Dispensing Valve

• US 20150014369A1
• Filed: 03/01/2013
• Published: 01/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2012
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: AptarGroup Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AptarGroup Incorporated
• Inventors: Hatton, Jason D., Cole, Greg L.
• Granted Patent: US 10,287,066 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/490
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/00 Shaping by thermoforming , i.e. shaping sheets or sheet like preforms after heating, e.g. shaping sheets in matched moulds or by deep-drawing; Apparatus therefor blow moulding of tubular preforms B29C49/00, deforming of tubular or hollow preforms B29C67/0014
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/04 Closures with discharging devices other than pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/2031 the element being formed by a slit, narrow opening or constrictable spout, the size of the outlet passage being able to be varied by increasing or decreasing the pressure B65D47/2025 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/5883 connected to the package at the sealed junction of two package walls
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/147 the closure elements having specially formed slits or being of an elongated easily collapsible form
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 21/04 Self-closing valves, i.e. closing automatically after operation pneumatic tools B25B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49405 Valve or choke making

Abstract

A slit valve (10) to selectively restrict the passage of a fluent substance between an interior environment (17) and an exterior environment (15) and a method for forming the valve (10), the method including the steps of providing at least one layer of film material and permanently deforming the film material to define a valve (10) for selectively restricting the passage of a fluent substance between an interior environment (17) and an exterior environment (15).

Claims

1. A slit valve (10) to selectively restrict the passage of a fluent substance between an interior environment (17) and an exterior environment (15), the valve (10) comprising:

a flexible, resilient head (12) centered on a central axis (27) and extending laterally therefrom, the head (12) having;

an interior surface (16) to face an interior environment (17), the interior surface (16) having one of a concave or convex shape,

an exterior surface (14) to face an exterior environment (15), the exterior surface (14) having the other of a concave or convex shape, and

confronting, openable portions (30) to define a normally closed orifice in an unconstrained condition wherein the openable portions (30) can move in a first direction to an open orifice configuration and return in an opposite direction to a closed configuration;

an annular, peripheral attachment portion (19) spaced laterally from the head (12); and

an annular, flexible, resilient, intermediate portion (20) extending laterally from the head (12) to the peripheral attachment portion (19), the intermediate portion (20) having;

an interior surface (26) to face said interior environment (17), and

an exterior surface (24) to face said exterior environment (15); and

wherein the head (12) and the intermediate portion (20) have a uniform material thickness T spacing the exterior surfaces (14,24) from the interior surfaces (16,26), with T being no greater than 0.0 (20) inch.

2. The valve (10) of claim 1 wherein the head (12) has at least one self-sealing slit (28) (28) through the head (12), and the confronting openable portions (30) extend along the at least one self-sealing slit (28).

3. The valve (10) of claim 1 wherein the interior surface (16) of the head is a convex surface and the exterior surface (14) of the head is a concave surface.

4. The valve (10) of claim 1 wherein the uniform material thickness T is in the range of 0.004 to 0.013 inches.

5. The valve (10) of claim 1 wherein the attachment portion (19) has a planar interior surface (36) spaced from a planar exterior surface (34) by the uniform material thickness T.

6. The valve (10) of claim 1 wherein the attachment portion (19) has an interior surface (36) spaced from an exterior surface (34) by a non-uniform material thickness that varies over the annular extent of the attachment portion (19).

7. The valve (10) of claim 6 wherein the exterior surface (34) of the attachment portion (19) defines a cylindrical wall (100) (100) that surrounds the head (12) and the intermediate portion (20).

8. The valve (10) of claim 6 wherein the interior surface (36) and the exterior surface (34) of the attachment portion (19) define a radially outwardly extending annular lip (102) (102).

9. The valve (10) of claim 1 wherein the head (12) and the intermediate portion (20) are formed from a film of material that has undergone a permanent deformation to define the head (12) and the intermediate portion (20).

10. The valve (10) of claim 9 wherein the entire valve (10) is defined by a permanently deformed film of material.

11. The valve (10) of claim 1 in combination with:

a fluent substance container (52) (52) having an opening (69) through which fluent substance can pass between an interior of the container (52) and the exterior environment (15); and

a fitment (54) (54) sealingly mounted to the container (52), with the valve (10) located in the fitment (54) to extend across the opening to restrict passage of a fluent substance between the interior of the container (52) and the exterior environment (15) at least when the openable portions (30) are in the closed configuration.

12. The valve (10) of claim 1 wherein the valve (10) is joined to the fitment (54).

13. The valve (10) of claim 1 wherein the head (12), peripheral attachment portion (19), and intermediate portion (20) are all symmetrical bodies of revolution centered on the central axis (27).

14. A method for forming a slit valve (10) to selectively restrict the passage of a fluent substance between an interior environment (17) and an exterior environment (15), the method comprising the steps of:

providing at least one layer of film material; and

permanently deforming the film material to define a valve (10) for selectively restricting the passage of a fluent substance between an interior environment (17) and an exterior environment (15).

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of permanently deforming the film material comprises permanently deforming the film material to define a valve (10) having

a flexible, resilient head (12) centered on a central axis and extending laterally therefrom, the head (12) having:

an interior surface (16) to face an interior environment (17), the interior surface (16) having one of a concave or convex shape, and

an exterior surface (14) to face an exterior environment (15), the exterior surface (14) having the other of a concave or convex shape;

an annular, peripheral attachment portion (19) spaced laterally from the head (12); and

an annular, flexible, resilient, intermediate portion (20) extending laterally from the head (12) to the peripheral attachment portion (19), the intermediate portion (20) having;

an interior surface (26) to face said interior environment (17), and

an exterior surface (24) to face said exterior environment (15).

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of permanently deforming provides the head (12) and intermediate portion (20) with a uniform material thickness T spacing the exterior surfaces (14,24) from the interior surfaces (16,26), with T being no greater than 0.0 (20) inch

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of permanently deforming further comprises defining the annular attachment portion (19) to have the uniform material thickness T.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of permanently deforming further comprises defining the annular attachment portion (19) to have a planar exterior surface (34) and a planar interior surface (36).

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the uniform material thickness T is in the range of 0.004 to 0.013 inches.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of forming at least one self-sealing slit (28) in the head (12) and confronting, openable portions (30) along the at least one slit (28) in the head (12) to define a normally closed orifice in an unconstrained condition wherein the openable portions (30) can move in a first direction to an open orifice configuration and return in an opposite direction to a closed configuration.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of providing at least one layer of film material comprises providing a plurality of layers of film material and the step of permanently deforming comprises permanently deforming the plurality of layers to define the valve (10).

22. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of permanently deforming comprises thermoforming the at least one layer of film to define the valve (10).

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of thermoforming comprises matched die forming to define the valve (10).

24. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of providing the at least one layer of film comprises injection molding a preformed component having the annular attachment portion (19) and the at least one layer of film extending radially inwardly from the annular attachment portion (19).

25. The method of claim 15 wherein the head (12), peripheral attachment portion (19), and intermediate portion (20) are all symmetrical bodies of revolution centered on the central axis.

26-50. -50. (canceled)