Liquid dispensing tap

A tap for dispensing liquids, essentially constituted by a body (1) for mounting in the outlet of a receptacle and for dispensing liquid, in a rigid manner, by a flap or a sealing closure membrane (2) for an opening (3) for dispensing the liquid, provided with a control member (4) and disposed in the portion of the body (1) opposite that for mounting in the outlet, and by an actuating device (5) for the control member (4). The body is made of a composite material by conjoint injection or co-molding in a single molded piece integrating the actuating device (5) for the control member (4) of the flap or of the sealing closure membrane (2) of the opening (3) for dispensing the liquid, by spring force, via a resiliently deformable membrane constituted by a flexible material with permanent spring effect, the rest of the body (1) being constituted of a rigid material.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
 The present invention relates to the field of production of taps for
 dispensing liquids contained in small rigid, semi-rigid or flexible
 containers, in particular comestible liquids, and has for its object such
 a tap.
 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 At present, the dispensing of comestible beverages, particularly table
 wines, fruit juice or pasteurized milk, from small rigid, semi-rigid or
 flexible containers, such as wine containers of synthetic material,
 generally takes place by means of taps fixed on the outlet of these
 receptacles.
 To this end, there are known taps constituted by a body for mounting in the
 outlet of a receptacle and by a piston for releasing liquid, loaded by a
 spring and guided in the body, the piston acting on a resilient sealing
 membrane secured to the body. The mounting body in the outlet is provided
 with a securement handle coacting by snapping on the outlet.
 Such taps permit correct dispensing of the liquid and are perfectly
 suitable, either for a bottling operation or for a series of withdrawals,
 whether these latter be carried out in a sterile environment, such as a
 sterile chamber for aseptic filling, or not, for example for filling
 glasses or small receptacles, which is to say for private or restaurant
 use for small flows of a single beverage or a single vintage.
 There are also known taps for distributing liquids, particularly comestible
 liquids that are sterile or not, with an automatic closure, which are
 constituted by a body for mounting in the outlet of a receptacle and by a
 piston for releasing liquid acting on a resilient sealing membrane secured
 to the body, these taps being provided with means for holding the piston
 in open position.
 There exist still other taps of the beverage type, in which the passage of
 the liquid is effected by aligning the passage openings by means of a
 lever or a manipulating handle.
 All these known taps permit fulfilling correctly their essential function
 of sealingly closing a receptacle with the possibility of withdrawing the
 liquid contents. However, given the relatively large number of their
 constituent pieces, requiring corresponding mounting operations, their
 cost is greatly affected by these operations, such that in these taps, the
 cost of the material forming their constituent pieces is only a small part
 of their sales price.
 It is also known to provide a tap for the dispensing of liquids, comprising
 a flap or sealed closure member for a dispensing opening of the liquid,
 manipulated by means of a control device forming a part of a front closure
 membrane. Such a tap has, however, the drawback of not permitting
 guaranteeing perfect and lasting closure of the outlet for the liquid
 after manipulation. Thus, in these taps, the flap or closure membrane is
 not guided and moreover, the manipulating means is subject to rapid
 fatigue, preventing the continued elastic memory necessary to guarantee
 sealed closure.
 There is also known, from EP-A-0 213 783, a tap for carbonated liquids
 comprising a diaphragm manipulated by means of two handles. This tap is
 provided with an interface serving as a diaphragm and acting on a piston
 which is secured to said diaphragm, this diaphragm being actuated by means
 of two handles extending above it. To this end, it is necessary to apply a
 strong opening force by means of the handles, so as to deform the
 diaphragm in the opening direction of the valve of the tap.
 This difficulty of opening the diaphragm is due to the fact that it is made
 of the same material as the body of the tap, in a single molding
 operation. It results that the diaphragm or dome, secured to the piston,
 is not naturally resilient but only by its construction during production,
 the elasticity or semi-rigidity necessary for its deformation for
 actuating the piston being obtained only by the provision of circular
 lines of weakening in the form of grooves.
 Thus, such a tap cannot be monostable, which is to say have a resilience
 permitting reliable spring force, without counter-pressure. Thus, the
 flexibility of the diaphragm or dome alone is not sufficient to ensure
 correct alternate opening and closing of the tap and only the pressure of
 the product enclosed in the container provided with this tap is adapted to
 guarantee the closure by acting on the piston and to guarantee sealing.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 The present invention has for its object to overcome these drawbacks of
 existing taps and to provide a tap giving a very high oxygen barrier,
 easily manipulable, guaranteeing automatic closure without supplemental
 action by the contents, and whose production of the constituent pieces and
 their assembly can be carried out in a simple and rapid manner, such that
 their market price can be substantially decreased.
