Seaquist Closures Foreign, Inc.

Aptargroup, Inc.

Liquid Molding Systems, Inc.

The Coca-cola Company

Timothy R Socier

Paul E Brown

John Miller Hess, Iii

Stuart R Brown

Richard A Gross

Daniel G Schantz

Alan Patrick Hickok

Gregory M Olechowski

Joel R Robinson

Steven R Tuckey

James P Manning

Kelly Ann Smith

Jeffrey T Randall

Jason D Hatton

Marge M Hicks

Christopher J Wood

Andrew J Brunner

David J Gaus

William H Lampe

Duncan M Toll

Julie M Grissmeyer

Fred H Martin

Alan P Hickok

John M Hess

A dispensing system includes a body having a base for extending from a container, and a support column projecting from the base. A discharge passage extends through the body and support column. A flexible, pressure-openable dispensing valve has a skirt mounted on the support column and has an outwardly extending, narrowing head defining a dispensing orifice at the distal end. A clamp member fits around the valve skirt and is engaged with the body to hold the body, valve, and clamp member together.

Dispensing system with a dispensing valve having a projecting, reduced size discharge end

A dispensing structure, and a package with a dispensing structure, is provided with a valve. In one embodiment, the dispensing structure is a multi-piece fitment. The multi-piece fitment includes a base for mounting to the container and a valve carrier for mounting to the base. A flexible, self-sealing slit-type valve is mounted within the carrier. In another embodiment, a fitment is mounted in the opening of a thin-walled, flexible, collapsible container, and the flexible valve is mounted in the fitment. In yet another embodiment, a package includes a container having a corner wall defining an opening, and a fitment is sealingly mounted to the corner wall at the opening. A valve is disposed within the fitment. A removable and disposable cover extends from the container over the fitment and at least a portion of the corner wall to define a hermetically sealed volume around the fitment. The cover may be pulled away from the container to expose the fitment.

Dispensing structure incorporating a valve-containing fitment for mounting to a container and a package with a dispensing structure

A valve is provided with a peripheral attachment portion by which the valve may be attached to a dispensing structure through which can be discharged a product from a supply of the product. The valve includes a flexible, peripheral sleeve extending from the peripheral attachment portion. The sleeve has a central elongate portion and two shorter end portions at opposite ends of the elongate portion so that the central elongate portion and the two shorter end portions together define an interior volume. The valve also has a flexible, elongate head extending from the peripheral sleeve. The head includes at least one elongate slit defining two, opposed, elongate, openable regions in the head which are normally closed and which open to permit the discharge of the product therethrough in response to a pressure differential across the head.

Valve for dispensing product

A dispensing valve is provided for dispensing fluid products. The valve includes a marginal portion, a flexible valve head with a discharge orifice therein, and a flexible connector sleeve having one end connected with the marginal portion and the opposite end connected with the valve head adjacent a marginal edge thereof.

Dispensing valve

A flow control element is provided with a resilient sealing flange biased to seal in-venting passages in a housing around the element. The element also includes a self-sealing, pressure-openable, dispensing valve. The element and housing can be combined to form a dispensing structure that can function to discharge a fluent material product out of the dispensing structure through the dispensing valve while simultaneously venting exterior ambient air (or other exterior ambient environment fluent material) into the dispensing structure.

Flow control element and dispensing structure incorporating same

A valve system is provided with a wall portion that includes an inlet side, an outlet side, at least one aperture extending between the inlet and outlet sides, and a valve seat on the outlet side. One preferred form of the valve system also includes a movable valve member having a spout, a mounting portion, a toggle portion, and at least one seal surface for sealingly engaging the wall portion valve seat when the valve member is toggled to a closed position to prevent flow from the wall portion aperture through the spout.

Deformable dispensing valve

A dispensing valve is mounted in a dispensing aperture of a closure that has (1) a deck around the aperture, and (2) a hinged lid for closing over the aperture. The valve includes a marginal portion, a head portion with a discharge orifice therein, and a resilient, connector sleeve extending between the marginal portion to the head portion. The connector sleeve has a generally U-shaped cross-section that defines a first leg that is connected with the marginal portion and a shorter second leg connected with the head portion. The connector sleeve locates the head portion below the closed lid. An arcuate junction portion of the connector sleeve joins the first and second legs. The arcuate junction portion projects from the deck aperture when the lid is open. When the lid is closed, the arcuate junction portion is engaged and elastically deformed by the lid, and that prevents the valve orifice from opening.

Closure with pressure-actuated valve and lid seal

A dispensing valve is provided for being sealingly disposed with respect to, and dispensing a product from, a discharge opening of a container. The preferred form of the valve includes a generally annular marginal portion adapted to be sealingly engaged when the valve is sealingly disposed with respect to the container discharge opening. The valve also includes a central head portion extending from the marginal portion. The head portion has an exterior side with a generally concave shape when viewed from outside the container and has an interior side with (1) a planar central area, and (2) a generally curved, radially outer portion which tapers toward the exterior side such that the periphery of the head portion is preferably thinner than the center of the head portion. The head portion includes at least one normally closed orifice that is defined by at least one slit that extends transversely through the head portion from the exterior side to the interior side to define flaps. The orifice opens by outward displacement of the flaps when the pressure in the interior of the container exceeds the pressure on the exterior of the valve by a predetermined amount.

