Non-drip Cap Comprising An Elastic Means Built Into A Valve

Abstract

A so-called `non-drip` cap (10) for a soft bottle (12) includes a base (16) and a top (26) defining a chamber (32) for the throughflow of a product, in which a stop valve (34) of an outlet (30) is mobile, the valve being elastically retracted back into the throughflow chamber (32) by an elastic element (36). The elastic element (36) includes of a series of at least three flexible lugs (38) which are regularly angularly distributed and project from a cylindrical body (40) of the valve (34), the lugs being supported against a wall of the base (16).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a "non-drip" cap for a deformable bottle.

[0002] The invention relates more particularly to a "non-drip" cap for a deformable bottle containing a cosmetic, pharmaceutical, industrial or food product in liquid or creamy form, having: [0003] an approximately tubular base which is intended to be fastened in a sealed manner to a complementary tubular neck of the bottle, and a "lower" transverse face of which has at least one inlet orifice communicating with the neck of the bottle, [0004] an approximately tubular lid which is held on the base and an "upper" transverse face of which has at least one product outlet orifice, [0005] the lid and the base forming in a sealed manner a chamber, interposed between the inlet orifice in the base and the product outlet orifice, for the passage of the product, [0006] a shut-off valve, coaxial with the outlet orifice, being mounted in a sliding manner in the passage chamber between a closed position in which it shuts off the product outlet orifice and an open position in which it is set back from the product outlet orifice to enable the product to pass through, and [0007] the shut-off valve being returned elastically into the passage chamber by an elastic means against the product outlet orifice, so that the shut-off valve can move from its closed position into its open position under the pressure of the product when pressure is exerted on the flexible bottle, and the shut-off valve can return from its open position into its closed position when the pressure on the flexible bottle is released.

[0008] Numerous examples of caps of this type are known.

[0009] Conventionally, the elastic means, which is intended to return the shut-off valve, consists of a separate flexible diaphragm which is perforated to enable the liquid or creamy product to pass through, or consists of a metal helical return spring which is interposed between the base and the valve.

[0010] The separate flexible diaphragm or the metal return spring thus constitute separate elements which increase the complexity of mounting a conventional non-drip cap.

[0011] In particular, since these return means are intended to engage with the valve, it is necessary to provide means for centering the separate diaphragm or the separate spring with respect to the valve, and means for centering the separate diaphragm or the separate spring at least with respect to the base.

[0012] In addition, the use of a separate diaphragm or of a separate spring in such a non-drip cap adds considerably to the manufacturing costs of such a cap.

[0013] The invention remedies this drawback by providing a non-drip cap having an elastic return means integrated with the valve.

[0014] To this end, the invention provides a non-drip cap of the above-described type, which is characterized in that the elastic means consists of a series of at least three flexible tabs which are distributed angularly in a regular manner and formed integrally starting from a cylindrical body of the valve, and which are intended to bear against a wall of the base in order for the valve to return elastically.

