Patent ID: 6749092
Filing Date: 2004-06-15
Classification: B65D

Abstract:
A valve system comprising:(A) a wall portion that can be incorporated on a container of fluent material and that includes (1) an inlet side and an outlet side, (2) at least one aperture extending between said inlet and outlet sides, and (3) a valve seat on said outlet side; and (B) a valve member that includes (1) a spout that defines a dispensing passage terminating in a dispensing orifice; (2) a mounting portion for mounting said valve member adjacent said wall portion, said mounting portion being fixed relative to said wall portion; (3) a resiliently deformable portion extending between said mounting portion and said spout to accommodate movement of said valve member from a self-maintained closed position to at least a partly open position; and (4) at least one seal surface recessed inwardly from said spout dispensing orifice for sealingly engaging said wall portion valve seat when said valve member is in said closed position to prevent flow from said wall portion aperture through said spout dispensing passage; and â€ƒwherein (i) said valve member is molded from silicone; (ii) said resiliently deformable portion is a toggle portion extending between said mounting portion and said spout for holding said valve member in either said self-maintained closed position or a self-maintained open position, and wherein said toggle portion includes (a) a resiliently deformable region, (b) a first hinge region between said deformable region and said spout, and (c) a second hinge region between said deformable region and said mounting portion so that, as said valve member is moved between said closed and open positions, said first and second hinge regions accommodate resilient deformation of said deformable region through an unstable condition of maximum stress between initial and final stable conditions of lower stress; (iii) at least part of said resiliently deformable region is thicker than each of said first and second hinge regions; (iv) said second hinge region is located outwardly of said first hinge region in the flow-dispensing direction of said spout when said valve member is in the closed position; (v) said first hinge region is located outwardly of said second hinge region in the flow-dispensing direction of said spout when said valve member is in the open position, (vi) said spout, mounting portion, and resiliently deformable portion together define a single unitary construction; and (vii) said second hinge region is defined by a reduced thickness region that is unitary with, and extends between, said mounting portion and said resiliently deformable region.