Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D47/00—Closures with filling and discharging, or with discharging, devices
  • B65D47/04—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps
  • B65D47/20—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps comprising hand-operated members for controlling discharge
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D47/00—Closures with filling and discharging, or with discharging, devices
  • B65D47/04—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps
  • B65D47/20—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps comprising hand-operated members for controlling discharge
  • B65D47/2018—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps comprising hand-operated members for controlling discharge comprising a valve or like element which is opened or closed by deformation of the container or closure
  • B65D47/2031—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps comprising hand-operated members for controlling discharge comprising a valve or like element which is opened or closed by deformation of the container or closure the element being formed by a slit, narrow opening or constrictable spout, the size of the outlet passage being able to be varied by increasing or decreasing the pressure
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D2251/00—Details relating to container closures
  • B65D2251/0003—Two or more closures
  • B65D2251/0068—Lower closure
  • B65D2251/0093—Membrane

Definitions

• the present invention seeks to provide improvements in or relating to the retention of self-closing valves in closures.
• the present invention provides a bi-directional valve support for a closure, the support comprising a support body receivable in a closure and having means for retaining a valve, in which the support body is receivable in a closure in either of two orientations, whereby the valve can be orientated in either direction with respect to product flow there through in use.
• the present invention also provides a dispensing closure comprising a body with a dispensing orifice, through which product can flow, the closure further comprising a bi-directional support body receivable in the closure body either in a first orientation or a second orientation with respect to intended product flow whereby a valve carried on or by the valve body can be orientated in said first or second orientation.
• the valve may be a self-closing valve, formed from, for example, silicon or a thermoplastic elastomer.
• the engagement means may comprise one or more retention beads.
• the present invention also provides a bi-directional snap-in cartridge for orienting a valve in either of two axial directions in a dispensing closure.
• the present invention also provides a bi-directional self-closing valve cartridge for a dispensing closure, the cartridge comprising retention means for retaining it in a closure, the retention means being generally symmetrical about a mid-point such that the cartridge can be received in two opposite orientations with respect to the closure.
• the present invention also describes a bi-directionally orientatable self-closing valve cartridge for a dispensing closure, the cartridge comprising:
• a self-closing valve sub-assembly comprising a retaining device in combination with a self - closing valve
• a cartridge can be inserted in the conventional way to allow for clean dispensing or in reverse to prevent oxygen from entering a container after squeezing.
• the present invention relates to a device for housing a valve sub-assembly in both the usual way but also inverted but using standard materials and mould tool functions
• the present invention provides a cartridge design; a simple standard moulded PP ring to which a valve sub-assembly can snap into and then subsequently snap into a closure in either direction required.
• This present invention may be aimed at tube products such as shaving or hair gels, or similar.
• a single standard closure design for cost savings to the customer The cartridge can be housed in two directions within the standard closure deign to offer different dispensing performances for tubes / pouches and also bottles
• the cartridge component and the closure are fully recyclable
• the cartridge can be adapted to suit any valve size and geometry
• FIGs I to 5 there is shown and described a self-closing valve sub-assembly comprising a retaining device and a self-closing valve.
• the present invention may use this general type of sub-assembly as a basis and provide a bi-directionally orientable cartridge for retaining the sub-assembly and being itself retainable in a dispensing closure in either of two axial orientations with respect to product flow.
• a device I which shall be referred to hereinafter as a retaining ring I .
• the ring I consists of a moulded single-piece article with a so-called “chimney" in the form of a circular wall 10.
• This chimney 10 provides a surface for assembly machinery to handle the retaining ring I .
• a radially outwardly sloping surface I l a provided on an annular wall I I .
• a radially outwardly sloping surface I l a provided on an annular wall I I .
• a another circular wall 1 2 which has the same rotational axis as chimney 10, and extends upwards.
• a projection in the form of an external sealing bead 1 3 is a projection in the form of an external sealing bead 1 3.
• a crimping flange 1 4 which in its uncrimped condition is an upstanding wall which in this embodiment has a height H.
• a flexible self-closing valve 2 typically has the features shown in Figure 2.
• a valve 2 has a head portion 3, which is thicker towards the edge than the centre and which has at least one slit 4 therein.