[0015] According to other features of the invention: [0016] the base has an "inlet" duct which is coaxial with the neck of the bottle, with the cylindrical body of the valve and with the outlet orifice, communicates with the inlet orifice, and the wall of which holds the flexible tabs of the elastic means, [0017] the valve is formed integrally with the base, each flexible tab of the elastic means having an upper end connected to the valve and a lower end connected to an inner edge of the wall of the inlet duct, [0018] the valve is independent of the base, each flexible tab having an upper end connected to the valve and a lower end connected to a bearing ring which is intended to bear against a transverse shoulder face protruding from an inner edge of the wall of the inlet duct, [0019] the valve has a lower frustoconical bearing surface facing the inlet orifice and intended to aid the passage of the product, [0020] the flexible tabs are wound helically around the axis of the valve, [0021] the base has an "inlet" duct which is coaxial with the neck of the bottle, with the cylindrical body of the valve and with the outlet orifice, communicates with the inlet orifice, and coaxially holds a tubular housing in which the valve slides, and against a lower wall of the bottom of which bear the flexible tabs of the valve, [0022] the valve has an upper frustoconical bearing surface which is intended to engage with a frustoconical seat arranged around a hole in the lid forming the outlet orifice, said frustoconical bearing surface being surmounted by a stud intended to penetrate into said hole in order for the outlet orifice of the lid to be shut off in a sealed manner by the valve, [0023] the lid is mounted in a movable manner coaxially with the base and can be locked: [0024] in a bottom position in which the distance between the lid and the base is reduced such that the elastic tabs of the valve are highly stressed such that the valve permanently shuts off the outlet orifice, or else [0025] in a top position in which the distance between the lid and the base is increased such that the elastic tabs of the valve are permanently weakly stressed such that the valve only shuts off the outlet orifice when there is no pressure from a liquid or creamy product which can stress the valve toward its open position against the return force of the elastic tabs, [0026] the tubular lid has an inside diameter corresponding to the outside diameter of the base and the lid has at least one radial finger which extends from an inner edge of its tubular wall and is held in a helical slot formed on an outer edge of the tubular wall of the base, said slot having, close to its end corresponding to the bottom position of the lid, a protrusion which extends toward the inside of the slot and is intended to enable the finger to be locked at said end of the slot, in order for the lid to move between its top and bottom positions by rotation and to be locked in its bottom position, [0027] the lid has an inner tubular bearing surface having an outside diameter corresponding to the inside diameter of the inlet duct, in order to guide the lid with respect to the base and to delimit the chamber for the passage of the product, [0028] the cap has venting means of the bottle, [0029] the venting means of the bottle comprise a predetermined calibration of the flexible tabs of the elastic means which is intended to keep the shut-off valve in its open position as soon as a predetermined negative air pressure obtains in the bottle and to return the shut-off valve into its closed position as soon as said negative pressure stops, [0030] the venting means of the bottle have at least one counterbore which is formed on the perimeter of the hole of the orifice in the lid and which leads into the frustoconical seat of the lid, [0031] the venting means of the bottle have at least an angular indexing means for rotating the valve in its tubular housing, and at least one first vertically oriented boss carried by the "upper" transverse face of the lid, which face, when the lid is in its top position, is able to engage with a second vertically oriented boss carried by an upper face of the valve in order to cause a predetermined movement of the valve toward its open position so as to separate the upper frustoconical bearing surface from the frustoconical seat in order to vent the bottle, [0032] the passage of the lid from its bottom position to its top position corresponds to a rotation of said lid through 90 degrees and the lid has two first bosses arranged angularly at 180 degrees with respect to one another, [0033] the angular indexing means for rotating the valve in its tubular housing has a square profile which extends from the lower bottom wall of the housing and is held in a complementary cavity formed in the body of the valve.

[0034] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from reading the following detailed description, for the understanding of which reference is made to the appended drawings, in which:

[0035] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a non-drip cap according to a first embodiment of the invention;

[0036] FIG. 2 is a view in axial cross section of the non-drip cap of FIG. 1 shown with its lid in the bottom position;

[0037] FIG. 3 is a view in axial cross section of the non-drip cap of FIG. 1 shown with its lid in the top position and the valve in a closed position;

[0038] FIG. 4 is a view in axial cross section of the non-drip cap of FIG. 1 shown with its lid in the top position and the valve in an open position;

[0039] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a non-drip cap according to a second embodiment of the invention;

[0040] FIG. 6 is a view in axial cross section of the non-drip cap of FIG. 5 shown with its lid in the bottom position;

[0041] FIG. 7 is a view in axial cross section of the non-drip cap of FIG. 5 shown with its lid in the top position and the valve in a closed position;

[0042] FIG. 8 is a view in axial cross section of the non-drip cap of FIG. 5 shown with its lid in the top position and the valve in an open position;

[0043] FIG. 9 is a view in axial cross section of a non-drip cap according to a third embodiment of the invention shown with its lid in the bottom position;

[0044] FIG. 10 is a view in axial cross section of the non-drip cap of FIG. 9 shown with its lid in the top position and the valve in a closed position;

