US3223117A - Dispensing valve - Google Patents

Description

1965 R. J. CURIE ETAL 3,

DI SPENS ING VALVE Original Filed March 4, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I'JVENTORS ROBERT J. CURIE FIG 3 ROBERT 8. HAMILTON BYMAHONEY, M958 1 RAM BY M ATTORN YS 1965 R. J. CURIE ETAL DI SPENS ING VALVE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed March 4, 1964 FIG. 5

FIG.6

mm m we Y l T R E B 0 R ROBERT S. HAMILTON BYMAHONEY, MIL/LE/fi & RAM% BY Mr W ATTORNEYS 1965 R. J. CURlE ETAL 3,

DISPENSING VALVE Original Filed March 4, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fl i INVEVTORS ROBERTJ. CURIE ROBERT s. HAMILTON BY MAHONEY, MILLER z RAMB ATTORNEYS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS RAMBQZ ATTORNEYS I I I I I I \I ROBERT J. CURIE ROBERT S. HAMILTON Y, MILLER s.

BY MAHONE Dec. 14, 1965 J. CURIE ETAL DISPENSING VALVE Original Filed March 4, 1964 FIGJZ United States Patent O 3,223,117 DISPENSING VALVE Robert J. Curie and Robert S. Hamilton, Columbus, Ohio,

assignors to The Corrugated Container Company, Columbus, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Original application Mar. 4, 1964, Ser. No. 349,391, now Patent N0. 3,173,579, dated Mar. 16, 1965. Divided and this application Feb. 12, 1965, Ser. No. 432,245 1 Claim. (Cl. 137-556.6)

This is a division of application Serial No. 349,391 filed March 4, 1964, now Patent No. 3,173,579 dated March 16, 1965, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 272,321, filed April 11, 1963, now abandoned.

This invention relates to a dispensing valve. It has to do, more particularly, with a dispensing valve for use with a container pack-age which can be filled with a fluid and from which the fluid may be dispensed. It is particularly adaptable to the dispensing of liquids, such as milk or water, in a completely sanitary manner.

The package described herein is adapted to be filled with milk or other liquid by a dealer and supplied to a domestic consumer who can place it on a support, such as a refrigerator shelf or table, and dispense desired amounts therefrom at intervals with ease and in a sanitary manner. The package is so constructed that substantially all the liquid can be dispensed therefrom, without tipping of the package, and when completely empty, the package can be discarded since it is relatively inexpensive.

More specifically, the container package includes an outer protective supporting and confining package shell, usually in the form of a box of corrugated board, paperboard, or the like, and an inner sanitary flexible liner or inner container, usually in the form of a collapsible plastic bag, which is enclosed within and protected by the outer shell. The outer shell is usually supplied to the dealer in the liquid as a box in knockdown form and when it is to be used, it is set up as a complete box with open closure flaps at its upper end so that it can receive and retain the liner. The liner is usually supplied to the dealer in flat condition as a liquid-tight collapsed bag and is expanded into the interior of the open box as it is filled after being positioned therein. After the bag is properly filled, the closure flaps of the box are sealed in place to completely enclose and protect the bag.

The bag is provided with a suitable positioned opening which is used both as a filling and dispensing opening and which is adapted to have the closure and dispensing valve of the present invention associated therewith after filling. Usually the bag opening is at the upper end of the box during filling and after filling the closure and dispensing valve is mounted in cooperation with the opening. The box is so constructed that the closure and dispensing valve is located and held at the upper end of the box by an inner closure flap and is covered by an outer closure fla which engages the valve to lock it in closed position. In this condition, the filled sealed package is supplied by the dealer to the consumer. For dispensing, the outer closure flap is provided with a removable pull-out section or tab which, when removed, permits access to the dispensing valve so that it can be pulled outwardly and then actuated for the dispensing operation when the package is inverted to position the valve at a lower corner. Furthermore, removal of the tab permits positioning the dispensing valve at the adjacent corner of the box in such a manner that substantially all of the liquid in the bag will drain through the dispensing valve when open and when that corner is lowermost so that it will not be necessary to tip the package. This precludes a substantial portion of the liquid remaining in the bag which would be wasted.

