Manually actuable fluid dispensing unit and process

• US 6,279,772 B1
• Filed: 08/11/1999
• Issued: 08/28/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ronald Lee Bowman
• Original Assignee: Ronald Lee Bowman
• Inventors: Bowman, Ronald Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Kaufman, Joseph A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KEASEL, ERIC S
• Application Number:
  US09/372,186
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 220/703, 220/714, 251/342, 222/490, 222/175
• US Class Current: 220/703
• 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 flexible member is fabricated with four side walls forming a chamber which is coupled to a fluid source or reservoir on one side and has a slit through the end wall on the other side. The end wall is generally flat on its interior surface. Deformation of the side walls of the flexible member as by biting causes the end wall with the slit to deform and open the slit which otherwise is retained closed by the walls of the flexible member. This action establishes fluid dispensing from the source through the slit. The thickness of at least two of the side walls with respect to the slit containing end wall is greater than the end wall so that the pivoting hinge lines are established. Alternatively or in addition to the foregoing, a cut or groove into the interior of the end wall establishes a hinge line with cuts on either side of the slit thus establishing dual hinge lines.

Claims

1. The method of selectively extracting fluid from a fluid supply comprising the steps of:

forming a flexible housing of side walls and an end wall defining an internal chamber with the end wall having a flat interior surface facing the chamber;

establishing a slit through the end wall so that pressure differentials between the exterior and interior of the housing will cause the slit to increase closing pressure along an internal margin thereof;

coupling the internal chamber to the fluid supply;

fabricating the side walls of the housing for accommodating manual collapse of the housing and opening of the slit for permitting transmission of fluid from the supply through the slit; and

forming channels within the chamber for facilitating removal of ice from within the chamber when the housing is subjected to a freezing environment.

2. A bite valve for attachment to a fluid supply tube comprising:

a flexible housing having an internal cavity formed by four side wall members, a top wall member enclosing said four wall members on one end of said cavity, and means in proximity to the other end of said cavity for establishing fluidic communication with the fluid supply tube;

a first and second of said side wall members being located as diametrically opposed wall members, and a third and fourth of said side wall members being as diametrically opposed side wall member that extend generally normal to said first and second side wall members;

a normally closed slit extending through said top wall member with said slit opening upon pressure being applied to said opposing pair of said wall members thereby establishing a fluid flow line through said cavity;

the interior surface facing said chamber from said top wall being substantially flat and perpendicular to said fluid flow lines;

wherein said cavity is formed with a rectangular cross-section by said side walls and said slit extends through said top wall in a direction transverse to the longer dimension of said rectangular cross-section; and

wherein the longer pair of said side walls each includes a channel extending parallel to the length of said cavity for entrapping ice when the bite valve is in a freezing environment.

3. The bite valve of claim 2 wherein said channels each have ribs extending from the sides thereof into the interior of said cavity for facilitating release of ice formed within said cavity.

4. A bite valve comprising:

a flexible body including four side walls surrounding an elongated chamber, an end wall enclosing one end of said chamber, and means for introducing fluid from a fluid source into said chamber from the other end;

at least one pair of said side walls located on opposing sides of said chamber with each said side wall of said pair having a substantially greater thickness than the thickness of said end wall, and

said end wall enclosing one end of said chamber with a flat interior surface and having a slit extending there through in a direction parallel to the narrower dimension of said chamber, the surface of said end wall exterior to said chamber being formed with a substantially flat central portion containing said slit and two generally flat side portions sloping away from said central portion whereby said end wall has a truss-like profile;

said end wall in proximity to the outer ends of said end side portions having a thickness less than said side walls of said pair for establishing hinged lines for causing said slit to pivot into sealed relation along an inner margin thereof in response to pressure differentials between said chamber and the exterior of said end wall, the thickness relation between said side walls permitting inwardly directed manual deflection to open said slit thereby communicating fluid from the source through said chamber to the exterior of said body when the pressure of the environment exterior to said body is less than the pressure on the fluid from the source; and

channels in each said side walls forming the longer sides of said rectangular chamber for expediting recovery from said fluid freezing within said chamber.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein said channels each include ribs located on the periphery of each said channel with said ribs extending into the interior of said chamber.

6. A mouth operated valve for attachment to a fluid supply tube comprising:

a flexible housing having an internal cavity formed by four side wall members, a top wall member enclosing said four wall members on one end of said cavity, and means in proximity to the other end of said cavity for establishing fluidic communication with the fluid supply tube;

a first and second of said side wall members being located as diametrically opposed wall members, and a third and fourth of said side wall members being as diametrically opposed side wall member that extend generally normal to said first and second side wall members;

a normally closed slit extending through said top wall member with said slit opening upon pressure being applied to said first and second opposing wall members, thereby establishing a fluid line through said cavity;

wherein said first and second side wall members each comprise an interior wall, each interior wall having at least one channel extending into said cavity for entrapping ice when the bite valve is in a freezing environment.

7. A bite valve in accordance to claim 6, wherein said channels run parallel to said wall members.

8. A bite valve in accordance to claim 6, wherein said channels are continuous.

9. A bite valve in accordance to claim 6, wherein an interior surface of said top wall member is at a right angle to said first and second side wall members.

10. A bite valve in accordance to claim 6 wherein an exterior surface of said top wall member is truss-like in cross section.