[0045] FIG. 11 is a view in axial cross section of the non-drip cap of FIG. 9 shown with its lid in the top position and the valve in an open position;

[0046] FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of a valve associated with a fourth embodiment of the invention;

[0047] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a lid associated with the fourth embodiment of the invention;

[0048] FIG. 14 is a view in axial cross section of a non-drip cap according to the fourth third embodiment of the invention shown with its lid in the bottom position;

[0049] FIG. 15 is a view in axial cross section of the non-drip cap of FIG. 14 shown with its lid in the top position and the valve in a closed position; and

[0050] FIG. 16 is a view in axial cross section of the non-drip cap of FIG. 14 shown with its lid in the top position and the valve in an open position.

[0051] In the following description, identical reference numerals denote identical parts or parts having similar functions.

[0052] First, second, third and fourth embodiments of a "non-drip" cap 10 are shown in the figures.

[0053] In a known manner, the cap 10 is intended to equip a deformable bottle 12 for a cosmetic, pharmaceutical, industrial or food product in liquid or creamy form.

[0054] It will thus be understood that the field of application of the cap 10 is highly varied.

[0055] The deformable bottle 12 may in particular be a rigid bottle, one wall of which can move. This type of bottle is widely known in the prior art and is used for example to contain toothpastes.

[0056] In such a bottle, the volume of the bottle varies as it is used, since the movement of the movable wall accompanying the discharge of the product. The volume of the bottle is in this case always entirely filled with product.

[0057] The bottle 12 may also be a flexible bottle which needs to be pressed in order for product to be discharged.

[0058] In such a bottle, the volume of the bottle generally stays the same, the product discharged from the bottle being replaced by air when the pressure exerted on the bottle is released.

[0059] In the rest of the present description, the invention will be explained with reference to a flexible bottle, but it will be understood that this arrangement does not limit the invention.

[0060] The bottle 12 has a neck 14. In a known manner, the cap has an approximately tubular base 16 which is intended to be fastened in a sealed manner to the complementary tubular neck 14 of the bottle 12.

[0061] By way of example and in a manner not limiting the invention, the neck 14 of the bottle 12 has threads 18 intended to take a complementary internal thread 20 of the base 16.

[0062] Of course, as an alternative, the base 16 could be engaged or snap-fastened onto the neck of a bottle 16 which has no threads.

[0063] A "lower" transverse face 22 of the base 16 has at least one inlet orifice 24 communicating with the neck 14 of the bottle 12.

[0064] In a known manner, the cap 10 also has an approximately tubular lid 26 which is held on the base 16 and an "upper" transverse face 28 of which has at least one product outlet orifice 30.

[0065] Moreover, the lid 26 and the base 16 form in a sealed manner a chamber 32, interposed between the inlet orifice 24 in the base 16 and the product outlet orifice 30, for the passage of the product.

[0066] In a known manner, a shut-off valve 34, coaxial with the outlet orifice 30, is mounted in a sliding manner in the passage chamber 32 between a closed position, shown in FIGS. 3, 7, 10 and 15, in which it shuts off the product outlet orifice 30 of the lid 26 and an open position, shown in FIGS. 4, 8, 11 and 16, in which it is set back from the product outlet orifice 30 to enable the product to pass through.

[0067] This valve 34 is returned elastically into the passage chamber 32 by an elastic means 36 against the product outlet orifice 30, so that the shut-off valve 34 can move from its closed position into its open position under the pressure of the product when pressure is exerted on the flexible bottle 12, and the shut-off valve 34 can return from its open position into its closed position when the pressure on the flexible bottle 12 is released.

[0068] In accordance with the invention, the elastic means 36 consists of a series of at least three flexible tabs 38 which are distributed angularly in a regular manner and formed integrally starting from a cylindrical body 40 of the valve 34, and which are intended to bear against a wall 42 of the base 16 in order for the valve 34 to return elastically.

[0069] In the three preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in particular in FIGS. 1 and 5, the flexible tabs 38 are wound helically around the axis of the valve. This configuration enables the provision of maximum flexibility of the tabs 38 while reducing the space requirement.

