Abstract:
A closure for a beverage bottle contains a valve which one opens by sucking on a spout or nipple extending from the closure. The valve is normally closed, so the beverage is safely contained even it is a carbonated beverage at superatmospheric pressure. The valve is moved to its open position by a diaphragm exposed to atmospheric air on one side and to the suction on the other side. Once beverage begins to flow, the valve provides a pressure-regulating function to control the flow rate.

Description:
[0001]     This application claims priority benefit from provisional patent application No. 60/526976, filed Dec. 5, 2003. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention relates to a pressure controlling dispensing valve for beverage container.  
         [0003]     Sports bottles typically have a manually activated valve which can be opened when it is desired to take a drink, and must be manually closed thereafter. Were a carbonated beverage placed in the container, a typical sports bottle would likely spray a stream of liquid, perhaps at great velocity, as soon as the valve was opened.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     An object of the invention is to provide a closure for a container for soda drinks or the like, which will maintain soda at superatmospheric pressure, yet will permit it to be sipped from the container.  
         [0005]     A related object is to keep carbonated beverages from going flat in a sports drink container.  
         [0006]     These and other objects are attained by a pressure controlling dispensing valve for beverage container as described below.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]     In the accompanying drawings,  
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a sectional view, of a vertical bisecting plane, of a pressure controlling dispensing valve installed on an upright bottle;  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a split view showing the valve in alternative positions;  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is a view like  FIG. 1 , of a second embodiment of the invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  shows a third embodiment of the invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  is a split view showing the valve in alternative positions;  
         [0013]      FIG. 6  shows a fourth embodiment of the invention, with the valve closed;  
         [0014]      FIG. 7  shows the fourth embodiment with the valve open;  
         [0015]      FIG. 8  depicts a fifth embodiment of the invention, with its valve open;  
         [0016]      FIG. 9  depicts the fifth embodiment with its valve closed;  
         [0017]      FIG. 10  shows the fifth embodiment in an inverted position;  
         [0018]      FIG. 11  shows a sixth embodiment of the invention in partial section; and  
         [0019]      FIG. 12  shows the exterior of the sixth embodiment, with its spout rotated downward. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0020]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a pressure controlling dispensing valve for beverage container embodying the invention comprises a body  10  having an annular plate  12  with a depending cylindrical skirt  14  having internal helical threads  16  adapted to engage external threads on a soda bottle. An upwardly extending circumferential flange  18  is counterbored at  20 . The upper nipple portion  22 , which has a sleeve-like mouth  24 , is connected to the body  10  by welding, adhesives, or threads at the interface between its bottom flange  26  and the counterbore  20 .  
         [0021]     Flow of a beverage through the annular plate  12  is regulated by a valve  30  which has a cup-like housing  32  whose open upper end  34  is seated within the center hole of the annular plate. The cylindrical wall of the housing has a least one aperture  36  through which the beverage can pass from the bottle to the interior of the housing and thence to the nipple. The aperture is selectively blocked by a reciprocable tubular plunger  38 . O-rings  40  or other seals may, if desired, be provided to prevent leakage along the exterior of the plunger.  
         [0022]     The seals can be eliminated and replaced with internal ribs  40 ′ ( FIG. 4 ) if sufficiently close molding tolerances are maintained.  
         [0023]     The plunger is moved up and down in the housing bore by an annular diaphragm  42  which has a central hole  44 . It is possible that the diaphragm and the plunger may be molded together as a single piece ( FIG. 3 ). The periphery  46  of the diaphragm, which preferably is thickened, is squeezed between the nipple base and the body&#39;s counterbore during assembly so that no fluid (gas or liquid) can leak past.  