In the accompanying drawings, a preferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated and in these drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view, partly broken away, of the closed and sealed package to which the valve of the present invention is applied.

FIGURE 2 is an isometric view of the flexible container or bag of the package.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2 showing the valve closure in opened position.

FIGURE 4 is a similar view taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 2 but showing the valve closure in closed position.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 1, showing the closure valve held in locked closed position within the sealed box.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIGURE 11 showing the closure valve in dispensing position extended from the unsealed box.

FIGURE 7 is an end elevational view taken along line 7-7 of FIGURE 10 showing the closure valve in the same extended position shown in FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the tear-out tab or section being removed from the end of the box to expose the closure valve.

FIGURE 9 is a similar view showing the closure valve pulled outwardly at the end of the box.

FIGURE 10 is a similar view but showing the closure valve locked in its final extended dispensing position at one corner of the box.

FIGURE 11 is a view similar to FIGURE 10 but showing the box turned to dispensing position.

FIGURE 12 is a plan view of the blank used for making the box.

With reference to FIGURE 1, the two main units of the container package to which the valve of thi invention is applicable are illustrated therein and comprise the box 15 which is shown in set-up and sealed condition with its upper closure flaps closed and sealed, and the bag 16 which is shown within the box in the relationship it will have thereto when filled. The bag 16 is provided with the valve and closure unit 17 of this invention as indicated in FIGURES 2 and 3.

The box 15 may be of suitable sheet material, such as corrugated fiberboard, solid fiberboard, paperboard, or similar material, and its details are shown in FIGURES 1 and 5 to 12. The box may be made from a suitable blank 19, as shown in FIGURE 12, which is scored and slit to provide the side walls 21, 22, 23, and 24, having the attached upper closure flaps 21a, 22a, 23a, and 24a, and the attached lower closure flaps 21b, 22b, 23b, and 24b. The various closure flaps are hinged to the respective side walls and are separated from each other at the slits 25. The outer edge of the wall 24 has hinged thereto an attaching flange 26. The dash line 27 in FIGURE 12 indicate various scored fold lines between the various walls and flaps whereas the dot and dash lines 28 indicate perforated or otherwise weakened tear lines.

Thus, the closure flap 21a is provided with a keyholeshaped perforated tear line at the slit 25 between it and the closure flap 22a to provide a tear-out section or tab 210. The wider end of the keyhole tab 210 has formed therein a smaller removable tab 21d of semicircular form. The closure flap 22a, adjacent the flap 21a, is provided with a notch or slot 220 which starts at the fold line 27 between the flap 22a and the side wall 22 and extends into the flap 22a a substantial distance. Also,

inwardly and overlapping the flap 23a.

heat-sealed type.

'noted that a score line 27 extends across the tab 22d producting a sub-tab 22e. Similar hinged tabs 22] are produced at the opposed sides of the notch 220 at its outer end. It will also be noted that a score line 27 extends in opposite directions from each side of the notch 22c, intermediate its extent into the flap 22a, to the respective side edges of the flap 22a.

When the box is setup, the blank is folded along the various fold lines 27 between the vertical walls 21, 22, 23, and 24 and the fold line between the wall 24 and the attaching flange 26. The flange '26 is overlapped with the outer surface of the adjacent Wall 21 and is glued or otherwise secured in place. By positioning the flange 26 outside the wall 2'1, a continuous'smooth surface is provided around the interior of the box so that the bag 16 will not be cut. The bottom flaps 21b, 22b, 23b, and 24b, are folded inwardly into overlapping relationship with the flaps 21b and 23b lower-most and may be secured in that position by means of gluing or by a piece of adhesive tape (not shown). The upper flaps 21a, 22a, 23a, and 24a are folded inwardly into overlapping relationship with the flaps 22a and 24a innermost and projecting toward each other, with the narrow flap 23a turned inwardly over the flaps 22a or 24a, and with the wide flap 21a turned A piece of adhesive tape 29 along the edge of the flap 21a holds it down.

