Patent Publication Number: US-2023150734-A1

Title: Fluid Dispensing Closure Device for a Fluid Container

Description:
This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 63/278,831, filed Nov. 12, 2021. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a closure device for capping the opening in the neck of a fluid container, for example a bottle having a neck that is externally threaded, and more particularly the present invention relates to a closure device having a valve member incorporated therein for operation between an open position for dispensing fluid from the fluid container therethrough and a closed position for containing fluid under pressure within the fluid container. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Carbonated beverages are commonly sold in bottles that have a neck that is externally threaded to receive a cap that closes the top opening in the neck of a bottle to contain the liquid beverage within the bottle. The liquid beverage is initially packaged within the bottle under considerable gas pressure within the headspace in the bottle as to maintain carbonation of the liquid beverage in the bottle. Larger bottles typically have sufficient volume to contain several serving portions of the carbonated liquid beverage therein; however, upon initially removing the cap to serve the first portion, the gas pressure within the headspace is lost, so that even if the cap is replaced, the liquid beverage tends to quickly lose carbonation during subsequent storage of the remaining serving portions. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 8,231,032 by Puma discloses various embodiments of a replacement cap for closing the opening at the neck of the bottle which permit the liquid beverage to be dispensed through the cap without fully removing the cap from the bottle. This allows the cap to be opened and closed while the bottle remains in an inverted orientation so that the pressurized headspace can be maintained within the bottle, which in turn assists in maintaining carbonation of any remaining unserved portions of the liquid beverage stored within the bottle. In each instance, the threaded connection of the cap to the bottle must be loosened to open the cap sufficiently to dispense the beverage; however, the pressurized contents of the bottle force some of the liquid beverage into the threaded connection between the cap and the bottle while dispensing. The leftover beverage within the threaded connection after dispensing a serving portion of the liquid beverage can interfere with subsequent ease of opening and closing of the cap such that the cap becomes more difficult to open with each subsequent use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a fluid dispensing closure device for a fluid container including a neck defining an opening at a top of the neck and external threads on the neck, the device comprising: 
     an outer member including (i) a collar portion having an inner diameter sized to receive the neck of the fluid container therein and defining internal threads thereon so as to be arranged to be threaded onto the external threads on the neck of the fluid container, (ii) an inner sleeve disposed within the collar portion and having an outer diameter sized to be received within the opening in the neck of the fluid container, the inner sleeve defining a fluid passage through the outer member in an axial direction of the inner sleeve, and (iii) an annular surface extending radially between a top end of the inner sleeve and the collar portion so as to be arranged to form a seal against a top end of the neck of the fluid container about the opening of the fluid container; 
     a valve member supported on the inner sleeve so as to be movable relative to the inner sleeve in the axial direction of the inner sleeve between a closed position in which a valve body portion of the valve member is seated on a valve seat on the inner sleeve to block fluid flow through the fluid passage of the inner sleeve and an open position in which the valve body portion of the valve member is displaced in the axial direction from the valve seat to allow fluid flow through the fluid passage; 
     an actuator member rotatably supported on the outer member and including (i) an external portion that is externally accessible on the collar portion of the outer member and (ii) an internal portion in operative connection with the valve member such that rotation of the actuator member drives axial displacement of the valve member between the open position and the closed position thereof. 
     The operation of the valve member relative to a separate outer member that remains tightly threaded onto the fluid container while operating in either the open or closed positions of the closure device prevents any liquid from entering into the threaded connection to the fluid container. Furthermore, the externally accessible actuator member operatively connected to the valve member allows operation of the internal valve member between open and closed positions in a compact arrangement that fits approximately within the dimensions of convention caps for closing beverage containers. 
     The valve arrangement can be further applied to a variety of liquid containers including bottles, jugs or other suitable containers for containing liquids to provide optimal control over dispensing of the liquid with minimum spillage. 
     The actuator member may be restricted from moving in the axial direction as the valve member is displaced between the open position and the closed position. 
     The inner sleeve of the outer member preferably mates non-rotatably with one of the valve member and the actuator member such that relative movement between the outer member and said one of the valve member and the actuator member is restricted to translating movement in the axial direction. In the illustrated embodiment, the valve member mates non-rotatably with the outer member such that the valve member is restricted to translation movement relative to the outer member between the open and closed positions of the valve member. 