 According to the invention, the tap for dispensing liquids, which is
 essentially constituted by a body to be mounted in the outlet of a
 receptacle for dispensing liquid, by a flap or sealing closure member of
 an outlet for the liquid, provided with a control member, is disposed in
 the portion of the body opposite the portion for mounting in the outlet,
 and by actuating means for said control member, is characterized in that
 the body for mounting in the outlet of a receptacle for dispensing liquid,
 is made of a composite material produced by conjointly injecting or
 co-molding in a single molded piece integrating the actuating means for
 the control member of the flap or of the sealing closure member of the
 outlet for dispensing liquid by spring force, by means of a resiliently
 deformable membrane constituted of a flexible material with permanent
 spring force, the rest of the body being constituted by a rigid material.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
 FIGS. 1 to 8 of the accompanying drawings show a tap for the dispensing of
 liquids, which is essentially constituted by a body 1 for mounting in the
 outlet of a receptacle (not shown) for dispensing of the liquid, by a flap
 or sealed closure membrane 2, by an opening 3 for dispensing the liquid,
 provided with a control member 4 disposed in the portion of the body 1
 opposite the mounting portion in the outlet, and by actuating means 5 for
 said control member 4.
 According to the invention, and as shown more particularly by way of
 example in FIGS. 1 to 8 of the accompanying drawings, the body 1 for
 mounting in the outlet of a receptacle for dispensing liquid, is made of a
 composite material by conjoint injection or co-molding, in a single molded
 piece integrating the actuating means 5 for the control member 4 of the
 flap or sealing closure member 2, for the opening 3 for dispensing liquid,
 by spring effect, by means of a resiliently deformable membrane
 constituted of a flexible material with permanent spring effect, the rest
 of the body 1 being constituted by a rigid material. Such a construction
 of 1the rest of the body 1 permits ensuring good gripability of this
 latter.
 Thus, the body 1 and the actuating means 5 for the control member 4 of the
 flap or closure membrane 2 of the opening 3 for dispensing liquid, can be
 made simply and easily by a single molding operation, by conjoint
 injection or co-molding of two materials having different mechanical
 characteristics. Moreover, the sealing between the means 5 and the body 1
 is perfectly ensured.
 According to one characteristic of the invention, and as shown more
 particularly in FIGS. 1 to 3 and 8 of the accompanying drawings, the flap
 or closure membrane 2 of the opening 3 for dispensing liquid is preferably
 constituted by a piston whose head 2' coacts shape-matingly with the
 opening 3 for dispensing liquid and which is loaded by a compression
 spring 2", said piston being provided with a piston rod forming the
 control member 4 and being guided in a stirrup 2'" for mounting in the
 body 1, above the dispensing opening 3.
 According to a first embodiment, shown in FIGS. 1, 3 to 5, 7 and 10 of the
 accompanying drawings, the compression spring 2" bears directly on the
 rear surface of the piston constituting the flap or closure membrane 2 of
 the opening 3 for dispensing liquid, surrounds the piston rod forming the
 control member 4 or extends on opposite sides of said rod (FIG. 10), and
 is connected at its other end to the stirrup 2'" for mounting in the body
 1, above the dispensing opening 3. Thus, the assembly of the constituent
 elements of the flap or of the closure membrane 2 of the opening 3 for
 dispensing liquid, can preferably be made by molding in a single piece.
 Such an embodiment of the flap or membrane 2 permits on the one hand
 simple production at low cost and, on the other hand, limitation of the
 pieces of the tap, such that the assembly operations are reduced and the
 corresponding cost can accordingly be reduced.
 According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 10 of the accompanying drawings,
 the compression spring 2" is constituted by a pair of resilient blades
 each connected by one end to the end of the piston rod forming the control
 member 4 and by its other end to the stirrup 2'" for mounting in the body
 1, the assembly of the control member 4 and flap or membrane 2 and stirrup
 2'" being made of a single piece by molding, the resilient blades forming
 the compensation spring 2" effecting the guidance of the piston rod.
 The stirrup 21'" for mounting the flap or closure member 2 of the opening 3
 for dispensing liquid, in the body 1, above the dispensing opening 3,
 coacts, in the service position, by means of the edges of the free ends of
 its wings, with the parallel guide rails 6 provided in the body 1, on
 opposite sides of the dispensing opening 3. Thus, it is possible to
 provide easy assembly of the flap or membrane 2 by simple insertion of the
 edges of the free ends of the wings of the stirrup 2'" in the parallel
 guide rails 6 provided in the body 1. At the end of assembly of the
 stirrup 2'", the head 2' of the flap or membrane 2 is automatically
 positioned over the opening 3 for dispensing liquid and instantaneously
 closes this latter in a sealed manner.
