US 6,223,791 B1Granted

Gravity feed fluid dispensing valve

Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company

InventorsCathleen M. Arsenault, John J. Dyer

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Abstract

A dispensing valve cap mountable to a bottle is provided with a first valve part having a tubular portion having an air inlet, the first valve part further including a fluid outlet spaced apart along a longitudinal axis of the tubular portion to form a constant head valve for dispensing fluid from the bottle. A second valve part of the valve movably mounted to the first valve part includes a tubular portion for simultaneously closing both the air inlet and the fluid outlet of the first valve part when fluid dispensing is not desired. The second valve part further includes an air inlet alignable with the air inlet of the tubular portion when fluid dispensing is desired. The dispensing valve cap controls fluid flow from the bottle. The bottle with the valve cap is useable with a dispenser assembly for mixing a concentrated fluid from the bottle with a dilutant. A tamper resistant lock prevents undesired rotation of the second valve part relative to the first valve part. The tamper resistant lock is deactivated upon insertion of the valve cap into the dispenser assembly.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A dispensing valve cap for use with a bottle containing fluid for dispensing the fluid in a gravity feed fluid dispensing system, the valve cap comprising:

(a) a first end mountable to the bottle;
(b) a second end opposite to the first end along a longitudinal axis of the valve cap;
(c) the valve cap including an air inlet and a fluid outlet, the fluid outlet spaced from the air inlet in the direction of the longitudinal axis adjacent to the second end;
(d) the valve cap including:
(1) a first valve part having a first end and a second end, the first end mountable to the bottle, the first valve part including a tubular portion defining a longitudinal axis extending in a direction from the first end to the second end, the tubular portion including an air inlet aperture through the tubular portion, the tubular portion further including a circumferential seal positioned between the air inlet aperture and the first end;
(2) a second valve part movably mounted to the first valve part along the longitudinal axis, the second valve part including a mating portion adapted to cooperate with the first valve part to close and open the air inlet aperture of the first valve part to form the air inlet on the valve cap, wherein the air inlet aperture is closed when second valve part is in a first position relative to the first valve part, and the air inlet aperture of the first valve part is open when the second valve part is in a second position relative to the first valve part, wherein the mating portion of the second valve part includes a tubular portion, the tubular portion of the second valve part defining an aperture alignable with the air inlet aperture of the first valve part when the second valve part is in the second position, the tubular portion of the second valve part having an inside surface sealably engaged by the circumferential seal of the first valve part, to prevent air flow communication between the air inlet aperture of the first valve part and the aperture of the tubular portion of the second valve part when the second valve part is in the first position;
(3) the first and second valve parts cooperating to define the fluid outlet which is closed when the second valve part is in the first position, and which is open when the first valve part is in the second position.

4 more elements

A dispensing valve cap for use with a bottle containing fluid for dispensing the fluid in a gravity feed fluid dispensing system, the valve cap comprising:

a first valve part having a first end and a second end, the first end mountable to the bottle, the first valve part including a tubular portion defining a longitudinal axis extending in a direction from the first end to the second end, the tubular portion including an air inlet aperture through the tubular portion, the tubular portion further including a circumferential seal positioned between the air inlet aperture and the first end, the first valve part further defining a fluid outlet aperture spaced from the air inlet aperture along the longitudinal axis and positioned adjacent to the second end;
a second valve part movably mounted to the first valve part for rotation and longitudinal movement along the longitudinal axis, the second valve part including a mating portion adapted to cooperate with the first valve part to close the air inlet and the fluid outlet apertures of the first valve part when second valve part is in a first position relative to the first valve part, and to open the air inlet and the fluid outlet apertures of the first valve part when the second valve part is in a second position relative to the first valve part, wherein the mating portion of the second valve part includes a tubular portion, the tubular portion of the second valve part defining an aperture alignable with the air inlet aperture of the first valve part when the second valve part is in the second position, the tubular portion of the second valve part having an inside surface sealably engaged by the circumferential seal of the first valve part, to prevent air flow communication between the air inlet aperture of the first valve part and the aperture of the tubular portion of the second valve part when the second valve part is in the first position, the second valve part including a fluid outlet aperture and a fluid outlet seal between the fluid outlet aperture of the second valve part and the fluid outlet aperture of the first valve part when the second valve part is in the first position, the valve cap defining a fluid flow path between the fluid outlet apertures of the first and second valve parts when the second valve part is in the second position.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.