The field of the disclosure relates generally to caps for fluid dispensers, and more specifically to self-sealing caps for chemical dispensers.
Some known fluid storage dispensers include a flexible body that may discharge a liquid contained therein through an opening in the dispenser when a squeezing pressure, for example from an operator's hand is applied. Some known dispensers may include a sealing means that provides a subsequent sealing action after the pressure is removed, but such dispensers require a two-handed arrangement with these dispensers wherein the closing action must be done by the operator's second hand. Some other known dispensers simply require that each hand manipulate one of two parts to facilitate closing the fluid dispenser.
A known housing for a control valve used on a squeeze type fluid dispensing container includes a first check valve fixedly coupled inside a housing. When the first check valve is opened, fluid flow is permitted through an opening and out of a tube in the housing. A second such check valve is fixedly coupled inside the first check valve, and when opened, facilitates channeling the fluid flow from the tube into the housing, then through an opening in the housing and back into the dispenser.
Some other known fluid dispensers provide a dual-valve system. Such dual valve assemblies respond to differences in pressure, and cooperate to dispense the fluid from the dispenser, or seal the openings thereof during non-use. The cap may include a valve positioned within the dispenser outlet which is cleaned of material at the end of the dispensing period by the action of the dispenser mechanism herein. However, such dual valve assemblies are not directly exposed to the atmosphere, and fail to allow ambient air into the dispenser to normalize the squeezable dispenser, while maintaining the liquid, and any gaseous product associated with the liquid, within the dispenser during periods of non-use.
In one aspect, a fluid dispenser is provided. The fluid dispenser includes a dispenser made from a flexible material and having a body portion and a cylindrical mouth portion extending from the body portion, the mouth portion defining an opening further defining a lip extending about the opening, a cap operable to engage the mouth portion of the dispenser, the cap comprising an aperture therethrough operable to dispense a fluid stored within the dispenser, and a cylindrical insert sized for placement within the opening between the mouth portion and the cap. The cylindrical insert includes a substantially solid plug having a first axial hole therethrough and a second axial hole therethrough, a first reed valve operably attached to the plug to close the first axial hole from an outside of the dispenser, and a second reed valve operably attached to the plug to close the second axial hole from an inside of the dispenser.
In another aspect, an insert sized for placement within an opening of a dispenser is provided. The insert includes a substantially solid plug having a first surface, a second surface, and first and second axial holes extending from the first surface to the second surface, a first reed valve operably attached to the first surface of the plug to close the first axial hole, and a second reed valve operably attached to the second surface of the plug to close the second axial hole.
In yet another embodiment, a method dispensing a fluid from a flexible dispenser is provided. The method includes applying a positive pressure to the dispenser to force the fluid through a first axial hole formed in a plug placed in a opening of the dispenser, the pressure causing a first reed valve mounted on a side of the plug opposite the fluid storage to move away from the first axial hole to allow the fluid to pass through, the positive pressure further causing a second reed valve on a side of the plug where the fluid is contained to maintain placement to substantially seal a second axial hole formed in the plug, releasing the positive pressure to allow the first reed valve to return to a position that substantially seals the first axial hole and allows the second reed valve to open thereby allowing air to enter the dispenser through the second axial hole until a difference in pressure between an interior and an exterior of the dispenser is reduced to substantially zero, and allowing the second reed valve to substantially reseal the second axial hole.
The features, functions, and advantages can be achieved independently in various embodiments of the present disclosure or may be combined in yet other embodiments in which further details can be seen with reference to the following description and drawings.
The following detailed description illustrates the disclosure by way of example and not by way of limitation. The description should enable one skilled in the art to make and use the system described herein, describes several embodiments, adaptations, variations, alternatives, and uses of the disclosure, including what is presently believed to be the best mode of carrying out the disclosure. The disclosure is described as applied to exemplary embodiments, namely, a self-sealing cap for a fluid dispenser and methods of fabricating such caps. However, it is contemplated that this disclosure has general application to any fluid container in industrial, commercial, and residential applications.
