Alternative flexible gate restrictors
OwnerKenneth Alleyinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A container using a flexible membrane integrated into the throat or egress passageway of a bottle. The membrane forms a portion of the passageway's sidewall. The membrane flexes inward when an external force is applied causing the inner walls of the passageway to frictionally mate together and restrict the flow of a fluid or non-fluid through the passageway and flexes outward when the force is removed allowing the inner walls of the passageway to move away from one another and allow the flow of the fluid through the passageway.
Claims7
A valve for use with a container, the container having an outlet, the outlet including elongated sidewalls that form a passageway through which product passes when the container is being filled or emptied, said valve comprising:
- a flexible, accordion-type bellows restrictor integrated into the sidewalls, said bellows restrictor being movable so that when an external force is applied to the sidewalls space between the bellows is reduced thereby closing the passageway to prevent product from leaving the container,
- and when the force is removed space is created between the bellows thereby opening the passageway, allowing product to enter or exit the container.
A dual-compartment container comprising:
- a first storage compartment having a closed end and an open end;
- a second storage compartment having a closed end and an open end, said second storage compartment being placed inside the first compartment closer to the open end of the first compartment and sealing off the open end, said second storage compartment having a parting line seal that breaks open under pressure;
- a bellows-type restrictor placed near the open end of the first container proximate the second container such that when an external force is applied to the bellows-type restrictor, sufficient pressure is simultaneously applied to the parting line seal so that said seal breaks, thereby forming a passageway between the first storage compartment and the second compartment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.