Patent ID: 6089418
Filing Date: 2000-07-18
Classification: B65D

Abstract:
A valved dispensing closure for a neck of a deformable container for containing product to be dispensed by a dispensing operation through a discharge orifice in the closure in response to manually applied lateral squeezing forces on the container and for automatically ceasing the dispensing operation when the manually applied forces are removed, the closure comprising:a base having an interior and means for coupling with neck of the container and a substantially horizontal radially inwardly extending top having a lower inner face and an opening,a self sealing dispensing valve extending across the opening of the top and having a periphery and a central valve head having the discharge orifice which opens at a predetermined threshold pressure which is greater than a maximum hydraulic head pressure of the product in said container when the container is suspended in an inverted position with the discharge orifice facing downwardly, retaining means for retaining and sealing the periphery of the self-sealing dispensing valve on the base, said valve head having a predetermined inwardly concave configuration while the valve is in an unstressed condition when the valved closure is mounted on the neck of the container and the container is in an undeformed condition, said valve head having at least one slit defining the discharge orifice extending through its thickness from its innermost surface to its outermost surface, said valve exhibiting an ability to undergo movement from a closed, inwardly concave, sealed and leak-resistant position to an open, outwardly convex, unsealed position when said manually applied lateral squeezing forces increase the pressure inside the container beyond the threshold opening pressure of said valve to open the slit and consequently the discharge orifice, whereby product is adopted to be discharged from the container through the discharge orifice as long as the manually applied squeezing forces on the container maintain an internal pressure exceeding the threshold opening pressure of the valve, said valve also exhibiting an ability to automatically cut-off the product discharge by returning to its closed inwardly concave, sealed and leak-resistant position whenever the manually applied forces are removed from the container, the valve having a circumferentially extending flange located beneath the lower inner face of the base top,and securement means for securing the flange beneath the lower inner face of the top and within the interior of the base, the securement means including an internal radially extending lip on the interior of the base adjacent to the top and an internal retaining ring disposed within the interior of the base and having an upper face and being anchored in place by the lip and clamping the valve flange between the retaining ring and the lower inner face of the top, the lower inner face of the top and the upper face of the ring having circumferentially extending recesses for receiving the valve flange.