Abstract:
A venting apparatus for a liquid dispensing container adapted to hold a quantity of liquid having a liquid level within the liquid dispensing container. The venting apparatus includes a vent that has an aperture through which gas can exit the liquid dispensing container, a float, a liquid barrier carried by the float, and a flexible tube connecting the vent and the float. The flexible tube establishes fluid communication for gas through the vent and the liquid barrier between an interior space within the liquid dispensing container located above the liquid level and an exterior of the liquid dispensing container.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Liquid dispensing containers provide a convenient and cost effective way to dispense liquids, including liquid detergents, cleaning compositions, and other chemicals, many of which can be caustic or otherwise dangerous. One disadvantage of many liquid dispensing containers is that when they are exposed to high temperatures, the contents of the container can expand, such as by evaporation of the liquid contents, decomposition or reaction of the liquid contents (which can produce off-gassing and other pressure-increasing effects), and the like. These and other events can increase the risk that a container could leak its contents. 
     A cost effective way to vent pressure from the container is to provide an air valve in a dispensing cap of the container. However, in some orientations of a liquid dispensing container having such a valve, the dispensing cap is submerged under the liquid in the container. This is especially the case in liquid dispensing containers having little or no rigid structure, such as bag containers. In these and other cases, high pressure gas in the container may be unable to escape through the vent, and/or liquid in the container may leak out of the vent. Another disadvantage many air valves used for liquid containers is that elastomer components used in the valve can degrade and leak over time due to contact with contents of the container. 
     Based upon these and other limitations of conventional liquid container vents and dispensing containers having such vents, improved vents for liquid dispensing containers continue to be welcome in the art. 
     SUMMARY 
     In some embodiments of the present invention, a first end of a vent tube within a liquid dispensing container is coupled to a float also located within the container, and an opposite second end of the vent tube is coupled to a vent of the liquid dispensing container. The vent can be located in a dispensing cap of the liquid dispensing container, or can be located in another fitting of the liquid dispensing container. In either case, the float maintains the first end of the vent tube at a position at the top of liquid within the container, thereby maintaining fluid communication between an air or gas pocket inside the liquid dispensing container and the environment outside the liquid dispensing container. By virtue of the float, the vent tube maintains this fluid communication in multiple (and in some cases, all) orientations of the liquid dispensing container. In some embodiments, the floating vent tube apparatus is configured so that it cannot be obstructed by contacting a wall of the liquid dispensing container. Also, the floating vent tube apparatus can include a gas permeable/liquid impermeable membrane or other liquid barrier to substantially prevent liquid from escaping through the vent tube. 
     Some embodiments of the present invention provide a venting apparatus for a liquid dispensing container adapted to hold a quantity of liquid having a liquid level within the liquid dispensing container, wherein the venting apparatus comprises a vent having an aperture through which gas can exit the liquid dispensing container; a float; a liquid barrier carried by the float; and a flexible tube connecting the vent and the float, and establishing fluid communication for gas through the vent and liquid barrier between an exterior of the liquid dispensing container and an interior space within the liquid dispensing container located above the liquid level. 
     Some embodiments of the present invention provide a venting apparatus that includes a vent that has an aperture through which gas can exit the liquid dispensing container; a float; and a flexible tube coupled between the vent and the float. The flexible tube communicates gas from an interior space within the liquid dispensing container located above the liquid level through the vent, and the flexible tube is at least partially submerged and passes through the liquid supported within the liquid dispensing container. 
     Some embodiments of the present invention provide a venting apparatus for a liquid dispensing container that is adapted to hold a quantity of liquid having a liquid level within the liquid dispensing container and that defines an interior space above the liquid level. The venting apparatus includes a vent that has an aperture through which gas from the interior space can exit the liquid dispensing container; a float defining an aperture in fluid communication with the interior space of the liquid dispensing container; a flexible tube connecting the vent and the float, the flexible tube establishing fluid communication for gas to exit through the vent from the interior space to an exterior of the liquid dispensing container; and a gas permeable liquid barrier carried by the float to prevent liquid from entry into the flexible tube. 
     Some embodiments of the present invention provide a method of venting gas in a liquid dispensing container having a vent. The liquid dispensing container is adapted to hold a quantity of liquid having a liquid level within the liquid dispensing container and defines an interior space above the liquid level. The method includes fluidly communicating gas from the interior space to the vent through a flexible tube at least partially submerged in and passing through the liquid; floating an end of the flexible tube opposite the vent such that the flexible tube remains in fluid communication with the interior space in any orientation of the liquid dispensing container; venting gas from the interior space to an exterior of the liquid dispensing container while preventing blockage of the flexible tube by liquid in the liquid dispensing container; and further inhibiting liquid discharge from the liquid dispensing container through the flexible tube. 
