Patent Abstract:
A screw-on throat plug assembly for use in a closed loop dispensing system. The throat plug assembly also includes a mechanical venting assembly which ensures that sufficient air may enter the interior of the container as liquid is being drawn from the container. The mechanical venting assembly of this invention ensures that the vent openings associated therewith will not become plugged with debris.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a screw-on throat plug assembly for use in a closed loop dispensing system or other types of dispensing systems and more particularly to a dispensing system for dispensing corrosive liquid chemicals or dangerous medical liquid products which are typically drawn from a container such as a bottle or the like to a mixing machine or the like. Even more particularly, this invention relates to a closed loop dispensing system including a mechanical venting means for a throat plug assembly which is screwed onto the throat of a liquid container. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Corrosive liquid chemicals and dangerous medical liquid products are typically contained in a container such as a bottle or the like and are frequently dispensed therefrom to a mixing machine. Normally, a cap is placed on the bottle with a dip tube extending therefrom downwardly into the interior of the bottle for drawing the liquid upwardly thereinto. Normally, a dispensing tube extends from the cap to a mixing machine or to some other piece of equipment which creates suction in the dispensing tube to draw the liquid from the interior of the bottle. 
     Applicant has previously patented many closed loop dispensing systems with improved safety means and with improved venting. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,988,456; 6,142,345; 6,968,983; and 8,083,107, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference thereto to complete the disclosure, if necessary. 
     In Applicant&#39;s earlier U.S. Pat. No. 8,083,107 and in Applicant&#39;s other U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,968,983; 6,142,345; and 5,988,456, the throat plug assemblies thereof were press-fitted into the throats of the container. Although Applicant&#39;s earlier throat plug assemblies have met with considerable success, it has been found that the ability to threadably screw the throat plug assembly onto the externally threaded throat of the container is a distinct improvement over the throat plugs which were press-fitted into the throats of the containers. One disadvantage of the prior art throat plug assemblies is that the throat plug assemblies must be driven or forced downwardly into the throat of the container. Another disadvantage of the prior art throat plug assemblies is that it is difficult to remove the press-fitted throat plug assemblies from the throat of the container once the liquid therein has been dispensed from the container so that the container may be refitted and used again. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key aspects or essential aspects of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, this Summary is not intended for use as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
     This invention relates to a dispensing system for use with a container, such as a bottle or the like, having a hollow throat extending upwardly therefrom which has exterior and interior surfaces with the exterior surface of the throat having threads formed thereon. A throat plug assembly, having upper and lower ends, is positioned in the throat of the container and is threadably secured to the threads on the exterior surface of the throat of the container. The throat plug assembly of this invention, except for being threadably secured to the throat of the container, is similar to the throat plugs of Applicant&#39;s earlier U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,988,456; 6,142,345; 6,968,983 and especially U.S. Pat. No. 8,083,107 which includes a mechanical valve and venting assembly which is incorporated into the throat plug assembly of this invention. 
     A screw-on throat plug assembly of this invention is provided for use with a liquid container, having upper and lower ends, and a hollow throat extending upwardly therefrom at the upper end thereof which has an exterior outer threaded surface. 
     A throat plug assembly is positioned in the hollow throat of the container which is threadably secured to the threaded exterior surface of the hollow throat of the container. The throat plug assembly has upper and lower ends. The throat plug assembly includes a vertically disposed hollow valve body which has upper and lower ends. The lower end of the valve body has a hollow dip tube support extending downwardly therefrom. A dip tube is in communication with the dip tube support and the interior of a liquid container. The upper end of the hollow valve body is closed. The hollow valve body has at least one opening formed therein below the upper end thereof. A mechanical valve is movably mounted on the valve body and is movable between upper and lower positions with respect to the valve body. The mechanical valve, when in the upper position, closes the opening formed in the hollow valve body below the upper end thereof. The mechanical valve, when in the lower position, is positioned below the opening formed in the valve body. A spring means is associated with the throat plug assembly which yieldably maintains the mechanical valve in its upper position. 
     Rather than the throat plug assembly being press-fitted into the throat of the container, the throat plug assembly is threadably secured to the exterior threads of the throat of the container. The throat plug assembly is normally closed but will be opened when a connector cap or the like is secured thereto which causes the downward movement of the valve of the throat plug assembly to permit liquid to pass outwardly through the opening in the upper end of the valve body. 
     When the bottle and the throat plug assembly is being shipped, the upper end of the throat plug assembly is closed by a selectively removable lid or cover. 
     The fact that the throat plug assembly is selectively removably secured to the exterior threads of the container eliminates the need for press-fitting a throat plug assembly into the throat of the container. 
     It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a screw-on throat plug assembly for use in a closed loop dispensing system or other types of dispensing systems. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a screw-on throat plug assembly for use with a container having liquid chemicals therein. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a screw-on throat plug assembly which is easily secured to a container and which is easily removed from the container. 