[0070] In the first and second embodiments of the invention, the base 16 has an "inlet" duct 44 which is coaxial with the neck 14 of the associated bottle 12, with the cylindrical body 40 of the valve 34 and with the outlet orifice 30, communicates with the inlet orifice 24, and the wall 42 of which holds the flexible tabs 38 of the elastic means 36.

[0071] In a first embodiment which is shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and more particularly in FIG. 1, the valve 34 is formed integrally with the base 16, each flexible tab of the elastic means 36 having an upper end 46 connected to the valve 34 and a lower end 48 connected to an inner edge of the wall 42 of the inlet duct 44.

[0072] As an alternative, in a second embodiment of the invention which is shown in FIGS. 5 to 8 and more particularly in FIG. 5, the valve 34 is independent of the base 16, each flexible tab 38 having an upper end 46 connected to the valve 34 and a lower end 48 connected to a bearing ring 50 which is intended to bear against a transverse shoulder face 52 protruding from an inner edge of the wall 42 of the inlet duct 44.

[0073] In both of these embodiments of the invention, it will be noted that the valve 34 has a lower frustoconical bearing surface 54 facing the inlet orifice 24 and intended to aid the passage of the product.

[0074] It will be noted that, in particular in these two embodiments, the valve 34 has, in its upper part corresponding to the frustoconical bearing surface 54, a larger projected surface than that of its lower part located under the tabs 38, such that any pressure on the bottle subjects the valve 34 to greater pressure in its upper part than in its lower part, thereby causing it to move upward. Since this constructive arrangement forms part of the design of the valve and is widely known in the prior art, it will not be described more fully.

[0075] In the first embodiment, the inlet orifice 24 is simply delimited by the duct 44.

[0076] In the second embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the inlet orifice 24 consists of at least one slot formed in the transverse shoulder face 52. In particular, the transverse face 52 may have two crescent-shaped inlet orifices 24.

[0077] In the third and fourth embodiments of the invention, which are shown in FIGS. 9 to 11 and 14 to 16, the base 16 similarly has an "inlet" duct 44 which is coaxial with the neck 14 of the bottle 12, with the cylindrical body 40 of the valve 34 and with the outlet orifice 30, and communicates with the inlet orifice 24.

[0078] In a similar manner to the preceding embodiments, the valve 34 has flexible tabs 38, the upper ends 46 of which are formed integrally with the cylindrical body 40 of the valve 34.

[0079] The inlet duct 44 coaxially holds a tubular housing 47 which guides the cylindrical valve 34 in a sliding manner, and against a lower bottom wall 42 of which bear the lower ends 48 of the flexible tabs 38 of the valve 34.

[0080] The body of the valve could be approximately tubular and slide outside the tubular housing 47. However, for reasons of compactness, the valve 34 preferably slides inside the housing 47.

[0081] It will thus be understood that, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the housing 47 is shut off by the lower bottom wall 42 and that the valve can protrude out of the housing 47 only through an upper opening 51 in the housing 47. This configuration ensures that the liquid or creamy product only stresses the upper part of the valve 34 when pressure is exerted on the bottle 12, in order to open it.

[0082] It will also be understood that, preferably, the housing 47 is formed integrally with the base 16.

[0083] Moreover, the valve 34 has an upper frustoconical bearing surface 56 which is intended to engage with a frustoconical seat 58 arranged around a hole in the lid forming the outlet orifice 30, said frustoconical bearing surface 56 being surmounted by a stud 60 intended to penetrate into said hole 30 in order for the outlet orifice 30 of the lid to be shut off in a sealed manner by the valve 34.

[0084] Moreover, the cap 10 advantageously comprises means intended to selectively enable the passage of the product.

