US3011503A

US3011503A - Venting device of spillproof type

Info

Publication number: US3011503A
Application number: US29952A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ernest G Widham
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1960-05-18
Filing date: 1960-05-18
Publication date: 1961-12-05
Anticipated expiration: 1978-12-05

Description

Dec. 5, 1961 E. e; WIDHAM VENTING DEVICE OF SPILLPROOF TYPE Filed May 18, 1960 United States Patent ()filice 3,011,503 Patented Dec. 5, 1961 This invention relates to venting devices in general, and to venting devices of spillproof type for liquid containers in particular.

Prior venting devices of this type have vent openings with valve seats and associated valves which areretained on their seats either by gravity or by floats. The prior venting devices with gravity-seated valves are open and freely spill the contents of the containers in widely deviating positions thereof, depending on the volume of the liquid therein. vices with float-seated valves, while spillproof and admitting air into the containers in an infinite number of noninverted positions of the latter, are open and freely'spill the contents of the containers in all inverted positions thereof. Accordingly, all of these prior venting devices, in order to be spillproof, impose severe positional operating restrictions on the containers and, hence, are unsuitable for many operational container applications.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a venting device of this type which will not only be spillproof, but will also admit air, in any and all positions of the container to which it is applied and regardless of the volume of a liquid therein. The spillproof and air-admitting performance of venting devices of this type is thus for the first time extended to the ultimate in permissible container positions, wherefore the present venting device lends itself to many operational container applications which were heretofore impossible or required manual vent closure in many container positions.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a venting device of this type which, for its performance in spillproof fashion and instantaneous response to air needs of the container to which it is applied, imposes no limitations whatsoever not only on the positions of the container as aforementioned, but also on its own location on the container, thereby to afford a wide choice of most any convenient andv practical mounting of the venting device on a container of most any shape and at a location in most any surrounding. I

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a venting device of this type which, for its aforementioned performance in spillproof fashion and instantaneous response to air needs of an associated container in its location anywhere on, and in any and all positions of, the com tainer, relies on a gravity-seated valve and also on a float, of which the valve solely controls the performance of the device when gravity-seated, and the float cooperates with the valve in controlling the performance of the device whenever the tendency of the gravityof the value is to unseat it.

Other objects and advantages will appear to those skilled in the art from the following, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. I

In the accompanying drawings, in'which. certain modes of carrying out the present invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary section through a container having an applied venting device which embodies the present invention;

H6. 2 is a top plan view of the applied venting device;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section through the applied venting device substantially as taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section through the container and applied venting device as taken on the line 4+4 of FIG. 3; and

FIGS. 5 to 7, inclusive, are sections similar to FIG. 3,

On the other hand, the prior venting deand showing the applied venting device in different operational positions.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 to 4 thereof, the reference numeral 14 designates a venting device which is mounted on a normally closed and sealed container 12 holding a liquid L. The venting device comprises, in the present instance, a body 14,

and presently also a ring member 16 for mounting the body 14 on the container 12. For its exemplary mount on the container 12, the body 14 of the device is located on the outside of wall 18 of the container over an aperture 20 therein, and the ring member 16 is located on the inside of this container wall 18 in surrounding relation with the aperture 26 and is suitably secured to the body 12,

presently by screws 22, with

suitable gaskets

24 and 26 serving to render the device leakproof along the container wall 1'8.

The body 14 of the venting device it is presently formed in two companion sections 28 and 30 which together form a chamber 32. The body section 28 presently has a cup formation 34 of inverted disposition in the exemplary container position of FIG. 3, and an outer flange 36 by means of which it is mounted on the container wall 18 as described above, with the cup formation 34 being open to the aperture 20 in the container wall 18. The cup formation 34 of the body section 28 has an annular rim 38 and a bottom wall 49 which joins the latter in the smoothly curved fashion shown at 42 in FIG. 3. Provided in the bottom wall 46 is a vent opening 44 which throughout, or at least over the greater part of, its axial extent is presently frusto-conical, with its larger end being at the junction with the chamber 32. The frusto-coin'cal wall of the vent opening 44 serves as a seat for a valve 46 in the chamber 32.

