Abstract:
The present invention relates generally to a valve for a flexible plastic container and more particularly to a valve for dispensing particulate containing liquids.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional application Ser. No. 60/554,867, filed Feb. 13, 2004, and whose entire contents are hereby incorporated by reference. 

   FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
   Not Applicable. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Technical Field 
   The present invention relates generally to a valve for a flexible plastic container and more particularly to a valve for dispensing particulate containing liquids. 
   Collapsible plastic bags are often used to store liquid products such as chemicals, soft drink syrup, fruit juices and food condiments. The plastic bags are typically housed in a corrugated paperboard box to aid in the transporting, handling and dispensing of the product. Such packaging systems are commonly referred to as “bag-in-box” packaging systems. 
   The plastic bags typically have sidewalls sealed along a peripheral seam to define a fluid containing chamber. An access member associated with the bag provides fluid communication with the contents of the bag. The access member can be an assembly of a fitment and a valve for example. The valve may be alternately opened and closed in order to permit fluid to exit from the bag for consumption purposes. 
   The advantage that such containers have over other older prior art containers is the fact that the fluid contained within the bag will stay fresher for much longer periods of time and therefore from the standpoint of shelf life, the product has an extended shelf life. Furthermore, such assemblies do not require that airholes be included in the container in order to permit the fluid to flow and exit from the container into the consumer&#39;s vessel. 
   Juice machines described herein are used to dispense juice contained in a bag in box system. Juice machines are usually designed to accommodate a plurality of plastic container bag-in-box cartridges which are positioned within the machine in a vertical orientation so that the machine is designed to dispense any one of a number of juices. It is well-known that juice bars and other similar types of establishments contain juice machines which are designed to dispense a plurality of juices from each machine including orange juice, pineapple juice, grape juice and the like. In such applications, the plastic containers are designed to be filled with a juice, then frozen until the same are ordered and delivered to the end destination. The containers are delivered in a frozen state, and therefore require the recipient of the container to maintain the frozen state of the container until they are ready for use. The container cannot be used in the juice machine unless and until the container is left to atmosphere in order to cause a thawing of the frozen juice whereupon the container may then be placed into the juice machine with the exit port positioned in an appropriate valve assembly so that the juice from the container may be dispensed when the valve is opened. 
   The one principal advantage that the containers containing the frozen juices have over the bag in box containers is the fact that any juices contained in such plastic containers may have frozen juices including the pulp. Various segments of the public have come to believe that juices containing the pulp of the juice is a healthier product for ingestion, and therefore there appears to be some desire that vended juices contain the pulp as well as the juice. One problem encountered in dispensing a pulp-containing fruit juice from a container is the valves are not designed to allow pulp to flow through the valve without the pulp ultimately plugging an exit port of the valve. 
   Another problem encountered in prior art juice containers, such as the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,561,386, is the closure assembly can be disassembled after filling of the container. This results from container manufacturers designing the bag to be shipped in an empty state to a filler operation where the closure assembly is automatically disassembled prior to filling and reassembled after filling by filling machinery. Such a design allows for tampering of the contents of the container which is undesirable. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides a valve body for a liquid container. The valve body has a sidewall defining a fluid pathway having a liquid exit; a valve member positioned in the fluid pathway and moveable from a closed position where no liquid can flow through the fluid exit and an open position where fluid can flow through the fluid exit; a first docking member on the sidewall and dimensioned to releasably connect the body to an interior of a fitment to define a travel position; and a second docking member spaced from the first docking member on the sidewall and dimensioned for permanently connecting the body to a fitment. 
   The present invention further provides a closure assembly for a fluid container. The assembly has a fitment having a flange for connecting to a sidewall of the container, the fitment having an interior surface; a valve body having a sidewall defining a fluid pathway having a liquid exit; a first docking member on the sidewall and dimensioned to releasably connect the body to the interior surface of the fitment to define a travel position; and a second docking member spaced from the first docking member on the sidewall and dimensioned to permanently connect the body to the fitment. 
   These and other aspects and attributes of the present invention will be discussed with reference to the following drawings and accompanying specification. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a container having a fitment; 
       FIG. 2  is a side view of the container of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is an isometric view of a valve body of the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the valve body of  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 5  is an enlarged view of a portion of the valve body having a pre-cap locking ring and a full cap locking ring; 
       FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the valve body of  FIG. 4  with a spring-loaded ball mounted therein; and 
       FIG. 7  is an enlarged view of a spring detent of the valve body. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms. Preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as exemplifications of the principles of the invention and are not intended to limit the broad aspects of the invention to the embodiments illustrated. 