[0085] To this end, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4 and 6 to 11, whatever the embodiment of the invention, the lid 26 is mounted in a movable manner coaxially with the base 16 and it can be locked: [0086] in a bottom position, shown in FIGS. 2, 6, 9 and 14, in which the distance between the lid 26 and the base 16 is reduced such that the elastic tabs 38 of the valve 34 are highly stressed such that the valve 34 permanently shuts off the outlet orifice 30, or else [0087] in a top position, shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 15 and 16, in which the distance between the lid 26 and the base 16 is increased such that the elastic tabs 38 of the valve are permanently weakly stressed such that the valve 34 only shuts off the outlet orifice when there is no pressure from a liquid or creamy product which can stress the valve 34 toward its open position against the return force of the elastic tabs 38.

[0088] In order for the lid 26 to move with respect to the base 16 and to be locked in each of the two abovementioned positions, as illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 15 and 16, the tubular lid 26 has an inside diameter corresponding to the outside diameter of the base 16 and the lid 26 has at least one radial finger 62 which extends from an inner edge 64 of its tubular wall and is held in a helical slot 66 formed on an outer edge 68 of the tubular wall of the base.

[0089] As illustrated more particularly in FIGS. 1 and 5, the slot 66 has, close to its end 71 corresponding to the bottom position of the lid, a protrusion 70 which extends toward the inside of the slot 66 and is intended to enable the finger 62 to be locked at said end 71 of the slot 66, in order for the lid 26 to move and to be locked in its bottom position.

[0090] Finally, it will be noted that the lid 26 has an inner tubular bearing surface 72 having an outside diameter corresponding to the inside diameter of the inlet duct 44, in order to guide the lid 26 with respect to the base 16 and to delimit the chamber 32 for the passage of the product.

[0091] In the first and second embodiments of the invention, the inner tubular bearing surface 72 holds the valve 34.

[0092] Another particularly advantageous feature of the invention, which relates more particularly to the case of a flexible bottle 12, is that the cap has venting means of said flexible bottle 12.

[0093] According to one embodiment (not shown), the cap 10 may consist of a cap 10 of the type described with reference to the first, second and third embodiments of the invention, with the difference that the venting means of the bottle comprise a predetermined calibration of the flexible tabs 38 of the elastic means 36. This calibration is intended to keep the shut-off valve 34 in its open position as soon as a predetermined negative air pressure obtains in the bottle 12 and to return the shut-off valve 34 into its closed position as soon as said negative pressure stops.

[0094] The venting means of the flexible bottle can consist of particular mechanical arrangements which have been shown with reference to FIGS. 12 to 16, these figures showing a cap operating according to the same principle as the cap 10 described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11.

[0095] In a general manner, the venting means of the bottle 12 have at least one counterbore 53 which is formed on the perimeter of the hole of the orifice 30 in the lid 26 and which leads into the frustoconical seat 58. This counterbore 53, which communicates with the passage chamber 32, forms a vent for venting the bottle 12.

[0096] This configuration, which is shown in FIGS. 13 to 16, can also be applied to any cap 10 of the type described hereinabove with reference to the first, second and third embodiments of the invention.

[0097] The particular architecture of the cap 10 according to the third embodiment of the invention nevertheless enables the provision of a fourth embodiment enabling the ventilation of the bottle 12 to be improved and to enable a greater amount of air to pass through the counterbore 53.

[0098] In this configuration, which, for reference, includes most of the constructive arrangements of the cap according to the third embodiment of the invention, the venting means of the bottle 12 have at least: [0099] an angular indexing means 55 for rotating the valve 34 in its tubular housing, [0100] at least one first vertically oriented boss 57 carried by an "upper" transverse wall 49 of the lid 26, which wall, when the lid 26 is in its top position, is able to engage with a second vertically oriented boss 59 carried by an upper face 61 of the valve 34 in order to cause a predetermined movement of the valve 34 toward its open position so as to separate the upper frustoconical bearing surface 56 from the frustoconical seat 58 in order to vent the bottle 12, as shown in FIG. 15.

[0101] In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the passage of the lid 26 from its bottom position to its top position corresponds to a rotation of said lid 26 through 90 degrees and the lid 26 has two first bosses 57 arranged angularly at 180 degrees with respect to one another. This configuration makes it possible to mount the lid 26 on the base 16 without worrying about the orientation of said lid 26, and to ensure that the second boss 59 is stressed by one of the first bosses 57.

