Dispensing valve for a flexible liquid container

• US 5,730,336 A
• Filed: 03/01/1996
• Issued: 03/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cascade Designs Inc
• Original Assignee: Cascade Designs Inc
• Inventors: Lerner, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaver, Kevin P.
• Application Number:
  US08/609,510
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 137/844, 137/845, 137/849, 222/490, 222/494
• US Class Current: 222/490
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 3/16 Water-bottles; Mess-tins; Cups
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7885 Multiple slit

Abstract

A valve for a flexible liquid-container has a hollow cylindrical body including a bowl-shaped or trough-shaped diaphragm, circumferentially sealed to an inside wall of the tubular body. A convex side of the diaphragm faces an inlet side of the valve and a concave surface of the diaphragm faces an outlet side of the valve. The diaphragm has at least one slit extending therethrough. A cylindrical tube-spring of elliptical cross-section inserted into the tubular body exerts tension on the slit for holding the slit closed when the valve is not in use.

Claims

1. A valve for a liquid container comprising:

an elongated hollow body formed from a resilient material, said body having an inlet end, an outlet end with a peripheral portion and a longitudinal axis, and defining a lip portion located substantially at said outlet end wherein said lip portion extends uniformly outwardly from said outlet end peripheral portion of said hollow body; and

a diaphragm of a resilient material, said diaphragm having a generally convex surface and an opposite, generally concave surface and defining at least one elongated slit extending therethrough, wherein

said diaphragm is located transverse to said longitudinal axis, and defines an inlet side and an outlet side of the valve, and wherein

said diaphragm is positioned with said generally convex surface facing said inlet side of the valve.

2. The valve of claim 1, wherein said elongated body is a tubular body and said diaphragm is bowl-shaped and has two elongated slits extending therethrough, said slits intersecting each other at a point located about on said longitudinal axis.

3. The valve of claim 1, wherein said diaphragm is trough-shaped.

4. The valve of claim 3 wherein said diaphragm has at least two elongated slits extending therethrough, said slits being parallel to each other and arranged symmetrically about said longitudinal axis.

5. A valve for a liquid container comprising:

a hollow cylindrical body, said hollow cylindrical body formed from a resilient material, said body having an annular cross section, a cylindrical axis, an inlet end, an outlet end with a peripheral portion, and an inner wall, and defining a lip portion located substantially at said outlet end wherein lip portion extends uniformly outwardly from said outlet end peripheral portion of said hollow body; and

a bowl-shaped diaphragm formed from a resilient material, said diaphragm being coaxially located within said body proximate said outlet end and circumferentially sealed to said inner wall, and defining two intersecting slits extending therethrough, said slits arranged such that the intersection of said slits is about on said cylindrical axis;

wherein

said diaphragm has a convex surface facing said inlet end of said body and a concave surface facing said outlet end of said body.

6. The valve of claim 5, wherein said intersecting slits are radially symmetrically disposed about said cylindrical axis.

7. The valve of claim 5 wherein said slits intersect at an angle of about ninety degrees to each other.

8. The valve of claim 5 wherein said inlet end of said hollow cylindrical body is configured to accept a connecting tube for connecting said valve to said liquid container.

9. The valve of claim 5 wherein said hollow cylindrical body is directly connectable to said container.

10. The valve of claim 5 wherein said diaphragm is an integral part of said hollow cylindrical body.

11. A valve for a liquid container comprising:

an elongated, hollow body having a longitudinal axis, an inlet end, an outlet end with a peripheral portion, and defining a lip portion located substantially at said outlet end wherein said lip portion extends uniformly outwardly from said outlet end peripheral portion of said hollow body; and

an elongated trough-shaped diaphragm having a generally convex surface and an opposite generally concave surface,

said diaphragm defining an inlet side and an outlet side of the valve and positioned with said generally convex surface toward said inlet side, and defining at least one elongated slit extending therethrough.

12. The valve of claim 11 wherein said inlet end of said hollow body is cylindrical in cross-section and configured to accept a connecting tube for connecting said valve to said liquid container.

13. The valve of claim 12 wherein said outlet end of said body has a cross-section configured to correspond to the shape of said diaphragm, and said diaphragm is sealed to said outlet end of said body.

14. The valve of claim 11 having at least two slits extending therethrough, said slits generally parallel to each other and symmetrically disposed about said longitudinal axis.

15. The valve of claim 12, wherein said body is formed from a first resilient elastomer material, said at least one slit is located centrally in said diaphragm and extends in a direction transverse to the length of said diaphragm, and further including means within said body for exerting tension on said diaphragm, said tension exerted in a direction generally aligned with said at least one slit.

16. The valve of claim 15, wherein said tension applying means comprises a cylindrical member having a generally elliptical cross-section, said cross section having a major axis, and said cylindrical member being formed from a second resilient material stiffer than said first resilient elastomer material and said cylindrical being inserted into said inlet end of said body with said major axis substantially aligned with said at least one slit, thereby causing said inlet end of said body to assume an elliptical cross section.