Closure and dispensing device for containers

• US 5,139,182 A
• Filed: 12/27/1990
• Issued: 08/18/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Constandinos Appla
• Original Assignee: Constandinos Appla
• Inventors: Appla, Constandinos
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaver, Kevin P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Derakshani, Philippe
• Application Number:
  US07/634,708
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 222/108, 222/109, 222/514-525, 222/479, 222/546, 222/552, 222/568, 222/547, 222/564, 220/208, 220/361, 220/373, 220/374, 220/DIG. 27, 220/DIG. 32, 220/DIG. 33, 215/307, 215/311
• US Class Current: 222/519
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/246 moving helically, e.g. screw tap

Abstract

A two-piece, plastic, screw-on, closure and dispenser has an outer tubular female part with upper and lower internal screw threads and a separate, inner tubular male part with a single external screw thread rotatably attachable to the upper thread of the female part the lower thread of which is screwed onto the external screw thread of an outlet on top of a container, the male part is double-walled, an elongated pouring spout is an integral axial extension of an inner wall and a knurled hand knob is at the top of an outer wall and is turnable in either direction within the stationary female part for axial extension or retraction of the spout. An integral, internal, annular frustro-conical flange extends around the internal wall surface of the female part between threads and forms a valve seat around a fluid-flow opening. A disc-like valve member with a frustro-conical, peripheral, valve-sealing surface is spaced by webs below the male part creating in conjunction with the valve seat, a baffled port for interrupting two way flow of air entering and liquid exiting a container via the device to smooth out liquid dispensing by reducing the size and increasing the rapidity of " glugging". Combination movement stops and sealing surfaces on external ledges are provided between male and female parts.

Claims

1. A screw-threaded, plastic closure and liquid-dispensing device for containers with an externally-threaded outlet, said device comprising:

a female outer tubular member and a male inner tubular member, said female member having longitudinally spaced lower and upper internally threaded portions, the lower internally screw threaded portion being attachable to the externally-threaded outlet of said container, said male member having a single external screw thread complementary to the upper internal thread of the female portion and being rotatably mountable within said female member, an internal valve seat carried by said female member, a valve liquid-sealing surface carried by said male member, whereby hand rotation of said male member in one angular direction axially extends said male member with respect to said female member to move said valve liquid-sealing surface away from said valve seat to open said device and rotation in the opposite direction retracts said male member and closes said device, an air-inlet and liquid-outlet port being provided between both said members during relative axial displacement of said members, said male member having associated flow baffle means thereon adjacent said port for non-linear air/liquid flow through said device when said device is in open position,

wherein said port is partly formed by an integral, radially apertured disc projecting axially from an inner container-facing end of said male member, and

wherein said male member has a tubular inner wall and a tubular outer wall and said valve-sealing surface is axially spaced from said inner tubular wall and is formed by the peripheral edge of said radially extending disc joined to and supported by integral axial baffles having an upper terminal end joined to the inside of said inner tubular wall and a lower terminal end joined to said disc, said ribbed baffles in association with said disc defining apertures for two-way fluid flow of air inflow and liquid outflow therethrough when said device is in open position and for changing the direction of fluid flow therethrough by interruption to reduce the amplitude and to increase the frequency of fluid flow interruption by "glugging" to smooth out liquid outflow from a container containing liquid and to which said device is fitted.

2. A screw-threaded, plastic closure and liquid-dispensing device for containers with an externally-threaded outlet, said device comprising:

a female outer tubular member and a male inner tubular member, said female member having longitudinally spaced lower and upper internally threaded portions, the lower internally screw threaded portion being attachable to the externally-threaded outlet of said container, said male member having a single external screw thread complementary to the upper internal thread of the female portion and being rotatably mountable within said female member, an internal valve seat carried by said female member, a valve liquid-sealing surface carried by said male member, whereby hand rotation of said male member in one angular direction axially extends said male member with respect to said female member to move said valve liquid-sealing surface away from said valve seat to open said device and rotation in the opposite direction retracts said male member and closes said device, an air-inlet and liquid-outlet port being provided between both said members during relative axial displacement of said members, said members having associated flow baffle means thereon adjacent said port for non-linear air/liquid flow through said device when said device is in open position,