[0102] In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the angular indexing means for rotating the valve 34 in its tubular housing has a square profile 55 which extends from the lower bottom wall 42 of the housing 47 and is held in a complementary cavity 65 formed in the body of the valve 34. This configuration ensures the proper orientation of the second boss 59 in order for it to be stressed by a first boss 57, as shown in FIG. 15.

[0103] Thus, in the bottom position of the lid 26, shown in FIG. 14, no first boss 57 is stressing a second boss 59. The valve 34 is thus closed.

[0104] As soon as the lid 26 is pivoted, one of the first bosses 57 stresses the second boss 59 and the upper frustoconical bearing surface 56 of the valve 34 is separated from the frustoconical seat 58 so as to vent the bottle 12, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16.

[0105] The product outlet, shown in FIG. 16, is carried out in a similar manner to the preceding embodiments.

[0106] The invention thus provides a non-drip cap 10 made of a limited number of components, which can therefore be mass-produced at low cost.

Claims

1. A "non-drip" cap (10) for a deformable bottle (12) containing a cosmetic, pharmaceutical, industrial or food product in liquid or creamy form, having: an approximately tubular base (16) which is intended to be fastened in a sealed manner to a complementary tubular neck (14) of the bottle (12), and a "lower" transverse face (22) of which has at least one inlet orifice (24) communicating with the neck (14) of the bottle (12), an approximately tubular lid (26) which is held on the base (16) and an "upper" transverse face (28) of which has at least one product outlet orifice (30), the lid (26) and the base (16) forming in a sealed manner a chamber (32), interposed between the inlet orifice (24) in the base (16) and the product outlet orifice (30), for the passage of the product, a shut-off valve (34), coaxial with the outlet orifice (30), being mounted in a sliding manner in the passage chamber (32) between a closed position in which it shuts off the product outlet orifice (30) and an open position in which it is set back from the product outlet orifice (30) to enable the product to pass through, and the shut-off valve (34) being returned elastically into the passage chamber (32) by an elastic means (36) against the product outlet orifice (30), so that the shut-off valve (34) can move from its closed position into its open position under the pressure of the product when pressure is exerted on the deformable bottle (12), and the shut-off valve (34) can return from its open position into its closed position when the pressure on the deformable bottle (12) is released, characterized in that the elastic means (36) consists of a series of at least three flexible tabs (38) which are distributed angularly in a regular manner and formed integrally starting from a cylindrical body (40) of the valve (34), and which are intended to bear against a wall (42) of the base (16) in order for the valve (34) to return elastically.

2. The cap (10) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the base (16) has an "inlet" duct (44) which is coaxial with the neck (14) of the bottle (12), with the cylindrical body (40) of the valve (34) and with the outlet orifice (30), communicates with the inlet orifice (24), and the wall (42) of which holds the flexible tabs (38) of the elastic means (36).

3. The cap (10) as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the valve (34) is formed integrally with the base (16), each flexible tab (38) of the elastic means (36) having an upper end (46) connected to the valve (34) and a lower end (48) connected to an inner edge of the wall (42) of the inlet duct (44).

4. The cap (10) as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the valve (34) is independent of the base (16), each flexible tab (38) having an upper end (46) connected to the valve and a lower end (48) connected to a bearing ring (50) which is intended to bear against a transverse shoulder face (52) protruding from an inner edge of the wall (42) of the inlet duct.

5. The cap (10) as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the valve (34) has a lower frustoconical bearing surface (54) facing the inlet orifice (24) and intended to aid the passage of the product.

6. The cap (10) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the base (16) has an "inlet" duct (44) which is coaxial with the neck (14) of the bottle (12), with the cylindrical body (40) of the valve (34) and with the outlet orifice (30), communicates with the inlet orifice (24), and coaxially holds a tubular housing (47) which guides the valve (34) in a sliding manner, and against a lower wall (42) of the bottom of which bear the flexible tabs (38) of the valve (34).

7. The cap (10) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the flexible tabs (38) are wound helically around the axis of the valve (34).

