U.S. patent application number 10/797002 was filed with the patent office on 2004-10-14 for elastically deformable valve with automatic closure for the controlled dispensing of fluids from fluid containers.
This patent application is currently assigned to CAPSOL BERRY PLASTICS S.p.A.. Invention is credited to Garibaldi, Angelo, Rovelli, Ivan.
Application Number | 20040200738 10/797002 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32948206 |
Filed Date | 2004-10-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040200738 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Rovelli, Ivan ; et
al. |
October 14, 2004 |
Elastically deformable valve with automatic closure for the
controlled dispensing of fluids from fluid containers
Abstract
An elastically deformable valve with automatic closure
applicable to containers of fluids which are dispensed through said
valve when the container is manually squeezed to pressurize the
fluid contained therein, the valve being formed of a single piece
of moulded elastic material and presenting cuts defining flexible
appendices which flex outwards from the container during fluid
dispensing and reclose against themselves to close the valve when
at rest.
Inventors: |
Rovelli, Ivan; (Colnago,
IT) ; Garibaldi, Angelo; (Colnago, IT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
OBLON, SPIVAK, MCCLELLAND, MAIER & NEUSTADT, P.C.
1940 DUKE STREET
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22314
US
|
Assignee: |
CAPSOL BERRY PLASTICS
S.p.A.
Colnago
IT
|
Family ID: |
32948206 |
Appl. No.: |
10/797002 |
Filed: |
March 11, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/217 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 47/2031
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/217 |
International
Class: |
B65D 077/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 9, 2003 |
IT |
MI2003 A 000713 |
Claims
1. For the controlled dispensing of fluids from deformable
containers, an automatically closing valve formed as a single piece
of elastomeric material and comprising a tubular skirt, one end of
which is profiled to present an edge engagable in a ring cap to be
mounted at a discharge hole provided in each container, the other
end of the tubular skirt being closed by a dome or transverse wall
in which cuts are provided to define flexible appendices therein,
the edges of which are in mutual sealed contact in the closed
valve, wherein when the valve is in its rest state, said dome is
defined by curved surfaces re-entrant into the interior of the
cavity in the tubular skirt which, at least in proximity to said
dome, has an annular portion thereof of such a shape and thickness
as to enable it to dilate and to flex elastically outwards when the
dome passes from its form re-entrant into the skirt, to firstly a
flat form and then to a form in which said appendices are flexed
outwards, withdrawing from each other, under the thrust of the
compressed fluid emerging from the container, said annular portion
of the tubular skirt acting with elastic force on said dome to urge
it towards its rest position curved in the interior of the tubular
skirt and with said flexible appendices sealedly pressed against
each other.
2. A valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein said annular portion of
the tubular skirt is of small axial extension at and in proximity
to said dome or transverse wall.
3. A valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thickness of said
dome or transverse wall is greater in proximity to the tubular
skirt than in the central region of the dome.
4. A valve as claimed in claim 2, wherein the thickness of said
dome or transverse wall is greater in proximity to the tubular
skirt than in the central region of the dome.
Description
FILED OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to an automatically closing
valve applicable to deformable containers for fluids, the valve
being formed in one piece by moulding thermoplastic material of
high elasticity and having a head or dome divided into several
segments by cuts converging at the centre of said head to define
flexible segments or appendices which flex outwards from the
container when the container is squeezed manually, and which
automatically assume their valve-closed rest position when the
pressure within the container ceases.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Valves of this type are well known and are widely used
because of their low production cost and high operational
reliability.
[0003] In general terms, these valves all comprise a central dome
or wall extending from a cylindrical skirt or side wall having a
profiled annular free end which is sealedly locked onto a
connection bush or body fixed into a hole provided in a deformable
container previously filled with the fluid to be dispensed, such as
liquid soap, soap or various solutions for washing the hair,
household detergents, liquid household products for cleaning and
disinfecting, softening creams, creams for the human body etc.
[0004] Cuts are provided in the central dome or wall of the valve
and pass through its entire thickness: the cuts are normally two in
number and cross each other at the central point of the dome, to
hence define four separate flexible segments the edges of which are
in sealed mutual contact when the valve is at rest, but flex
outwards (and hence withdraw from each other) when the fluid within
the container is put under pressure by manual deformation of the
container itself.