     Other aspects of the present invention will become apparent by consideration of the description and accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a liquid dispensing container according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the liquid dispensing container of  FIG. 1 , shown rotated to a different orientation and with a first type of tube weight. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional side view of a liquid dispensing container according to another embodiment of the present invention and with a second type of tube weight. 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of a float of the liquid dispensing container shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the float of the liquid dispensing container shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Before any embodiments of the present invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a liquid dispensing container  1  comprising a container  3  and a dispensing cap  5 . The illustrated container  3  can have any other shape and size desired, and is constructed of a pliable material, such as (by way of example only) polyethylene or any other suitable type of plastic. In the illustrated embodiment of  FIGS. 1-4 , the container  3  has no rigid support retaining the container  3  in any particular orientation, and so can be particularly susceptible to rolling or otherwise moving to a number of different orientations. In other embodiments, the container  3  is retained within a box, frame, or other housing that can limit or prevent such movement, and/or can be constructed of a material having greater rigidity (e.g., a bottle, box, or other container). 
     The dispensing cap  5  shown in  FIGS. 1-3  includes a valved passage  7  for dispensing liquid  9  from the container  3 , and additionally includes a vent  11  for exhausting gas from a gas pocket  17  in the interior of the container  3  to the outside environment. As best shown in  FIG. 3 , the passage  7  has a valve  19  therein that can be manipulated by a user to open and close fluid flow through the dispensing cap  5 . The valve  19  can take any form desired, including without limitation a ball valve, needle valve, butterfly valve, and the like. 
     With continued reference to  FIGS. 1-5 , the liquid dispensing container  1  also has a flexible vent tube  13  fluidly coupled to the vent  11  and located within the container  3 . The vent tube  13  can be constructed of any material desired, such as plastic or rubber. The material can be selected based at least in part upon the material&#39;s compatibility with the contents of the container  3 . The vent tube  13  can have any diameter capable of maintaining fluid communication between the gas pocket  17  and the vent  11 , and can also have any length suitable for extending to and reaching the gas pocket  17  in at least one (and in some cases, all) orientations of the container  3 . 
     The illustrated liquid dispensing container  1  also includes a float  15  coupled to an end of the vent tube  13  opposite the vent  11 . The float  15  of the illustrated embodiment of  FIGS. 1 and 2  is substantially spherical, although the float  15  can take any other shape desired. In some embodiments, the float  15  has a width that is substantially greater than the height of the float  15 , thereby providing the float  15  with a lower profile than that shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Such float shapes can provide additional stability to the float  15 , thereby helping to prevent the float  15  from flipping even in relatively rapid orientation changes of the liquid dispensing container  1 . One such float shape is shown by way of example only in  FIG. 3 , wherein the float  15  is substantially disc shaped with an enlarged central portion. In other embodiments, the float  15  can be disc shaped without an enlarged central portion, can have a relatively flat body with any shape viewed from above (e.g., star-shaped, diamond, shaped, round, elliptical, and the like). The float  15  can be constructed of any material that is less dense than the liquid contained within the container  3 , and in some embodiments can have one or more empty or partially-empty internal chambers to enhance buoyancy of the float  15 . Also, in some embodiments, the float  15  can be made up of multiple sections, or multiple floats  15  of the same or different size and shape can be provided within the liquid dispensing container  1 , each of which can be attached to a corresponding vent tube  13 , or which can be attached to a common vent tube  13 . In the multiple float embodiments, some of the multiple floats  15  can be coupled to different portions of the same vent tube  13 , whereas in other embodiments, two or more floats  15  can move (e.g., slide) along the vent tube  13 . 
     The float  15  is shaped to hold the end of the vent tube  13  opposite the vent  11  in a location above the level of liquid within the container  3 . To this end, the floats  15  illustrated in the embodiments of  FIGS. 1-5  each receive an end of the vent tube  13  within an aperture in the float  15 , or otherwise have an aperture therein that is in fluid communication with the interior of the vent tube  13  when the vent tube is attached to the float  15 . The vent tube  13  in the illustrated embodiments is attached to a central location of the float  15 , although vent tube attachment locations disposed a distance from the center of the float  15  (e.g., at the periphery of the float or on a side of the float) are possible. The central vent tube connection location shown in  FIGS. 1-5  can provide additional stability to the vent tube  13  and float  15 , and can help retain the float  15  and the end of the vent tube  13  connected thereto in a substantially upright orientation. Both of these features can help retain fluid communication between the air pocket  17  and the interior of the vent tube  13  in various orientations of the container  3 . 
