This invention concerns an underpressure-activated outflow mechanism in a valve for a drinking receptacle. The valve includes a valve head and a valve seat, where the valve seat is arranged in force-transmitting connection with a membrane, whereas the valve head is fixed to the remaining structure.
The patent literature discloses several devices that utilize underpressure for activating a valve for a drinking receptacle, for example as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,290,090 and in Norwegian patent no. 315182. Common to all prior art in this area is that the valve seat is fixed to the structure, and that only the sealing surface of the valve head can be moved or change shape during activation. First and foremost the present invention seeks to improve the manufacture and cost related aspects of existing technology. Making the valve seat moveable renders possible to obviate the need for the valve head requiring horizontal sealing surfaces that must be pulled out of the casting mould after moulding, thus bringing about a risk of inflicting damage thereto. Normally the valve surface may also become damaged during assembly, inasmuch as it becomes strongly deformed when being forced through a valve opening. Using currently available methods for inspecting this surface increases both cost and complexity.
The object of the invention is to remedy said disadvantages of prior art. The object is achieved in accordance with the features disclosed in the following description below and in the subsequent claims.
The valve differs substantially from existing technology in that it includes a valve seat that is arranged movably suspended relative to the valve head itself, and relative to the remaining structure. The membrane is arranged in force-transmitting connection with the valve seat. When a user sucks an underpressure P2 on one side of the membrane, thereby causing it to move or deform, a substantially axial suction force is transmitted to the valve seat and moves it. Due to the valve head being fixed to the substantially non-moveable part of the structure, the valve seat is moved away from the valve head and opens the valve to outflow, cf. attached figures.
Another particular feature of the invention is that it utilizes a flexible or movable seal between the pressure zone P3 of the drinking receptacle and the atmospheric reference pressure P1. The seal may be formed so as to be pressure-affectable by the bottle pressure, thereby allowing the bottle pressure to exert an elevated closing pressure when the pressure increases. It may also be formed with a vertical tubular or cone-shaped zone, thereby allowing it to expand radially during influence of pressure, thus reducing the axial extent thereof. This function may be used to counteract or balance the valve closing pressure, thereby reducing the required opening force from the membrane during high-pressure activation.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a structure that is simpler to manufacture, and which can withstand high pressure. According to prior art, a flexible and pressure-affectable membrane structure may be used, in which the same soft material is also utilized to form a valve head. The forces arising in response to pressure P3 in the drinking receptacle therefore must be transmitted via the soft sealing flange of the valve head to a stationary valve seat, or to other parts of the relatively soft membrane. According to the present invention, these forces substantially will be transmitted directly to the rigid part of the structure via the valve head and the suspension thereof, which represents a structural advantage, cf. the figures.
The invention may be provided, as needed, with a protective top cover or other special technical adaptations. This especially concerns the choice of connection methods to the drinking receptacle and the design of flanges and snap-connections between the parts constituting the device itself. Threads and/or flanges may be adapted for use on all types of drinking receptacles, such as bottles, cartons, bags, cups, feeding bottles, etc. If the device is to be adapted for easy cleaning and reuse, the individual parts may be provided with, for example, threads instead of snap-connections. The device is intended for use with all types of liquid food substances, also including pressurized drinks, hot drinks, liquid food, ice cream and so forth.
In principle, the invention can be utilized together with all known types of membranes, for example with flat, circular and radially suspended membranes, or with membranes having a conical shape projecting into the vertical plane. The membranes may have both symmetrical as well as asymmetrical shapes and may include several materials, for example combinations of rigid ribs or portions transmitting force, and also soft plastics allowing radial compression of the membrane.
In the following, several non-limiting examples of preferred embodiments are described, in which these embodiments are shown as vertical sections in the accompanying drawings, in which:
a-1b show one embodiment of the valve device according to the invention being arranged in a screw cap, in which the valve is shown in a closed and an open position, respectively;
a-2b show an alternative embodiment of the valve device according to the invention being arranged in a screw cap, in which the valve is shown in a closed and an open position, respectively;
a-3c also show an alternative embodiment of the valve device according to the invention being arranged in an enclosure, in which the valve is shown in a closed, an open and an open/venting position, respectively;
a-4c show a valve device resembling the embodiment according to
a shows one embodiment of the valve device according to the invention, in which the device is connected to a drinking receptacle 2 being a bottle in this example. In its position of rest, the valve seat 44 will be in pressure-sealing contact with the valve head 34. The valve head 34 is fixed within the cap and/or to the remaining structure via one or more stays 36. When applying an underpressure P2 to the inside of the membrane 1 via the suction channel 49, the radial shape of the membrane 1 changes and becomes shorter axially. Due to the membrane 1 being fixed at its lower end 50, the resulting suction force will move the valve seat 44 away from the valve head 34, which is downwards on the figure, and open the valve to outflow. A seal 46 is also pressure-sealingly connected with the valve seat 44 and against an extruded, tubular channel 48 on a pressure-sealing partition wall 3 towards the drinking receptacle 2. A movable and/or flexible flange 14, which is pressure-sealingly connected with the valve seat 44, seals against the inside of a spout 12 formed in an enclosure 4 surrounding the valve on the outside of said screw cap. This sealing arrangement ensures that two separate pressure zones can exist in the valve during the activation thereof, in which one pressure zone has a pressure P1 (atmospheric pressure), and the other pressure zone has a pressure P2 (underpressure creating said suction force). When the suction force opens the valve, liquid will flow from the drinking receptacle 2 through the channel 48. When the suction force ceases, the valve will close, partly as a result of the elastic rigidity of the membrane, and partly as a result of the elastic deformation of the seal 46.
b shows the valve according to
a shows an alternative embodiment of the valve device according to the invention. In this embodiment, the seal 46 is replaced with a flexible zone 40. When the valve seat 44 moves towards the partition wall 3 during activation, the relatively soft and/or bellows-shaped zone 40 will be compressed and temporarily shortened in the axial direction thereof, thus forming a flexible, yet pressure-tight, liquid channel.
b shows the valve device according to
ashows another embodiment of the valve device according to the invention. In this embodiment, the membrane 1 is arranged to contract radially upon underpressure-activation, thereby increasing its length axially. The axial extension of the membrane causes the valve seat 44 to move away from the valve head 34, which is down towards the drinking receptacle 2 on the figure, and open the valve to outflow. In this example, the drinking receptacle 2 may be a drinking carton, for example, in which only a wall portion thereof is shown on the figure. The valve head 34 shown herein is provided with a guide peg 35 centring the valve seat 44 relative to the valve head 34 during closing. The membrane 1 is shown pressure-sealingly suspended via its upper end 15 from a recess 18 in an outer enclosure 4 that is fixed to the drinking receptacle 2 around an opening therein. On the outside of the membrane 1, a pressure equalization space 55 exists being connected with atmospheric pressure P1 via at least one vent 6 in the wall of the surrounding enclosure 4.
b shows the valve device according to
c shows the valve device according to
According to another aspect of the invention, said membrane 1 may also be moulded in a spread-out Y-shape in a casting mould. Such a Y-shape appears in an axial cross section through the membrane 1, such as shown in
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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200334132 | Sep 2003 | NO | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/NO04/00274 | 9/16/2004 | WO | 3/16/2006 |