Abstract:
A bottle cap is resealable by a valve housed therein. The valve controls flow through both a liquid flow passage and an air supply passage, while maintaining the passages separate. The valve can be actuated by a feed tube spike.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     The invention relates to bottle cap for closing a bottle and, in particular, a bottle cap for dispensing liquids therethrough without removing the bottle cap from the bottle. 
     Recently beverage dispensers have been disclosed that are functional to dispense water from a water cooler configuration and also to dispense juice-type beverages from a system that mixes a flavored concentrate with water from the water cooler. One such beverage dispenser is described in PCT application PCT/CA02/00328, filed Mar. 12, 2002. 
     The beverage concentrate is most conveniently contained in a bottle that includes a mouth opening. The bottle is inverted in the dispenser to allow liquid concentrate to drain or be drawn therefrom. It is desirable therefore that the bottle be invertible, with its mouth pointing down by gravity, for installation in the machine without releasing its liquid contents through the mouth. It is also desirable that a bottle be removable from the dispenser without, again, spilling liquid, such as residual contents, therefrom. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     A bottle cap is disclosed that can be installed to close the mouth of a bottle, but can be manipulated to open the bottle, to release the bottle contents therefrom, while the cap can remain on the mouth of the bottle. 
     Thus, in accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a bottle cap for fitting on a bottle including a mouth and an inner volume, the bottle cap comprising: a cover securable over the bottle mouth, the cover having an outer surface and an inner surface; a valve housing extending from the cover inner surface and positioned to be open to the bottle inner volume when the cap is secured over the mouth; a liquid flow port passing through the valve housing and the cover extending between a first opening on the valve housing and a second opening on the cover outer surface; a plunger disposed in the valve housing and moveable between a sealing position blocking liquid flow from the first opening to the second opening of the liquid flow port and an open position permitting liquid flow from the first opening to the second opening of the liquid flow port, the plunger including an drive end accessible though the second port and the plunger being biased into the blocking position but movable into the open position by applying force against the drive end. 
     In accordance with another embodiment, there is provided a bottle cap comprising: a cap body including a cover surface and a housing, the housing extending opposite the cover surface; a bore in the cap body and opening on the cover surface; a port opening through the housing into the bore and a plunger in the bore and including a drive end accessible through the opening, the plunger biased toward the opening but prevented from passing therethrough, the plunger when biased sealing across the port but drivable by applying force to the drive end to move the plunger to open the port, the cap body formed to fit over a mouth of a bottle with the housing extending into the bottle. 
     In accordance with another embodiment, there is provided a bottle cap comprising: a cap body including a cover surface and a housing, the housing extending opposite the cover surface; a bore in the cap body and opening on the cover surface; a liquid flow port passing through the cap body between a first opening on the housing and a second opening on the cover surface; an air flow port passing through the cap body separately from the liquid flow port, the air flow port extending between an inside opening on the housing and an outside opening on the cover surface, the cap body formed to fit over a mouth of a bottle with the housing extending into the bottle. 
     In accordance with another embodiment, there is provided a bottle cap for fitting on a bottle including a mouth and an inner volume, the bottle cap comprising: a cover securable over the bottle mouth, the cover having an outer surface and an inner surface; a housing extending from the cover inner surface and positioned to be open to the bottle inner volume when the cap is secured over the mouth; a liquid flow port passing through the housing and the cover extending between a first opening on the housing and a opening on the cover outer surface; an air flow port passing through the housing and the cover extending between an inside opening on the housing and an outside opening on the cover outer surface. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a bottle cap according to one embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the bottle cap of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view along line  1 — 1  of  FIG. 1  with the plunger in a first position; 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional view corresponding to  FIG. 3  showing the plunger in the second position; and 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view of a bottle including a bottle cap secured over its mouth and mounted over a feed tube. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to the  FIGS. 1 to 5 , one embodiment of a bottle cap  10  is shown. The bottle cap is useful to cap the mouth  12  of a bottle  14 . When the inner volume  15  of the capped bottle  14  contains a liquid, the liquid can be dispensed through the cap, while the cap remains secured over the mouth of the bottle. 
