Patent EA-003154-B1 (EA)
Title: Dispensing valve for fluids
Inventor: FRIEDMAN MITCHELL A
IPC: B65D47/24
Filed: 2001-04-06
Abstract: 1. A dispensing valve for fluids comprising: a valve body having an inlet and a discharge outlet; a valve port intermediate said inlet and said discharge outlet; a resilient valve seal moveable from a closed position in which said valve seal occludes said valve port to an open position in which said valve seal does not occlude said valve port; and a resilient actuator operatively connected to said resilient valve seal and operatively engaging said valve body so that said resilient actuator exerts a closing force on said resilient valve seal biasing said resilient valve seal towards said closed position, said resilient actuator exhibiting a nonlinear relationship between said closing force and displacement of said resilient valve seal from said closed position. 2. The dispensing valve of claim 1 wherein said resilient actuator is configured such that said nonlinear relationship causes said closing force to decrease upon displacement of said resilient valve seal to said open position from an intermediate position between said open position and said closed position. 3. The dispensing valve of claim 2, wherein said resilient actuator is further configured such that at least some closing force is exerted on said resilient valve seal when said resilient valve seal is in said open position, said closed position, and any position therebetween. 4. The dispensing valve of claim 2, wherein said resilient actuator is further configured such that said closing force increases upon displacement of said resilient valve seal from said closed position to said intermediate position. 5. The dispensing valve of claim 1, further comprising: a plunger member reciprocally mounted within said valve body and having an outer end and an inner end, said outer end being attached to said resilient actuator, and said inner end being attached to said resilient valve seal. 6. The dispensing valve of claim 5, further comprising: means for arresting opening movement of said plunger member and said resilient valve seal when said plunger member and said resilient valve seal reach said open position. 7. The dispensing valve of claim 5, further comprising: a stop element on said plunger member and a stop element on said valve body, said stop elements engaging one another so as to arrest opening movement of said plunger member and said resilient valve seal when said plunger member and said resilient valve seal reach said open position. 8. The dispensing valve of claim 5, wherein said resilient actuator is formed integrally with said plunger member. 9. The dispensing valve of claim 5, wherein said outer end of said plunger member is exposed for manual engagement by a user to open said dispensing valve, and said resilient actuator forms at least part of a push button for manual engagement by the user. 10. The dispensing valve of claim 9, wherein said valve body has an actuation end remote from said inlet and an actuator opening at said actuation end, said push button substantially occluding said actuator opening. 11. The dispensing valve of claim 5, said resilient actuator further comprising a generally conical form having a central portion connected to said plunger member and a peripheral portion engaged with said valve body. 12. The dispensing valve of claim 5, further comprising: a push button element exposed for manual engagement by a user to open said dispensing valve, said push button element being frictionally held by said resilient actuator. 13. The dispensing valve of claim 12, said push button element further comprising a generally planar disc having a top surface and a bottom surface, an engagement pin extending outward from said bottom surface, and a ring surrounding a portion of said engagement pin adjacent said bottom surface and defining a ledge generally parallel to said bottom surface. 14. The dispensing valve of claim 13, said pin being fractionally held within an opening in a top surface of said resilient actuator, and said ledge abutting said top surface of said resilient actuator adjacent said opening. 15. The dispensing valve of claim 12, said push button element further comprising a tamper indicating ring circumscribing said push button element and detachably affixed thereto. 16. The dispensing valve of claim 15, said tamper indicating ring comprising an outer vertical wall, a top wall, a bottom wall, and an inner vertical wall, and a plurality of tabs on said inner vertical wall having a weakened portion detachably holding said push button element. 