US20130270306A1

US20130270306A1 - Easy-Open Valve Closure

Info

Publication number: US20130270306A1
Application number: US13/989,625
Authority: US
Inventors: Günter Krautkrämer
Original assignee: Bericap GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Bericap Holding GmbH
Priority date: 2010-11-30
Filing date: 2011-11-25
Publication date: 2013-10-17
Also published as: WO2012072521A1; BRPI1106157A2; DE102010062223A1; EP2646335A1; BRPI1106157B1

Abstract

Valve closure for bottles, comprising a valve portion to be fitted on a bottle neck and having a valve stopper and devices for sealed fixing on the bottle neck, an axially movable outer valve portion comprising a head plate, a valve opening for engagement with the valve stopper and a female thread screw cap connected to the head plate, the thread having a nominal radius r in engagement with a male screw thread of a connecting portion connected to the valve stopper. To permit easy opening of the closure with one hand, the screw cap is fixedly connected to an actuating lever extending radially outwardly from the screw cap so that the lever radius R defined by the radially outer end of the actuating lever has a spacing relative to the axis of the screw cap, which is more than 120% than the nominal radius r of the female screw thread.

Description

The present invention concerns an easy-open valve closure for bottles, comprising a stationary inner valve portion which can be fitted on to a bottle neck and which has a valve stopper and devices for sealed fixing on the bottle neck, and an axially movable outer valve portion which has a valve opening for engagement with the valve stopper and a screw cap which is connected to the valve opening and which has a female screwthread of a nominal radius r and is in engagement with the male screwthread of a threaded connecting portion fixedly connected to the valve stopper.
In that respect the design configuration of the bottle can be substantially any and the term ‘bottle’ also includes other containers for loose goods, in particular for liquids, preferably involving bottles or containers of plastic material.
A corresponding valve closure is known in the state of the art. Inter alia so-called ‘push-pull closures’ are known for example for drinks bottles, which are in principle very similar to the present closure but do not have a thread but in which the outer valve portion is simply movable by axially pulling and pushing in relation to the inner valve portion, wherein the valve stopper and the valve opening are correspondingly brought out of and into engagement.
In addition however a closure is also known in the state of the art, in which the outer valve portion is formed by a screw cap which however is of a larger diameter. Such closures with a screw cap valve, the screw cap of which is of a relatively large diameter (for example larger than 25 mm) are used inter alia in relation to bottles with liquid cleaning agents, wherein the bottles which generally comprise plastic material can be compressed in order in that way to be able to easily meter the amount of liquid issuing when the valve is opened.
Plastic bottles with push-pull closures whose outer valve portion is of a smaller diameter (up to about a maximum of 20 mm) are used for example for domestic chemicals but also for drinks bottles for example for sports people who carry corresponding bottles with them, in which case the bottles are frequently exposed to shaking, they are possibly transported in a lying position and in that case must remain substantially sealed while on the other hand they should be suitable for being used during active involvement in or performance of a sport such as for example cycling, running or the like. The sports person is (and wants) to be able to drink from the bottle therefore while carrying on his sport by pulling the outer valve portion axially out somewhat and thereby opening the valve and putting it into the mouth in order then to deliver the drink into the mouth by sucking or pressing on the outside of the bottle without the risk of spilling or spraying the drink over the body or clothing of the sports person. In that case the outer valve portion is secured to the inner portion in such a way that it cannot be pulled completely off the inner portion but is axially reciprocatable substantially only between a closed and an open position.
