Dispensing closure with automatic sealing valve of single body

• US 7,128,245 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2003
• Issued: 10/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chong Woo Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Chong Woo Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Chung Kee
• Primary Examiner(s): Nicolas, Frederick C.
• Application Number:
  US10/630,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20040262338A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 222/212, 222/494, 222/490, 222/325, 222/328, 222/335, 222/531, 222/556, 222/562, 222213-215, 222/491
• US Class Current: 222/212
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/0809 and elastically biased towards both the open and the closed positions
• 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

The present invention relates to a dispensing closure which includes an automatic sealing valve which opens to dispense a fluid product from a squeeze-type container when the container is subjected to an external force, such as squeezing pressure, and which automatically closes when the external force is terminated, and a closure body which securely mounts the automatic sealing valve to the container, wherein the automatic sealing valve and the closure body are designed in a special form not to need a means for retaining the automatic sealing valve to the closure body, so that the possibilities of defect thereof in manufacture and disorder during use can be remarkably reduced, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced by shortening an assembling process.

Claims

1. A dispensing closure comprising:

a closure body to be assembled to an opening of a container, said closure body defining a dispensing passage for communication between an interior and an exterior of the container through the opening of the container; and

an automatic sealing valve disposed in said closure body across said dispensing passage, said valve opening in response to increased container pressure and automatically closing in response to released container pressure;

(a) said closure body integrally comprising a cylindrical body for attachment to said container, a horizontal covering part extending inwardly from the top of said cylindrical body, a vertical covering part extending upwardly from the inner end of said horizontal covering part, and a top covering part extending inwardly from the upper end of said vertical covering part and protruding downwardly at its lower surface, which forms a generally tubular spout; and

(b) said automatic sealing valve having a static member engaging in an inside space made by said horizontal covering part, vertical covering part and top covering part of said closure body, and a dynamic member being moved by pressure within said container between an open position and a closed position;

wherein

said static member comprises a horizontal part corresponding to said horizontal covering part and a vertical part corresponding to said vertical covering part, and said dynamic member comprises a flexible lateral part extending inwardly from the top of said vertical part and then bending downwardly, and an automatic sealing part extending inwardly from said flexible lateral part and having a central opening-closing slit; and

the top surface of a connect portion between said vertical part and said flexible lateral part has a substantially V-shaped groove, and the thickness of said flexible lateral part is less than ⅓

of the thickness of said vertical part and simultaneously less than ⅓

of the thickness of the peripheral portion of said automatic sealing part, and the top surface of said automatic sealing part forms the shape of a reverse dome, and the outer, peripheral surface of said automatic sealing part slopes outwardly, downwardly at least 5°

from its vertical axis.

2. The dispensing closure according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of said flexible lateral part is less than ¼

of the thickness of said vertical part and simultaneously less than ¼

of the thickness of the peripheral portion of said automatic sealing part.

3. The dispensing closure according to claim 1, wherein the outer, peripheral surf ace of said automatic sealing part slopes outwardly, downwardly in a range of from 5°

to 15°

from its vertical axis.

4. The dispensing closure according to claim 1, wherein said cylindrical body of the closure body further includes an annular, small ring which protrudes inwardly from the inner surface of the cylindrical body with which said horizontal part of the automatic sealing valve comes into contact.

5. The dispensing closure according to claim 1, wherein said dispensing closure further includes a cap for protection of said automatic sealing valve and being connected to said cylindrical body of the closure body through a snap hinge, said cap having a central post which is disposed within a cavity defined above the top surface of said automatic sealing valve when the cap is closed thereover.