[0005] Two mutually contrasting requirements are present, namely
that the valve returns automatically into its rest position of
sealed closure on termination of the dispensing stage, and that the
valve is able to easily and gradually open (to dispense the fluid)
when the container on which the valve is mounted is deformed or
squeezed manually.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
[0006] DE-A-4403081 describes a valve, the dome (5) of which has a
very large thickness, whereas the tubular skirt (6) which connects
it to its profiled free end (3) is very thin. For dispensing to
take place, the strong elastic resistance of the constituent
material of the dome has to be overcome, this being necessarily of
considerable thickness in order to form a seal when in the rest
state. All this is aggravated by the fact that the dome diameter is
very small and hence the four flexible segments defined by the four
crossing cuts provided in it are very short. It follows that a
large pressure has to be exerted manually on the container to open
the valve, and that the valve opens suddenly (rather than
gradually), to hence violently spurt the compressed fluid
outwards.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,144 describes a valve, the dome of which
is similar to the aforesaid, but is connected to its free edge by a
flexible tubular wall which under rest conditions maintains the
dome withdrawn and displaced into the interior of the container on
which it is applied, the said tubular wall flexing strongly about
itself until it is expelled (together with the dome) to the outside
of the container gradually as the fluid pressure increases. This
inversion of the tubular wall about itself contributes to the
opening or, vice versa, to the closure of the cuts provided in the
dome of the valve, the structure of which is very complicated with
more or less uncertain operation, even though again relying on the
large thickness of the dome compared with the small thickness of
the tubular wall.
[0008] EP-A-0885813 differs from the aforestated U.S. patent
essentially in that the valve dome is provided in an elastic wall
of very small thickness, equal to that of the tubular wall which
connects it to the profiled fixing edge of the valve, the drawback
of which is that the elastic forces of its constituent material are
insufficient to ensure sealing under rest conditions (the valve
thickness being very small both at its tubular wall and at its
dome), to the extent that sealing can be achieved only by the use
of a rigid cover which is kept pressed on the outer surface of the
valve dome when at rest. Moreover, when the fluid is to be
dispensed via the valve, the valve opens completely and immediately
as soon as the fluid pressure overcomes the very weak resistance of
the valve, so that it is practically impossible to control the
quantity and speed of the fluid dispensed.
[0009] EP-B-1061001 and the corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 6,199,725
describe a valve which provides excellent sealing under rest
conditions and enables the valve to be opened gradually when a
predetermined pressure is exceeded, this valve having however a
very elongate and complex structure which makes it difficult to
produce with automatic machines.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The main object of the present invention is to provide a
valve as a single piece of elastically deformable thermoplastic
material, which ensures sealed valve closure under rest conditions,
but which in particular enables gradual valve opening to be
obtained with easy control of the speed and quantity of fluid
dispensed therethrough when the fluid is to be dispensed from the
container to which the valve is applied.
[0011] This and further objects are attained by an automatically
closing valve for the controlled dispensing of fluids from
deformable containers, which is formed as a single piece of
elastomeric material and comprises a tubular skirt, one end of
which is profiled to present an edge engagable in a ring cap to be
mounted at a discharge hole provided in each container, the other
end of the tubular skirt being closed by a dome or transverse wall
in which cuts are provided to define flexible appendices therein,
the edges of which are in mutual sealed contact in the closed
valve, characterised in that when the valve is in its rest state,
said dome is defined by curved surfaces re-entrant into the
interior of the cavity in the tubular skirt which, at least in
proximity to said dome, has an annular portion thereof of such a
shape and thickness as to enable it to dilate and to flex
elastically outwards when the dome passes from its form re-entrant
into the skirt, to firstly a flat form and then to a form in which
said appendices are flexed outwards, withdrawing from each other,
under the thrust of the compressed fluid emerging from the
container, said annular portion of the tubular skirt acting with
elastic force on said dome to urge it towards its rest position
curved in the interior of the tubular skirt and with said flexible
appendices sealedly pressed against each other.
