Volumetric metering fitment and package including the same
AssigneeFres-co System USA, Inc.
InventorBarry Pritchard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A package including a fitment for holding a liquid therein to dispense the liquid and the fitment itself. The fitment is a metering dispensing valve arranged to be secured to a flexible bag for selectively dispensing a metered quantity of the liquid therefrom. It includes a piercing member for piercing through the bag to provide access to the interior of the bag and a compressible bulb having a reservoir in it. The dispensing valve also includes an inlet valve to the reservoir and an outlet valve from the reservoir. The bulb is arranged to be compressed and then released to enable a metered amount of the liquid to be drawn into a reservoir. The bulb can then be compressed again to dispense the metered amount of liquid from the reservoir through the outlet valve to the outlet.
Claims18
A metering valve fitment for a package holding a liquid therein, said fitment being arranged for selectively dispensing a metered quantity of the liquid from the package, the package comprising a flexible bag having a wall and another fitment, the other fitment including a passageway extending directly to a portion of the wall of the bag, said metering valve fitment having a body, a fluid inlet check valve, a fluid outlet check valve, a compressible bulb, a tubular piercing element and an outlet, said compressible bulb defining a collapsible reservoir into which a portion of the liquid from the package is transferred for dispensing, said fluid inlet check valve being arranged to isolate said reservoir from said tubular piercing element, said fluid outlet check valve being arranged to isolate said reservoir from said outlet, said tubular piercing element being arranged to be extended through the passageway in the other fitment and brought into direct engagement with the portion of the wall of the bag to directly pierce the wall of the bag, said bulb being arranged to be compressed and then released after the wall of the bag has been pierced, whereupon said fluid inlet check valve is automatically opened and said fluid outlet check valve is automatically closed and a metered amount of the liquid is drawn through said tubular piercing element and said opened fluid inlet check valve into said reservoir, said metering valve being further arranged so that when said bulb is compressed after the liquid is drawn into said reservoir said fluid outlet check valve is automatically opened to dispense a metered amount of the liquid through said outlet.
A package for holding and selectively dispensing a metered quantity of a liquid therefrom, said package comprising a flexible bag and a metering valve fitment, said bag having a hollow interior in which the liquid is located, a wall and another fitment, said other fitment including a passageway extending directly to a portion of said wall of said bag, said metering valve fitment having a body, a fluid inlet check valve, a fluid outlet check valve, a compressible bulb, a tubular piercing element and an outlet, said compressible bulb defining a collapsible reservoir into which a portion of the liquid from said bag can transferred for dispensing, said fluid inlet check valve being arranged to isolate said reservoir from said tubular piercing element, said fluid outlet check valve being arranged to isolate said reservoir from said outlet, said tubular piercing element being arranged to be extended through said passageway in said other fitment and brought into direct engagement with a portion of said wall of said bag to directly pierce said wall of said bag, said bulb being arranged to be compressed and then released after said wall of said bag has been pierced, whereupon said fluid inlet check valve is automatically opened and said fluid outlet check valve is automatically closed and a metered amount of the liquid is drawn through said tubular piercing element and said opened fluid inlet check valve into said reservoir, said metering valve fitment being further arranged so that when said bulb is compressed after the liquid is drawn into said reservoir said fluid outlet check valve is automatically opened to dispense a metered amount of the liquid through said outlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.