A disadvantage of all known closures of that kind however is that it is only very difficult and at least complicated to open the valve with just one hand. The valve stopper and also the outer portions of the push-pull closure are relatively fixed in their closed position so that they are not unintentionally released under the influence of shaking and a certain force is required to pull the outer valve portion off the valve stopper or vice-versa to pull a valve stopper out of the valve opening. Both hands are generally required for that purpose. Opening such a closure by means of the teeth, by gripping the outer valve portion with the teeth and pulling on the bottle, is relatively risky and can lead to damage to or loss of teeth so that it is practised only by few users. In addition in the further known closure which has a screw cap with a valve opening, the bottle has to be held firmly with one hand to loosen the cap by turning it with the other hand, in order to open the valve, that is to say to turn the screw cap in order to move it axially so that the head plate of the cap with the central valve opening comes loose from a valve stopper of the inner valve portion.
While opening of drinks bottle with both hands is sometimes only troublesome, it can also be disadvantageous for other reasons when dealing with other liquids such as for example household chemicals or cleaning liquids. In particular the fingers of a hand can then more easily come into contact with such a liquid, which in many cases can cause injury and/or trigger allergies, or in other cases can lead to adulteration and contamination of the liquid such as for example in the case of contact lens cleaning agents which are subject to the risk of germ infestation.
As already mentioned the operation of opening drinks bottles which are intended to be used during a sporting or other activity is very annoying if both hands have to be used as in many kinds of sport, for example when cycling, both hands are not always free, particularly not when for example the road conditions or other conditions do not allow cycling hands-off. In addition in the case of (long-distance) running bringing both hands together on the drinks bottle or the closure to be able to open it disturbs the running rhythm of the person in question and is therefore found to be detrimental.
It is therefore desirable to have a corresponding valve closure which on the one hand can be used in the usual way as a push-pull closure and which also fits firmly and sealingly on an inner valve portion with the shaking which usually occurs but which on the other hand permits simple and quick opening with just one hand.
That object is attained in that on the one hand a corresponding closure with screw cap is used, wherein however the screw cap in turn is fixedly connected to an actuating lever which extends radially outwardly from the screw cap so that the lever radius R defined by the radially outer end of the actuating lever is at a spacing relative to the axis of the screw cap, which is greater by at least 20% than the nominal radius r of the female screwthread (14).
In that respect the screw cap is approximately in the form of and of the size of the outer valve portions of the known push-pull closures and should be of an outside diameter no greater than 25 mm, preferably no greater than 20 mm. In a corresponding fashion the nominal diameter 2r of the female thread of the screw cap (and accordingly also the nominal diameter of the male thread of the threaded connecting portion) is relatively small and is typically of the order of between 8 and 15, preferably in the region of between 10 and 12 mm. The outside diameter 2R of the screw cap which forms the outer valve portion which is usually put in the mouth when drinking from such a bottle is accordingly of a value of the order of magnitude of between 12 and 18 mm, typically between 14 and 16 mm. It will be noted however that in contrast to the usual push-pull closures this screw cap does not need a radially projecting upper edge which in the case of push-pull closures possibly serves as a gripping aid to be able to exert a suitable axial pull on the closure for opening the valve.
In contrast with the closure according to the invention the axial movement is produced by rotation of the screw cap. It will be noted however that the screw cap itself is not gripped for that purpose, but rather an actuating lever which extends radially outwardly from the screw cap so that the lever radius R defined by the radially outer end of the lever is at a spacing relative to the axis of the screw cap, which is at least 20% greater than the nominal radius r of the female thread. It will be appreciated that the outer end of the lever can still be at a substantially greater spacing relative to the axis of the screw cap, which for example is between two and three times the nominal radius r of the thread; but an only slightly larger spacing from the axis already provides that a markedly greater force can possibly be applied to the screw cap by way of the lever, than is possible by gripping the screw cap which in many cases is smooth and small.
