Dispensing valve closure with inner seal

• US 5,954,237 A
• Filed: 08/25/1995
• Issued: 09/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seaquist Closures LLC (AptarGroup Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: AptarGroup Incorporated, The Coca-Cola Company
• Inventors: Hess, John M., Martinez, Inocencio, Randall, Jeffrey T., Wood, Christopher J., Kaiser, John F., Lampe, William H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Derakshani, Philippe
• Application Number:
  US08/519,492
• Time in Patent Office: 1,488 Days
• Field of Search: 222/153.05, 222/153.06, 222/153.07, 222/212, 222/213, 222/490, 222/494, 222/545, 222/562, 222/542, 222/556, 222/541.5, 222/541.1, 222/541.9, 220/256, 220/258, 220/359, 215/232
• US Class Current: 222/153.06
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2251/0025 of the 47-type
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2251/0087 of the 47-type
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/0804 integrally formed with the base element provided with the spout or discharge passage
• 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

Abstract

A dispensing valve closure (10) is provided which includes a closure body (12) and a cap (14). A self-sealing dispensing valve (16) is disposed within the closure (10) and is held in place with a retaining ring (18). An inner seal (20) is also placed within the closure (10) to allow for sealing on a package.

Claims

1. A sealing and dispensing closure for an outlet opening of a container containing a consumable beverage or other liquid, and comprising

a closure body adapted to be assembled to the outlet opening of the container, said closure body including a tubular spout of substantial height and which is adapted to communicate with the outlet opening of the container and through which the liquid contained in the container is adapted to be dispensed,

a self-sealing dispensing valve mounted within said spout and being movable by pressure within the container between a closed position and an open position, and

an overcap having a central hollow dome of a height sufficient to receive the spout, with said overcap being pivotally mounted to said closure body for pivotal movement between a covering position wherein the dome encloses the spout and a removed position wherein the spout is exposed and the liquid may be dispensed therethrough.

2. The closure as defined in claim 1 wherein said overcap includes a central post which is positioned within the dome of the overcap and so as to be coaxially received in the spout when the overcap is in the covering position.

3. The closure as defined in claim 2 wherein said self-sealing dispensing valve forms an upwardly open cavity when in said closed position, and wherein said central post is configured to extend into the cavity of the valve when the overcap is in its covering position to prevent the valve from opening.

4. The closure as defined in claim 2 wherein said spout has an internal bore which includes an inwardly facing annular surface and an annular shoulder spaced below said annular surface, wherein said self-sealing dispensing valve includes a marginal flange overlying said annular surface, and wherein said closure further comprises an annular retaining ring supported by said annular shoulder and engaging the side of the marginal flange opposite the annular surface.

5. The closure as defined in claim 2 wherein the closure body includes an internally threaded sleeve for threadedly attaching the closure to an externally threaded outlet opening on the container, and further comprising a circumferential seal positioned within the threaded sleeve of the closure body for sealably engaging the outlet opening of the container when the closure is threadedly assembled thereon.

6. The closure as defined in claim 5 further comprising an inner seal positioned within said internally threaded sleeve for engaging and sealably closing the outlet opening of the container when the closure is threadedly assembled thereon.

7. The closure as defined in claim 5 wherein said overcap is integrally connected to said closure body by means of a flexible flap formed between said closure body and said overcap and which permits said pivotable movement between said covering position and said removed position.

8. The closure as defined in claim 2 wherein the closure body further includes an internally threaded sleeve which is adapted to be threadedly joined to the outlet opening of the container and which has a predetermined axial height, and wherein said spout has a height which at least equals the predetermined axial height of the sleeve.

9. The closure as defined in claim 8 wherein the diameter of the spout is substantially less than the diameter of the threaded sleeve, and wherein the spout is coaxially joined to the threaded sleeve by means of a generally flat annular flange.

10. A package for containing and dispensing a consumable beverage or other liquid, and comprising

a container having a flexible body portion and an outlet opening,

a sealing and dispensing closure joined to the outlet opening of the container and comprising

(a) a closure body which includes a tubular spout of substantial height and which is adapted to communicate with the outlet opening of the container and through which the liquid contained in the container is adapted to be dispensed,

(b) a self-sealing dispensing valve mounted within said spout and being movable by pressure within the container between a closed position and an open position, and

(c) an overcap having a central hollow dome of a height sufficient to receive the spout, with said overcap being pivotally mounted to said closure base for pivotal movement between a covering position wherein the dome encloses the spout and a removed position wherein the spout is exposed and the liquid may be dispensed therethrough.

11. The closure as defined in claim 10 wherein said overcap includes a central post which is positioned within the dome of the overcap and so as to be coaxially received in the spout when the overcap is in the covering position.

12. The closure as defined in claim 11 wherein said spout has an internal bore which includes an inwardly facing annular surface and an annular shoulder spaced below said annular surface, wherein said self-sealing dispensing valve includes a marginal flange overlying said annular surface, and wherein said closure further comprises an annular retaining ring supported by said annular shoulder and engaging the side of the marginal flange opposite the annular surface.

13. The closure as defined in claim 11 wherein said sealing and dispensing closure is removably joined to the outlet opening of the container by cooperating threads, and further comprising an inner seal sealably closing the outlet opening of said container, with said inner seal being removable from the outlet opening when the sealing and dispensing closure is removed from the outlet opening.

14. The closure as defined in claim 11 wherein said outlet opening of said container is externally threaded, and where said closure body includes an internally threaded sleeve which is threadedly joined to the outlet opening of the container.

15. The closure as defined in claim 14 wherein the threaded sleeve of the closure body has a predetermined axial height, and wherein said spout has a height which at least equals the predetermined axial height of the sleeve.