The bag 16 is made of suitable flexible plastic such as a transparent polyethylene film, It is formed fluid-tight, preferably from adouble thickness of a tubular section of the film, and is shown in flat orcollapsed condition with the straight, folded side edges 31 and 32. The upper and lower edges of the bag are also straight and areprovided with the sealed seams 33 and 34 which may be of the One of the flat, double walls 35 of the bag adjacent the upper edge 33 has the closure and neck unit 17 sealed in an opening formed in that wall. The flexible bag 16 will be made of a suitable size so that it can be positioned within the relatively rigid box 15 and when expanded, will conform substantially to the shape of the box but there will be a surplus of material of the bag adjacent the closure and neck unit '17 for a purpose to be described later.

The construction of the closure and valve unit 17 of this invention and the manner in which it is sealed to the wall 35 of the bag 16 is as shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4. The unit 17 is provided with an annular collar 36 which has an integral, peripheral attaching flange 37 at its inner edge. The flange 37 is disposed within the wall 35 and in contact with the wall and is provided with a flat, annular groove 37a in its outer surface in which the double layer wall 35 is heat-sealed. Thecollar 36 and, in fact, the entire unit 17, will be of suitable plastic material. The collar 36 has a reduced diameter tubular extension 38 formed integral therewith and projecting outwardly therefrom to serve as a mounting means for a slidable dispensing valve stem 40. The extension 38 has an annular locating peripheral stop flange 39 formed integral thereon and projecting radially therefrom. This flange 1s spaced axially outwardly from the parallel locating and stop flange surface 41 which is formed at the junction of the collar 36 and guide extension 38. Thus, an annular radially outwardly opening locking space or groove 42a is provided, The outer end of the extension 38 is reduced further to provide a guide sleeve or collar portion 42 which snugly receives the stem 40 that is slidably and rotatably mounted therein. An annular stop shoulder 43 is provided at the inner extent of the portion 42.

The stem 40 is of hollow tubular form and is movable readily in the guide 42 by means of a button 45 integrally formed on its outer end which can be readily engaged by the fingers in pushing or pulling the stem in the guide 42 or in rotating it therein. The inner end of the stem is open and on its exterior surface it carriers an annular stop shoulder 46 which will cooperate with the shoulder 43 to limit outward movement of the valve stem 40. However, at its' outermost position, a dispensing opening 47 in the stem is beyond the guide 42 as indicated in FIGURE 3. When pushed inwardly, as in FIGURE 4, the opening 47 is closed by the guide 42. The button 45 is preferably provided with an embossed arrow 48 pointing radially toward the side of the stern having the opening 47. The stem 40 is provided at its outer extremity adjacent the button 45 with an outwardly flared surface 49 which is gradually increased axially outwardly of the stem in diameter. It increases beyond the internal diameter of the guide 42 so that when it is pushed inwardly thereinto it will gradually wedge more tightly therein and produce a tight seal. Since the valve material is somewhat flexible, this wedging action will be permitted,

The bag 16 will-be filled with the liquid and be positioned in the box 15. The bag may be filled, through the valve stem 40, in the manner disclosed in the copending application of Curie et al., Ser. No. 320,199, filed Oct.

'3 O, 1963. When filled, the upper closure flaps are swung inwardly and the tape 29 is applied, as previously indicated, to hold all the upper closure flaps in sealed position. The box with the filled bag therein will then appear as in FIGURE 1.

