AU5069002A - A tap - Google Patents

Description

S&FRef: 602458

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name and Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: N.J. Phillips Pty. Limited 44 Gindurra Road Somersby New South Wales 2250 Australia Glenn Walter Bunyan Spruson Ferguson St Martins Tower,Level 31 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 (CCN 3710000177) A Tap ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL APPLICATION DETAILS [33] Country [31] Applic. No(s) AU PR8041 [32] Application Date 02 Oct 2001 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5815c 1 A TAP Technical Field The present invention relates to taps to be mounted in a liquid container and operable to drain liquid therefrom.

s Background of the Invention Various liquids, including pharmaceutical and other chemicals are packed in containers such as boxes and drums. In some instances, the containers are provided with a thin membrane which covers a dispensing port. In order to dispense the contents from within the container the membrane must be broken, pierced or cut or otherwise removed.

Preferably, there should be no leakage or loss while the contents are being accessed or dispensed.

Still further, when the membrane is cut it should not block the dispensing port or inlet of the tap.

Object of the Invention It is the object of the present invention to provide a tap which at least meet some of the above requirements of taps to dispense liquids from containers such as drums and boxes.

Summary of the Invention There is disclosed herein a tap to be mounted in a container to take liquid therefrom, the container having an outlet port within which the tap is mounted, and a diaphragm closing the port, said tap including: a body having a passage through which the liquid passes from an inlet to an outlet, and a mounting portion to be received in the outlet port, said mounting portion having said inlet opening; a movable valve member mounted in the body and associated with the passage to selectively close the passage upon manipulation of the valve member by a user; and wherein said body has at least one blade member protruding from the mounting portion adjacent said inlet so that upon rotation of the mounting portion the blade member removes a portion of said diaphragm and displaces the diaphragm portion from said inlet to thereby permit the flow of said liquid.

Preferably, said valve member has a passage which is selectively connected to said outlet to receive liquid therefrom to drain liquid from within the container.

[R:\LIBTT]02913.doc:tyb:caa Preferably, said valve member is mounted in said body for angular movement between an open position and a closed position with respect to said outlet.

Preferably, the passage in said body and the passage in said valve member are generally perpendicular.

s Brief Description of the Drawings A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic section side elevation of a container outlet port and a tap to be mounted therein; Figures 2 to 4 are schematic section side elevations of the tap of Figure 1 in various operative positions; Figure 5 is a schematic top plan view of the tap of Figure 1; and Figure 6 is a schematic end elevation of the tap of Figure 1.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments In the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted a tap 10 to be associated with a container 11 having an outlet port 12. The container 11 has a wall 13 from which the outlet port 12 extends. The outlet port 12 includes a generally annular flange 14 that has internal threads 15. The outlet port 12 is closed by means of a diaphragm 16 which may be formed of plastics or foil material.

The tap 10 includes a body 17 provided with a passage 18. The passage 18 at one end includes branch passages 19 extending to inlet openings 20. The other end of the passage 18 extends to an outlet opening 21. Located within the passage 18 is a filter 35 if so required.

Rotatably mounted in the body 17 is a movable valve member 22 having flanges 23 that are gripped by a user to cause rotation of the valve member 22. The valve member 22 is hollow so as to have a passage 24 extending from a valve inlet opening 25 to a valve outlet opening 26. The valve inlet opening 25 is selectively alignable with the outlet opening 21 to permit the flow of liquid through the tap 10 from the container 11. When the valve member 22 is in the position shown in Figure 2 liquid is permitted to flow.

However, when the valve member 22 is angularly rotated to the position shown in Figure 4, flow will gradually diminish until flow is prevented. Preferably, the passage 24 is generally perpendicular to the passage 18. The valve member 22 moves about the longitudinal axis of the passage 24.

[R:\LLBTT02913.doc:tyb:caa The leading end of the body 17 is provided with a mounting portion 27 having threads 28 which are to threadably engage the internal threads 15. An 'O-ring' seal 29 is positioned to engage the flange 14 when the mounting portion 27 is secured within the outlet port 12 to sealing connect the tap 10 to the container 11.

The body 17 further includes a cutting member 30 threadably mounted within the mounting portion 27. The member 30 includes a plurality of blades or teeth 31 projecting forward of the mounting portion 27 and located adjacent inlet openings When the tap 10 is to be mounted in the container 11, the mounting portion 27 is threadably engaged with the flange 14 by rotation about the longitudinal axis of the 1o passage 18. As the blades 31 advance toward the diaphragm 16 they are also rotating.

Accordingly, when the blades 31 engage the diaphragm 16 they remove a portion 32 thereof and displace that portion 32 from the inlet openings 20 so as to inhibit blockage of the openings 20 by the portion 32. The container 11 is then open so that the liquid therein may be withdrawn via the tap It should be appreciated that the movable valve member 22 has a barbed connection end 33 to be coupled to a flexible conduit extending to an applicator. Accordingly, the valve member 22 may also be horizontally oriented or inverted (relative to what is shown in Figure 1).

Typically, containers such as that described above have a removable threaded plug that closes the port 12. These plugs have a rectangular or square aperture which is to be engaged by the projection 34. A user inserts the projection 34 to remove the plug (not illustrated). Thereafter, the mounting portion 27 is inserted in the port 12.

[R:\LBTT]0291 3.doc:tyb:caa

Claims (4)

1. A tap to be mounted in a container to take liquid therefrom, the container having an outlet port within which the tap is to be mounted, and a diaphragm closing the port, said tap including: a body having a passage through which the liquid passes from an inlet to an outlet, and a mounting portion to be received in the outlet port, said mounting portion having said inlet opening; a movable valve member mounted in the body and associated with the passage to selectively close the passage upon manipulation of the valve member by a user; and 1o wherein said body has at least one blade member protruding from the mounting portion adjacent said inlet so that upon rotation of the mounting portion the blade member removes a portion of said diaphragm and displaces the diaphragm portion from said inlet to thereby permit the flow of said liquid. is

2. The tap of claim 1 wherein said valve member has a passage which is selectively connected to said outlet to receive liquid therefrom to drain liquid from within the container.

3. The tap of claim 1 or 2 said valve member is mounted in said body for angular movement between an open position and a closed position with respect to said outlet.

4. The tap of claim 1, 2 or 3 the passage in said body and the passage in said valve member are generally perpendicular. A tap substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated 7 June, 2002 N. J. Phillips Pty. Limited Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON R:\LIBLL) 13 180.do:c.