Abstract:
A gravity driven valve switch includes an acted component, which defines an internal receiving space having a bottom forming a through hole; an acting component, which is received in the acted component; and a driving component, which is arranged below the acted component in a movable manner and forms at least one through hole. The acting component forms a coupling portion and the driving component forms a connection section that is received through the through hole of the acted component whereby the coupling portion and the connection section are engageable with each other to allow for easy coupling and separation of the acting component and the driving component and whereby the driving component provides a weight that, together with a gravitational force acting on the acting component, drives the acting component downward to precisely and tightly seal the through hole of the acted component.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]    The present invention generally relates to a valve switch, and more particularly to a gravity driven valve switch, which allows for easy mounting and separation, allows for precise and tight sealing of an acted component, allows for a target object contained inside an acted component to smoothly drain/dispense, and provides a safety function against undesired contact. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART  
       [0002]    A valve functions to freely close and/or open a passage and is commonly used in various products to conveniently control the drain or dispensing of a target object, such as a fluid or a solid, out of a receiving space. 
         [0003]    A known valve comprises a metal object set in a passage. The metal object can be pushed away by a push bar so that the fluid or solid passing through the passage is controlled by the metal object sealing the passage or not. In this way, the operation of the valve is realized. However, such a valve made up of the metal object and the push bar has some disadvantages: 
         [0004]    (1) The metal object is not coupled to the push bar and is not additionally constrained by any constraint structure, so that the metal object may roll in an irregular manner, making it not possible to precisely block the passage thereby leading to leaking of the target object through the passage. 
         [0005]    (2) The metal object seals the passage by its own weight and is not driven by an additional force provided under the metal object. Since the weight of the metal object may not be sufficiently to completely block the passage, it is still possible to occur leaking through the passage. 
         [0006]    (3) When the metal object is pushed away by the push bar to open the passage, due to the fact that the metal object being not coupled to the push bar, the metal object may still be allowed to rotate to the location of the passage, so that the passage is still in partial blockade by the metal object, which prevents the target object from being smoothly dispensed through the passage. 
         [0007]    (4) The push bar is often mounted to an object having a larger outside diameter and the object is not covered by any protective sheath, so that the object is often subjected to undesired contact by a user, leading to the movement of the push bar to push away the metal object, which prevents the metal object from properly closing the passage and eventually causes leakage. 
         [0008]    In view of these problems, a valve must be constructed to allow the passage to be precisely and tightly closed, but easy to open and the valve must be easily assembled and has effective protection against undesired contact. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The objective of the present invention is to provide a gravity driven valve switch that features comprising an acted component that can be precisely and tightly closed, smooth dispensing of a target object received in the acted component, and protection against undesired contact. Structurally, the gravity driven valve switch of the present invention comprises an acted component, which defines an internal receiving space having a bottom forming a through hole; an acting component, which is received in the acted component; and a driving component, which is arranged below the acted component in a movable manner and forms at least one through hole. The acting component forms a coupling portion and the driving component forms a connection section that is received through the through hole of the acted component whereby the coupling portion and the connection section are engageable with each other to allow for easy coupling and separation of the acting component and the driving component and whereby the driving component provides a weight that, together with a gravitational force acting on the acting component, drives the acting component downward to precisely and tightly seal the through hole of the acted component or the driving component, when acted upon by a pushing force, drives the acting component upward to completely open the through hole of the acted component; and the acted component has a lower circumference forming a flange that has a diameter greater than the driving component in order to protect the driving component from being contacted by an external force to ensure protection and safety. 
         [0010]    The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts. 
         [0011]    Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a gravity driven valve switch constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the gravity driven valve switch of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2A  is a cross-sectional view, in an enlarged form, of a sleeve of the gravity driven valve switch of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a driving component of the gravity driven valve switch of the present invention in a reversed condition. 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view illustrating the gravity driven valve switch of the present invention is closed to block a target object. 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view illustrating the gravity driven valve switch of the present invention is open to release the target object. 
           [0018]      FIG. 5A  is an enlarged view of a portion of the gravity driven valve switch shown in  FIG. 5 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of a gravity driven valve switch according to an embodiment of the present invention, which further includes a barrier. 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of a gravity driven valve switch according to the present invention, showing a second embodiment of connection between a coupling portion of an acting component and a connection section of a driving component of the gravity driven valve switch. 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of a gravity driven valve switch according to the present invention, showing a third embodiment of connection between a coupling portion of a acting component and a connection section of a driving component of the gravity driven valve switch. 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of a gravity driven valve switch according to the present invention, showing a fourth embodiment of connection between a coupling portion of a acting component and a connection section of a driving component of the gravity driven valve switch. 
