Patent GB-1140832-A (GB)
Title: Self-venting dispenser
IPC: A47G19/18
Filed: 1966-02-04
Abstract: 1,140,832. Container closures; flexible containers. T. P. HECKMAN. 4 Feb., 1966, No. 5036/66. Headings B8D and B8T. A flexible container, e.g. of plastics such as polyethylene, or of hard rubber, has two wall portions 10, 26, the second of which so controls a valve that following ejection of material from the container, the valve is opened to allow ingress of air. As shown, the second wall portion 26 is of bellows configuration, and is fast with a pin 30 having at its remote end a valve head 32 which normally closes a hole 22. On squeezing the first wall portion 10, Fig. 2 (not shown), the bellows 26 is expanded to draw the pin 30 and the valve head 32 into the container. Accordingly, the hole 22 is opened, and the contents 36 of the container forced through it. As soon as the squeezing pressure on the first wall portion 10 is released, its natural resilience restores it to its original shape. However, since some of the contents of the container have been ejected, the bellows 26 is collapsed by atmospheric pressure to a shorter length than before squeezing. Accordingly, the pin 30 pushes the valve head 32 through the hole 22 to the outside of the container, Fig. 3 (not shown). Air now enters through the hole 22 to the space above the container contents 36, until the pressure in the container is again that of the atmosphere. The bellows 26 then restores the pin 30 and the valve head 32 to the position shown. In one modification, Figs. 4-6 (not shown), the bellows (26) is at the same end of the container as the hole (22A), and the pin (30A) carries at its opposite end a separate valve head (46) which opens a hole (42) to allow ingress of air when the squeezed wall portion (10) has been released. The valve (42) is normally biased to the closed position by a spring which may be a separate plate (52), or may be integral arms (62), Fig. 8 (not shown), on the end of the pin (30B). In another modification, the container has bellows wall portions (26A, 26B), Fig. 9 (not shown), at each end of the wall portion (10). The pin (30C) has a reduced valve neck (78) which is pushed out through a hole in a flexible nipple (70) to allow ingress of air to the container. The flexible nipple (70) allows a " roll off action as the pin (30C) is drawn inwards to allow ejection of the contents (36); when the latter is glue, &c., the action separates the stack-together nipple (70) and the valve head (76). In another modification, a small sleeve (110), Fig. 10 (not shown), having an opening (108) surrounds the hole receiving the pin (30D). In a final modification, the pin is in the form of a hollow stem (88), Fig. 11 (also not shown), to which the container contents (36) have access through holes (94). An enlarged valve head (98) at the end of the hollow stem (88) normally closes a hole (100) in a screw cap (84) through which the contents is ejected at the top, instead of the bottom, of the container. When the first wall portion (10) is squeezed, the bellows (26) expands, the hollow head (98) is withdrawn inwards to uncover the hole (100), and the container contents is forced through the holes (94), up the stem (88) and out of the hole (100). As soon as the wall portion (10) is released, the bellows (26) collapses to push the enlarged head (98) into a recess (86) in the screw cap (84) and beyond the hole (100), through which air now enters the container.