     The actuator member may be operatively connected to the valve member by a threaded connection. 
     Preferably the valve seat is an annular surface at a bottom end of the inner sleeve of the outer member and the valve body portion of the valve member spans across the bottom end of the inner sleeve in the closed position. In this instance, a first one of the valve seat and the valve body portion may support an annular flange projecting therefrom in the axial direction while a second one of the valve seat and the valve body portion may have an annular groove formed thereon, in which the annular flange is received within the annular groove in the closed position of the valve member. 
     The valve member may include a tubular body portion received within the inner sleeve of the outer member, in which the tubular body portion has an outer diameter which is similar to an inner diameter of the inner sleeve. In this instance, the internal portion of the actuator member may comprise a tubular body received within the tubular body portion of the valve member, in which the internal portion of the outer member has an outer diameter which is similar to an inner diameter of the tubular body portion of the valve member. 
     The device may further include a sealing interface between the actuator member and the outer member which maintains a pressurized seal between the actuator member and the outer member as the valve member is displaced between the open and closed positions. 
     The internal portion of the actuator member may comprise a tubular body received within the fluid passage of the outer member, while the external portion of the actuator member may comprise an annular flange extending across a top end of the collar portion of the outer member. In this instance, the annular flange may terminate at an outer perimeter edge having an outer diameter which is approximately equal to an outer diameter of the collar portion of the outer member. When the annular flange terminates at an outer perimeter edge, the outer perimeter edge may be knurled. 
     The collar portion of the outer member may include an annular groove defining a downwardly facing, annular shoulder surface on the collar portion that is perpendicular to the axial direction, while the external portion of the actuator member may include an undercut area locating a catch therein that engages the shoulder surface on the collar portion that prevents the actuator member from being displaced in the axial direction relative to the outer member. 
     Preferably the outer member, the valve member, and the actuator member each consist of polyethylene terephthalate material. In this manner, the material of the closure device and the material of a typical bottle upon which the closure device is mounted are formed of the same material to simplify the recycling of the bottle and closure device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       One embodiment of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of the closure device supported on a carbonated beverage bottle in which the device is shown in a closed position; 
         FIG.  2    is a perspective view of the closure device supported on the bottle in an inverted orientation for dispensing in which the device is shown in an open position; 
         FIG.  3    is an exploded perspective view of the closure device viewed from below; 
         FIG.  4    is another exploded perspective view of the closure device viewed from above; 
         FIG.  5    is a perspective view of the closure device separated from the bottle, in an inverted orientation with the valve member in an open position; 
         FIG.  6    is a partly sectional view of the closure device along the line  6 - 6  in  FIG.  5   ; 
         FIG.  7    is a sectional view of the closure device generally along the line  7 - 7  in  FIG.  5   ; and 
         FIG.  8    is a sectional view of the closure device similar to  FIG.  7   , but with the closure device shown in a closed position supported on the bottle. 
     
    
    
     In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to the accompanying figures, there is illustrated a fluid dispensing closure device generally indicated by reference numeral  10 . The device  10  is particularly suited for use with a fluid container, for example a beverage bottle  12  or other suitable liquid containing vessel including a neck  14  extending upwardly to a top opening  16  from which contents of the container can be dispensed. More particularly, the neck  14  includes a cylindrical upper portion which is externally threaded to receive a conventional closure device in the form of a bottle cap thereon. 
     The closure device  10  is particularly suited for closing the top opening  16  on the neck of a bottle  12  containing a pressurized liquid beverage therein. The closure device  10  is operable between an open position for dispensing the liquid therethrough and a closed position for containing pressure within the bottle  12 . When the bottle is inverted prior to opening of the closure device  10 , any gas pressure within the bottle can be maintained at the top end of the inverted bottle while the liquid beverage is dispensed through the opened closure device at the bottom end of the inverted bottle. 
     The closure device  10  is also well-suited for use with a variety of other liquid container for example plastic, metal, or glass jugs or bottles capable of containing various liquids therein including household products, automotive fluids and the like. In each instance, when the container is provided with a neck which is threaded, the closure device  10  can be sized for threading onto the neck while being similarly operable between closed and open positions for selectively dispensing the liquid from the container. 