           [0023]      FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view of a gravity driven valve switch according to the present invention, showing a fifth embodiment of connection between a coupling portion of a acting component and a connection section of a driving component of the gravity driven valve switch. 
           [0024]      FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view of a gravity driven valve switch according to the present invention, showing a sixth embodiment of connection between a coupling portion of a acting component and a connection section of a driving component of the gravity driven valve switch. 
           [0025]      FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional view of a gravity driven valve switch according to the present invention, showing a seventh embodiment of connection between a coupling portion of a acting component and a connection section of a driving component of the gravity driven valve switch. 
           [0026]      FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional view of a gravity driven valve switch according to the present invention, showing an eight embodiment of connection between a coupling portion of an acting component and a connection section of a driving component of the gravity driven valve switch. 
           [0027]      FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional view of a gravity driven valve switch according to the present invention, showing a ninth embodiment of connection between a coupling portion of a acting component and a connection section of a driving component of the gravity driven valve switch. 
           [0028]      FIG. 14A  is a perspective view, in an enlarged form, of a portion of the gravity driven valve switch shown in  FIG. 14 . 
           [0029]      FIG. 15  is a cross-sectional view of a gravity driven valve switch according to the present invention, showing a tenth embodiment of connection between a coupling portion of a acting component and a connection section of a driving component of the gravity driven valve switch. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0030]    The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. 
         [0031]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  2 A,  3 , and  4 , a gravity driven valve switch according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises an acted component  10 , an acting component  20  arranged inside the acted component  10 , and a driving component  30  arranged under the acted component  10 . These components will be further described in the following. 
         [0032]    The acted component  10  defines an internal receiving space  11  that receives a target object, such as a fluid, a solid, or powders. The acted component  10  has a bottom of the internal space that defines a through hole  12  and a circumferential projection  121  is formed around the through hole  12 . The internal bottom of the acted component  10  is inclined at a predetermined slope to effectively conduct the target object to the through hole  12 . The through hole  12  receives therein a sleeve  13  that defines a bore  131 . The bore  131  has an upper circumference along which a contact wall  132  is formed and a groove  133  is formed adjacent the contact wall  132  to provide the contact wall  132  with sufficient resiliency for deformation in order to form tight engagement with the acting component  20 . The sleeve  13  forms a retention slot  134  and a retention ring  135  at suitable locations. The retention slot  134  is fit over the projection  121  and the sleeve  13  is securely retained inside the through hole  12  by the retention ring  135  engaging a counterpart portion of the through hole  12 . The acted component  10  has a lower circumference forming a flange  14  having a diameter greater than the driving component  30  whereby the driving component  30  is covered by the flange  14 . The flange  14  forms a plurality of support legs  141  so that the acted component  10 , when positioned on a fixture surface, is prevented from easily tipping, stability and safety are enhanced, and manufacturing and assembling are made easy. The acted component  10  forms outside the bottom thereof a support  15  in which a plurality of slide slots  151  is defined. 
         [0033]    The acting component  20  can be made of a resilient material, such as rubber and forms a coupling portion  21  (which in the embodiment illustrated, is made in the form of a hole). The acting component  20  is provided for close the bore  131  of the sleeve  13  to prevent the acted component  10  from leaking under a normal condition. It is apparent that the sleeve  13  can be omitted and the acting component  20  functions to directly close the through hole  12 . 
         [0034]    The driving component  30  comprises a base  31  that comprises a plurality of ribs  32 , a plurality of through holes  33 , and a connection section  34  and an extension  35  set below the base  31 . The base  31  has a circumferential surface forming a plurality of pegs  36  corresponding to the slide slots  151 . The pegs  36  are received in the slide slots  151  so that the pegs  36  do not detach from the slide slots  151  and are movable up and down inside the slide slots  151  to thereby make the driving component  30  movable up and down under the acted component  10 . The through holes  33  allow the target object to pass therethrough for moving downward. The connection section  34  is in the form of a cylinder and extends through the bore  131  to fit into and thus couple to the coupling portion  21  of the acting component  20 . The coupling made between the connection section  34  and the coupling portion  21  allows for easy coupling and separation of the driving component  30  and the acting component  20 . If desired, adhesives can be applied at the location where the coupling is made to improve the connection therebetween. The connection section  34  forms a step  340  that provides a stop for fitting the acting component  20 . The ribs  32  intersect at a central portion that a bottom portion forming a cone  321 . When the driving component  30  is moved upward, the acting component  20  is driven to separate from the bore  131  to thereby release the closed condition of the bore  131 . 
