Resilient squeeze bottle package for dispensing viscous products without belching

A resilient squeeze bottle package for dispensing a viscous product contained therein without significant belching due to entrained air, said package comprising:

• (a) a flexible inner bag, said bag containing said viscous product;
• (b) an outer container body surrounding said flexible bag, said outer container body comprising a resilient outer wall and a closed bottom, said flexible bag being secured about its perimeter both at its uppermost end and substantially at its midpoint to the interior surface of said resilient outer wall, said outer wall of said package being sufficiently resilient that it will return the midpoint of said bag secured thereto to its substantially undeformed cross-section upon removal of opposed squeezing forces which are applied to deform said resilient outer wall of said outer container body, said return of said midpoint of said flexible bag to its substantially undeformed cross-section causing a substantially instantaneous decrease of viscous product pressure inside said flexible bag;
• (c) a shroud sealingly secured to the uppermost end of said resilient outer wall, said shroud including a dispensing orifice for dispensing said viscous product from said flexible bag;
• (d) a suckback valve interposed between the uppermost end of said flexible bag containing said viscous product and said dispensing orifice in said shroud, said suckback valve being capable of opening in response to an increase of viscous product pressure inside said flexible bag to permit said viscous product to pass therethrough on its way to said shroud and said dispensing orifice, said suckback valve being further capable of automatically returning to a fully closed and substantially leak resistant position in response to a sudden decrease of viscous product pressure inside said flexible bag, said valve also being capable of aiding in the transport of a substantially constant volume of said viscous product from said shroud into said flexible bag each time said valve moves from its fully open to its fully closed position, said suckback valve having positive stop means to prevent the flow of viscous product or air from said shroud into said flexible inner bag when said suckback valve is in its fully closed and substantially leak resistant position, whereby a substantially instantaneous decrease of viscous product pressure occurring inside said flexible bag due to removal of said opposed squeezing forces from said resilient outer wall of said outer container body will cause the flow of viscous product from said dispensing orifice to cease and air to flow back into said dispensing orifice until said suckback valve has returned to its fully closed and substantially leak resistant position;
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• (e) means for restricting the exit of air from inside said container body in the area beneath the lowermost end of said flexible bag when opposed squeezing forces are applied to the exterior surface of said resilient outer sidewall of said package, whereby the pressure of said viscous product contained in said flexible bag is increased in response to said opposed squeezing forces to effect dispensing of said viscous product from said dispensing orifice in said shroud so long as said opposed squeezing forces are maintained on said resilient outer wall of said package.

A resilient squeeze bottle package for dispensing a viscous product contained therein without significant belching due to entrained air, said package comprising:

• (a) an outer container body comprising a resilient outer wall and a closed bottom;
• (b) a flexible inner bag having an overall height approximately half that of said resilient outer wall of said container body, said flexible bag being sealingly secured completely about its perimeter at its uppermost end to the interior surface of said resilient outer wall at approximately the midpoint of said resilient outer wall, said viscous product being contained within said flexible bag and the upper portion of said resilient outer wall extending above the point of securement of said bag to said wall, said outer wall of said package being sufficiently resilient that it will return the uppermost end of said bag secured thereto to its substantially undeformed cross-section upon removal of opposed squeezing forces which are applied to deform said resilient outer wall of said outer container body, said return of said uppermost end of said flexible bag to its substantially undeformed cross-section causing a substantially instantaneous decrease of viscous product pressure inside said flexible bag;
• (c) a shroud sealingly secured to the uppermost end of said resilient outer wall, said shroud including a dispensing orifice for dispensing said viscous product from said flexible bag;
• (d) a suckback valve interposed between the uppermost end of said resilient outer wall containing said viscous product and said dispensing orifice in said shroud, said suckback valve being capable of opening in response to an increase of viscous product pressure inside said flexible bag and said upper portion of said resilient outer wall to permit said viscous product to pass therethrough on its way to said shroud and said dispensing orifice, said suckback valve being further capable of automatically returning to a fully closed and substantially leak resistant position in response to a sudden decrease of viscous product pressure inside said flexible bag and said upper portion of said resilient outer wall, said valve also being capable of aiding in the transport of a substantially constant volume of said viscous product from said shroud into said flexible bag and said upper portion of said resilient outer wall each time said valve moves from its fully open to its fully closed position, said suckback valve having positive stop means to prevent the flow of viscous product or air from said shroud into said flexible inner bag and said upper portion of said resilient outer wall when said suckback valve is in its fully closed and substantially leak resistant position, whereby a substantially instantaneous decrease of viscous product pressure occurring inside said flexible bag and said upper portion of said resilient outer wall due to removal of said opposed squeezing forces from said resilient outer wall of said outer container body will cause the flow of viscous product from said dispensing orifice to cease and air to flow back into said dispensing orifice until said suckback valve has returned to its fully closed and substantially leak resistant position;
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• (e) means for restricting the exit of air from inside said container body in the area beneath the lowermost end of said flexible bag when opposed squeezing forces are applied to the exterior surface of said resilient outer wall of said package, whereby the pressure of said viscous product contained in said flexible bag and said upper portion of said resilient outer wall is increased in response to said opposed squeezing forces to effect dispensing of said viscous product from said dispensing orifice in said shroud so long as said opposed squeezing forces are maintained on said resilient outer wall of said package.