     Bottle cap  10  includes a cover  16  including threads  18  or other means such as snap fixtures, etc. on its inner surface for its securing over the bottle mouth. The cover can be selected to reversibly detach from the bottle or alternately, the cover can be formed to be permanently fixed on a bottle by other means such as polymeric welding, fusing, adhesives, etc. Cover  16  can include outer knurling or striations, as shown, to facilitate grasping thereof. 
     Bottle cap  10  further includes a valve housing  20  secured or formed integral with the cover  16  and extending from the inner surface of the cover. The valve housing is configured relative to the cover such that it will be disposed in communication with the bottle inner volume when threads  18  are secured to the bottle mouth. In the illustrated embodiment, the valve housing extends through the bottle mouth and into the inner volume. 
     Valve housing  20  includes a liquid flow passage  22 , an air supply passage  24  and a plunger  26 . The plunger is disposed in the valve housing to act as a valve to control flow through both of the liquid flow passage and the air supply passage. Liquid flow passage  22  extends to provide passage between one or more ports  28  opened on the valve housing and a port  30  opened on cover  16 . Air supply passage  24  extends through the cap from an opening  32  on the cover to an opening  34  on the valve housing. 
     Port  30  and opening  32  can be positioned anywhere on the cover. In the illustrated embodiment, they are positioned separately such that the air supply does not need to flow up through the liquid. As will be appreciated, port  30  can best be employed when it is accessibly positioned on the cover. 
     Both port  28  of the liquid flow passage and opening  34  of the air supply passage are positioned on the outer surface of the valve housing such that they are positioned in communication with or within the bottle inner volume when the cap is positioned on a bottle. A groove  35  can be formed on the housing outer surface leading to port  28  so that a space is provided between the housing outer surface and a narrow bottle mouth for access to the ports  28 . As such, liquid flow passage  22  can allow a flow of liquid from the bottle while air supply passage  24  permits air passage from the air supply opening of the cover to the bottle inner volume to prevent an air lock from developing in the bottle. To extend air supply passage  24 , a tube  36  can be secured at opening  34 . An o-ring  37  can be used to seal about tube  36  where it is installed in opening  34 . Tube  36  can be of a length selected with consideration as to the bottle dimensions so that the tube extends to or adjacent the base of the bottle. By use of tube, air need not bubble up through the bottle contents. This can avoid the formation of bubbles at the interface of the air and the liquid, avoids unnecessary mixing of the bottle contents and avoids contamination of liquid by bubbling air passing up through the bottle contents. 
     Plunger  26  is disposed in a bore  38  formed in the valve housing and is axially slidable in the bore. Plunger  26  is biased, as by a spring  40 , to a sealing position wherein the plunger seals both liquid flow passage  22  and air supply passage  24 . Spring  40  is mounted between a shoulder  41  on the plunger and a step  42  in the bore. A contact portion  44  of the plunger is accessible through port  30  such that force can be applied thereto to drive the plunger against the biasing force of spring  40 , to move it axially in the bore away from a sealing position in passage  22  and air supply passage  24 , such that these passages are opened. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, port  28  opens into bore  38  and the bore is aligned with port  30  through the cover. In bore  38  between port  28  and port  30 , a seat can be formed by an o-ring  46 . The plunger includes an end  26   a  that can be sized to extend a length greater than port  28  and configured to be stopped and sealed against o-ring  46 . As such, when plunger  26  is biased down against the seat formed by o-ring  46 , the plunger plugs passage  22  and seals against liquid flow therethrough. Plunger  26  carries an o-ring  48  positioned with consideration as to the length of ports  28  and with consideration as to the position of the plunger when in the plugging position, to seal between the bore and the plunger above ports  28 . While ports  28  are shown adjacent to inner surface of cover  16 , it will be appreciated that the ports can be spaced further from the cover, if desired. It is also to be noted that the seat against which the plunger is biased could be formed in other ways and of other materials, as desired. 