     In the preferred embodiments, the closure device  10  generally includes (i) an outer member  18  arranged to be threaded onto the neck of the bottle and defining a fluid passage through which the contents of the bottle can be dispensed, (ii) a valve member  20  which is operable relative to the fluid passage defined in the outer member  18  between opened and closed positions, and (iii) an actuator member  22  which is supported to be externally accessible on the outer member  18  while being operatively connected to the valve member  20  for opening and closing the valve member relative to the fluid passage. Each of the outer member  18 , the valve member  20 , and the actuator member  22  may be formed as a single unitary piece of material, or may be formed as an assembly of two or more pieces joined together to collectively define the overall function of the member as described herein. 
     Throughout the following description, the top end of the closure device  10  is generally understood to refer to the uppermost portion of the closure device when supported at the top end of a bottle in a normal orientation is illustrated in  FIG.  1    or the lowermost portion of the closure device when supported on the neck of a bottle in an inverted orientation according to  FIG.  2   . In use, the closure device is typically only opened once the bottle has been displaced into the inverted position of  FIG.  2    so that any gas contained under pressure within the bottle remains contained at the uppermost portion of the bottle while the liquid contents of the bottle can be dispensed through the closure device  10  at the lowermost portion of the inverted bottle. 
     The outer member  18  is generally comprised of two separate components including a collar portion  24  arranged for threading onto the neck of the bottle and an inner sleeve  26  that extends into the bottle to define the fluid passage of the closure device through which the liquid contents of the bottle are dispensed. These two components may be formed separately according to the illustrated embodiment or as a single unitary body according to further embodiments. 
     The inner sleeve  26  generally includes a tubular main body  28  having an outer diameter which closely fits within the inner diameter of the opening in the neck of the bottle. The fluid passage is partly defined by the interior surface of the tubular main body extending in an axial direction through the outer member from the bottom end to the top end of the device. A valve seat  30  is defined at the bottom end of the tubular main body  28  as an annular in the face oriented perpendicularly to the axial direction of the sleeve. The valve seat  30  further includes an annular sealing flange  32  supported on the end face at the bottom of the tubular main body. The annular sealing flange is generally cylindrical in shape so as to project axially outward from the bottom end face of the main body for cooperation with an annular groove  34  of the valve member  20  as described in further detail below. 
     The inner sleeve further includes a radial flange  36  mounted on the top end thereof to extend radially outward from the tubular main body about the full circumference thereof. The radial flange  36  further supports a depending flange  38  which is cylindrical in shape and which extends downward from the outer perimeter edge of the radial flange at a location spaced radially outward from the cylindrical outer surface of the tubular main body  28 . The radial flange  36  and the depending flange  38 , together with an upper end of the tubular main body  28  collectively define a U-shaped channel  40  beneath the radial flange  36  at the top end of the inner sleeve which snugly receives the top end portion of the neck of the bottle inserted therein when the closure device is mounted onto the neck of the bottle. More particularly, the inner surface of the channel  40  below the radial flange  36  defines an annular surface  42  which is perpendicular to the axial direction of the sleeve for abutment against the annular end face of the neck of the bottle about the top opening of the bottle. 
     An optional gasket may be received within the channel  40  to enhance the sealing interface between the annular surface  42  of the inner sleeve  26  and the open top end of the bottle upon which the closure device is mounted. 
     The collar portion  24  of the outer member  18  comprises a collar having an interior diameter which fits around the outer diameter of the neck of the bottle and which includes internal threads  44  formed thereon for mating with the corresponding external threads about the neck of the bottle. The collar portion  24  receives the tubular main body  28  of the inner sleeve concentrically therein such that there is a resulting radial gap between the inner surface of the collar portion  24  and the outer surface of the tubular main body  28  of the inner sleeve  26  of suitable size to receive the wall thickness of the neck of the bottle therein in a mounted position of the closure device on the bottle. 