[0012] Preferably, said annular portion of the tubular skirt is of
small axial extension at and in proximity to said dome or
transverse wall, and again preferably the thickness of said dome or
transverse wall is greater in proximity to the tubular skirt than
in the central region of the dome.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] To further clarify the understanding of the structure and
characteristics of the valve according to the invention, a
preferred embodiment is described hereinafter by way of
non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings,
in which:
[0014] FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the valve;
[0015] FIG. 2 is a cross-section through the valve on the line 2-2
of FIG. 1;
[0016] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the valve of FIG. 1 from above;
[0017] FIGS. from 4 to 7 show the valve in cross-section, mounted
on a ring cap applied to the neck of a plastic bottle, the figures
showing the valve in its different successive stages of opening;
and
[0018] FIG. 8 is a plan view from above of the valve with ring cap
in the position of FIG. 7.
[0019] Reference will firstly be made to FIGS. from 1 to 3 from
which it can be seen that the valve is formed as one piece (of
elastically flexible material) and comprises a tubular skirt 1, 2,
at one end of which there is provided a profiled edge 4 and the
other end of which is closed by a dome or transverse wall 3 in
which there are provided cuts 5 which mutually intersect to define
four flexible appendices 6 (of substantially triangular shape in
plan with their vertex in common at the centre of the dome, as can
be seen in particular in FIG. 3) the edges of which are in mutual
sealed contact at the cuts 5 when the valve is at rest, i.e.
closed.
[0020] It can be seen that the tubular portion 2 of the tubular
skirt 1, 2 is thinner at and in proximity to the dome 3 than the
tubular portion 1, its thickness and shape being such as to enable
it to deform (as if "swelling") by elastically flexing outwards
(FIGS. 6 and 7) when the fluid present in the valve cavity is put
under pressure, as described hereinafter.
[0021] From FIGS. 2 and 4 it can be seen that under rest
conditions, the dome 3 is defined by curved surfaces re-entrant
into the interior of the cavity of the tubular skirt, the profiled
edge 4 of which enables the valve to be securely mounted in a ring
cap 7 (FIGS. from 4 to 8) which itself can be sealedly applied to
the neck 8 (a short portion of which is shown in FIGS. from 4 to 7)
of a deformable bottle or the like, the discharge hole of which is
hence intercepted by the valve.
[0022] From those figures in which the valve is shown in section,
it can also be seen that the thickness of the dome or transverse
wall 3 is greater at the periphery than at the centre of the dome
itself.
[0023] It will now be assumed that the valve is mounted on the ring
cap 7, itself mounted on the neck 8 of a deformable bottle (or the
like) containing a fluid (such as liquid soap, soap or solutions
for hair treatment or washing, liquid products for household
cleaning and disinfecting, creams of various kinds, etc.), a small
quantity of which is to be dispensed at a controlled rate when
required.
[0024] Under the rest conditions shown in FIG. 4 the valve is
closed and the flexible appendices 6 are maintained pressed one
against the other along the cuts 5 provided in the dome 3.
[0025] When the bottle is deformed, i.e. squeezed with one hand,
the fluid contained therein is pressurized to cause the dome to
rise upwards (FIG. 5) until the appendices 6 are made to lift
outwards, with simultaneous outward dilation (swelling) of the
portion 2 of the tubular skirt, as shown in FIG. 6. With continued
squeezing of the bottle, the appendices 6 rotate outwards (FIG. 7)
to withdraw the sides of each appendix from those of the appendices
6 adjacent to it, to hence form a free hole in the shape of a
four-pointed star (as can be seen from FIG. 8) through which the
fluid can be dispensed from the bottle through the valve.
[0026] When the manual deformation action exerted on the bottle
ceases, the pressure of the fluid decreases within it and the
portion 2 of the skirt acts elastically on the dome 1, to return it
to its rest state by passing from the configuration of FIG. 7 to
that of FIGS. 6, 5 and 4 in that order.
[0027] It is important to note that, by virtue of the described
structure, the valve opens smoothly and gradually, with consequent
smooth and gradual commencement of fluid dispensing, rather than
the "spurt" as happens with similar valves of known type which open
suddenly and uncontrollably
* * * * *