US3443728A - Llquid dispensing device - Google Patents

Description

May 13, 1969 w. R. SCHOLLE LIQUID DISPENSING DEVICE Sheet 012 Filed Jan. 22, 1.968

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y 3, 1969 w. R. SCHOLLE 3,443,728

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7 yum United States Patent "ice 3,443,728 LIQUID DISPENSING DEVICE William R. Scholle, Long Beach, Calif., assignor to Scholle Container Corporation, Compton, Calif., a corporation of Illinois Filed Jan. 22, 1968, Ser. No. 699,464 Int. Cl. B65d 47/20 US. Cl. 222-511 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A flexible plastic spigot adapted to be associated with a receptacle for controllably dispensing contained liquld, said spigot comprising a cylindrical tubular wall open at one end, an internally disposed resiliently flexible concave member secured to the opposed normally outermost end of said wall except at a lateral opening formed in said wall, the neck of said receptacle being adapted to be received within said wall and about said concave member and to leave an annular pocket of substantially V-shaped cross-section between the aforesaid neck, wall and concave member, means on said concave member for permitting it to be yieldably manually flexed out of sealing engagement with said neck and for thereby providinga dispensing opening, and web means secured between sald wall and concave member adjacent the opposed defines of said lateral opening whereby to provide dams for said pocket and in combination with said receptacle.

This invention relates to a novel spigot, sometimes termed a valve, adapted for associtaion with the spout, sometimes termed the neck, of a receptacle which may be of plastic, glass or metal, for containing and incrementally dispensing liquid contents such as milk, fruit juices, water, etc.

The spigot of the present invention is of simple and economical construction, one that can be adapted for reuse but by reason of its economy can be discarded when the contents of the receptacle with which it is associated are fully discharged.

The spigot of the present invention is more particularly directed to an improvement in the spigot described and claimed in the copending application of Lazzaro Fattori, filed Nov. 4, 1966 as Ser. No. 592,122, no'w Patent No. 3,400,866, which describes and claims a dispenser-closure comprising a spigot having a tubular wall connected at one end to a container for fluids and having an opposite delivery end, a diaphragmic transverse wall closure of elastomeric material mounted on the spigot at said delivery end and preformed in a deeply concave configuration extending to the spigot from a peripheral juncture with said wall, said wall having a frusto-conical outer peripheral portion extending inwardly from said juncture at an acute angle to said tubular wall forming a hollow and wedge or V-shaped cross-section therebetween, the spigot being formed with an orifice inwardly of said juncture, said spigot having means extending into said hollow inwardly of said orifice, said means and wall closure being constructed and arranged for contact therebetween and extension of said wall closure for sealing the spigot against flow of liquid therebeyond, and finger manipulatable means on said wall closure for distorting a portion of the wall closure from said concave configuration to a convex configuration extending radially toward said orifice for breaking the seal and directing a flow of fluid through the orifice.

I have found that in a spigot of the foregoing class liquid accumulates in the V-shaped pocket between the spigot outer wall, its aforesaid concave diaphragmic wall closure and the neck of a container to which it is engaged so that even through the diaphragmic closure is relaxed 3,443,728 Patented May 13, 1969 and permitted to close the spigot some liquid collects in the V -shape'd annular pocket and slowly drips out. When the dispenser is used for dispensing milk, not only is there a tendency for residual milk in the aforesaid V-shaped pocket to drain out but there is also a tendency for some of the milk to cake causing undesirable accumulation.

The present invention cures the aforesaid difiiculty by provlding webs spanning the v-shaped annular pocket at the point of the lateral opening in the spigot wall so as to form a dam to prevent the' aforesaid accumulation and undesirable leakage.

The objects of the present invention, its details of constructlon, arrangement of parts and economies thereof will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the spigot in accordance with the present invention associated with a receptacle, further illustrating the manual means for actuatrng the spigot and the dispensing of liquid contained in the receptacle.

FIG. 2 is a realtively enlarged front elevational view of the spigot of FIG. 1.

I; is a section on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

is a fragmentar section 0 t FIG 3. y n he line 4 4 of FIG. 5 is a fragmentary relatively enlarged sectional view of the spigot shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a view progressive to that of FIG. 5 showng the spigot in the open dispensing position, that is with 1ts diaphragm flexed from concave to convex position.