     An upper portion  46  is provided above the main body of the collar portion  24  to extend radially inward from the top end of the collar portion directly above the radial flange  36  of the inner sleeve. In this manner, tightening the threads of the collar portion onto the neck of the bottle causes the upper portion  46  of the outer member to be engaged upon the radial flange  36  of the inner sleeve  26  in a manner that tightly engages the annular surface  42  in sealing engagement against the top end of the bottle. The upper portion  46  extends inward from the top end of the collar portion above the radial flange  36  of the inner sleeve to a central opening  48  having a cylindrical inner surface with an interior diameter which is approximately equal to the inner diameter of the fluid passage extending through the tubular main body  28  of the inner sleeve directly therebelow. 
     The outer diameter of the upper portion  46  is reduced relative to the main body of the collar portion  24  below to provide a recessed area that receives part of the actuator member  22  therein as described in further detail below. The exterior surface of the upper portion  46  which is stepped radially inward relative to the collar portion  24  below further locates an annular groove  50  therein such that an upper boundary of the annular groove defines a shoulder surface  52  which is perpendicular to the axial direction and which faces downwardly towards the bottom of the bottle so as to be suitable for retaining a portion of the actuator member thereon to prevent axial displacement of the actuator member  22  relative to the outer member  18  while permitting relative rotation therebetween as further described below. 
     The valve member  20  includes a tubular body portion  54  which is received inside the inner sleeve  26  of the outer member within the neck of the bottle. The outer diameter of the tubular body portion  54  is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the inner sleeve so as to allow some relative movement between the valve member and the inner sleeve of the outer member. A set of four keys  56  are provided externally on the tubular body portion  54  to be received within a corresponding set of four keyways  58  recessed into the inner surface of the inner sleeve  26  of the outer member. 
     More particularly, each of the keys  56  is a radially protruding rib which extends in the axial direction of the sleeve at evenly spaced apart positions in the circumferential direction relative to the other keys  56 . Likewise, each of the four keyways  58  is a groove which extends in the axial direction of the sleeve at evenly spaced apart positions in the circumferential direction relative to the other keyways  58 . The profile of each keyway is substantially identical to the profile of the corresponding key  56  received therein. The interaction between the keys  56  and the keyways  58  allow longitudinal sliding movement in the axial direction of the sleeve between the valve member  20  and the inner sleeve  26  of the outer member  18  while coupling the valve member and the outer member non-rotatably relative to one another. 
     The valve member  20  further includes a valve body  60  supported at the bottom end of the tubular body portion  54  at a location spaced below the bottom end of the tubular body portion by a set of four axially extending legs  62  connected between the bottom end of the tubular body portion and the valve body  60  at evenly spaced apart positions in the circumferential direction. In this manner an annular discharge area is formed between the valve body  60  below and the tubular body portion  54  above, in which the annular discharge area is collectively defined by a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart discharge openings  63  between respective pairs of the legs  62 . In the open position, the bottom end of the tubular body portion  54  the valve member is located approximately adjacent to the bottom end of the inner sleeve  26  such that the annular discharge area formed by the plurality of discharge openings  63  is located fully below and unobstructed by the tubular body portion. To close the valve member, the valve member is displaced in the axial direction for translating movement relative to the inner sleeve  26  of the outer member, upwardly until the valve body  60  is abutted against the valve seat  30  at the bottom end of the inner sleeve corresponding to the fully closed position. 
     The valve body  60  generally comprises a circular plate having a diameter which is slightly greater than the diameter of the tubular body portion and which is substantially identical to the outer diameter of the inner sleeve  26  of the outer member. In this manner, a peripheral edge portion of the valve body  60  defines a flange  64  protruding radially outward from the tubular body portion  54  at the bottom end thereof about the full circumference of the valve member. The protruding flange portion  64  of the valve body locates the annular groove  34  at the top side of the flange facing the bottom end of the inner sleeve where the annular sealing flange  32  is located. Accordingly, when the valve member is displaced into the closed position, the annular sealing flange  62  on the valve seat is snugly received into the annular groove  34  about the periphery of the valve body to ensure a sealing interface which is sealed against the pressurized fluid in the bottle in the closed position. 
     An optional gasket may be incorporated into the annular groove  34  to improve the pressurized seal between the valve body and the bottom end of the inner sleeve. 
     The tubular body portion  54  of the valve member further includes a helical groove  66  formed in the cylindrical inner surface of the tubular body portion. The helical groove  66  defines internal threads on the valve member for cooperation with the actuator member  22  as described in further detail below. 