According to the invention therefore the screw cap has an actuating lever in the form of a radial projection, whose radially outer end is at a greater spacing from the axis of the screw cap than the outside peripheral surface of the screw cap which typically is cylindrical or slightly conical or also cylindrically stepped and is also at least relatively smooth. That actuating lever can rest for example on the top side of a radial enlargement of the inner valve portion. Frequently a bottle neck on which such a closure is mounted is of a markedly larger diameter than the axially movable outer valve portion of a push-pull closure and the associated inner connecting portion of the inner valve portion. Therefore beneath that valve connecting portion the inner valve portion typically has a radially markedly enlarged portion with a closure foot forming the transition to the further bottle neck, is fitted on to the bottle neck and makes a sealed connection between the edge of the bottle neck and the inner valve portion. Therefore a suitable lever can for example lie on that radial enlargement which typically is in the form of an annular disk so that it is better protected from unintended actuation because it does not simply project freely from the screw cap of the inner valve portion. A preferred embodiment accordingly is one in which the lever is guided rotatably about the screw cap axis on an annular disk of the inner valve portion, that extends around in relation to the threaded connecting portion and extends radially and in the peripheral direction.
It is also possible for a plurality of levers to be arranged to project in different directions at the same time from the screw cap, for example in the form of the spokes of a wheel, which are preferably distributed at uniform angular spacings around the periphery of the screw cap.
In addition it is desirable if the radially outer end of the lever or the levers extends parallel and at a small spacing relative to an axially extending, radially outer end portion of the inner valve portion. The lever then therefore extends for example from the lower edge of the screw cap along the top side of a radial enlargement of the inner valve portion to its radially outer edge and somewhat therebeyond in order then to extend in axis-parallel relationship downwardly along the outside of the enlargement of the inner valve portion. That lever portion which projects slightly from the surface of the outer edge of the enlargement can then be easily gripped with a finger, preferably with the thumb, of one hand and displaced in the opening direction while the other fingers of the same hand hold the bottle. It will be appreciated that this presupposes that the bottle or a corresponding container, beneath the closure region, is of dimensions which make it possible for the bottle or the container to be actually held with the fingers of a hand and the ball of the hand or the ball of the thumb while for example the thumb still remains free for actuation of the lever. However the invention can be used even in relation to bottles or containers of larger dimensions as it is sufficient if the bottle stands fast on the ground or a surface for supporting it or can possibly be held fast with a part of a hand so that it does not readily rotate when a finger or thumb which remains free actuates the closure or the lever of the closure.
Finally it is also possible for corresponding levers to be connected in spoke form to a peripherally extending ring so that effectively this gives an actuating ring in which the spokes can optionally also be replaced by a closed annular disk which makes the connection to the outer actuating ring and the further inwardly disposed screw cap. However an actuating ring with a few spokes is preferred as the actuating ring means that the individual spokes or levers are best protected from unintended actuation, the ring imparts good stability to the entire actuating element and finally the ring requires only little additional material and is also very well suited as an actuating element. In other words therefore the radially outer end of the lever is in the form of an actuating ring extending peripherally at a spacing around the screw cap.
Preferably the ratio of the outside diameter D (=2R) of the actuating ring to the thread diameter d (=2r) of the screw cap is in the region of between 1.2 and 3 and corresponding ratios approximately also apply to the ratio of the outside diameter of the actuating ring to the outside diameter of the screw cap which is larger than the thread diameter only by the wall thickness of the screw cap.
