The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 08, 1998
Filed:
Feb. 29, 1996
Jeremy Smith, Loudon, NH (US);
Walter Richard Gallien, Raymond, NH (US);
Summit Packaging Systems, Inc., Manchester, NH (US);
Abstract
A valve having a valve body, defining a longitudinal axis, with a circular side wall extending down beyond a floor of the body to define a socket. Into this socket is frictionally engaged an appendage having a circular upper end and a nipple at its lower end. The appendage is partitioned into a primary product passage, communicating with a product outlet extending through the floor of the valve body, and a ball chamber, the lower of which is provided with a valve seat with a bypass opening communicating with the primary product passage. A ball chamber passage is formed in the ball chamber above the valve seat and a ball is normally seated, via gravity, on the valve seat when the container is in a normal upright position. When the container is inverted, the ball drops away from the seat and permits passage of product through the ball chamber passage, through the bypass opening into the primary product passage and up into the valve body for discharge. At least one of a ball chamber longitudinal axis and a ball chamber plane is inclined relative to the longitudinal axis defined by the remainder of the valve to alter the degree of permissible tilt of a container containing the valve before the ball becomes unseated.