Dispensing valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10287066-B2
Application number	US-201314371003-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2013
Priority date	Mar 16, 2012
Publication date	May 14, 2019
Grant date	May 14, 2019

Abstract

A slit valve (10) to selectively restrict the passage of a fluent substance between an interior environment (17) and an exterior environment (15) and a method for forming the valve (10), the method including the steps of providing at least one layer of film material and permanently deforming the film material to define a valve (10) for selectively restricting the passage of a fluent substance between an interior environment (17) and an exterior environment (15).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A slit valve ( 10 ) to selectively restrict the passage of a fluent substance between an interior environment ( 17 ) and an exterior environment ( 15 ), the valve ( 10 ) comprising:
a flexible, resilient head ( 12 ) centered on a central axis ( 27 ) and extending laterally therefrom, the head ( 12 ) having:
an interior surface ( 16 ) to face an interior environment ( 17 ), the interior surface ( 16 ) having one of a concave or convex shape,
an exterior surface ( 14 ) to face an exterior environment ( 15 ), the exterior surface ( 14 ) having the other of a concave or convex shape, and
confronting, openable portions ( 30 ) to define a normally closed orifice in an unconstrained condition wherein the openable portions ( 30 ) can move in a first direction to an open orifice configuration and return in an opposite direction to a closed configuration;
an annular, peripheral attachment portion ( 19 ) spaced laterally from the head ( 12 ); and
an annular, flexible, resilient, intermediate portion ( 20 ) extending laterally from the head ( 12 ) to the peripheral attachment portion ( 19 ), the intermediate portion ( 20 ) having:
an interior surface ( 26 ) to face said interior environment ( 17 ), and
an exterior surface ( 24 ) to face said exterior environment ( 15 );
wherein the head ( 12 ) and the intermediate portion ( 20 ) have a uniform material thickness T spacing the exterior surfaces ( 14 , 24 ) from the interior surfaces ( 16 , 26 ), with T being no greater than 0.020 inch; and
wherein the head ( 12 ) and the intermediate portion ( 20 ) are formed from a film of material that has undergone a permanent deformation to define the head ( 12 ) and the intermediate portion ( 20 ).

2. The valve ( 10 ) of claim 1 wherein the head ( 12 ) has at least one self-sealing slit ( 28 ) through the head ( 12 ), and the confronting openable portions ( 30 ) extend along the at least one self-sealing slit ( 28 ).

3. The valve ( 10 ) of claim 1 wherein the interior surface ( 16 ) of the head is a convex surface and the exterior surface ( 14 ) of the head is a concave surface.

4. The valve ( 10 ) of claim 1 wherein the uniform material thickness T is in the range of 0.004 to 0.013 inches.

5. The valve ( 10 ) of claim 1 wherein the attachment portion ( 19 ) has a planar interior surface ( 36 ) spaced from a planar exterior surface ( 34 ) by the uniform material thickness T.

6. The valve ( 10 ) of claim 1 wherein the attachment portion ( 19 ) has an interior surface ( 36 ) spaced from an exterior surface ( 34 ) by a non-uniform material thickness that varies over the annular extent of the attachment portion ( 19 ).

7. The valve ( 10 ) of claim 6 wherein the exterior surface ( 34 ) of the attachment portion ( 19 ) defines a cylindrical wall ( 100 ) that surrounds the head ( 12 ) and the intermediate portion ( 20 ).

8. The valve ( 10 ) of claim 6 wherein the interior surface ( 36 ) and the exterior surface ( 34 ) of the attachment portion ( 19 ) define a radially outwardly extending annular lip ( 102 ).