Because of the larger diameter of the actuating ring, a lever step-up transmission effect is effectively provided at a corresponding order of magnitude for actuation of the thread of the screw cap which is of a markedly smaller diameter. It is also possible for such an actuating ring to be arranged for example in the region of a bottle neck mouth and of approximately the same diameter as the bottle neck mouth so that it is easily accessible whereas the usual push-pull closures including those which are suitable for being and are intended to be put directly in the mouth to drink from a container are often radially back relative to the bottle neck so that, even if the bottle is held fast with a hand in the region of the bottle neck, it can only be reached and gripped with difficulty by the fingers of the same hand.
As however according to the invention there is provided an actuating lever or ring which is of a larger diameter or actuating radius and which accordingly projects from the screw cap of the outer valve portion it is relatively easily possible to embrace the bottle for example beneath the actuating ring or in the proximity of the bottle neck with the hand, in which case the thumb for example points vertically upwardly, and to then apply the thumb to the outside of the actuating ring and to turn the actuating ring by lateral movement of the thumb.
It will be appreciated that, for such a purpose, in a preferred embodiment of the invention the actuating ring has on its outside a knurling which markedly increases the friction between the fingers or the thumb of a hand and the actuating ring and thus permits force to be more easily and more simply applied to the ring by thumb or fingers. That knurling however does not involve the screw cap, which makes it better suited for drinking out of the bottle.
It is desirable in that respect if the actuating ring, the screw cap and the threaded connecting portion have the same common axis, even if it would be possible in principle for the actuating ring to be eccentric.
As already mentioned the lever ratio between the actuating diameter and the thread diameter should be of the order of magnitude of between 1.2 and 2.5 or 3, but if possible the inside radius of the actuating ring should be at least 50% larger than the radius of the thread on the screw cap and the threaded connecting portion. In an embodiment of the invention for example the thread diameter is 12 mm while the inside diameter of the actuating ring is about 28 mm and its outside diameter is about 30 mm. That provides an effective lever ratio of almost 2.5, which considerably facilitates actuation of the closure with one hand.
The devices for sealed fixing of the inner valve portion on the bottle neck preferably include a closure foot of U-shaped cross-section so that the closure foot embraces the edge of the bottle neck from outside, above and inside. That closure foot including its connection to the inner valve portion forms the cylindrical enlargement of the inner valve portion, as already mentioned hereinbefore. That inner valve portion and in particular the closure foot can have per se known locking elements co-operating with corresponding elements of the bottle neck to avoid rotation of the inner valve portion relative to the bottle neck.
The actuating lever which is preferably in the form of an actuating ring preferably lies with its portion extending between the screw cap and its outer end (that portion being specifically the spokes) on the top side of a radial enlargement of the inner valve portion which connects the valve connecting portion to the closure foot. The outer end of the lever or in the preferred embodiment the actuating ring in that case embraces the outside of the closure foot and extends substantially parallel to the common axes of the closure portions.
In that way the outer end of the lever or the actuating ring is guided on the upper outer shoulder of the closure foot.
Preferably the threaded connecting portion and the screw cap should have axial abutment elements which limit the axial motion play of the screw cap relative to the threaded connecting portion. In particular both threads on the screw cap and the threaded connecting portion, more precisely the thread overlap thereof, are of an axially correspondingly short configuration so that they come out of engagement when the screw cap has been moved axially so far that the valve stopper and the valve opening are sufficiently far away from each other to be able to drink out of the opening or to be able to press out liquid. In addition for example outwardly and inwardly projecting beads can be provided at the outside of the threaded connecting portion and the inside of the screw cap respectively, which at any event do not permit the screw cap to be pulled axially off the threaded connecting portion without applying considerable forces.
Preferably the abutment elements are respectively provided at an upper portion of the threaded connecting portion and the screw cap, which is of a reduced diameter in relation to the nominal diameter of the thread. In that way the thread can be moved without any problem axially beyond the abutment elements and brought into engagement with the threaded connecting portion.