8. The cap (10) as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the valve (34) has an upper frustoconical bearing surface (56) which is intended to engage with a frustoconical seat (58) arranged around a hole in the lid (26) forming the outlet orifice (30), said frustoconical bearing surface (56) being surmounted by a stud (60) intended to penetrate into said hole (30) in order for the outlet orifice (30) of the lid (26) to be shut off in a sealed manner by the valve (34).

9. The cap (10) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the lid (26) is mounted in a movable manner coaxially with the base (16) and can be locked: in a bottom position in which the distance between the lid (26) and the base (16) is reduced such that the elastic tabs (38) of the valve (34) are highly stressed such that the valve (34) permanently shuts off the outlet orifice (30), or else in a top position in which the distance between the lid (26) and the base (16) is increased such that the elastic tabs (38) of the valve (34) are permanently weakly stressed such that the valve (34) only shuts off the outlet orifice (30) when there is no pressure from a liquid or creamy product which can stress the valve (34) toward its open position against the return force of the elastic tabs (38).

10. The cap (10) as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the tubular lid (26) has an inside diameter corresponding to the outside diameter of the base (16) and in that the lid (26) has at least one radial finger (62) which extends from an inner edge (64) of its tubular wall and is held in a helical slot (66) formed on an outer edge (68) of the tubular wall of the base (16), said slot (66) having, close to its end (71) corresponding to the bottom position of the lid (26), a protrusion (70) which extends toward the inside of the slot (66) and is intended to enable the finger (62) to be locked at said end (71) of the slot (66), in order for the lid (26) to move between its top and bottom positions by rotation and to be locked in its bottom position.

11. The cap (10) as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the lid has an inner tubular bearing surface (72) having an outside diameter corresponding to the inside diameter of the inlet duct (44), in order to guide the lid (26) with respect to the base (16) and to delimit the chamber (32) for the passage of the product.

12. The cap (10) as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that it has venting means associated with a flexible bottle (12).

13. The cap (10) as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the venting means of the bottle comprise a predetermined calibration of the flexible tabs (38) of the elastic means (36) which is intended to keep the shut-off valve (34) in its open position as soon as a predetermined negative air pressure obtains in the bottle (12) and to return the shut-off valve (34) into its closed position as soon as said negative pressure stops.

14. The cap (10) as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the venting means of the bottle (12) have at least one counterbore (53) which is formed on the perimeter of the hole of the orifice (30) in the lid (26) and which leads into the frustoconical seat (58) of the lid (26).

15. The cap (10) as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the venting means of the bottle (12) have at least: an angular indexing means (55) for rotating the valve (34) in its tubular housing, at least one first vertically oriented boss carried by an "upper" transverse wall (49) of the lid (26), which wall, when the lid is in its top position, is able to engage with a second vertically oriented boss (59) carried by an upper face (61) of the valve (34) in order to cause a predetermined movement of the valve (34) toward its open position so as to separate the upper frustoconical bearing surface (56) from the frustoconical seat (58) in order to vent the bottle (12).

16. The cap as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the passage of the lid (26) from its bottom position to its top position corresponds to a rotation of said lid through 90 degrees and in that the lid (26) has two first bosses arranged angularly at 180 degrees with respect to one another.

17. The cap as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the angular indexing means for rotating the valve (34) in its tubular housing has a square profile (55) which extends from the lower bottom wall (42) of the housing (47) and is held in a complementary cavity (65) formed in the body of the valve (34).

18. The cap (10) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it has venting means associated with a flexible bottle (12).

19. The cap (10) as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the venting means of the bottle comprise a predetermined calibration of the flexible tabs (38) of the elastic means (36) which is intended to keep the shut-off valve (34) in its open position as soon as a predetermined negative air pressure obtains in the bottle (12) and to return the shut-off valve (34) into its closed position as soon as said negative pressure stops.

20. The cap as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that the angular indexing means for rotating the valve (34) in its tubular housing has a square profile (55) which extends from the lower bottom wall (42) of the housing (47) and is held in a complementary cavity (65) formed in the body of the valve (34).