     Plunger  26  at its opposite end controls the flow through air supply passage  24 . In particular, in the illustrated embodiment, the air supply passage  24  opens to bore  38  at an opening  50  isolated, as by seals, from liquid flow passage  22 . Air supply passage  24  then exits the bore at bore enlargement  52 . Opening  50  is spaced a known distance from enlargement  52 . To control flow through the air supply passage, plunger  26  is formed as a spool valve including o-rings  56 ,  58  positioned on the ends of an area of reduced diameter forming the spool neck  59 . In the bore, o-rings  56 ,  58  seal against the bore wall, while the outer surface of spool neck  59  is spaced from the bore wall to create an annulus  60  thereabout. When the plunger is biased in the sealing position, o-ring  58  is in a sealing position between opening  50  and enlargement  52 . The air passage is, therefore, sealed, since air cannot move past o-ring  58 . However, when plunger  26  is moved against the biasing force in spring  40 , this positions the o-rings  56 ,  58  so that spool neck  59  is open to both opening  50  and enlargement  52  so that air can move along passage  24 , including through annulus  60  between the necked portion and the wall of bore  38 . O-ring  56  tends to prevent fluid from passing into the spring-containing portion of the bore, which is particularly useful should liquid pass through tube  36 . 
     It will be appreciated therefore, that plunger  26  is biased to seal against flow either into or out of the bottle through cap  10 , when the bottle cap is positioned on the bottle with no force applied against contact portion  44 . However, the plunger can be moved to open fluid passages  22 ,  24  by applying pressure against the plunger to move it axially away from port  30 . The positions of ports  28  and enlargement  52  can be selected along with plunger end  26   a  and o-ring  58  so that the air supply passage  24  is opened after, and closed before, liquid flow passage  22  to further control the flow of liquid from the bottle. 
     Cap  10  can be formed of polymers or other materials suitable for forming. One method of construction is shown in  FIG. 2 , wherein the valve housing body is formed in parts for example  20   a ,  20   b  that are connected together and, once assembled, the valve housing is connected to the cover. Connections can be made, for example, by engagement fit, polymeric welding, fusing or adhesives, with consideration to any seals that need be maintained. In another method of construction, the valve housing body can be formed as one part and airway passage  24  can be formed by imbedding or surface mounting a tube, for example a metal tube, to the valve housing body. In such an embodiment, the lateral portion of the air passage ending at opening  50  can be formed by an extension of the tube, by drilling, or by use of pins or plugs in the mold, which lateral portion can be sealed if, by method of manufacture, it opens at the outer surface of the valve housing body. A seal can be provided about the air passage between cover  16  and valve housing body to act against leakage at this interface. In one embodiment, a gasket is formed to incorporate both this seal and the sealing surface of o-ring  46 , so that this gasket can replace o-ring  46 . 
     The cap is useful in a liquid dispensing support  60  with a feed tube spike  62  extending upwardly therein. The cap, as disclosed hereinbefore, will remain closed against liquid flow, even when inverted until opened by insertion over feed tube spike  62  and, in particular, pushing port  30  of the cap over feed tube spike  62  in the dispensing support. Feed tube spike  62 , thereby pushes on plunger  26  opening the liquid flow passage and air supply passage  24 . In this configuration, liquid can flow from the bottle through passage  22 , while an air supply can be drawn into the bottle through passage  24 . To prevent liquid spillage during this operation, the feed tube spike and o-ring  46  can be co selected to create a seal therebetween. The bottle can be removed from the liquid dispensing support, even when there remains liquid therein, substantially without spilling liquid from the bottle. In particular, when cap  10  is pulled, with the bottle, from feed tube  62 , spring  40  will drive the plunger back down to a sealing position both with respect to passage  22  and passage  24 . It may be useful to consider the force of spring  40  and the engagement effects of o-ring  46  against feed tube spike  62  to act against the bottle being ejected off the feed tube, by the force in spring. Alternately, other means can be used to ensure that the cap, when desired, remains securely over the feed tube, in spite of the force biasing plunger against the feed tube. 
     While an embodiment of the invention has been described in detail, this is not intended to be limiting of the claims that follow.