Multiple orifice valve

A dispensing system is provided to dispense a fluent product from a container that has an opening to the container interior. A support base is provided for supporting the container with the container opening oriented at least somewhat downwardly to accommodate gravity flow of the fluent material out of the container through the container opening. The support base has (1) a receiving aperture for receiving the container opening, (2) a discharge aperture, and (3) a flow path extending between the receiving aperture and the discharge aperture.

Inverted package dispensing system

A dispensing package is provided for fluid products such as liquid soaps, shampoos and conditioners, household detergents, cleaners, polishes, moisturizing creams, and the like, and includes a container with a self-sealing dispensing valve mounted therein. The valve includes a marginal flange, a valve head with a discharge orifice therein, and a connector sleeve having one end connected with the valve flange and the opposite end connected with the valve head adjacent a marginal edge thereof. The connector sleeve has a resiliently flexible construction, such that when pressure within the container raises above a predetermined amount, the valve head shifts outwardly in a manner which causes the connector sleeve to double over and extend rolling.

A dispensing valve for dispensing a product from a container. The valve includes a marginal portion, a head portion with a discharge orifice therein, and a resilient, flexible, connector sleeve extending continuously laterally and inwardly from the marginal portion to the head portion. The head portion has an exterior side for interfacing with ambient environment and a peripheral surface. The connector sleeve is connected to the exterior side of the head portion at the peripheral surface of the head portion.

Valve with rolling sleeve

A dispensing valve is provided for being sealingly disposed with respect to, and dispensing a product from, a discharge opening of a container. The preferred form of the valve includes a generally annular marginal portion adapted to be sealingly engaged when the valve is sealingly disposed with respect to the container discharge opening. The valve also includes a central head portion extending from the marginal portion. The head portion has an exterior side with a generally concave shape when viewed from outside the container and has an interior side with (1) a planar central area, and (2) a generally curved, radially outer portion which tapers toward the planar central area such that the exterior and interior sides converge toward the planar central area to provide a tapered construction with reduced thickness. The head portion includes a normally closed orifice defined by a plurality of slits that extend (1) transversely through the head portion from the exterior side to the interior side, and (2) laterally from a common origin whereby flaps are defined by the slits with each slit terminating in an outer end which is located laterally beyond the planar central area. The orifice opens by outward displacement of the flaps when the pressure in the interior of the container exceeds the pressure on the exterior of the valve by a predetermined amount. The orifice remains open even when the pressure on the interior of the container does not exceed the pressure on the exterior of the valve.

Flexible slit valve

A dispensing system is provided for two, constituent, fluent materials which are stored separately and then combined in a dispensing process to form a combination product. The dispensing system includes a container having at least two interior storage chambers, and each chamber has a separate discharge opening. Associated with each discharge opening is a separate, flexible valve. Each valve has an initially closed dispensing orifice which opens in response to a differential between the pressure acting against the side of the closed valve facing toward the associated discharge opening and the pressure acting against the side of the closed valve facing away from the associated discharge opening. In a preferred embodiment, a top is provided downstream of the valve. The top is movable between (1) a close position to occlude a dispensing flow path downstream of the valves, and (2) an open position which permits flow to be discharged from the system.

Package with multiple chambers and valves

In a dispensing system comprising a container having at least two storage chambers, each for a fluent material, the finishes of the respective chambers are arranged in a contiguous pair defining a cylindrical surface having outer threads, except for two anti-rotational flats. Each finish defines an outlet. A valve of a type that remains closed until opened by a differential between inside pressure and outside pressure overlies the outlet defined by each finish. A fitment defines a mixing chamber having two inlets, one for each storage chamber, and having an outlet. The fitment has two skirts, each having an inner surface having at least one rib, each defining an anti-rotational flat. The fitment fits over the paired finishes and over the valves so that the antirotational flats on the ribs engage the anti-rotational flats on the paired finishes. A collar having inner threads is threaded onto the paired finishes so as to hold the fitment, which holds the valves. Each valve has an elastomeric flange forming a seal between a margin of an associated outlet and a margin of an associated inlet. A dispensing spout is provided. The fitment and the dispensing spout have coacting formations, which permit the dispensing spout to be twisted in one rotational sense relative to the fitment so that the sealing formation of the dispensing spout engages the sealing formation of the fitment, to be twisted in the opposite sense relative to the fitment so that the sealing formation of the dispensing spout is disengaged from the sealing formation of the fitment, but not to become detached from the fitment.

Multiple dispensing valve closure with threaded attachment to a container and with a twist-open spout

A dispensing valve is provided for dispensing a product from a container. The valve includes a marginal portion, a head portion with a discharge orifice therein, and a resilient, connector sleeve extending between the marginal portion to the head portion. The connector sleeve has a generally U-shaped cross-section that defines a first leg that is connected with the marginal portion and a shorter second leg connected with the head portion. The connector sleeve locates the head portion so that a plane passing through the head portion extends generally through or outwardly of the marginal portion.

Growing community of inventors

Essexville, MI, United States of America

Timothy R Socier