At this time, as indicated in FIGURE 5, the neck or collar extension 38 will be positioned in the inner end of the slot or notch opening 22c in the flap 22a which will be positioned inwardly adjacent the bag 16. The flap 2211 will be located in the locking space 42a between the stop flanges 39 and 41 and the tubular extension 38 will be positioned between the opposed tabs 22]. When the bag 16 is initially positioned in the box '15, the button 45 on the valvestem 40 and also the stop flange 39 on the guide sleeve 38 can be'slipped up through an enlargement of the slot or notch 220 formed by bending back the opposed tabs 22], this being necessary since the button and the flange 39 each is of greater width than the slot or notch 220. It will be noted that the button 45 is partly circular and partly angular and is spaced axially outwardly of the stop flange 39. The outer closure flap 21a will bear against the button 45, holding the valve stem in its inner position within the valve guide 42 with the dispensing opening 47 covered. At the same time, the entire valve or closure unit will be pushed inwardly with sufficient force to bend the flap 22a at the score hinge line 27 extending from each side of the notch 22c. The valve or closure unit will not normally push on through the notch 220 because the stop flange 39 on tubular extension 28 is of greater diameter or width than the width of the notch 220 and will extend over the tabs 221 sufficiently to prevent inward bending thereof. Thus, the flexible flap 22a and flexible bag 16 will permit sufficient inward movement of the dispensing valve and closure unit 17 to permit the outer closure flap 21a to be sealed in its final flat position and the valve button 45 will be directly below the removable tab 210 in contact therewith. However, it will be noted from FIGURE 5 that the hinge line 27 permits upward tilting of the inner free portion of the flap 22a so that the bag end can extend up to the outer flap 21a at the side opposite the location of the valve stem 40, thus obtaining maximum capacity of the bag 16.

To dispense from the package, the steps indicated in FIGURES 8 to 11 are followed. The tear-out tab or section 210 is removed from the flap 21a is indicated in FIG- URE 8 exposing the valve button 45. To do this, the sub-tab 21d is first torn from the tab 210 by pushing it inwardly to provide a finger-receiving notch to facilitate pulling out of the tab 210. An outward pull can then be exerted on the button 45 which will pull the flap 22a upwardly since the flange 41 on the neck or collar 36, and the collar itself, are of greater diameter than the notch 22c and will not pull outwardly therethrough. Then the inverted, T-shaped tab 22a in the adjacent edge of the side wall 22 is bent outwardly to provide an undercut flange receiving slot 22c which communicates with the outer end of the notch 22c, as shown in FIGURE 10. As previously indicated, there is suflicient surplus material in the bag adjacent the neck, that the valve or closure unit can now be moved outwardly in the notch 220 until the flange 37 is moved out into the slot 22e. The slot 22e has an upper portion which communicates with the outer end of the notch 22c and is slightly wider than the notch and a lower or undercut portion which is much wider. The upper portion receives the neck 36 and the lower portion receives the flange 37 and the respective portions of the slot 22e are just slightly smaller than the cooperating portions 36 and 37 which they receive so that such cooperating portions will be gripped and held in place. The larger inner portion of the keyhole slot 21a, provided by removal of the tab 21c, facilitates access to the valve button 45. The narrower outer end of this keyhole slot lies over the outer end of the notch 220 in alignment therewith for receiving and gripping the tubular valve guide extension 38 as also does the associated aligning end of the notch 22c. The wider inner end and the narrower outer end of the keyhole slot 222 are connected by a converging connecting portion. Thus, there are two layers of box wall material extending into the annular groove 42 to support the valve unit 17 from axial movement. The removed sub-tab 21d, as shown in FIGURES 6, 7, 10, and 11, is preferably positioned in the narrow part of the keyhole slot 212 over the notch 220, being wider than the notch, and beneath the stop flange 39. This will give greater stability to the valve unit 17.

Thus, the valve unit 17 will be locked at the corner of the box where the side wall 22 meets the flap 22a, as indicated in FIGURE 7. Furthermore, as shown in FIGURE 6, When locked in this position and the box is rested on its side wall 22, the inner surface of the wall 22 and the corresponding lower side of the tubular valve stem 40 are at substantially the same level or in substantially the same plane. Therefore, if the stem is turned so that the dispensing opening 49 is at its lower side, as indicated by the arrow 48 pointing downwardly, and is pulled outwardly to move the opening outwardly beyond the guide sleeve portion 42, substantially all liquid can be dispensed from the bag 16. The stem 40 may be slid in and out relative to the guide 42 to dispense the liquid in desired amounts at intervals and this can be done with the fingers of one hand since the valve is locked and is prevented from moving bodily in and out of the box.

