US 6,446,844 B1Granted

Closure with internal flow control for a pressure openable valve in an extendable/retractable nozzle

AssigneeSeaquist Closures Foreign, Inc.

InventorRichard A. Gross

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Abstract

A dispensing system is provided for dispensing a product from a container having an opening. The dispensing system includes a spout for communicating with the container opening. The spout defines at least one discharge aperture and a distal seal. A nozzle assembly is mounted on the spout for movement between a retracted, closed position and an extended, open position. The nozzle assembly includes a nozzle having a dispensing passage around at least a portion of the spout. The nozzle assembly also includes a resiliently flexible valve that is sealingly disposed across the nozzle dispensing passage at a location distally of the spout and has an initially closed dispensing orifice which opens in response to a pressure differential acting across the valve. The nozzle assembly also includes a flow restrictor below the valve, and a distal seal for sealingly engaging the spout distal seal.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A dispensing system for dispensing a product from a container having an opening, said system comprising:

a spout for communicating with said container opening and defining (1) at least one discharge aperture having a fixed geometry at a stationary location relative to said container, and (2) a distal seal surface located distally of said discharge aperture relative to said container;
a nozzle assembly which is mounted on said spout for movement between a retracted, closed position and an extended, open position, and which includes
(A) a nozzle having (1) a dispensing passage around at least a portion of said spout, (2) a distal seal surface for sealingly engaging said spout distal seal surface when said nozzle assembly is in said retracted, closed position;
(B) a resiliently flexible valve that (1) is sealingly disposed across said nozzle dispensing passage at a location distally of said spout distal seal surface, and (2) has an initially closed dispensing orifice which opens in response to a pressure differential acting across said valve;
and
(C) a flow restrictor that is disposed across said nozzle dispensing passage at a location between said valve and said nozzle distal seal surface to restrict flow toward said valve as said nozzle assembly is moved to said retracted, closed position.

3 more elements

A dispensing system for dispensing a product from a container having an opening, said system comprising:

a spout for communicating with said container opening and having a deck defining at least one discharge aperture having a fixed geometry at a stationary location relative to said container;
a nozzle assembly which is mounted on said spout for movement between a retracted, closed position and an extended, open position, and which includes
a nozzle having a dispensing passage around at least a portion of said spout;
a resiliently flexible valve that (1) is sealingly disposed across said nozzle dispensing passage at a location distally of said spout discharge aperture, and (2) has an initially closed dispensing orifice which opens in response to a pressure differential acting across said valve;
and
a flow restrictor that is disposed across said nozzle dispensing passage at a location between said valve and said spout deck discharge aperture;
a distal seal groove defined on one of said spout deck and said nozzle assembly;
and
a distal seal bead defined on the other of said spout deck and nozzle assembly for sealingly engaging said distal seal groove when said nozzle assembly is in said retracted, closed position.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.