Further advantages, features and possible uses of the present invention will be apparent from the description hereinafter of a preferred embodiment and the associated Figures in which:

FIG. 1 shows an axial section through a preferred embodiment,

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the closure of FIG. 1 in an axial direction from above,

FIG. 3 shows a section corresponding to the section of FIG. 1 through another simplified embodiment, and

FIG. 4 shows a view from above of the closure shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 1 shows an inner valve portion 1 and an outer valve portion 11, each distinguished by different hatchings. The inner valve portion 1 comprises a closure foot 7 and a central threaded connecting portion 4 which is connected thereto by way of an annular disk 6 and from the inside wall of which a plurality of limbs 3 extend radially inwardly, which limbs carry an axially upwardly extending valve stopper 2, the upper portion of which is in the form of an upwardly closed cylinder.
The threaded connecting portion 4 in turn has an upper narrowed holding portion 4 a and a lower threaded portion 4 b which is radially somewhat enlarged in relation to the holding portion 4 a. The small-diameter holding portion 4 a, in the proximity of its upper end, has an outwardly projecting bead 9 which serves as an axial abutment element for a holding bead 19 projecting radially inwardly on the inside of the screw cap. The holding portion 4 a and its bead 9 are of such a dimension in relation to the threaded portion 4 b with the thread 8 that the inside diameter of the female thread 18 of the screw cap 13 is at least as large as the outside diameter of the bead 9 whereas the free inside diameter of the bead 19 on the inside of the upper portion of the screw cap must obviously be smaller than the outside diameter of the bead 9 so that both beads can serve as axial abutment elements which limit the axial motion clearance of the screw cap with respect to the threaded connecting portion 4 or with respect to the entire inner valve portion 1. The cross-section of the holding bead 19 is therefore of a somewhat nose-shaped configuration, that is to say its lower flank includes a smaller angle with the axis 20 of the closure than the upper flank so that it can admittedly be moved past the bead 9 for mounting purposes in the axial direction with slight expansion of that portion of the screw cap 13 and compression of the threaded connecting portion 4 in the region of the bead 9, and then latches behind the bead 9. The motion clearance of the screw cap is limited downwardly in the axial direction inter alia by placement of the head plate of the screw cap 13 on the upper edge of the threaded connecting portion or also by the lower end of the screw cap 13 being applied to the radial enlargement of the inner valve portion 1.
The lower end of the threaded connecting portion 4 is delimited by a radially and peripherally extending annular disk 6 connecting the lower end of the threaded connecting portion 4 to the closure foot 7 which is of U-shaped cross-section. The U-shaped closure foot embraces the upper edge of a corresponding bottle neck which is not shown here and at the outer limb of the U-shape has an inwardly projecting holding bead 22 and at the inner limb of the closure foot an outwardly projecting sealing bead 23 which comes into sealing engagement with the inside surface of a bottle neck (not shown). At the same time the annular disk 6 also forms the portion of the U-shaped cross-section, that joins the inner and outer limbs of the U-shape.
The outer valve portion 11 substantially comprises a screw cap 13 with a female thread 18, wherein that female thread 18 is provided only at the lower portion of the screw cap 13 and preferably extends at a maximum over the lower half of the screw cap 13, as well as an actuating ring 15 connected to the screw cap 13 by way of spokes 16. The upper portion of the screw cap is of a radially somewhat narrowed configuration with respect to the lower portion, which is basically advantageous for reasons of saving material, but on the other hand is also not absolutely necessary just as long as the female thread 18 of the lower portion of the screw cap is of an inside diameter larger than the outside diameter of the bead 9 on the threaded connecting portion 4.
The screw cap 13 in turn has a head plate 14 which is domed up somewhat in its central region and in that central region also has a valve opening 12 which in the closed condition receives the valve stopper 2 in appropriate sealing relationship. In addition extending in the axial direction from the head plate 14 there is also a peripherally extending sealing ring 24 which engages with the inside surface of the holding portion 4 a of the threaded connecting portion 4 in order to completely seal off the screw cap 13 with respect to the threaded connecting portion 4 in the closed condition and generally to prevent liquid from escaping through the thread.
In the present embodiment the lower end of the screw cap 13 is connected by way of three spokes 16 to an outer actuating ring 15 which is L-shaped in cross-section, wherein a shorter limb of the L-shape rests on the annular disk 6 of the inner closure portion and an axial limb extends parallel to the outer limb of the closure foot 7 and bears substantially thereagainst, that is to say the inside diameter of the axial limb of the actuating ring 15 substantially corresponds to the outside diameter of the closure foot.
