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US 5,377,877 AGranted
Dispensing valve for packaging
AssigneeLiquid Molding Systems, Inc.
InventorsPaul E. Brown, Timothy R. Socier
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dispensing package is provided for fluid products such as liquid soaps, shampoos and conditioners, household detergents, cleaners, polishes, moisturizing creams, and the like, and includes a container with a self-sealing dispensing valve mounted therein. The valve includes a marginal flange, a valve head with a discharge orifice therein, and a connector sleeve having one end connected with the valve flange and the opposite end connected with the valve head adjacent a marginal edge thereof. The connector sleeve has a resiliently flexible construction, such that when pressure within the container raises above a predetermined amount, the valve head shifts outwardly in a manner which causes the connector sleeve to double over and extend rollingly.
Claims42
A dispensing package for fluid products, comprising:
- a container to retain a selected fluid product therein, having a discharge opening and flexible walls which collapse when fluid product is dispensed from said container;
- and
- a dispensing valve for controlling the flow of the fluid product from said container, including a marginal valve portion sealing about the discharge opening of said container;
- a valve head portion having an orifice which opens to permit fluid flow therethrough in response to a predetermined discharge pressure within said container, and closes to shut off fluid flow therethrough upon removal of the predetermined discharge pressure, wherein said valve head portion is shaped for shifting generally centrally with respect to said marginal valve portion;
- and a connector sleeve portion having a resiliently flexible construction, with one end area thereof connected with said marginal valve portion, and an opposite end area thereof connected with said valve head portion, wherein said connector sleeve portion has a configuration which applies an outwardly directed torque to said valve head portion when pressure within said container is raised above the predetermined discharge pressure to assist in opening said orifice, and applies an inwardly directed torque to said valve head portion when the predetermined discharge pressure within said container is released to assist in closing said orifice.
2 more elements
A dispensing valve for fluid product packaging of the type having a container with a discharge opening, comprising:
- a marginal valve portion shaped to seal about the discharge opening of the container;
- a valve head portion having an orifice which opens to permit fluid flow therethrough in response to a predetermined discharge pressure within the container, and closes to shut off fluid flow therethrough upon removal of the predetermined discharge pressure, wherein said valve head portion is shaped for shifting generally centrally with respect to said marginal valve portion;
- and a connector sleeve portion having a resiliently flexible construction, with one end area thereof connected with said marginal valve portion, and an opposite end area thereof connected with said valve head portion, wherein said connector sleeve portion has a configuration which applies an outwardly directed torque to said valve head portion when pressure within the container is raised above the predetermined discharge pressure to assist in opening said orifice, and applies an inwardly directed torque to said valve head portion when the predetermined discharge pressure within said container is released to assist in closing said orifice.
A dispensing valve for fluid product packaging of the type having a container with a discharge opening;
- said dispensing valve comprising:
- a marginal valve portion shaped to seal about the discharge opening of tile container;
- a connector sleeve portion having a resiliently flexible construction, with one end area thereof connected with said marginal valve portion;
- and a valve head portion connected with an opposite end area of said connector sleeve portion, and having an orifice which opens to permit fluid flow therethrough in response to a predetermined discharge pressure within the container, and closes to shut off fluid flow therethrough upon removal of the predetermined discharge pressure;
- said valve head portion having an outwardly flared crown shape, wherein a marginal edge of said valve head portion tapers radially inwardly toward said connector sleeve portion to alleviate nesting during handling.
2 more elements
A dispensing package for fluid products, comprising:
- a container for retaining a selected fluid product therein, having a base shaped to support said container in an upright, freestanding orientation on a selected surface, and including a discharge opening therein through which fluid product is dispensed from said container:
- a dispensing valve for controlling the flow of the fluid product from said container, including a marginal valve portion sealing about the discharge opening of said container:
- a valve head portion having an orifice which opens to permit fluid flow therethrough in response to a predetermined discharge pressure within said container, and closes to shut off fluid flow therethrough upon removal of the predetermined discharge pressure, wherein said valve head portion is shaped or shifting generally centrally with respect to said marginal valve portion;
- and a connector sleeve portion having a resiliently flexible construction, with one end area thereof connected with said marginal valve portion, and an opposite end area thereof connected with said valve head portion, wherein said dispensing valve is oriented in said container such that said predetermined threshold pressure is greater than the maximum hydraulic head pressure of the fluid product in said container when said discharge opening is oriented downwardly to prevent inadvertent leakage of the liquid product from said dispensing package;
- and wherein
- said discharge opening is positioned adjacent an edge area of said base to facilitate accurately dispensing the fluid product through said valve;
- said base includes an interior wall which tapers downwardly to said edge area and said discharge opening from an opposite edge area thereof to insure complete emptying of fluid product from said dispensing package.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.