 The control member 4 forming the piston rod constituting the flap or
 membrane 2 has a free end portion disposed in the stirrup 2'", passing
 through the end of this latter opposite the dispensing opening 3 of the
 body 1 and provided with a device 7 for connection with the corresponding
 end of the actuating means 5 entering the body 1. This connection device 7
 can be in the form of a hole traversed by the corresponding shape-mating
 end of the actuating means 5 (FIGS. 1, 3 to 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10). The device
 7 can also be constituted by two parallel grooves, inclined relative to
 the axis of the control member 4, near its free end, and coacting with the
 corresponding end in the form of a fork, of the actuating means 5.
 The actuating means 5 of the member 4 for controlling the flap or sealed
 closure membrane 2 of the opening 3 for dispensing liquid, is preferably
 constituted by a manipulating rod 5' extending into the body 1, parallel
 to the longitudinal axis of this latter, made of a rigid material,
 coacting at one end, within said body 1, with the connection device 7 for
 the corresponding end of the control member 4, and by a control button 5"
 forming the deformable elastic membrane, which is preferably made of a
 flexible material with permanent spring force, conjointly injected or
 co-molded with the body 1 and with the manipulating rod 5' and connected,
 on the one hand, sealingly with the end of the body 1 that is opposite the
 end of mounting in the outlet of the receptacle and, on the other hand,
 with the end of the manipulating rod 5' opposite the flap or sealed
 closure member 2 of the opening 3 for dispensing liquid. The shape of the
 control button 5" of flexible material with permanent spring force permits
 easy manipulation of the rod 5', whilst ensuring complete sealing of the
 tap.
 The free end of the manipulating rod 5' is preferably in the shape of a
 wedge and coacts with a correspondingly sloped wall of the connection
 device 7 for the corresponding end of the control member 4. Thus, by
 pressure on the control button 5", the manipulating rod 5' enters the
 recess forming the connection device 7 and, by coaction of its
 wedge-shaped end with the correspondingly sloped wall of said recess, the
 rod 5' exerts pressure on the corresponding end of the control member 4
 for the flap or sealing closure member 2 of the opening 3 for dispensing
 liquid, such that said flap or membrane 2 is raised from its seat over the
 dispensing opening 3 and opens the liquid passage.
 FIG. 5 of the accompanying drawings shows a modified embodiment of the
 invention, in which the control button 5" of the actuating means 5 for the
 control member 4 of the flap or sealing closure member 2 for the opening 3
 for dispensing liquid, is loaded by a return spring 5'" preferably mounted
 on the manipulating rod 5'" and secured, on the side opposite the control
 button 5'" of the stirrup 2'" for mounting the flap or closure membrane 2
 of the opening 3 for dispensing liquid, in the body 1. The provision of
 such a return spring 5'" permits optimizing the manipulation of the
 control button 5" by encouraging its return to the rest position after
 each manipulation of the flap or of the membrane 2, such that the closing
 action of said flap or membrane 2 by the compression spring 2" is promoted
 and a perfectly sealed closure of the opening 3 for dispensing of the
 liquid can be obtained.
 FIG. 6 of the accompanying drawings shows another modified embodiment of
 the invention, in which the compression spring 2" is in the form of a
 curved blade, connected by one end to the upper end of the stirrup 2'",
 resiliently deformable and bearing at its other free end on the end of the
 piston rod forming the control member 4 for the flap or membrane 2. In
 this embodiment, the end of the blade bearing on the end of the piston rod
 forming the control member 4 can also be secured to this end, such that
 the assembly of the constituent elements of the flap or membrane 2 can be
 made by molding of a single piece.
 FIG. 7 of the accompanying drawings shows another modified embodiment of
 the invention, in which the flap or sealed closure membrane 2 for the
 opening 3 for dispensing liquid is duplicated by a second flap or sealed
 closure membrane 12 for an air inlet opening 13, this flap or membrane 12
 being manipulated by means of the actuating means 5 of the control member
 4 of said flap or sealed closure member 2 for the opening 3 for dispensing
 liquid. The construction of this second flap or sealed closure membrane 12
 of an air inlet opening 13 can be identical to that of the flap or sealed
 closure membrane 2 of the opening 3 for dispensing liquid, the
 cross-section of the opening 13 being preferably less than that of the
 opening 3 for dispensing of the liquid. A tap thus formed is particularly
 adapted for mounting on a rigid container, whose tap requires an air
 intake. This tap permits the correct emptying of the package, without
 mishap, the liquid which flows out being replaced by a siphoning effect by
 air entering through the opening 13, this following a single manipulation
 of the means 5.
 The flaps or membranes 2 and 12, respectively, for sealed closure of the
 opening 3 for dispensing liquid and for sealed closure of the air inlet
 opening 13, can preferably be made from a single one-piece molding. Thus,
 the flaps or membranes 2 and 12 can be mounted by a single rapid simple
 operation, in the body 1.