wherein said female member has a single tubular wall with an inside surface, said valve seat being an annular, internal flange formed integrally with said wall inside surface between said lower and said upper internally-threaded portions, said flange providing part of said associated flow baffle means adjacent said port, and

wherein an integral annular sealing lip is formed below said valve seat and extending from the bottom surface thereof, there being an annular gap formed between said lip and the bottom surface of said seat to allow yieldability permitting said valve seat to maintain correct sealing engagement with said valve liquid-sealing surface regardless of moulding irregularity of a plastic container neck.

3. A screw-threaded, plastic closure and liquid-dispensing device for a container having an externally threaded outlet, said device comprising:

a female member having longitudinally spaced lower and upper internally threaded portions, the lower internally screw-threaded portion being attachable to the externally threaded outlet of said container, said male member having a single external screw thread complementary to the upper internally screw-threaded portion and being rotatably mountable within said female member, an internal valve seat moulded integrally with said female member, a valve liquid-sealing surface molded integrally with said male member and in direct sealing contact with said valve seat, whereby hand rotation of said male member in one angular direction axially extends said male member with respect to said female member to move said valve liquid-sealing surface away from said valve seat, thereby opening said valve, and rotation in the opposite direction retracts said male member with respect to said female member to move said valve liquid-sealing surface toward said valve seat, thereby closing said valve, a common air-vent inlet and liquid outlet port being provided between both said members during relative axial, valve-opening displacement of said members, said male member having integral flow baffle means thereon adjacent said port for non-linear, two-way air/liquid flow through said valve and to break up large air bubbles forming in said valve, wherein said male member has a tubular inner wall and a tubular outer wall and the valve-sealing surface is axially spaced from said tubular inner wall and is formed by the peripheral edge of a radially-extending disc joined to and supported by integral axial baffles having an upper terminal end joined to the inside of the inner tubular wall and an inner terminal lower end joined to said valve disc, said baffles in association with said disc defining apertures for a two-way fluid flow port for the air vent inlet and the liquid outlet when said valve is moved axially into an open position and for changing the direction of fluid flow to break up large slow moving bubbles into smaller bubbles and to smooth out the air flow into and the liquid flow out of a container while pouring from said container to which said device is fitted.

4. A screw-threaded, plastic closure and liquid-dispensing device for a container having an externally threaded outlet, said device comprising:

a female member having longitudinally spaced lower and upper internally threaded portions, the lower internally screw-threaded portion being attachable to the externally threaded outlet of said container, said male member having a single external screw thread complementary to the upper internally screw-threaded portion and being rotatably mounted within said female member, an internal valve seat molded integrally with said female member, a valve liquid-sealing surface molded integrally with said male member and in direct sealing contact with said valve seat, whereby hand rotation of said male member in one angular direction axially extends said male member with respect to said female member to move said valve liquid-sealing surface away from said valve seat, thereby opening said valve, and rotation in the opposite direction retracts said male member with respect to said female member to move said valve liquid-sealing surface toward said valve seat, thereby closing said valve, a common air-vent inlet and liquid outlet port being provided between both said members during relative axial, valve-opening displacement of said members, said male member having integral flow baffle means thereon adjacent said port for non-linear, two-way air/liquid flow through said valve and to break up large air bubbles forming in said valve, wherein said female member has a tubular wall with an inside surface, said valve seat being an annular, internal, downwardly curved flange formed integrally with and projecting radially inwards from said wall surface at an axial position between said inner and said outer internally threaded portions, said flange providing part of said associated flow baffle means adjacent said port, and wherein an integral annular sealing lip is formed below said valve seat and extends from the bottom surface thereof, there being an annular gap formed between said lip and the bottom surface of said seat to allow yieldability, thereby permitting said valve seat to maintain correct sealing engagement with said valve sealing surface regardless of molding irregularity of a plastic container neck.