Energizing ring for a closure membrane

• US 6,971,558 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2001
• Issued: 12/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Obrist Closures Switzerland GmbH (Berry Global Group Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Crown Cork & Seal Technologies Corporation (Crown Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Watson, Martin John, Ramsey, Christopher Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Mar, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cartagena, Melvin A.
• Application Number:
  US10/333,840
• Publication Number:
  US 20040040987A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,601 Days
• Field of Search: 222/212, 222/490, 222/492, 222/494
• US Class Current: 222/492
• 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 closure for a container, which has a self-closing valve having a cup-shaped valve head (32) with a dispensing aperture defined therein. In response to increased pressure in the container, the head of the self-closing valve to flatten and partially invert, thereby opening the dispensing aperture (6). The closure (1) includes an energizing ring (5) arrange surrounding the valve head (32) and adapted to restrict the radial expansion thereof. The position and design of the energizing ring (5) relative to the valve head (32) may be adjusted to affect the performance of the valve allowing a single valve design to be used for a number of different applications. Alternatively the energizing ring (5) may be used to improve the performance of a particular design of valve.

Claims

1. A closure comprising a self-closing valve, said self-closing valve including a flexible valve wall of a substantially cup-shaped configuration in a first non-dispensing closed at-rest position thereof, said cup-shaped valve wall having a dispensing aperture therein which is closed in said at-rest position, the substantially cup-shaped valve wall being deflected to a second substantially fully inverted upwardly directed dispensing position in response to increased product pressure in a container during which the dispensing aperture is opened, said substantially cup-shaped valve wall being united to an outboard flexible peripheral connecting wall of a predetermined undistorted exterior surface configuration in the first non-dispensing closed at-rest position of said cup-shaped valve wall, an energizing ring having an inboard annular surface in contacting bearing engagement against said connecting wall undistorted exterior surface in said first non-dispensing closed at-rest position of said cup-shaped valve wall, said peripheral connecting wall being axially displaced from said first non-dispensing closed at-rest position to the second aperture open dispensing position at which the connecting wall exterior surface becomes outwardly distorted, and said energizing ring inboard annular surface remains in contacting bearing engagement against said connecting wall exterior surface between said axially displaced at-rest closed position and aperture open dispensing position of said valve wall.

2. The closure as defined in claim 1 wherein said flexible valve wall occupies a third position between said first and second positions at which said dispensing aperture is closed and said flexible valve wall includes a central wall portion bowed in a direction opposite to the opening direction of the cup-shaped valve wall in the first position.

3. The closure as defined in claim 2 wherein the peripheral connecting wall is of a substantially cylindrical configuration in said first position.

4. The closure as defined in claim 2 wherein the energizing ring is an unbroken annulus.

5. The closure as defined in claim 2 wherein the energizing ring is a segmented annulus.

6. The closure as defined in claim 2 wherein said peripheral connecting wall includes a lower radially outwardly directed connecting flange, said connecting flange is snap-secured between a pair of annular closure members, a first of said annular closure members is adapted to be connected to an associated container from which a product is to be dispensed, and a second of said annular closure members carries said energizing ring.

7. The closure as defined in claim 6 wherein the peripheral connecting wall is of a substantially cylindrical configuration in said first position.

8. The closure as defined in claim 6 wherein the energizing ring is an unbroken annulus.

9. The closure as defined in claim 6 wherein the energizing ring is a segmented annulus.

10. The closure as defined in claim 1 wherein the peripheral connecting wall is of a substantially cylindrical configuration in said first position.

11. The closure as defined in claim 1 wherein the energizing ring is an unbroken annulus.

12. The closure as defined in claim 1 wherein the energizing ring is a segmented annulus.

13. The closure as defined in claim 1 wherein said peripheral connecting wall includes a lower radially outwardly directed connecting flange, said connecting flange is snap-secured between a pair of annular closure members, a first of said annular closure members is adapted to be connected to an associated container from which a product is to be dispensed, and a second of said annular closure members carries said energizing ring.