In the exemplary embodiment, cap 20 includes an inner surface 26 and an outer surface 28. Cap 20 includes a substantially cylindrical cross-section that includes a first end 30 and a second end 32. First end 30 of cap 20 includes an opening 34 that is sized and oriented to receive mouth portion 16 therein. Cap 20 includes a substantially flat top portion 40 that extends across second end 32 of cap 20. In the exemplary embodiment, cap assembly 20 includes a tip 42 rotatable with respect to and extending from flat top portion 40 of cap 20, and includes an aperture 46 therethrough operable to dispense fluid 12 stored within dispenser 10. In one orientation tip 42 is operable for dispensing of fluid 12, and in another orientation (not shown) tip 42 is not operable for dispensing of fluid 12 as is well known. Alternatively, cap 20 may not include tip 42, but may simply include an aperture (not shown) therethrough that is sized and oriented to enable dispensing fluid 12 from dispenser 10 as described in more detail herein.
A plug portion of a self sealing dispenser insert 50 is shown disposed between cap 20 and dispenser 10 in
Referring to the detailed illustration of
As shown in
A screw 126 is utilized to attach the second reed valve 110 to the plug 52 by passing through the hole 120, with the screw 126 engaging a bore 128 in a bottom 130 of the plug 52. Screw 122 operates to maintain an orientation of the first reed valve 100 and the reed retainer 102 with respect to the first axial hole 60. Screw 126 operates to maintain an orientation of the second reed valve 110 with respect to the second axial hole 62.
In embodiments, the first reed valve 100 and the second reed valve 110 are fabricated utilizing steel. In a specific embodiment, for a dispenser that is approximately hand sized (e.g., three inches in diameter and about six inches tall), the first reed valve 100 and the second reed valve 110 are fabricated from a steel of about 0.003 inch in thickness. In an embodiment, the reed retainer 102 is made from aluminum.
As is understood from a review of
The method continues by releasing 504 the positive pressure to allow the first reed valve 100 to return to a position that substantially seals the first axial hole 60 and allows the second reed valve 110 to open thereby allowing air to enter the dispenser 10 through the second axial hole 62 until a difference in pressure between an interior and an exterior of the dispenser 10 is reduced to substantially zero. When the difference in pressure is approximately zero, the second reed valve 110 is allowed 506 to substantially reseal the second axial hole 62. Other embodiments of the method include utilizing 504 a reed retainer 102 to place a positive pressure onto the first reed valve 100 with respect to the first axial hole 60.
Exemplary embodiments of an insert sized for placement within an opening of a dispenser are described in detail above. The above-described dispenser insert facilitates providing a substantially sealed chemical dispenser that would normally emit chemical vapors into the surrounding atmosphere when not in use. More specifically, the dispenser cap insert described herein helps to ensure safe environmental conditions in areas where chemicals are stored and facilitates maintaining an area surround the dispenser that is free from harmful gases that may be emitted from the stored chemicals by enabling the dispenser to use atmospheric pressure to seal the dispenser when not in use. Also, the systems described herein will prevent leaking of should chemicals such the dispenser become overturned.
Although the foregoing description contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure, but merely as providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments. Similarly, other embodiments may be devised which do not depart from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Features from different embodiments may be employed in combination. The scope is therefore indicated and limited only by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the foregoing description. All additions, deletions and modifications to the embodiments disclosed herein which fall within the meaning and scope of the claims are to be embraced thereby.
Although the assemblies and methods described herein are described in the context of using a dispenser sealing insert with flexible chemical dispenser bottles, it is understood that the apparatus and methods are not limited to chemical storage devices. Likewise, the system components illustrated are not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, but rather, system components can be utilized independently and separately from other components described herein.
As used herein, an element or step recited in the singular and proceeded with the word “a” or “an” should be understood as not excluding plural elements or steps, unless such exclusion is explicitly recited. Furthermore, references to “one embodiment” of the present invention are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features.
This written description uses examples to disclose various embodiments, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the embodiments contained herein, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the disclosure is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
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20130087574 A1 | Apr 2013 | US |