     The actuator member  22  is rotatably supported relative to the collar portion  24  and inner sleeve  26  of the outer member  18 . The actuator member includes an internal portion  68  extending downwardly into the fluid passage of the closure device to be operatively connected to the valve member and an external portion  70  supported externally on the top end of the collar portion  24  of the outer member  18  so as to be externally accessible by an operator for operating the valve member between the open and closed positions thereof. 
     The internal portion  68  of the actuator member comprises a tubular body having an outer diameter which is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the tubular body portion  54  of the valve member within which it is received. An external thread  72  is formed on the exterior surface of the tubular body of the internal portion in the form of a protruding rib extending helically about the tubular body to form a mating connection with the corresponding helical groove  66  in the inner surface of the tubular body portion  54  of the valve member. Due to the threaded connection formed between the actuator member and the valve member, rotating the actuator member while the actuator member remains fixed in place in the axial direction relative to the valve seat on the inner sleeve of the outer member, causes the valve member to be displaced in the axial direction between the open and closed positions thereof depending upon the direction of rotation of the actuator member. 
     The external portion  70  of the actuator member comprises an annular flange  74  extending radially outward from the top end of the tubular body of the internal portion  68  to an outer perimeter edge  76  of the external portion  70 . The outer diameter at the perimeter edge  76  is approximately equal to or slightly greater than the outer diameter of the collar portion  64  of the outer member below. The perimeter edge  76  is knurled to provide a gripping texture for ease of driving rotational movement of the actuator member relative to the outer member  18  in operation. 
     An undercut area  78  is formed under the annular flange  74  which receives the upper portion  46  of the outer member  18  therein in a mounted position of the actuator member on the outer member  18 . A retainer flange  80  extends radially inward from the outer boundary of the undercut area  78  to define a catch surface thereon which is perpendicular to the axial direction and which faces upwardly to be suitable for being retained against the shoulder surface  52  on the upper portion  46  of the outer member  18 . The vertical dimension between the catch surface on the retainer flange  80  and the uppermost boundary of the undercut area  78  is approximately equal to the vertical distance between the top end of the upper portion  46  and the shoulder surface  52  of the outer member so that the actuator member is restricted in both directions in the axial direction relative to the outer member while the actuator member remains rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the closure device relative to the outer member. A bottom face of the retainer flange  80  is sloped upwardly and inwardly towards the inner edge of the retainer flange, while the corresponding surface of the upper portion  46  immediately above the shoulder surface  52  is similarly sloped so that the actuator member can be assembled onto the outer member by pressing the external portion  70  of the actuator member downwardly over top of the upper portion  46  of the outer member  18 . The sloped surfaces guide the catch surface on the actuator member outwardly by resilient deformation past the outer boundary of the shoulder surface  52  such that upon the catch surface being located below the shoulder surface, the catch surface returns into an interfering relationship with the shoulder member to be retained upon the shoulder member in a snap fit arrangement. 
     A small gap is provided in the axial direction between the bottom of the annular flange  74  of the actuator member and the top of the collar portion  24  of the outer member below. A first stop  82  is mounted to protrude axially upward from the top of the collar portion  24  within the gap while a second stop  84  is mounted on the bottom of the retainer flange  80  to extend downwardly toward the collar portion also within the gap. The pitch of the threaded connection between the actuator member and the valve member is arranged such that a single near complete rotation of the actuator member causes the valve member to be fully displaced in the axial direction from the closed position to the open position, and a near complete rotation in the opposing direction returns the valve member from the open position to the closed position. The first stop  82  is abutted against a first side of the second stop  84  to prevent further rotation in one direction beyond the open position. Likewise, the first stop  82  is abutted against an opposing second side of the second stop  84  to prevent further rotation in the opposing direction beyond the closed position to prevent damage to the threaded connection by over rotation. 
     The design of the closure device described above further enables the entirety of the outer member, the valve member, and the actuator member to be formed of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) material. This enables the closure device and commonly available PET bottles (upon which the closure device is typically mounted) to be recycled in a common recycling stream, facilitating recycling in a cost effectively manner and reducing environmental levies where applicable. 
     Since various modifications can be made in the invention as herein above described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.