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US 4,787,538 AGranted
Tap assembly
AssigneeRel, Inc.
InventorLazzaro A. Fattori
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeRel, Inc.
InventorLazzaro A. Fattori
Estimating the term…
A tap assembly for a container of liquid comprises a delivery spout molded of a gas impermeable plastic and a unitary dispenser closure molded of an elastomeric material having the required resiliency for valve operation. The spout has a neck which opens outwardly into a hemispherical bowl terminating in a rim and having an opening providing a dispensing port. The closure has a bowl-shaped diaphragmic wall which snaps onto the rim and seat in the bowl of the spout in a closed-valve position as a seal across the neck and port openings. An integral toggle projects axially forwardly from the bottom of the bowl-shaped wall for finger manipulation to distort the latter from the closed-valve position to an open valve-position of partially unseated configuration for dispensing liquid from the container. A plug, molded of a gas impermeable plastic, forms a temporary gas barrier and comprises a stopper portion sized to fit the neck of the spout and a forward extension which projects into a hollow formed in the toggle. The toggle is also depressible inwardly to dislodge the plug into the container preparatory for use. Alternatively, a flexible disk having gas impermeable properties is permanently mounted on the interior side of the bowl-shaped wall of the closure, moves therewith from closed to open valve positions, and coacts with the spout as the gas barrier when closed.
A tap assembly for a container of liquid comprising a delivery spout molded of a gas impermeable plastic mounted on said container and having a neck located on the inner end thereof for receiving liquid from the container for dispensing therethrough, said neck opening outwardly into a generally hemispherical bowl formed with a circular rim and an opening inwardly of said rim providing a gravity flow dispensing port for the assembly, a dispenser closure molded of an elastomeric material having means in snap-on mounting engagement with the rim of said spout and having a bowl-shaped portion adapted to seat in said spout bowl and normally extend as a seal across the opening from said neck and across said port, said closure having an integrally formed toggle means projecting axially outwardly from the bottom of said bowl-shaped portion, said bowl-shaped portion having a predetermined resiliency enabling distortion thereof on finger manipulation of said toggle means from said seated, sealing position to an open position permitting flow of liquid through the neck and port, and a gas impermeable barrier means coacting with said delivery spout in the region of said neck.
A tap assembly for a container of liquid comprising a delivery spout molded of a gas impermeable plastic mounted on said container and having a neck located on the inner end thereof for receiving liquid from the container for dispensing therethrough, said neck opening outwardly into a generally hemispherical bowl formed with a circular rim and an opening inwardly of said rim providing a gravity flow dispensing port for the assembly, a dispenser closure molded of an elastomeric material having a bowl-shaped diaphragmic wall and a skirted edge in snap-on engagement with the rim of the spout, said bowl-shaped wall serving as a valve member seated in said spout bowl and being retained thereagainst under slight compression by said snap-on engagement and normally extending as a seal across the opening from said neck and across said port, an integrally formed toggle means projecting axially outwardly from the bottom of said bowl-shaped wall, said bowl-shaped wall having a predetermined resiliency enabling distortion thereof on finger manipulation of said toggle means from said seated, sealing position to an open position permitting flow of liquid through the neck and port and return to said sealing position upon release of said toggle means.
A tap assembly for a container of liquid comprising a delivery spout molded of a gas impermeable plastic mounted on said container and having a neck located on the inner end thereof for receiving liquid from the container for dispensing therethrough, said neck opening outwardly into a generally hemispherical bowl formed with a circular rim and an opening inwardly of said rim providing a gravity flow dispensing port for the assembly, a dispenser closure molded of an elastomeric material having a bowl-shaped diaphragmic wall and a skirted edge having an exterior and an interior groove for selective snap-in engagement with the rim of the spout, said closure and spout being in separable engagement when said rim engages the exterior groove permitting removal of the closure for filling the container and being in operative engagement when said rim is forced beyond said exterior groove and into said interior groove upon replacement of the closure after filling, when in said operative engagement said bowl-shaped wall serving as a valve member seated in said spout bowl and being retained thereagainst under slight compression and normally extending as a seal across the opening from said neck and across said port, an integrally formed toggle means projecting axially outwardly from the bottom of said bowl-shaped wall, said bowl-shaped wall having a predetermined resiliency enabling distortion thereof on finger manipulation of said toggle means from said seated, sealing position to an open position permitting flow of liquid through the neck and port and enabling return to said sealing position upon release of said toggle means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.