In addition, as can be clearly seen in particular from FIG. 2, the actuating ring on its outside has a knurling 17 which facilitates actuation of the closure by gripping with just one finger or the thumb of a hand.
Rotating the actuating ring in the opening direction involves also transmitting a corresponding force by way of the spokes 16 to the screw cap 13 so that, because of the threaded engagement of the female thread of the screw cap with the male thread of the threaded connecting portion 5, the screw cap (together with the actuating ring 15) is moved upwardly in the axial direction until the threads come out of engagement, in which case in addition the abutment elements 9, 19 prevent a further axial movement of the screw cap 13 relative to the threaded connecting portion 5.
In that case the head plate 18 is also moved upwardly with the screw cap 13 and as a result the valve stopper 5 comes out of engagement with the valve opening 12 so that liquid can now issue through that valve opening when the corresponding container or bottle is turned and/or put under external pressure.
Desirably the length of the axial limb of the actuating ring 15 is greater than the axial motion clearance of the screw cap 13 with respect to the threaded connecting portion 4 which is defined by the above-described abutment elements, the axial extent of the thread and placement of the screw cap on the annular disk 6 or on the upper edge of the threaded connecting portion 4.
When the screw cap is screwed down by actuation of the actuating ring 15 in the closing direction the threads on the screw cap and the threaded connecting portion come into engagement again, in which case the screw cap moves axially downwardly so that finally the valve stopper 2 slides into the valve opening 12 again and sealingly closes it.
In that way there is provided a closure which in its function substantially corresponds to the so-called push-pull closure but has a screw cap which is operable with just one hand by virtue of the actuating lever provided.
FIGS. 3 and 4 show a further embodiment even if not absolutely preferred. In accordance with a similar variant (not shown here), instead of an actuating ring, there is only an actuating lever 16′ which extends only from one side of the screw cap 13 and which substantially corresponds to one of the spokes 16 in relation to a short portion of the actuating ring 15 in FIG. 3, wherein the ‘spoke’ or the lever 16′ is only somewhat more stable to increase its stability. In the embodiment in FIGS. 3 and 4 there are in each case three such spokes 16′ at equal angular spacings of 120°.
The mode of operation of this closure is substantially the same as that of the embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Here too, it is possible for example to grip a bottle or other container with one hand and in so doing still leave the thumb of the same hand free and pointing upwardly so that the outer end of the lever 16′ can be engaged with the thumb and moved in the opening or closing direction respectively. If only one such lever 16′ is provided it will be appreciated however that there is the disadvantage that, for the situation where rotation of for example markedly more than 120° is required to open the closure, the hand has to be further turned once again with respect to the bottle, and therefore it is necessary once again to change the grip to be able to turn the lever 16′ sufficiently far.
In an alternative embodiment therefore for example it would be possible to provide two diametrally opposite levers 16′ or, as shown in the case of FIGS. 3 and 4, also three (or more) corresponding levers 16′ which could substantially correspond to the spokes 16 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 and which with their free ends project beyond the outer edge of the closure, as is shown both in the section in FIG. 3 and also in the plan view of FIG. 4. In that case it is possible to reach the next lever 16′ after rotation of the closure through a corresponding angle.
Even if such a design configuration is readily possible and basically also practicable, nonetheless the embodiment with an actuating ring as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is preferred.
In particular the preferred embodiment with the actuating ring also allows the easy arrangement of tamper-evident securing elements, such as for example a conventional tear-off strip.
For example a tamper-proof band can be arranged beneath the actuating ring and can be connected to the actuating ring by way of a weakening line. That tamper-proof strip can be secured in relation to a rotary movement for example by interengaging tooth arrangements on the bottle neck and on the tamper-proof strip so that it has to be first removed if or before the actuating ring is rotated.
For the purposes of the original disclosure it is pointed out that all features as can be seen by a man skilled in the art from the present description, the drawings and the claims, even if they are described in specific terms only in connection with certain other features, can be combined both individually and also in any combinations with others of the features or groups of features disclosed here insofar as that has not been expressly excluded or technical aspects make such combinations impossible or meaningless. A comprehensive explicit representation of all conceivable combinations of features and emphasis of the independence of the individual features from each other is dispensed with here only for the sake of brevity and readability of the description.