It will be apparent from the above that this invention provides a cooperating closure and valve unit on the dispensing outlet of the inner container which is disposed in cooperation with the first wall of the box and which includes a valve guide body having an attaching flange attached to the inner flexible container. The guide body is provided with axially spaced radially outwardly projecting stop portions or stop flanges. Mounted in the valve guide body for axial sliding and rotation about its axis is a valve member. The valve guide body is positioned in a retaining opening in an inner lamination of the first wall so that the valve member will extend upwardly therefrom, being located axially therein by the axially spaced stop flanges. This valve member includes a slidable stem which is engaged by a tear-out tab in the outer lamination of the first wall so as to lock the valve stem in closed position. When the tear-out tab is removed this valve is exposed and can be moved outwardly in the opening in the inner lamination which extends to the second angularly disposed wall. This latter wall has a tearout or punch-out tab which will produce a flange-receiving slot that will receive the attaching flange of the valve guide body so as to position the valve at the corner be tween the two walls of the box. This slot is of inverted T or undercut form and communicates with the valve body-receiving opening. The undercut slot receives the attaching flange and will prevent displacement into the communicating neck-receiving opening. The valve stem is hollow and in the locked dispensing position of the valve, one side of the stern will be in alignment with the second wall. The valve stem has a dispensing opening and the stem is both slidable and turnable to expose the opening for dispensing and to position it in substantially the same plane as the second box Wall. This will make it possible to dispense substantially all the contents of the inner container when the box is rested on the second wall. Thus, the package provides suitable means for supplying the liquid to the consumer and means for dispensing it quickly, easily, and economically without waste, from a fixed position such as a shelf in a refrigerator upon which it may be positioned.

The dispensing valve itself is of novel form and facilitates the dispensing operation. In closed position of the valve, the stem is wedged in the guide into effective sealing position so there will be no leakage from the bag. However, a pull on the button on the end of the stem will readily pull the stem from its wedged locked position. The non-circular shape of the valve button will facilitate initial insertion of the valve in the box slot and then permit rotation of the stem readily so that the dispensing opening can always be positioned at the lower side of the hollow stem, the position of this opening being indicated by the arrow on the valve button.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, the principles of this invention have been explained and have been illustrated and described in what is now considered to represent the best embodiment. However, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claim, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed is:

A dispensing valve comprising a tubular guide portion of annular cross section having an inner open end and an outer open end, a hollow tubular stem of annular cross section mounted rotatably and slidably in said guide portion having an open inner end and a closed outer end, said valve having a pair of axially spaced annular stop flanges projecting radially outwardly therefrom to provide an outwardly opening annular locking space therebetween to receive locking means for holding the tubular guide portion axially in place while said stem is slidably moved axially therein, said stem having an annular stop shoulder at its inner end which projects radially outwardly beyond the periphery of the inner end of said tubular guide portion so as to contact therewith upon axial outward sliding movement of the stem in said tubular guide portion to limit said outward movement, said guide portion having on its outer end a button that projects radially outwardly beyond the periphery of the outer end of the guide portion so as to provide a stop shoulder which contacts with said outer end upon inward axial sliding movement of the stem to limit said inward movement, said hollow stern having a dispensing opening leading radially outwardly through the periphery thereof at a location which is axially within said tubular guide portion when the button is in contact with the outer end thereof and which is axially outwardly beyond the outer end of said tubular guide portion when the annular shoulder at the inner end of said guide portion is in contact with the inner end of said guide portion, said button having a finger-grip portion thereon of non-circular outline which can be engaged by the fingers to facilitate rotation of the stem in the guide portion to properly locate the radially directed dispensing opening angularly relative to the tubular guide portion and having an index pointing means 7 o thereon which extends radially in the saline direction as 2,873,895 2/ 1959 Dunn 222--522 said opening to indicate the position of said dispensing 3,087,655 4/1963 Scholle 222183 opening angularly in said guide portion.

FOREIGN PATENTS References Cited by the Examiner 5 866,253 4/1961 Great Britain UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,790,582 4/ 1957 Halpern 222522 X CHARLES R. CARTER, Examiner.

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