Closure assembly with valve and method for its manufacturing

• US 9,340,335 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2014
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Plasticum Netherlands B.V. (Weener Plastik GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Plasticum Netherlands B.V. (Weener Plastik GmbH)
• Inventors: Ellenkamp-Van Olst, Lenny Marita, Den Boer, Sebastiaan Wilhelmus Josephus, Stegeman, Gerrit Jan, Van Alfen, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Durand, Paul R
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAINBRIDGE, ANDREW PHILIP
• Application Number:
  US14/152,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20140217130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 222/490, 222/494, 222/213, 222/545, 222/570, 220/213, 220/229, 2203091-3092, 137/843, 137/849
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/0081 of objects with parts connected by a thin section, e.g. hinge, tear line
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/08 using ultrasonic vibrations non-plastics element to plastics elements B29C65/645
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/568 using a swaging operation, i.e. totally deforming the edge or the rim of a first part to be joined to clamp a second part to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/124 Tongue and groove joints
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/131 Single flanged joints, i.e. one of the parts to be joined being rigid and flanged in the joint area
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/5344 said single elements being substantially annular, i.e. of finite length, e.g. joining flanges to tube ends B29C66/5346 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7392 characterised by the material of at least one of the parts being a thermoplastic
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8322 Joining or pressing tools reciprocating along one axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2083/00 Use of polymers having silicon, with or without sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, or carbon only, in the main chain, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/56 Stoppers or lids for bottles, jars, or the like , e.g. closures
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7506 Valves
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 15/147 the closure elements having specially formed slits or being of an elongated easily collapsible form
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7879 Resilient material valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49 Method of mechanical manufacture

Abstract

A closure assembly for a container includes a closure cap having an open ended body with a peripheral wall and a top wall provided with a dispensing passage which is defined by a collar arranged to the top wall. A self-closing valve is arranged in the closure cap. The valve includes a slit central portion and a skirt extending downwardly from the central portion, which has an outwardly extending flange. The skirt is arranged in the collar and the flange is located below the collar and extends radially outwardly beyond it. On a lower surface of the top wall, a plurality of lips is formed outward from the collar. The lips are folded over the flange such that the latter is partly enveloped between the lips and the top wall so as to secure the valve in the closure cap.

Claims

1. A closure assembly for a container for containing a substance, said closure assembly comprising:

a plastic closure cap selectively attached to the container, wherein said closure cap has a body including a peripheral wall and a top wall provided with a dispensing passage defined by a tubular collar projecting upwardly from the top wall, wherein said body is open on an end opposite the top wall and configured to be placed on an upper portion of the container, and

a resilient self-closing valve, arranged in the closure cap for closing off the dispensing passage, comprising a central portion, and provided with at least one through slit which is closed and seals the inside of the container when it is in an unloaded state, and selectively deformable by pressure from the inside of the container to a state wherein the slit is open, allowing dispensing of a substance from the container, said closing valve further comprising a skirt extending downwardly from the peripheral edge of the central portion, and including a lower end having a radial outwardly extending flange,

wherein the skirt of the valve is arranged concentrically in the collar of the cap and the flange of the valve is located below the collar and extends radially outwardly beyond it, and

wherein the flange of the valve has a thickened portion, and, on an inner surface of the top wall a plurality of lips arranged in a round configuration are integrally formed at a distance coaxially and radially outward from the collar defining the dispensing passage, wherein said lips are folded over at least a part of the flange such that the flange is enveloped at least partly between the lips and the top wall to secure the valve in the closure cap,

wherein the top wall has an inner surface that is generally flat and has a central portion with an inner surface that lies recessed with respect to the flat inner surface of the top wall, the collar being located in the centre of said central portion, wherein the lips in the folded state are extending inside the central portion of the top wall, so that they do not extend beyond the level of the flat inner surface of the top wall.

2. The closure assembly according to claim 1, wherein the central portion of the top wall has a conical shape.

3. The closure assembly according to claim 1, wherein the tubular collar extends upwardly from an outer surface of the top wall.

4. The closure assembly according to claim 1, wherein the lower end of the collar extends beyond the inner surface of the top wall, such that between an end of the collar and the lips an annular seat is formed for the flange of the valve.

5. The closure assembly according to claim 1, wherein at an upper end of the collar an inwardly extending radial flange is provided.

6. The closure assembly according to claim 1, wherein in an unloaded state of the valve the circumferential edge of the slit central portion of the valve is situated at the same height as an upper end of the collar.

7. The closure assembly according to claim 1, wherein a covering lid is hingedly connected to the closure cap such that it is pivotable from a closed position over the dispensing passage and an open position spaced away from the dispensing passage.

8. The closure assembly according to claim 7, wherein the lid has an inner side on which an annular clamping sleeve is formed for engagement on the collar in the closed position of the lid.

9. The closure assembly according to claim 8, wherein at the upper end of the collar an inwardly extending radial flange is provided, and the clamping sleeve engages on an inner edge of the inwardly extending flange of the collar.

10. The closure assembly according to claim 8, wherein the clamping sleeve engages on an outside of the collar.

11. The closure assembly according to claim 7, wherein the lid has a stop member protruding from the lower side of the lid for preventing the central portion of the valve from deforming outwardly in case the inside of the container is pressurized.

12. The closure assembly according to claim 11, wherein the stop member is shaped as a hollow cylinder.