     In some embodiments, one or more weights  14  can be attached to the vent tube  13  and/or float  15  in order to help maintain the float  15  and the end of vent tube  13  connected thereto in a substantially upright orientation. Two such weights  14  are shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  by way of example only. The weight(s)  14  can have any suitable shape, and can be constructed of any material that is more dense than the liquid contained within the container  3 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , a weight  14  is attached directly to the vent tube  13 . In such embodiments, the weight  14  can be attached around the vent tube  13  (e.g., as a collar), or can be attached in any other position on the vent tube  13 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 3 , a weight  14  is coupled to the vent tube  13  via a string  16 . In some embodiments, the weight(s)  14  can be positioned centrally below the float  15 , or concentrically about an outer edge of the float  15 . The weight(s)  14  can be coupled to move relative to the vent tube  13 , such as a weight  14  that is slidable by a user or installer to different locations along the vent tube  13 . 
     Fins or perforated disks (not shown) can be coupled to the vent tube  13  and/or to the float  15  to provide damping to movement of the vent tube  13  and/or float  15  within the container  3  during orientation changes of the liquid dispensing container  1 . 
     In some embodiments, the vent tube  13  is connected to an aperture  25  located within the float  15  (see  FIGS. 1-5 ). However, in other embodiments, the float  15  has no such aperture, and instead is secured to the vent tube  13  in any other suitable manner, such as by being secured to a side of the vent tube  13  using adhesive or cohesive bonding material, one or more fasteners or brackets, and the like. The float  15  can alternatively be connected to the vent tube  13  indirectly through another object, such as the weight  14 . 
     The float  15  maintains fluid communication between the pocket  17  in the container  3  and the environment outside the container  3  via the vent tube  13 . Therefore, excess gas pressure inside the container  3  is vented from the pocket  17  through the vent tube  13  and the vent  11  to the outside environment. 
     The floats  15  in the embodiments of  FIGS. 1-5  each carry a liquid barrier  21  in a position blocking liquid from entry into the vent tube  13 . By way of example only, in some embodiments, the liquid barrier  21  is or includes a gas permeable and liquid impermeable membrane  23 , such as a Gor-Tex® (registered trademark of W.L. Gore &amp; Associates) membrane. Any other liquid impermeable and gas permeable membrane or device can instead be used, and can be carried by the float  15 . In the illustrated embodiments, the liquid barrier  21  is located on the float  15  in a position covering the aperture  25  leading to the vent tube  13 , thereby preventing liquid from entering the float  15  and vent tube  13 , while still permitting gas from the pocket  17  to do the same. In other embodiments, the liquid barrier  21  can be located at the end of the vent tube  13 , can be located within the vent tube  13 , or in any other location performing the same liquid barrier and gas passage functions just described. 
     In some embodiments, the liquid barrier  21  not only prevents blockage of the vent tube  13  by liquid (which could interfere with the ability of gas to exit the container  3  when necessary), but the liquid barrier  21  can also prevent liquid from leaking out of the container through the vent  11 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates the liquid dispenser  1  in a different orientation. In this orientation, the float  15  maintains fluid communication between the air pocket  17  in the container  3  and the environment outside the container  3  via the vent tube  13  and the vent  11 . 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate the float  15  of  FIGS. 1 and 2  in greater detail, including the gas permeable and liquid impermeable barrier  21 . In some embodiments, the float is provided with one or more apertures (e.g., channels, grooves, and the like) extending from an exterior surface of the float  15  to an aperture  25  of the float  15  leading to the vent tube  13 . An example of such apertures  27  is shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . Any number of such apertures can exist in the float  15 , and can help prevent the liquid impermeable barrier  21  from becoming blocked by a wall of the container  3  in some positions of the float  15  and orientations of the container  3 . 
     The embodiments of the present invention described above and illustrated in the accompanying figures are presented by way of example only and are not intended as a limitation upon the concepts and principles of the present invention. As such, it will be appreciated by one having ordinary skill in the art that various changes in the elements and their configuration and arrangement are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the float  15  and vent tube  13  can take a number of other forms including various lengths, various shapes, and various materials. Also, a floating vent tube  13  or a partially floating vent tube  13  can be used instead of or in addition to the float  15  and the vent tube  13 . In such embodiments, the floating vent tube  13  can be fitted with a gas permeable and liquid impermeable barrier  21 . In addition, the vent  11  need not necessarily be located in a dispensing cap  5  of the liquid dispensing container  1 , and can instead be located in any other structure of the liquid dispensing container  1 . Accordingly, the vent tube  13  can extend and be connected to vents  11  in other locations as alternatives to the dispensing cap  5 . In still other embodiments, the vent tube  13  can be made of a gas permeable/liquid impermeable material capable of at least partially performing the functions of the liquid impermeable barrier  21  described above. 
     Various features of the invention are set forth in the following claims.