     FIGS. 1 and 2  show a flexible container assembly  10  having a first sidewall  12  and a second sidewall  13  attached at peripheral edges  14  to define a fluid tight chamber  16  and a fitment  18  for providing fluid access to the contents of the container. In a preferred form of the invention, the first and second sidewalls  12  and  13  are a flexible polymeric material having a modulus of elasticity of less than 50,000 psi. The sidewalls preferably are made from materials such as homopolymers and copolymers of polyolefins, polyamides, polyesters or other material that are capable of being sealed using industry standard sealing techniques. These techniques include, but are not limited to, heat sealing, radio frequency welding, and ultrasonic sealing. The sidewalls may be of a single web of material or multiple webs of material. Each web of material may be a multilayered or single layered and may be fabricated from any suitable polymer processing technology including extrusion, coextrusion, extrusion lamination, lamination or other. The container can be made from individual sheets placed in registration and sealed along the periphery  14  or can be made from a blown film process where only opposing ends of a tube need be sealed to complete the container  10 . 
     FIG. 3  shows a valve body  20  having a first end  22  and a second end  24  and a fluid pathway  25  extending through the length of the valve body  20  terminating at the first end with a fluid exit  26 . The valve body has a generally cylindrical shape having a first diameter portion d 1 , a second diameter portion d 2  greater than d 1  and a gripping flange  27  therebetween. As will be described in greater detail below, d 1  is dimensioned to receive a spring and a ball for sealing and opening the fluid exit  26 . 
   In a preferred form of the valve body  20 , the first end  22  has a circumferentially extending sealing ring  28  integrally formed with the body  20 . It is also contemplated utilizing an elastomeric sealing o-ring in place of the integral ring. However, it is preferred to use an integral ring in order to reduce the number of parts and to avoid the step of assembling the o-ring to the valve body. Although, the elastomeric ring would function in this capacity, it is less desirable from a cost standpoint. The sealing ring is provided to cooperate with a cap (not shown) that is dimensioned to be slid over an outer surface  30  of the valve body  20  to form a friction fit therewith. 
   An annular flange  30  is located intermediate of the first end  22  and the second end  24  for docking to equipment used to fill the container  10 . 
   The second end of the container  24  has a portion  40  for docking with the fitment  18  on an interior portion thereof. The docking portion  40  has a first ring  42  proximal the flange  30 , a second ring  44  axially spaced from the first ring  42  and a lead-in section  46  at an outermost end of the docking portion  40 . The two first and second rings  42  and  44  provide two docking positions with the fitment. The first position is defined when only the second ring  44  is engaged in a complementary groove in an interior portion of the fitment. This position is known as the travel position and when in this position the valve body  20  can be separated from the fitment by filling machinery without damaging the valve body. The second position is known as the locked position and is reached when the valve body is inserted farther into the fitment wherein both the first and second rings  42  and  44  are engaged in complementary grooves located on an interior portion of the fitment. While in the locked position the valve body cannot be removed from the fitment without damaging or ruining the assembly for its intended purpose. The valve body is positioned in the locked position after filling of the container to deter tampering with the contents of the container. 
     FIGS. 4 and 5  show the first ring has a first outer diameter d 3  and the second ring has a second outer diameter d 4  wherein d 3  is greater than d 4 . The first ring  42  has a generally flat surface  50  to provide a pronounced locking surface. The second ring  44  has a generally curved outer surface  52 . The curved surface  52  and its reduced outer diameter d 4  forms is capable of docking to a complementary groove with a removal force less than the removal force when the second ring is positioned in the same groove of the fitment. 
   The lead-in section  46  has a generally curved outer profile  55  that assists in guiding the valve body  20  into proper alignment with the fitment by the filling equipment or by hand assembly. One benefit realized by docking the valve body  20  to an interior surface of a fitment as opposed to having the docking section  40  docking to an outer surface of the fitment is that it reduces the number of closure assemblies that are damaged during the docking procedure due to slight misalignments of the valve body with the fitment. 
   The gripping flange  27  can be provided with texturing on one of its surfaces to assist users in handling of the valve body. In a preferred form of the gripping flange, a circumferential edge of the flange has a generally scalloped shaped cutouts. Of course different shaped cutouts could be used without departing from the scope of the invention. Further, texturing could be provided on a top surface, a bottom surface or both of the flange in addition to or in lieu of the texturing on the outer circumferential edge shown. 
     FIG. 6  shows the valve body  20  with a ball  60  and a spring  62 . The spring  62  urges the ball against a surface  66  to seal the fluid outlet  26 . A portion of the ball extends through the fluid outlet into an annular space  68 . The ball  60  is moved from the closed position shown in  FIG. 6  to an open position wherein at least a portion of the ball is moved away from the surface  66  to allow fluid to pass through the gap created. The ball is moved from a closed to an open position by a user activating a fluid dispensing mechanism. 
   The spring  62  is positioned within the valve body  20  and protuberances  70  serve as a stop to ensure the spring is maintaining a load. 
   The ball and spring closure mechanism of the valve body could be replaced by other types of valves such as check valves, butterfly valves, duckbill valves, poppet type valves and the like. 
   While the specific embodiments have been described, numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of protection is only limited by the scope of the accompanying claims. This design is just one example of a pattern design having these favorable characteristics, and disclosure of it is merely one example of a design having its favorable characteristics, others of which are not significant departures from the spirit of the invention.