• the head portion is concave with respect to a container (not shown). This pre-stresses the valve so that it self-closes more easily.
• a side-wall portion 6 connects the head portion 3 with a flange 8.
• Flange 8 is typically shaped such that it has a relatively substantial size in the form of a rim. It is this flange 8 which rests on the sloping surface I l a of the inside diameter surface of the chimney of the retaining ring I when it is located correctly.
• the crimping flange 14 is bent over from the position shown in Figure 2 until it sandwiches the flange 8 between itself 14 and the sloping surface I l a as shown in Figures 3 and 4.
• valve 2 with the crimping flange 1 4 bent over.
• the crimping flange 8 is shown as being bent over by 90 degrees radially inwards it should be understood that the angle through which it need be bent is not fixed. For instance, it has been found that the crimping flange 14 need only be bent over by a few degrees in order that it hold the valve 2 in place within the retaining ring I . This is because the crimping flange 14 is bent over along the entire circumference of the retaining ring I and valve 2. Further, the crimping flange 14 could be bent over by more than 90 degrees so that it lies against and substantially parallel with the surface of flange 8.
• a retaining ring I is shown with a valve 2 crimped in place. Further, the retaining ring I is positioned directly within a closure 20.
• the closure 20 has a circular wall 21 which has a rotational axis coincident with the axis of the retaining ring I .
• a sealing bead 22 is formed in the form of a projection.
• wall 24 At the upper end of wall 21 is another wall 24 which lies perpendicular to wall 21. This wall 24 extends radially inward from wall 21.
• sealing bead 1 3 on the radially outer side of wall 12 of the retaining ring I , is provided such that it has an external diameter greater than that of the diameter of radially inner surface of sealing bead 22. Accordingly, the retaining ring I snap-fits into the closure 20 so that the two sealing beads 1 3, 22 form an interference seal in a manner well known in the art.
• valve 2 has been shown in this embodiment to be crimped into the retaining ring I , in other embodiments it would be possible to glue or affix the valve 2 to the retaining ring I by other means such as by chemical means. Further still, it has been found that contrary to expectation it has been possible to bend over the crimping flange 14 without the need to apply heat to soften the material.
• valve 2 has been discussed it would be possible to design a retaining ring I which could have more than one valve 2 crimped into it. This might be useful if it was desired to have a closure with more than one dispensing orifice.
• valve and retaining ring may be pre-assembled on a different production machine than the machines which are used to produce the closures or assemble the closures, if different therefrom. Further, because the valves and retaining ring can be assembled more quickly than the closure can be produced or assembled, a stock of these pre-assembled valves and retaining rings can be maintained, with obvious benefits.
• Another advantage is that the rigidity of the flange of the valve is increased.
• valve cartridge 50 formed in accordance with the present invention is shown.
• the cartridge is formed as a generally annular support body with an exterior, equatorial, annular bead 55 extending approximately around the mid-point of the body.
• the cartridge 50 includes an annular wall 5 1 with an internal retention bead 52 formed at one end. At the other end of the wall an annular deck 53 extends radially inwardly. At the free end of the deck 53 an inclined annular wall 54 depends.
• the cartridge receives a self-closing valve sub-assembly 60 (for example of the type shown in Figures I to 5), and the cartridge can be orientated in a first or second axial orientation as shown in Figures 8 to 10.
• the orientation of the VSA with respect to the cartridge is unchanged.
• the VSA is received so that its bead 1 3 engages under the cartridge wall bead 52 and the upper part of the crimped wall 14 abuts against the deck 53.
• the inclined wall of the flange 8 fits against the inclined wall 54.
• the cartridge and retained sub-assembly can be received in the dispensing spout 72 of a flip-top dispensing closure base 70 in a "normal" orientation ( Figures I I to 1 3) or an "inverted” orientation ( Figures 14 to 1 6).
• the bi-directionality is achievable because of the longitudinal/axial symmetry of the body which means the cartridge bead 55 can engage under the closure spout bead 75 with the cartridge body in either longitudinal direction.
• valve is crimped into the retaining device.
• the retaining device is snap fitted into the cartridge.
• the cartridge is snap fitted into the closure.
• alternative means of securing the valve/device/cartridge may be used, such as welding or adhesives.
• Figures 1 7 to 22 are further drawings illustrating a valve cartridge positioned in a dispensing spout in one of two alternative axial orientations.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Closures For Containers (AREA)
• Cosmetics (AREA)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=54013743

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (1)

Citations (3)

• 2015
  • 2015-07-10 GB GBGB1512068.6A patent/GB201512068D0/en not_active Ceased
• 2016
  • 2016-06-28 GB GB1721943.7A patent/GB2556501B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2016-06-28 DE DE212016000141.8U patent/DE212016000141U1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2016-06-28 WO PCT/EP2016/064949 patent/WO2017009031A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (3)

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