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:
Jun. 04, 2002
Filed:
Jun. 06, 2001
Paul E. Brown, Midland, MI (US);
Timothy R. Socier, Essexville, MI (US);
Seaquist Closures Foreign, Inc., Crystal Lake, IL (US);
Abstract
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.