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US 9,439,523 B2Granted
Closure for a container, beverage container and a method of operating a closure
AssigneeSmartSeal AS
InventorsKjetil Naesje, Kyrre Fredriksen, Rune Knutsen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A closure is for a container, for example a beverage container. In some examples the closure comprises an outer portion connectable to an opening of the container, an axially actuatable inner portion having a sealing member for restricting fluid flow through the closure with the inner portion in a first position and allowing fluid flow through the closure with the inner portion in a second position axially displaced relative to the outer portion, and an annular membrane connecting the outer and inner portions and configured to provide a returning force to resiliently bias the inner portion towards the first position. A beverage container comprises a closure. A method is for operating a closure.
Claims12
An under pressure activatable closure for a container, comprising:
- an operating member connectable to an opening of the container;
- the operating member comprising in the form of a continuous, unitary structure a tubular outer portion provided with an upper edge, a tubular inner portion provided with a lower edge, an annular membrane connecting the upper edge of the outer portion and the lower edge of the inner portion, a discharge tube coaxially located within the tubular inner portion, the discharge tube forming a drinking opening, the discharge tube comprising longitudinal ribs and lateral fluid flow paths between adjacent ribs, and a sealing member at a free end of the discharge tube;
- a partition connectable to the opening of the container and positioned between the opening of the container and the operating member;
- the partition comprising in the form of a continuous, unitary structure an inner wall, an outflow orifice aligned with the discharge tube and a tube shaped sleeve facing away from the container and positioned between the tubular inner portion and the discharge tube;
- the annular membrane, the tubular inner portion, the discharge tube and the sealing member are axially actuatable relative to the outer portion between a first position and a second position where the second position is closer to the container, and where the sealing member in the first position is engaging the outflow orifice and where the sealing member in the second position is disengaged from the outflow orifice to allow fluid to flow from the container through the outflow orifice via the fluid flow paths and the drinking opening;
- the lower edge is in the second position displaced to a position closer to the container than the upper edge;
- and
- the annular membrane is configured to provide a returning force to resiliently bias the inner portion, the discharge tube and the sealing member towards the first position such that the returning force is lower with the inner portion located at the second position relative to the first position.
5 more elements
A beverage container for containing a beverage, the beverage container comprising a closure, wherein the closure comprises:
- an operating member connectable to an opening of the container;
- the operating member comprising in the form of a continuous, unitary structure a tubular outer portion provided with an upper edge, a tubular inner portion provided with a lower edge, an annular membrane connecting the upper edge of the outer portion and the lower edge of the inner portion, a discharge tube coaxially located within the tubular inner portion, the discharge tube forming a drinking opening, the discharge tube comprising longitudinal ribs and lateral fluid flow paths between adjacent ribs, and a sealing member at a free end of the discharge tube;
- a partition connectable to the opening of the container and positioned between the opening of the container and the operating member;
- the partition comprising in the form of a continuous, unitary structure an inner wall, an outflow orifice aligned with the discharge tube and a tube shaped sleeve facing away from the container and positioned between the tubular inner portion and the discharge tube;
- the annular membrane, the tubular inner portion, the discharge tube and the sealing member are axially actuatable relative to the outer portion between a first position and a second position where the second position is closer to the container, and where the sealing member in the first position is engaging the outflow orifice and where the sealing member in the second position is disengaged from the outflow orifice to allow fluid to flow from the container through the outflow orifice via the fluid flow paths and the drinking opening;
- the lower edge is in the second position displaced to a position closer to the container than the upper edge;
- and
- the annular membrane is configured to provide a returning force to resiliently bias the inner portion, the discharge tube and the sealing member towards the first position such that the returning force is lower with the inner portion located at the second position relative to the first position.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.