The other body section 30, which is suitably secured, presently screwed at 48, to the rim 38 of the companion body section 28, completes the formation of the chamber 32 that has suitable admission means for the liquid in the container 12. The admission means are presently formed by slots 5i? and a center hole 52 in the wall 54 of the body sectionSt) (see also FIG. 4). Also contained in the chamber 32 is a float 56 which is presently spherical.

The chamber 32 in the body 12 of the venting device has an inner cam surface 58, presently the inner surface of the body section 39, which cooperates with the float 56 in controlling the performance of the valve 4-6 under certain operating conditions of the container 12 to which the venting device is applied. This inner cam surface 58 in the chamber 32 is presently concave, and is preferably part-spherical.

Assuming now that the venting device It is mounted in its preferred location at the very top of the container 12 and the latter is in the upright position shown in FIG. 3 in which the exemplary level of its liquid contents barely reaches the admission slots 50 to the chamber 32, the float 56 then rests by gravity on the cam surface 58 and the then open valve 46 rests by gravity on the float 56-, with the latter holding the valve sufficiently within the confines of the vent opening 44 to prevent its escape therefrom. More particularly, the cam surface 58 in the chamber 32 is so arranged that the float 56 will hold the valve 46 against gravity escape from within the confines or" the vent opening 44- in any other position of the container 12 regardless of whether or not there is liquid in the latter, wherefore the valve will under any and all circumstances remain within the guiding confines of the vent opening 44 for its motion into seating engagement with the frusto-conical wall of the latter either by gravity of the valve itself or by the action of the float 56 in a manner to be described. In the present instance, the abovementioned guiding confines of the vent opening 44 take in that part of the frusto-conical wall of the latter 3 which extends from its largest diameter to that diameter thereof at which the valve 46 is seated in FIG. 3 in its dot-and-dash line position, wherefore this part of the frusto-conical wall of the vent opening serves as a guide passage for the valve onto its seat from any other position.

Assuming now that more liquid is added to the container 12 in an amount sufficient to lend buoyancy to the float 56, the latter will then lift the valve as into the dot-and-dash line position in PEG. 3 in which it is in vent-closing seating engagement with the frusto-conical wall of the vent opening 44, long before the liquid could escape through the latter, with the float then assuming the exemplary dot-and-dash line position (PEG. 3) in which it is by its buoyancy wedged between the cam surface 58 and valve 46 and holds the latter closed against the tendency of its gravity to open.

Assuming now that the container 3.2 with its liquid contents is tilted into the exemplary position shown in FIG. 5, the liquid then admitted into and filling the chamber 32 will compel the float 56 to seek, by virtue of its buoyancy, the vertically highest possible position in the chamber in which it is presently wedged between another part of the cam surface 58 and the valve 46 and closes the latter against the tendency of its gravity to open before any liquid can possibly spill through the vent opening 44'. The cam surface 53 and float 56 thus cooperate, in infinite positions of the container 12 in any of which the valve :6 would open by gravity, to close the valve and hold it closed whenever the liquid level in the container nearly reaches the vent opening 44 or rises thereabove, thereby rendering the venting device spillproof under any and all conditions whenever the gravity of the valve tends to open the latter. Neither is the spill-proof performance of the venting device in this fashion limited to infinite positions of the container in one and the same tilting plane, for the exemplary partspherical shape of the cam surface 58 makes for spillproof performance of the venting device under any and all conditions Whenever the container assumes'any one of infinite tilting positions in any one of infinite universal tilting planes in which .the gravity of the valve tends to open the latter.

the vent opening into the container as needed for the withdrawal of liquid from the latter. Thus, considering the exemplary tilted position of the container 12 in PEG.

