One-way valve for delivering a free-flowing material

• US 8,322,578 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2003
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gaplast GmbH
• Original Assignee: Gaplast GmbH
• Inventors: Kneer, Roland, Janssen, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaver, Kevin P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CARTAGENA, MELVIN A
• Application Number:
  US10/511,928
• Publication Number:
  US 20050224520A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,532 Days
• Field of Search: 222/189.11, 222/190, 222/212, 222/213, 222/492, 222/493, 222/494, 210/649, 210/650, 210/651, 210/653
• US Class Current: 222/493
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/2081 in which the deformation raises or lowers the valve port
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/24 Adaptations for preventing deterioration or decay of contents; Applications to the container or packaging material of food preservatives, fungicides, pesticides or animal repellants with thermal insulation B65D81/38

Abstract

A one-way valve for the recontamination-protected repeated discharge of a flowable material from a container of a preferably reducible volume contains a valve seat which consists of a rigid plastic material and which is arranged in the container neck and comprises a base body which rests on the inner wall of the container neck and contains at least one through hole, and a projection which extends in axial direction of the container neck towards the exit opening. The valve seat has arranged thereabove an elastic seal which comprises an annular section covering the at least one through hole, and a sleeve-like section which surrounds the projection at a radial distance with the exception of its end section which in the closed state of the one-way valve rests in the exit opening on the end section of the projection. A sterilization element of silver or of another metal having an oligodynamic action may be arranged in the intermediate space between the projection of the valve seat and the elastic seal. The application of pressure to the contents of the container has the effect that the annular section of the seal releases the at least one through hole of the valve seat, the end section of the sleeve-like part of the seal exiting from the exit opening and releasing the same. The seal will then return into the initial state. The contents of the container is safely sealed against the ingress of contaminants.

Claims

1. A one-way valve for discharging a flowable material from a container of a reducible volume, comprising:

an independent valve seat which is positioned in an opening defined by a neck of the container and comprises a base body which rests on an inner wall of the container neck and contains at least one through hole, and a projection having an end section, said projection extending axially from said base body;

an elastic seal which comprises a flexible annular section seated on said at least one through hole, and a sleeve-like section extending axially from said annular section and having an end section, said sleeve-like section surrounding the projection at a radial distance with the exception of its end section; and

a non-removable cap configured to enclose said valve seat and said seal and defining an exit opening, wherein when the one-way valve is in a closed state, said flexible annular section is seated on said at least one through hole to seal said at least one through hole and prevent contaminants from entering the container through said at least one through hole and said end sections of said projection and said seal are positioned in said exit opening and are in engagement to seal said exit opening, and when the one-way valve is in an open state, a portion of said flexible annular section flexes upwardly away from said at least one through hole and said end section of said seal moves upwardly out of said exit opening to dis-engage said end section of said seal from said end section of said projection to allow the material to pass through said at least one through hole and be discharged from said exit opening, said sleeve-like section of said elastic seal forming a seal between said projection and a space under said cap for preventing the material from remaining in said space after it is discharged from said exit opening.

2. The one-way valve according to claim 1, wherein a sterilization means is arranged in the flow path of the flowable material.

3. The one-way valve according to claim 2, wherein the sterilization means is a spiral-like sterilization element which surrounds the projection.

4. The one-way valve according to claim 2, wherein the sterilization means is formed by coating at least parts of the valve seat and/or the seal with metals having an oligodynamic action or with substances having a bactericidal action.

5. The one-way valve according to claim 1, wherein the base body contains a plurality of through holes radially outside of the projection.

6. The one-way valve according to claim 5, wherein the sterilization element in the closed state of the valve is, on the upper end portion, in contact with both the projection and the sleeve-like section of the seal.

7. The one-way valve according to claim 5, wherein the sterilization element consists of silver or of another metal having an oligodynamic action, or of a substance having a bactericidal action, or is coated therewith.

8. The one-way valve according to claim 1, wherein the projection of the valve seat has a circular cylindrical shape and said end section has a tapering, preferably conically beveled shape.

9. The one-way valve according to claim 1, wherein the projection of the valve seat has an arcuate contour in longitudinal section.

10. The one-way valve according to claim 1, wherein an upper edge of the projection is arranged inside the container opening.

11. The one-way valve according to claim 1, wherein the annular section of the seal has a planar shape and is held by an annular projection of the cap radially outside of the at least one through hole in contact with the base plate of the valve seat.

12. The one-way valve according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve-like section of the seal in longitudinal section, starting from the annular section, is configured to be first cylindrical, then conical and then cylindrical again on its outside.

13. The one-way valve according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve-like section in longitudinal section has an arcuate contour.

14. The one-way valve according to claim 1, wherein the end section of the sleeve-like section has an inner contour corresponding to the circumferential surface of the end section of the projection and rests within the container opening so that the annular gap between the end section of the projection of the valve seat and the inner wall of the container opening is tightly closed in the closed state of the one-way valve.

15. The one-way valve according to claim 1, wherein the upper edge of the sleeve-like section of the seal is in alignment with the upper side of the cap in the closed state of the valve.

16. A one-way valve for discharging a flowable material from a container of a reducible volume, comprising:

a non-removable cap seated on a neck of the container and defining an exit opening that allows the flowable material to exit the container;

a valve seat which is positioned in an opening defined by the container neck and includes a base body including a planar base plate having at least one through hole and a circumferential wall including an externally surrounding shoulder that engages an edge of the container neck, and a projection which extends in an axial direction of the container neck towards the exit opening;

an elastic seal including a flexible annular section seated on said valve seat and said at least one through hole for preventing contaminants from entering the container through said at least one through hole and a sleeve-like section extending axially from said annular section and surrounding the projection at a radial distance with the exception of its end section, which in the closed state of the one-way valve, is positioned in the exit opening and engaged with the end section of the projection to seal the exit opening for preventing the flowable material from passing through said exit opening, said sleeve-like section forming a seal between said projection and a space under said cap for preventing the material from remaining in said space after it is discharged from said exit opening; and

wherein the annular section of the seal has a planar shape and includes a portion that flexes upwardly when the one-way valve is in an open state and another portion that is held by an annular projection of said cap radially outside of said at least one through hole in contact with said base plate of said valve seat.