         [0035]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , to use, the acted component  10  is positioned on a fixture surface and the driving component  30  is acted upon by gravity to move downward. Due to the physical principle f gravitation, the acting component  20  is driven downward by its own weight and the gravitation force caused by the driving component  30  to precisely and tightly seal the bore  131  in order to prevent the target object inside the acted component  10  from falling down. 
         [0036]    The contact wall  132  of the sleeve  13  is acted upon by the gravity of the acting component  20  and is thus expanded and such an expansion induces inward shrinkage that causes the contact wall  132  to tightly abut against the surface of the acting component  20  thereby enhancing the result of leakage prevention. 
         [0037]    Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 5A , when the bottom of the driving component  30  is acted upon by an upward pushing force (such as being pushed by a hand or the acted component  10  being positioned on a container), the driving component  30  and the connection section  34  are moved upward simultaneously to displace the acting component  20  upward for separation from the bore  131 , thereby owning the sleeve  13  to allow the target object inside the acted component  10  to pass through the bore  131  and the through holes  33  for draining/dispensing. Since the acting component  20  is totally separated from the bore  131 , the bore  131  is fully open and the drain of the target object is smooth. 
         [0038]    The cone  321  helps conducting and concentrating the target object to the central portion for draining so that no residual of the target object will remain on the driving component  30 . 
         [0039]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , the acted component  10  can further comprise a screen-like barrier  40  to block large objects or undesired object from passing through the bore  131  and to help preventing the bore  131  from being blocked up. 
         [0040]    Referring to  FIG. 7 , the coupling portion  21  of the acting component  20  can form a projecting portion  211  therein to cooperate with a recessed portion  341  formed in the connection section  34  to form fitting connection between the acting component  20  and the connection section  34  for enhancing the coupling strength therebetween. 
         [0041]    Referring to  FIG. 8 , the coupling portion  21  of the acting component  20  may be alternatively made in the form of a threaded hole to mate a thread  342  formed on the connection section  34  so that a threaded connection between the acting component  20  and the connection section  34  for enhancing the coupling strength therebetween. 
         [0042]    Referring to  FIG. 9 , the coupling portion  21  of the acting component  20  may alternatively form a recessed portion  212  therein to cooperate with a projecting portion  343  of the connection section  34  to form fitting connection between the acting component  20  and the connection section  34  for enhancing the coupling strength therebetween. 
         [0043]    Referring to  FIG. 10 , the connection section  34  alternatively forms a barbed bar  344  and the coupling portion  21  of the acting component  20  is made a hole of a shape corresponding to the barbed bar  344  so that a fitting connection can be formed between the acting component  20  and the connection section  34  for enhancing the coupling strength therebetween. 
         [0044]    Referring to  FIG. 11 , a fastener  50  can be further included to penetrate in a vertical direction through the coupling portion  21  of the acting component  20  and the connection section  34 , after they are assembled together, so as to enhance the coupling strength therebetween. 
         [0045]    Referring to  FIG. 12 , a fastener  60  can be further included to penetrate in a horizontal direction through the coupling portion  21  of the acting component  20  and the connection section  34 , after they are assembled together, so as to enhance the coupling strength therebetween. 
         [0046]    Referring to  FIG. 13 , the coupling portion  21  of the acting component  20  is made in the form of a hole, while the connection section  34  is in the form of a straight cylinder without a step formed thereon, whereby the connection section  34  can be directly fit into the acting component  20  to form coupling therebetween. 
         [0047]    Referring to  FIGS. 14 and 14A , the connection section  34  is made in the form of a multi-bladed bar  345  having multiple side blades, while the coupling portion  21  of the acting component  20  is made in the form of a hole having a shape corresponding to the multi-bladed bar  345 , whereby the connection section  34  can be fit into the acting component  20  to form coupling therebetween. 
         [0048]    Referring to  FIG. 15 , alternatively, the coupling portion  21  of the acting component  20  is made in the form of a projecting bar, while the connection section  34  forms a hole  346  corresponding to the coupling portion  21  in order to form a fitting connection between the acting component  20  and the connection section  34 . 
         [0049]    While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.