Pneumatic Self-closing Valve For A Tube Of Flowable Material

Abstract

A pneumatic self-closing valve for the opening in the end of a tube of flowable material which comprises a skirt secured to the open end of a tube which has an axial opening and a septum separating the interior of the skirt into a first chamber and a second chamber, said first chamber opening into the interior of the tube and said second chamber being closed and separated from the interior of the tube and the outer chamber of the skirt with said septum having a hole in the septum, and a figure of 8 member comprising a first and a second inflated ball of rubbery deformable material the first ball normally blocking the opening of the skirt and the second ball being housed within the interior chamber of the skirt whereby when pressure is applied, the ball closing the opening of the skirt will collapse and, when pressure on the tube is relaxed will be restored to a normal condition blocking the opening to the tube through the skirt.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a pneumatic self-closing valve for a tube of flowable material.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

This invention has as the object the provision of a pneumatic self-closing valve comprising a figure of 8 deformable pair of balls which are interconnected by a neck and are in fluid commumincation with one another with one of the balls being in blocking relation of the opening of a tube of flowable material, such as a toothpaste tube and the other ball being loosely arranged in a case defined within the tube so that when pressure is applied the flowable material will flow through the opening, the ball occupying the opening being adapted to be collapsed by pressure upon the tube yet to be restored when the pressure is relaxed to block the entrance of the tube.

It is a general object of this invention to provide a simple, inexpensive and effective manner of automatically or of providing a self-closing pneumatic valve for a tube of flowable material which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and is well adapted for the purposes for which it is intended.

It is also a general object of this invention to provide a pneumatic self-closing valve for a tube of flowable material which comprises structure such that when the tube is pressed the contents act upon a sphere to collapse it to open the outlet to the tube and when the pressure is released the sphere returns to its normal position to close the tube. In the preferred embodiment the valve body or skirt is made of rigid molded plastic while the spheres are made of rubbery material which are inflated and deformable under conventional pressure utilized to squeeze flowable material from a tube, such as toothpaste.

In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter the instant invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

BRIEF DESSCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of a tube provided with the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view in cross section of the end zone of the tube shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view in cross section taken on the plane indicated by the line 4--4 of FIG. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrow; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 and illustrating the operation of the instant invention by chain-dot lines.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown a tube 12 for flowable material having a closed end 13 and an open end 14 which is closed by a truncated cone-shaped skirt 16 bonded thereto as indicated by the line 18 in fluid-tight relation. The distal end of the skirt is provided with an opening 20, see FIG. 5 and, as seen in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the interior of the skirt is provided with a septum means generally designated by the numeral 22 which, as seen in FIG. 4 may be viewed as including a floor 24, side walls 26 and 28 and the confronting surface of the skirt as designated by the numeral 30. The wall or septum includes an opening 32, see FIG. 5, and the septum is effective to separate the interior of the skirt into an interior chamber 34 and an exterior chamber 36. A figure of 8 member of inflated rubbery deformable material is provided which defines a first ball 38 and a second ball 40 and an intermediate neck 42. The first ball is normally arranged in the outer chamber with its peripheral surface as indicated by the numeral 46 in closing relation blocking the skirt opening and the second ball is sized to be received within the inner chamber and of such a size as not to fully occupy the space in said second chamber, while the neck 42 extends in close fitting relation through the opening in the septum.

In operation, when the tube is squeezed, the pressure will cause the first ball to be deformed as indicated by the chain-dot lines of FIG. 5 with the volume compressed in the first ball being transmitted through the hollow or column of the neck 42 into the second ball which expands to occupy the excess space in the inner chamber so long as the pressure is applied whereby the material in the tube may flow through the skirt opening and, when the pressure is relaxed, the outer ball will again seat and close the opening of the skirt as the volume within the figure of 8 member is normalized through the column in the neck.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A tube cap and in combination a pneumatic self-closing valve, said combination comprising, a tube of flowable material having a closed end and an open end, a truncated cone-shaped skirt, means to attach the skirt in closing relation of the open end, the distal end of said skirt having an opening, said skirt including an internal septum defining an inner chamber and an outer chamber within the skirt, said septum having a hole separating the chambers, said outer chamber being in open communication with said skirt opening and the interior of said skirt about said septum, a figure of 8 inflated member of rubbery deformable material defining a first ball and a second ball and an intermediate neck connecting said balls, said first ball being in said outer chamber and with its peripheral surface normally blocking said skirt opening and said second ball being in said inner chamber with said neck extending through said hole, whereby when the tube is squeezed, pressure within the tube and outer chamber will cause the first ball to be deformed and the second ball to expand in said inner chamber so long as pressure is applied so that the flowable material may be squeezed from the tube and, when the pressure is relaxed, the outer ball will again seat and close the opening of said skirt.

2. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein a vent means is provided in said skirt communicating between said inner chamber and the exterior of said skirt.