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US 12,440,423 B2Granted
Vent valve assemblies for baby bottles
AssigneeJmbh Holdings, LLC
InventorCharles Renz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vent valve, and a vent valve assembly, for a liquid dispensing container, employ a vent disc having small open vent holes in cooperation with an overlying thin flexible flap that covers and closes the vent holes to limit liquid pressure on the holes when the container is upright, yet require little suction pressure to move the flap to draw liquid or vent through the holes. The vent valve can be used in a bottom cap that is attachable to the bottom open end of the container. The vent valve assembly includes such a bottom cap, a sealing member for sealing the bottom cap to the container, and a vent valve. The vent valve and/or bottom cap have an elevated vent disc and a top portion having the thin flexible flap.
Claims20
A liquid dispensing container, comprising:
- a nipple;
- a bottle having a rigid wall partially defining a volume for a liquid, the wall in contact with the liquid having an open top end and an open bottom end, the nipple attached to the open top end and partially defining the volume;
- a bottom cap configured to attach to the open bottom end and partially defining the volume, comprising:
- a bottom wall;
- a side wall extending radial outward of and about the bottom wall, the side wall defining a structure configured to be engaged to the open bottom end of the liquid dispensing container;
- an inner wall extending radially inwardly and upwardly from the bottom wall;
- and
- a vent disc extending from the inner wall, the vent disc comprising a plurality of holes proximal to the inner wall;
- and
- an annular flexible flap covering the plurality of holes in the vent disc of the bottom cap, the flexible flap deformable from a first configuration to a second configuration, wherein in the first configuration the flexible flap contacts the vent disc and the bottom wall and closes the plurality of holes, and in the second configuration, an activation pressure is applied to the nipple and within the volume and the flexible flap is distant from the plurality of holes for a vent air to flow into the volume and alleviate a vacuum created in the volume during feeding or dispensing when the liquid dispensing container is in a tipped feeding or dispensing position.
7 more elements
A liquid dispensing container, comprising:
- a nipple;
- a bottle having a rigid wall partially defining a volume for holding a liquid, the wall in contact with the liquid and having an open top end and an open bottom end, the nipple attached to the open top end and partially defining the volume;
- a bottom cap configured to attach to the open bottom end and partially defining the volume, comprising:
- a bottom wall;
- a side wall extending radial outward of and about the bottom wall, the side wall defining a structure configured to be engaged to the open bottom end of the liquid dispensing container;
- an inner wall extending radially inwardly and upwardly from the bottom wall;
- and
- a vent disc extending from the inner wall, the vent disc comprising a plurality of holes proximal to the inner wall;
- and
- an annular flexible flap covering the plurality of holes in the vent disc of the bottom cap, the flexible flap deformable from a first configuration to a second configuration,
- wherein in the first configuration, the flexible flap contacts the vent disc and the bottom wall and closes the plurality of holes, and
- wherein in the second configuration, the bottle is in the tipped feeding or dispensing position such that when an activation pressure is applied to the nipple and within the volume, the flexible flap flexes away from the plurality of holes such that an air flows into the volume through the plurality of holes.
9 more elements
A liquid dispensing container, comprising:
- a nipple;
- a bottle having a rigid wall partially defining a volume for holding a liquid, the wall in contact with the liquid and having an open top end and an open bottom end, the nipple attached to the open top end and partially defining the volume;
- a bottom cap configured to attach to the open bottom end and partially defining the volume, comprising:
- a bottom wall;
- a side wall extending about the bottom wall, the side wall defining a structure configured to be engaged to the open bottom end of the liquid dispensing container;
- an inner wall extending radially inwardly and upwardly from the bottom wall;
- and
- a vent disc extending from the inner wall, the vent disc comprising a plurality of holes proximal to the inner wall;
- and
- an annular flexible flap covering the plurality of holes in the venti disc of the bottom cap, the flexible flap deformable from a first configuration to a second configuration,
- wherein in the first configuration, the flexible flap contacts the vent disc and the bottom wall and close the plurality of holes under a pressure exerted by the liquid, and
- wherein in the second configuration, when the liquid dispensing container is in the tipped feeding or dispensing position, the flexible flap flexes away from the plurality of holes such that air flows into the volume through the plurality of holes.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.