Valve and containers incorporating the same

• US 4,798,324 A
• Filed: 08/05/1987
• Issued: 01/17/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: FGL Projects Limited
• Original Assignee: FGL Projects Limited
• Inventors: Gannon, Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): Marcus, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elkins, Gary E.
• Application Number:
  US07/082,079
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: 220/209, 383/44, 206/620, 229/125.35, 229/DIG. 14, 229/103.1, 222/107, 222/541, 222/212, 222/213, 222/215, 222/498, 251/75, 251/331, 251/342, 264/248, 264/249, 264/322
• US Class Current: 229/125.35
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/58 Opening or contents-removing devices added or incorporated during package manufacture B65D75/36, B65D85/1027 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/80 Packaging reuse or recycling, e.g. of multilayer packaging bio-packaging Y02W90/10

Abstract

A valve for use primarily for dispensing liquids from non-reusable containers comprising a conduit formed by bonding a flexible sheet of thermoplastic material to a second sheet of resilient thermoplastics material. The second sheet is of a springy nature and is provided with a shoulder portion directed to the first sheet. The shoulder portion positioned adjacent to a deformable member formed into the second sheet. The conduit is closed by the first sheet being stretched tightly over the shoulder. However by deforming the deformable member towards the first sheet the latter is raised from the shoulder thereby opening the conduit.

Claims

1. A valve comprising a conduit, formed by bonding a first sheet of flexible material to a second sheet of resilient material, one of the sheets being provided with a discrete shoulder extending towards the other sheet, the conduit being closed by reason of the shoulder and the other sheet being normally maintained in close intimate contact, and means to separate the shoulder and the other sheet under resilient deforming pressure whereby to open the conduit, the means to separate maintaining the shoulder and the other sheet apart under resilient deforming pressure while the conduit is open.

2. Valve of claim 1 wherein the second sheet is thicker than the first sheet and possesses spring-like resiliency.

3. Valve of claim 1 wherein the second sheet is provided with the shoulder, and the means to separate is a deformable member formed into the second sheet for separating the shoulder and the first sheet.

4. Valve of claim 3 wherein the second sheet is thicker than the first sheet and possesses spring-like resiliency.

5. Valve of claim 1 wherein the first sheet is made of flexible thermoplastic material and the second sheet is made of resilient thermoplastic material, the second sheet is provided with the shoulder in the form of a shoulder member extending towards the first sheet, and the means to separate is a deformable member provided on the second sheet and positioned adjacent to the shoulder member and being adapted to be deformed towards the first sheet thereby to separate the first sheet from the shoulder member whereby to open the conduit.

6. A container incorporating the valve of claim 1.

7. Container of claim 6 having a lid, the container being made from said sheet of resilient material, the resilient sheet forming one part of the valve, an the lid being made from said sheet of flexible material, the flexible sheet forming the other part of the valve, each of said sheets being a sheet of thermoplastic material.

8. Container of claim 6 having a top and a bottom, and incorporating a conduit which extends from the vicinity of the top of the container to the bottom of the container, the valve being comprised by the conduit.

9. Container of claim 7 having a top and a bottom, and incorporating a conduit which extends from the vicinity of the top of the container to the bottom of the container, the valve being comprised by the conduit.

10. A process of making the container of claim 6 wherein each of said sheets is a sheet of thermoplastic material, comprising applying heat and pressure to said sheet of resilient thermoplastic material with a mold shaped to form a part of the valve in a flange forming part of the container, said part of the valve including said means to separate said means to separate comprising a deformable member, and sealing said sheet of flexible thermoplastic sheet material to the container and in overlying tightly stretched condition to the flange in the vicinity of the deformable member while the flange is maintained stationarily in a mold or jig, for the purpose of closing the container and completing the construction of the valve in the flange.

11. Process of claim 10 wherein during the process the deformable member and the sheet of flexible material are bonded to one another.

12. A process of making the container of claim 7 comprising applying heat and pressure to said sheet of resilient thermoplastic material with a mold shaped to form the one part of the valve in a flange forming part of the container, said one part of the valve including said means to separate said means to separate comprising a deformable member, and sealing said sheet of flexible thermoplastic sheet material to the container and in overlying tightly stretched condition to the flange in the vicinity of the deformable member and in normal sealing contact with the shoulder while the flange is maintained stationarily in a mold or jig, for the purpose of closing the container and completing the construction of the valve in the flange, the sheet of flexible material commonly forming the lid and the other part of the valve.

13. Process of claim 12 wherein during the process the deformable member and the sheet of flexible material are bonded to one another.

14. A valve comprising a conduit, formed by bonding a first sheet of flexible material to a second sheet of resilient material, the second sheet being provided with a shoulder extending towards the first sheet, the conduit being closed by the shoulder and the other sheet being in close intimate contact, and the second sheet being provided with means to separate the shoulder and the first sheet and thereby to open the conduit, the means to separate being a deformable member formed into the second sheet and bonded to the first sheet.

15. Valve of claim 14 wherein the second sheet is thicker than the first sheet and possesses spring-like resiliency.

16. A valve comprising a conduit, formed by bonding a first sheet of flexible material to a second sheet of resilient material, one of the sheets being provided with a discrete shoulder extending towards the other sheet, and such other sheet being under prestressed stretching tension, the conduit being closed by reason of the shoulder and the other sheet being normally maintained in close intimate contact, and means to separate the shoulder and the other sheet whereby to open the conduit, the means to separate being disposed on one to the sheets adjacent to but laterally spaced from the shoulder, and the means to separate being arranged for moving portions of both sheets in the same direction transversely of and away from the shoulder to open the conduit.