5, air will be admitted through the vent opening 44 into the container whenever on withdrawal of liquid therefrom there is created therein a sufl'icient partial vacuum to permit air at atmospheric pressure to open the valve 46 despite the tendency of the buoyant float 56 to hold the latter closed. In this connection, the float 56, while being wedged between the cam surface 53 and the valve 46 by its buoyancy, is nevertheless free to yield sufficiently to permit air to enter through the vent opening 44 under the above conditions, the exemplary cam surface 58 being designed accordingly. Thus, the float 56 is presently seated (FIG. on the exemplary cam surface 53 above the point of intersection of a line through the respective centers of the valve 46 and float 56 with the cam surface 58, and it is for this reason that the float 56 is free to yield for the admission of air through the vent opening 44 as needed in the container 12 for the withdrawal of liquid therefrom. The valve 46 will respond to air needs of the container 12 on withdrawal of liquid therefrom, by slightly opening in characteristic pulsating fashion to admit air in gulps rather than in a continuous stream, as will be readily understood.

Referring now to FIG. 6, the container 12 is there shown in a position, presently in an exemplary one of the infinite universal planes in which it may be tilted, in which the valve to is close to being retained by its own gravity in sealing engagement with the frusto-conical wall of the vent opening 44, with the buoyant float 56 being still wedged between the cam surface 58 and the valve 4s and holding the latter closed. However, on slight further tilting of the container 12, counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 6, to compel the valve as to remain closed under its own gravity, the buoyant float 56 is, by the arrangement of the cam surface 58 on which it rides, about to rise out of engagement with the valve 46, and will remain out of engagement with the valve in any and all positions of the container 12 in any and all universal titling planes thereof in which the valve will remain gravity-seated. FIG. 7 shows but one of the infinite positions ofthe container 12 in which the valve 46 is gravity-seated and the float 56 thereabove and out of engagement therewith. Of course, in all of these container positions the valve 46 will also respond to air needs of the container on withdrawal of liquid therefrom, by opening in the same pulsating fashion as aforementioned.

With the venting device it mounted, as described, in exemplary fashion at the very top of the container 12, the latter will thus be vented in any and all positions thereof, and the venting device will be spillproof regardless of the volume of the liquid in the container. However, the present venting device is by no means limited in its location at the top of the container, and may be located anywhere else on the container, such as on the side or bottom thereof, in order to be spillproof and admit air is needed in any and all container positions, as will be readily understood.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

l. A spillproof containen'comprising a body having a normally closed chamber with a ventvhaving a seat and a guide passage providing communication between said chamber and seat; a valve guided in said passage for gravitation into and from vent-closing engagement with said seat depending on body positions; a cam surface in said chamber; and a float in said chamber between said cam surface and valve, said cam surface being shaped and coordinated with said vent to compel gravitation of said float in its non-buoyant state into positions on said cam surface in which to permit said valve to unseat only within said passage in all of an infinite number of body positions compelling valve gravitation from said seat, and to compel said float in its buoyant state in liquid yieldingly to wedge between said cam surface and valve for yieldingly holding the latter against said seat in any of said infinite body positions.

2. A spillproof container, comprising a body having a normally closed chamber with a vent having a seat and a guide passage providing communication between said chamber and seat; a valve guided in said passage for gravitation into and from vent-closing engagement with said seat depending on body positions; a concave cam surface in said chamber facing said vent; and a spherical float in said chamber between said cam surface and valve, said cam surface being arranged to compel gravitation of said float in its non-buoyant state into positions on said cam surface in which to permit said valve to unseat only within said passage in all of an infinite number of body positions compelling valve gravitation from said seat, and to compel said float in its buoyant state in liquid yieldingly to wedge between said cam surface and valve for yieldingly holding the latter against said seat in any of said infinite body positions.

3. A spillproof container as set forth in claim 2, in which said vent is a frusto-conical opening having its larger end at the junction with said chamber and defining said seat intermediate its ends and with said passage extending from said larger end to said seat.

4. A spillproof container as set forth in claim 2, in e which said valve is a ball.

5. A spillproof container as set forth in claim '2, in which said vent is a frusto-conical opening having its larger end at the junction with said chamber and defining said seat intermediate its ends and with said passage extending from said larger end to said seat, and said valve is a ball;

6. A spillproof container as set forth in claim 2, in which said cam surface is part-spherical throughout.

5 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS R 725,640 1 Wemmer Apr. 17, 1903 1,683,338 Evinrude Sept. 4, 1928 0 2,510,098 Geisler June 6, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Y 501,795 Canada Apr. 27, 1954