         [0024]     The vent hole  48  in the body maintains atmospheric pressure below the diaphragm. Since a sleeve-type plunger is not driven in any direction by pressure within the bottle, substantial pressures can build up without losing the liquid contents, or the gas pressure. Nevertheless, by applying moderate suction to the nipple with the mouth, one can easily draw the plunger upward and permit fluid to flow through the aperture(s)  36 , the hole  44 , and out through the nipple. (Of course, if the bottle is held upright, the fluid will be gas, so it is anticipated users will upend the container as in  FIG. 2 , before releasing the valve. Or, if it is desired to make the invention work upright, one could add a tube extending from the valve ports to near the bottom of the container. This tube may be sold with the valve component to permit the user to configure it to his liking.) In any event, once pressurized fluid is released by the valve, the pressure on the nipple side of the diaphragm increases, providing a pressure-regulating effect to prevent overwhelming flow rates.  
         [0025]      FIGS. 6-7  show a bottle having a cap in which fluid flow is controlled by a ball valve (comprising a ball  138 , a seat  139  and a spring  141  pressing the ball toward the seat). The ball is unseated ( FIG. 7 ) by the tip of an actuator at the center of a diaphragm when suction is applied to the spout extending from the cap. A vent hole at the top of the cap keeps the pressure above the diaphragm at ambient pressure.  
         [0026]      FIG. 8  illustrates a toddler&#39;s drinking cup having an outer cap  222  with an upwardly extending spout  224 . The diaphragm  242  is exposed to the outside, so there is no need for a vent. The actuator  237  at the center of the diaphragm unseats ( FIG. 9 ) a flexible valve member  238  which normally is seated in a hole in the inner cap  239 . The pickup  250  leading to the valve chamber is immersed in fluid only when the cup is shown in  FIG. 10  is tipped up, but as previously mentioned, the user may change the working orientation of the cup by adding a tube (not shown) extending from the pickup to the bottom of the cup.  
         [0027]      FIG. 11  discloses another embodiment of the invention. Here, the body  310  has an annular plate  312  with a depending cylindrical skirt  314  having internal helical threads  316 . Instead of having an integral nipple, the upwardly extending circumferential flange  318  supports a rotary spout  322 , which has a tubular distal portion  324 . The proximal portion  326  is a sleeve extending through a hole  327  in the flange  318 . An O-ring  331  may be provided for sealing, if necessary. The proximal portion  326  is retained in the hole by an external lip  328 . Slots  329  permit the lip to deform inwardly during assembly. This arrangement permits one to pivot the spout between a vertically upward ( FIG. 11 ) position for use, and a vertically downward ( FIG. 12 ) position for storage and shipping.  
         [0028]     The annular plate  312  defines a central hole  336  through which the beverage can pass from the bottle to spout  322  via the chamber defined by the plate  312  and the flange  318 . The hole is selectively blocked by the head of a reciprocable plunger  338 .  
         [0029]     The plunger is moved up and down in the housing bore by an annular diaphragm  342  reinforced by a stiffener  347  which preferably is bonded to the diaphragm. The thickened periphery  346  of the diaphragm is squeezed between the closure cap  350  and the counterbore shoulder  352  so that no fluid (gas or liquid) can leak past. The cap is retained in the counterbore by interaction of a annular rib and corresponding groove identified by reference  354 .  
         [0030]     The vent hole  348  in the cap maintains atmospheric pressure above the diaphragm. By applying moderate suction to the nipple with the mouth, one can easily draw the plunger downward and permit fluid to flow through the hole  336  and out through the spout.  
         [0031]     To keep the valve closed, a coil spring  356  may be inserted between the plate  312  and the stiffener  347 . Alternatively, the diaphragm might be designed to provide enough upward bias on its own that the spring could be eliminated. Or a resilient finger or fingers (not shown) might be provided on the stiffener, pressing against the plate, or on the plate, pressing against the stiffener. All such variations are called “biasing means”.  
         [0032]     I presently prefer that all the molded parts of the closure be made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), except for the diaphragm which is a soft flexible material such as a rubber. However, it is expected that other materials may be substituted.  
         [0033]     Inasmuch as the invention is subject to the variations and modifications mentioned above, and others, it is intended that the invention be measured not by the preceding description or the appended drawings, but rather by the claims which follow.