     These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the following figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views unless otherwise specified. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating the screw-on throat plug assembly of this invention attached to a liquid container with the liquid container being partially shown; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view illustrating the screw-on throat plug assembly of this invention attached to a liquid container with the liquid container being partially shown; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the throat plug assembly of this invention, with the liquid container to which it will be attached, being partially shown; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded side view of the throat plug assembly of this invention, with the liquid container to which it will be attached, being partially shown; 
         FIG. 5  is a top view of the throat plug assembly of this invention, with the liquid container to which it will be attached, being partially shown; 
         FIG. 6  is a bottom view of the throat plug assembly of this invention, with the liquid container to which it will be attached, being partially shown; 
         FIG. 7  is a sectional view of the throat plug assembly of this invention, with the liquid container to which it will be attached, being partially shown; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective sectional view of the throat plug assembly of this invention, with the liquid container to which it will be attached, being partially shown; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view illustrating the shipping lid mounted on the screw-on throat plug assembly of this invention with the container being partially shown; and 
         FIG. 10  is an exploded perspective view illustrating the manner in which shipping lid may be secured to the screw-on throat plug assembly when the connector cap is disconnected from the container and vice versa. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Embodiments are described more fully below with reference to the accompanying figures, which form a part hereof and show, by way of illustration, specific exemplary embodiments. These embodiments are disclosed in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. However, embodiments may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense in that the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims. 
     The numeral  10  refers to the throat plug assembly of this invention which is threadably secured onto the external threads  12  of the throat  14  of a liquid container  16 . In the drawings, the container  16  is only partially shown. The numeral  18  refers to a shipping lid or cover which will be threadably secured to the throat plug assembly  10  to enable the container  16  to be shipped with the throat plug assembly  10  screwed onto the throat  14  of the container  16 , as will be described in more detail hereinafter. 
     The numeral  20  refers to a connector cap which will be used during the time that liquid is being drawn from the container  16  as will be described in more detail hereinafter. The connector cap  20  may have a tube support  22  centrally positioned therein and held therein by a member  23  threadably secured thereto as seen in  FIG. 7 , or an internally threaded cylindrical or tubular member, each of which have an upper end  24  and a lower end  26 . If the cylindrical member is used, it will be normally molded with the cap  20 . In either case, the tube support  22  or cylindrical member will have a central opening  28  formed therein. Cap  20  has an upper end  30  and an enlarged lower end  32  which has internal threads  34 . 
     Throat plug assembly  10  includes a screw-on cap  42  having an outer wall  44 , with inner and outer surfaces, a top wall  46 , an inner wall  48  extending downwardly from top wall  46 , a horizontally disposed wall portion  50  extending inwardly from inner wall  48 , and an upstanding wall  52  having an externally threaded portion  54 . A horizontally disposed and ring-shaped wall  58  extends inwardly from wall portion  52  which has a central opening  60  formed therein. The inner side of outer wall  44  has threads  62  formed therein. The inner side of the lower end of wall  52  has threads  64  formed thereon. 
     The numeral  66  refers to a valve body support including an upstanding, ring-shaped and horizontally disposed wall  68  which has an upstanding wall  70  extending upwardly therefrom at the periphery thereof. Wall portion  70  has an externally threaded portion  72  at the lower end thereof. Wall  68  has a plurality of vent openings  74  formed therein, as seen in the drawings. A vertically disposed and hollow valve body  76  is positioned in the center of wall  68  and has a closed upper end  78 . One or more openings  80  are formed in the upper side wall of valve body  76  below the closed upper end  78  thereof. The lower end of valve body  76  forms a dip tube support  82 . 
     The numeral  84  refers to a mechanical valve and vent assembly. Assembly  84  includes a horizontally disposed disc  86  having a vertically disposed tubular valve  88  having an upper end  90  disposed above disc  86  and a lower end  92  disposed below disc  86 . A plurality of vent pins  94  are secured to the under side of disc  86  and extend downwardly therefrom for reception in the vent openings  74  as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,683,107. Valve  88  slidably embraces the upper end of valve body  76  and is movable between an upper position and a lower position. In its upper position, the upper end of valve  88  closes the openings  80  in valve body  76 . In its lower position, the upper end  90  of valve  88  is positioned below openings  80 . A plastic spring  96  has its lower end positioned on the upper side of wall  78  and has its upper end embracing lower end  92  so as to engage the underside of disc  86  to yieldably urge the valve  88  to its upper position. 
     In use, when the container  16  is being shipped from its place of manufacture to a distributor or user, the shipping cap or lid  18  will be threadably secured to the upper end of the throat plug assembly  10 . 
     When the container  16  is desired to be placed in operation, the shipping lid  18  is removed therefrom and the screw-on cap  42  is threadably secured to the external threads  12  of the container  16 . The connector cap  20  is then threadably secured to cap  42 . The connector cap  20  will be in communication with a mixing machine, etc. which creates suction in valve body  76  so that liquid in the container is drawn upwardly through the throat plug assembly as in the above-identified patents. As the connector cap  20  is threadably tightened onto the threads  12  of the container  16 , valve  88  will be moved downwardly with respect to valve body  76  to expose the opening or openings  80  so that liquid may pass therethrough and outwardly through the cap to the mixing machine or other device. The above-identified patents of Applicant are incorporated herein by reference thereto to complete this disclosure if necessary. 
     Although the invention has been described in language that is specific to certain structures and methodological steps, it is to be understood that the invention defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific structures and/or steps described. Rather, the specific aspects and steps are described as forms of implementing the claimed invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be practiced without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1