 FIGS. 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawings show another modified embodiment
 of the invention, in which the manipulating rod 5' constituting the
 actuating means 5 for the control member 4 for the flap or sealed closure
 membrane 2 of the opening 3 for dispensing liquid, is preferably connected
 to the corresponding end of the body 1 by means of flexible bridges 18
 made of the same material as said rod 5' and the body 1 and overmolded in
 the same flexible material constituting the membrane forming the control
 button 5", in the course of co-molding or conjoint injection of the
 assembly. The production of the flexible bridges 18 of the same rigid
 material as the body 1 and the rod 5' permits simultaneous molding of
 these bridges and of the rod 5' during the first portion of the co-molding
 or conjoint injection and a perfect centering of said rod 5' during
 molding of the flexible membrane forming the control button 5", in the
 course of the second portion of said co-molding or said conjoint
 injection. Thus, the mold for the tap can be simplified, the manipulating
 rod 5' being connected to the body 1 and not requiring specific holding
 during the second portion of the operation of co-molding or conjoint
 injection.
 According to another characteristic of the invention, and as shown in FIGS.
 1 to 3 and 5 of the accompanying drawings, the tap can be provided
 moreover with a destructible guarantee device 14 secured to the body 1 and
 present in the form of a tear-off collar surrounding the portion of the
 actuating means 5 and, if desired, the abutment 11 projecting from the
 body 1. Thus, action on the actuating means 5 can take place only after
 first tearing off the destructible guarantee device 14.
 According to another characteristic of the invention, the guarantee thus
 obtained can be supplemented by the provision on the destructible
 guarantee device 14 of a tear-off and thermosealable film 15 closing said
 guarantee device 14 over the actuating means 5 and, if desired, the
 abutment 8, this film 15 being preferably adapted to provide a tax stamp
 and being adapted to cover moreover the opening or openings 3 and 13. As a
 result, upon the first use of the tap, during freeing of the actuating
 means 5 by tearing off the destructible guarantee device 14, the tax stamp
 applied to the film 15 is destroyed and any fraud by reuse is impossible.
 Preferably, the tear-off film 15 can be made of a single piece with the
 destructible guarantee device 14, of identical or different material, and
 can simply have a thickness less than that of said destructible guarantee
 device 14. As a result, this embodiment of tap is inviolable during
 transportation and storage. Thus, the necessary security, particularly for
 the packaging of sterile comestible liquids, is ensured and illicit use is
 instantly detected.
 Finally, according to another characteristic of the invention, and as shown
 more particularly in FIGS. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings, the body 1
 for mounting in the outlet of a receptacle and for dispensing liquid is
 preferably connected to a base portion 16, forming a throat and adapted to
 be connected with a container, by an initial connection by means of a
 destructible physical means 17, the portion of the body 1 connected to the
 base portion 16 forming a neck being receivable within and lockable in
 final received position in said base portion 16 forming a neck, after
 destruction of the physical means 17. Thus, the assembly of the body 1 and
 the base portion 16 can be fixed in a final and aseptic manner, by welding
 said base portion 16 over or within a corresponding opening of the
 container, the body 1 being torn off from the base portion 16 for filling
 said container, then inserted and locked within said portion 16 after
 filling.
 The destructible physical means 17 is preferably in the form of a weakened
 strip constituted of the same material as that constituting the base
 portion 16 and the body 1. There results from this construction the
 possibility of producing the body 1 and the base portion 16, forming a
 neck, in a single molding operation in a single mold, such that the
 monobloc member obtained can be of a substantially lower cost than that of
 the two pieces used until the present.
 Thanks to the invention, it is possible to produce a tap for distributing
 liquids contained in small rigid, semi-rigid or flexible containers, in
 particular comestible liquids, comprising only two subassemblies of pieces
 each obtained in a single molding operation, by co-molding or conjoint
 injection of different materials, and being adapted to be connected to
 each other in a simple and rapid manner.
 As a result, there is the possibility of producing taps that can be on the
 one hand rapidly produced by simple molding operations and, on the other
 hand, that can easily be assembled, without requiring the use of numerous
 and complex robots for moving and assembling the constituent parts, such
 that the investment in machinery can be kept to a minimum.
 Moreover, the manipulation of these taps with an opening can be carried out
 with the application of low force and the return to closed position of the
 flap or of the sealed closure membrane 2 for the opening 3 for dispensing
 liquid, takes place automatically upon release of pressure on the control
 button 5", the tap being monostable without counter pressure, because of
 the flexibility of said button in the form of a resiliently deformable
 membrane.
 Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described and
 shown in the accompanying drawings. Modifications remain possible,
 particularly as to the construction of the various elements or by
 substitution of technical equivalents, without thereby departing from the
 scope of protection of the invention.