to the entire flow
area at the interface 68, such that fluid tends to enter the
entire circumferential area of the interface a~ the fluid
emerges from conduit 28. The~e relationships can be readily
determined empirically. ,
The distance d'! (FIGURE 3) i8 chosen to provide sufficient
clearance space'for ridges 54 and 56 90 that clearance ~
(FIGURE 6) does not exceed a certain value. ~hat ~alue is one
which permits interface 68 to be filled and remain filled in a~
annu,lar continuous ring around valve surface 46'~ during t~e
squeeze and subsequent release actions.
It is to be under~tood that the clearance C is also a
fknction of the fluid viscosity. A more ri~cous fluid~ for
example, h~avy oil, flows less readily ~han a less viscou~
fluid such a~ water. Thus tha interface 68 flow area ~hould be
made greater for more vi~cous flui~ than les~ viscous fluids
to form the fluid sealing action. The interface 68 will remai~
lOg7595
sealed longer (with the container interior pressure at ambient)
with a more viscous fluid than with a less vi~cous fluid for a
given clearance. The time the fluld should remain in the inter-
face as a seal is a matter of a few seconds until the valve 46
closes as the container pressure becomes le~s than ambient.
The amount of fluid in the interface is not cri~ical as long as
the ~luid forms a continuous annular ring about valve 46 90 that
ambient air does not immediately return to the container
interior without fir~t closing valve 46.
This fiuid ring acts effectively a9 a s~al to ambient air
attempting to retur~ to the container 12 interior via the inter-
face 68. Since air can not easily return via this route due to
the presence o~ the fluid in the interface, the greater pressure
forces the valve 46 against seat 22, clo~in~ the valve auto-
matically and without any spring.bias devices. Of course, after
the valve 46 i3 seated, the higher embient pressure may tend to
seep air through the closed interface 68 to equalize the
pressure in the container 12 interior with the ambient since the
seal ma~ not be a per~ect seal. This is acceptable. ~he valve
will be effectively closed and will remain in that pQsitio~
until the container i8 again~squeezed. ~o prevent accidental
discharge it can be locked, but that is not es~entiQl to placing
the valve in the closed position. By way of example, ~or a mean
seat diameter of 7/16 inchcs and a ~luid viscosity o~ about
same as S.A.E.. 40 oil, the clearance 0 can have a value o~
abou~ 1/64 lohe~.
~0~7595
Thus wa 40 acts a~ a displacement limitlng device for
~alYe 46. This action ensure~ automatic closure of the valve
upon dissipation of back pressure (greater than ambient) in
conduit 28 and container interior and upon creation of a
negative pressure (le~s than ambient) in conduit 28. This
pressure shift results ~rom the natural return of container 12
from the squeezed (dashed-FIGURE 1) condition to the stable
condition (solid-FIGURE 1~.
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