Claims

1. An easy-open valve closure (10) for bottles, comprising a stationary inner valve portion (1) which can be fitted on to a bottle neck and which has a valve stopper (2) and devices (22, 23) for sealed fixing on the bottle neck, and an axially movable outer valve portion (11) which has a head plate (14) with a valve opening (12) for engagement with the valve stopper (2) and a screw cap (13) which is connected to the head plate (14) and which has a female screwthread (18) of a nominal radius r and is in engagement with the male screwthread (8) of a threaded connecting portion (4) fixedly connected to the valve stopper (2), characterised in that the screw cap (13) is fixedly connected to an actuating lever (16, 15; 16′) which extends radially outwardly from the screw cap (13) so that the lever radius R defined by the radially outer end (15, 16 b) of the actuating lever (16, 15; 16′) is at a spacing relative to the axis of the screw cap, which is greater by at least 20% than the nominal radius r of the female screwthread (14).

2. A valve closure as set forth in claim 1 characterised in that the lever is guided rotatably about the screw cap axis (20) on an annular disk (6) of the inner valve portion (1), that extends around in relation to the threaded connecting portion (5) and extends radially and in the peripheral direction.

3. A valve closure as set forth in claim 2 characterised in that a plurality of levers (16′) are arranged distributed at preferably uniform angular spacings around the periphery of the screw cap.

4. A valve closure as set forth in claim 2 characterised in that the radially outer end (16 b) of the lever (16′) or the levers extends parallel and at a small spacing relative to an axially extending, radially outer end portion of the inner valve portion.

5. A valve closure as set forth in claim 2 characterised in that the radially outer end of the lever (16 b) or the levers is in the form of an actuating ring (15) extending at a spacing around the screw cap.

6. A valve closure as set forth in claim 1 characterised in that the actuating ring (15), the screw cap (13) and the threaded connecting portion (4) have the same common axis (20).

7. A valve closure as set forth in claim 2 characterised in that the lever radius R is larger by at least 20%, preferably by at least 50%, than the radius r of the thread of the screw cap (13) and the threaded connecting portion (4).

8. A valve closure as set forth in claim 2 characterised in that the lever radius R is at least approximately twice as large as the radius r of the thread of the screw cap and the threaded connecting portion.

9. A valve closure as set forth in claim 2 characterised in that the lever radius R is at most ten times the radius r of the thread of the screw cap and the threaded connecting portion.

10. A valve closure as set forth in claim 1 characterised in that the devices (22, 23) for sealed fixing on the bottle neck have a closure foot (7) of U-shaped cross-section.

11. A valve closure as set forth in claim 2 characterised in that the outer end of the lever (16′) or the levers (16′), in particular in the form of the actuating ring (15), sits on the outer shoulder of a closure foot (7) which embraces the upper bottle neck edge in a U-shape in cross-section.

12. A valve closure as set forth in claim 5 characterised in that the actuating ring (15) has a knurling (17) on its radially outer side.

13. A valve closure as set forth in claim 5 characterised in that the actuating ring (15) is connected to the screw cap (13) by way of a plurality of levers forming spokes (16).

14. A valve closure as set forth in claim 1 characterised in that the valve opening (12) is provided centrally in a head plate (14) of the screw cap (13) and like the valve stopper (2) concentrically relative to the axis (20).

15. A valve closure as set forth in claim 1 characterised in that the threaded connecting portion (5) and the screw cap (13) have axial abutment elements (9, 19) which limit the axial motion play of the screw cap (13) relative to the threaded connecting portion (5).

16. A valve closure as set forth in claim 15 characterised in that the abutment elements (9, 19) are respectively provided at an upper portion of the threaded connecting portion and the screw cap, which is of a reduced diameter in relation to the nominal diameter (2r) of the thread.

17. A valve closure as set forth in claim 5 characterised in that arranged on the actuating ring is a tamper-evident seal which is of a visibly altered condition after first actuation of the actuating ring.

18. A valve closure as set forth in claim 17 characterised in that the tamper-evident seal comprises a tear-off strip connected to the lower edge of the actuating ring by way of one or more easily tearable elements which tear upon rotation of the actuating ring so that the tear-off strip is visibly released from the actuating ring.