17. The dispensing valve of claim 16, said plurality of tabs detachably holding a top surface of said push button in a vertical position below said top wall of said tamper indicating ring. 18. A dispensing valve for fluids comprising: a valve body having an inlet and a discharge outlet; a valve port wall intermediate said inlet and said discharge outlet, said valve port wall having a plurality of valve ports extending therethrough and defining a valve seal seat surrounding said valve ports; and a resilient valve seal operatively engaged with said valve body and moveable from a closed position in which said valve seal occludes said valve port to an open position in which said valve seal does not occlude said valve port, said valve seal seat supporting said valve seal against buckling under the influence of fluid pressure applied at said inlet when said valve seal is in said closed position. 19. The dispensing valve of claim 18, further comprising a resilient actuator operatively connected to said resilient valve seal and operatively engaging said valve body so that said resilient actuator exerts a closing force on said resilient valve seal biasing said resilient valve seal towards said closed position, said resilient actuator exhibiting a nonlinear relationship between said closing force and displacement of said resilient valve seal from said closed position. 20. The dispensing valve of claim 19 wherein said resilient actuator is configured such that said nonlinear relationship causes said closing force to decrease upon displacement of said resilient valve seal to said open position from an intermediate position between said open position and said closed position. 21. The dispensing valve of claim 20, wherein said resilient actuator is further configured such that at least some closing force is exerted on said resilient valve seal when said resilient valve seal is in said open position, said closed position, and any position therebetween. 22. The dispensing valve of claim 20, wherein said resilient actuator is further configured such that said closing force increases upon displacement of said resilient valve seal from said closed position to said intermediate position. 23. The dispensing valve of claim 19, further comprising: a plunger member reciprocally mounted within said valve body and having an outer end and an inner end, said outer end being attached to said resilient actuator, and said inner end being attached to said resilient valve seal. 24. The dispensing valve of claim 23, further comprising: means for arresting opening movement of said plunger member and said resilient valve seal when said plunger member and said resilient valve seal reach said open position. 25. The dispensing valve of claim 23, further comprising: a stop element on said plunger member and a stop element on said valve body, said stop elements engaging one another so as to arrest opening movement of said plunger member and said resilient valve seal when said plunger member and said resilient valve seal reach said open position. 26. The dispensing valve of claim 23, wherein said resilient actuator is formed integrally with said plunger member. 27. The dispensing valve of claim 23, wherein said outer end of said plunger member is exposed for manual engagement by a user to open said dispensing valve, and said resilient actuator forms at least part of a push button for manual engagement by the user. 28. The dispensing valve of claim 27, wherein said valve body has an actuation end remote from said inlet and an actuator opening at said actuation end, said push button substantially occluding said actuator opening. 29. The dispensing valve of claim 23, said resilient actuator further comprising a generally conical form having a central portion connected to said plunger member and a peripheral portion engaged with said valve body. 30. The dispensing valve of claim 23, further comprising: a push button element exposed for manual engagement by a user to open said dispensing valve, said push button element being fractionally held by said resilient actuator. 31. The dispensing valve of claim 30, said push button element further comprising a generally planar disc having a top surface and a bottom surface, an engagement pin extending outward from said bottom surface, and a ring surrounding a portion of said engagement pin adjacent said bottom surface and defining a ledge generally parallel to said bottom surface. 32. The dispensing valve of claim 31, said pin being fractionally held within an opening in a top surface of said resilient actuator, and said ledge abutting said top surface of said resilient actuator adjacent said opening. 33. The dispensing valve of claim 30, said push button element further comprising a tamper indicating ring circumscribing said push button element and detachably affixed thereto. 34. The dispensing valve of claim 33, said tamper indicating ring comprising an outer vertical wall, a top wall, a bottom wall, and an inner vertical wall, and a plurality of tabs on said inner vertical wall having a weakened portion detachably holding said push button element. 35. The dispensing valve of claim 34, said plurality of tabs detachably holding a top surface of said push button in a vertical position below said top wall of said tamper indicating ring. 36. A dispensing valve for fluids comprising: a valve body having an inlet and a discharge outlet; a valve port intermediate said inlet and said discharge