Valves for packaging containers
First Claim
1. A self-closing valve for a packaging container, which comprises (a) a marginal region (20) by which the valve (10) is peripherally secured to a housing (12) so as to close an opening (13) in the same, (b) a valve head (22) having an openable dispensing aperture (70) and movable axially in relation to the marginal region between an advanced, dispensing position in which the aperture is open and product is dispensed under pressure and a retracted, inoperative position in which the aperture is closed and the valve head forms a seal, and (c) a connecting wall (24) which is imperforate and flexible, characterized in that the connecting wall (24) comprises first and second portions (56, 57) serially arranged between the marginal region (20) and the valve head (22) and joined together at a V-form elbow (58), the first portion (56) extending inwardly from the marginal region to the elbow, the second portion (57) extending generally axially from the elbow to peripheral attachment with the valve head, and the connecting wall being of increased wall thickness at the elbow whereby during operation of the valve the elbow may keep its identity and act resiliently as a spring for returning the valve head to its retracted position.
9 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A self-closing valve for a packaging container, especially a thin-walled plastics bottle, has an outwardly concave valve head (22) joined to an outer margin (20) by a flexible connecting wall (24). The connecting wall has a frustoconical outer portion (56) and a cylindrical inner portion (57) joined together at an elbow (58). The inner portion (50) is joined to the valve head at a thin, inturned flange (60). The outer portion (56) of the connecting wall is frustoconical and moves between downwardly inclined and upwardly inclined positions as the valve advances to its dispensing position. The outer portion (56) accordingly imparts a bistable operating characteristic to the valve. The elbow (58) of the connecting wall (24) acts as a spring to retract the valve head (22) quickly after dispensing. The flange (60) acts as a living hinge, with substantially no flexural stiffness, so that subsequent deformation of the valve head (22) to allow venting is not resisted.
59 Citations
13 Claims
- 1. A self-closing valve for a packaging container, which comprises (a) a marginal region (20) by which the valve (10) is peripherally secured to a housing (12) so as to close an opening (13) in the same, (b) a valve head (22) having an openable dispensing aperture (70) and movable axially in relation to the marginal region between an advanced, dispensing position in which the aperture is open and product is dispensed under pressure and a retracted, inoperative position in which the aperture is closed and the valve head forms a seal, and (c) a connecting wall (24) which is imperforate and flexible, characterized in that the connecting wall (24) comprises first and second portions (56, 57) serially arranged between the marginal region (20) and the valve head (22) and joined together at a V-form elbow (58), the first portion (56) extending inwardly from the marginal region to the elbow, the second portion (57) extending generally axially from the elbow to peripheral attachment with the valve head, and the connecting wall being of increased wall thickness at the elbow whereby during operation of the valve the elbow may keep its identity and act resiliently as a spring for returning the valve head to its retracted position.
Specification