9. The valve ( 10 ) of claim 1 wherein the entire valve ( 10 ) is defined by a permanently deformed film of material.

10. The valve ( 10 ) of claim 1 in combination with:
a fluent substance container ( 52 ) having an opening ( 69 ) through which fluent substance can pass between an interior of the container ( 52 ) and the exterior environment ( 15 ); and a fitment ( 54 ) sealingly mounted to the container ( 52 ), with the valve ( 10 ) located in the fitment ( 54 ) to extend across the opening to restrict passage of a fluent substance between the interior of the container ( 52 ) and the exterior environment ( 15 ) at least when the openable portions ( 30 ) are in the closed configuration.

11. The valve ( 10 ) of claim 10 wherein the valve ( 10 ) is joined to the fitment ( 54 ).

12. The valve ( 10 ) of claim 1 wherein the head ( 12 ), peripheral attachment portion ( 19 ), and intermediate portion ( 20 ) are all symmetrical bodies of revolution centered on the central axis ( 27 ).

13. A method for forming a slit valve ( 10 ) to selectively restrict the passage of a fluent substance between an interior environment ( 17 ) and an exterior environment ( 15 ), the method comprising the steps of:
providing at least one layer of film material; and
permanently deforming the film material to define a valve ( 10 ) for selectively restricting the passage of a fluent substance between an interior environment ( 17 ) and an exterior environment ( 15 ).

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of permanently deforming the film material comprises permanently deforming the film material to define a valve ( 10 ) having
a flexible, resilient head ( 12 ) centered on a central axis and extending laterally therefrom, the head ( 12 ) having:
an interior surface ( 16 ) to face an interior environment ( 17 ), the interior surface ( 16 ) having one of a concave or convex shape, and
an exterior surface ( 14 ) to face an exterior environment ( 15 ), the exterior surface ( 14 ) having the other of a concave or convex shape;

an annular, peripheral attachment portion ( 19 ) spaced laterally from the head ( 12 ); and
an annular, flexible, resilient, intermediate portion ( 20 ) extending laterally from the head ( 12 ) to the peripheral attachment portion ( 19 ), the intermediate portion ( 20 ) having:
an interior surface ( 26 ) to face said interior environment ( 17 ), and
an exterior surface ( 24 ) to face said exterior environment ( 15 ).

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of permanently deforming provides the head ( 12 ) and intermediate portion ( 20 ) with a uniform material thickness T spacing the exterior surfaces ( 14 , 24 ) from the interior surfaces ( 16 , 26 ), with T being no greater than 0.020 inch.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of permanently deforming further comprises defining the annular attachment portion ( 19 ) to have the uniform material thickness T.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of permanently deforming further comprises defining the annular attachment portion ( 19 ) to have a planar exterior surface ( 34 ) and a planar interior surface ( 36 ).

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the uniform material thickness T is in the range of 0.004 to 0.013 inches.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of forming at least one self-sealing slit ( 28 ) in the head ( 12 ) and confronting, openable portions ( 30 ) along the at least one slit ( 28 ) in the head ( 12 ) to define a normally closed orifice in an unconstrained condition wherein the openable portions ( 30 ) can move in a first direction to an open orifice configuration and return in an opposite direction to a closed configuration.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of providing at least one layer of film material comprises providing a plurality of layers of film material and the step of permanently deforming comprises permanently deforming the plurality of layers to define the valve ( 10 ).

21. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of permanently deforming comprises thermoforming the at least one layer of film to define the valve ( 10 ).

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of thermoforming comprises matched die forming to define the valve ( 10 ).

23. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of providing the at least one layer of film comprises injection molding a preformed component having the annular attachm

Assignees

• Aptargroup Inc

Inventors

• Hatton Jason D
• Cole Greg L

Classifications

• B65D47/2031 Primary

  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 title

• B65D75/5883

  connected to the package at the sealed junction of two package walls · CPC title

• F16K15/147

  the closure elements having specially formed slits or being of an elongated easily collapsible form · CPC title

• F16K21/04

  Self-closing valves, i.e. closing automatically after operation {(pneumatic tools B25B9/00)} · CPC title

• Y10T29/49405

  Valve or choke making · CPC title