FIG. 7 1s a view similar to that of FIG. 5 of a modified form of construction.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to that of FIG. '6 being a view progressive to that of FIG. 7 of the aforesaid modified form of construction. I Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 10 lndlcates a spout or neck of a container, in this case a blow-rnolded receptacle 11 of polyethylene, to which the spigot 15 secured by means of an annular flange 12 embracin g the open mouth 13 of the container 11. The neck 10 can be formed with an intermediate annular shoulder 14 and an outwardly annular lip 15. The neck 10 at its outer terminal opposite the lip 15 is desirably formed W1th inwardly extending annular portion 16.

The spigot of the present invention comprises a cylindrlcal wall portion 17, this wall 17 being adapted for in terlockrng engagement over the neck 10 by means of its inner annular shoulder 18.

Secured to the outer terminus of the annular wall 17 is the diaphragm 19 of resiliently flexible plastic material such as polyethylene which extends concavely inwardly of the outer periphery of the wall 17 and into confines thereof so that the neck 10 over which the wall 17 is engaged lodges between the wall 17 and the diaphragm 19, leaving a pocket 20 which is of frusto-conical or V-shape in cross-section.

As best shown in FIG. 4, the annular spigot wall 17 is formed with a lateral opening as at 21. When the diaphragm 19 is in its normal relaxed position shown in FIG. 3, this lateral opening 21 is sealed off so that liquid will not flow out of the contents of the container 11. However, when one manually grasps and flexes the boss 22 extending outwardly of the diaphragm 19, as shown in FIG. 1, and flexes the diaphragm from the concave position to a convex position as shown for example in FIGS. 6 and 8, the diaphragm 19 is elevated from contact with the neck 10 so as to provide a discharge path from the container 11 through its aperture 13 and through the opening 21 of the spigot.

As previously indicated, in accordance with the present invention, in order to seal off the V-shaped pocket 20 against dripping of accumulated liquid after .the diaphragm 19 has been relaxed into closed position, I provide a pair of spaced webs 23, 23 at the terminals or defines of the opening 21 extending in the V-sha'ped pocket 20 between the diaphragm 19 and its annular wall 17.

If desired, the webs 23 can be secured to and between both the diaphragm 19 and the annular wall 17 of the spigot as shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 6 shows the diaphragm 19 in outwardly flexed position so that the opening 21 in the wall 10 is free for passage of liquid.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are substantially similar to FIGS. and 6 with the exception that in this case the webs 23 are secured only to the spigot wall portion 17 and are separated from the diaphragm 19. With this alternative form, the opening left by outward flexing of the diaphragm 19 is somewhat larger than the opening left by outward flexing of the diaphragm 19 of the forms of FIGS. 5 and 6.

In either event, that is to say, with the form of FIGS. 5 and 6 or FIGS. 7 and 8, the webs 23 at the opposed ends of the opening 21 provide a dam to prevent flow of liquid outwardly of the spigot or in the pockets that may be formed through the nature of its construction, when the diaphragm 19 is returned to closed position as shown in FIGS. 3, 5 and 7.

I claim:

1. A flexible plastic spigot adapted to be associated with the neck of a receptacle for controllably dispensing contained liquid, said spigot comprising a cylindrical tubular wall open at one end, an internally disposed resilient concave member secured to the opposed normally outermost end of said wall except at a lateral opening formed in said wall, the neck of said receptacle being adapted to be received within said wall and about said concave member and to leave an annular pocket of substantially V-shaped cross-section between the aforesaid neck, wall and concave member, means on said concave member for per- 4 mitting it to be yieldably manually flexed out of sealing engagement with said neck and for thereby providing a dispensing opening, and web means secured between said wall and concave member adjacent the opposed defines of said lateral opening whereby to provide dams for said pocket.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said webs are secured to both the adjacent wall and concave member.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said webs are secured only to said wall.

4. In combination, a receptacle having a neck, a flexible plastic spigot associated with the neck for controllably dispensing contained liquid, said spigot comprising a cylindrical tubular wall open at one end, an internally disposed resilient concave member secured to the opposed normally outermost end of said wall except at a lateral opening formed in said wall, the neck of said receptacle being received within said wall and about said concave member and leaving an annular pocket of a substantially V-shaped cross-section between the aforesaid neck, wall and concave member, means on said concave member for permitting it to be yieldably manually flexed out of sealing engagement with said neck and for thereby providing a dispensing opening, and web means secured between said wall and concave member adjacent the opposed defines of said lateral opening whereby to provide dams for said pocket.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,161,230 6/1939 Nelson 222562 2,614,732 10/1952 Pararra 222-511 ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

H. S. LANE, Assistant Examiner.

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