Delivering Tap with Cam-Type Opening

Abstract

A delivering tap for delivering liquids from a container includes a main body with a connecting element having fitting means with the container, and a supporting body adapted to be closed by a plug associated with a cam seal, the supporting body comprising a first opening for exiting liquid, and sealing means associated with the first opening and plug, the supporting body comprising external guiding means obtained on its external surface to guide the plug in the opening and closing of the plug cooperating with a cam profile, the plug comprising a central cylinder having lower sealing means obtained at its lower end and adapted to be coupled with the sealing means of the main body to determine the seal of the plug next to the first opening, the cam profile being made of two parts, the first part on the plug and the second part on the cam seal.

Claims

1. A delivering tap for delivering liquids from a container comprising: a main body comprising a connecting element having fitting means with the container, and a supporting body adapted to be closed by a plug cooperating with a cam seal separated from the supporting body, a rotation of the plug having a linear movement effect of the plug itself, the supporting body comprising a first opening for exiting liquid, and sealing means cooperating with the first opening and adapted to be connected to the plug, the supporting body further comprising external guiding means obtained on its external surface and adapted to guide the plug in the opening and closing steps of the plug cooperating with a cam profile; the plug comprising a central cylinder having lower sealing means obtained at its lower end and adapted to be coupled with the sealing means of the main body to determine the seal of the plug next to the first opening; wherein the cam profile is made of two parts, the first part of the cam profile being made on the plug and the second part of the cam profile being made on the cam seal, so that when the plug is rotated, the external guiding means, moving in the groove formed of the first part and of the second part of the cam profile, generate a linear movement of the plug.

2. The delivering tap of claim 1, wherein the cam seal cooperates with fastening elements obtained on the supporting body and further comprises a tamper evident ring connected to the cam seal through frangible elements adapted to be broken upon the first opening of the tap, so that the tamper evident ring remains fastened to the main body kept by the fastening elements to point out the opening of the tap.

3. The delivering tap of claim 1, wherein the plug comprises an upper part connected to the central cylinder, inside which the first part of the cam profile is made, and wherein the second part of the cam profile is made on a wall of the cam seal.

4. The delivering tap of claim 1, further comprising a sealing valve connected to the plug, comprising an external sealing surface connected with interference to an internal surface of the supporting body.

5. The delivering tap of claim 4, wherein the valve comprises flexible upper and lower sealing lips adapted to be operatively coupled with upper sealing means of the plug composed of an area of the central cylinder with increased diameter.

6. The delivering tap of claim 1, wherein the plug comprises a threading made therein which operates as upper abutment of the external guiding means of the main body and is the edge of the first part of the cam profile, while the second part of the cam profile is made on the upper edge of a cylindrical wall of the cam seal.

7. The delivering tap of claim 1, wherein the main body comprises fastening elements, connected to abutment ribs and to abutment elements of the seal obtained on the external surface of the supporting body, for assembling the cam seal.

8. The delivering tap of claim 1, wherein the plug cooperates with the cam seal by means of projecting elements present on the cam seal which cooperate with seats made inside the upper part of the plug.

9. The delivering tap of claim 8, wherein the cam seal comprises projecting elements obtained on its external surface adapted to be fastened to the seats of the plug and abutments adapted to transmit the rotary motion of the plug to the cam seal once assembled.

10. The delivering tap of claim 1, wherein the cam seal comprises a flat profile at the end of the second part of the cam profile on which the external guiding means reside during the closing step of the tap to prevent an accidental opening of the plug, and comprises a bearing of the external guiding means which limits its excursion during the closing step of the plug.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the tap according to the present invention;

[0031] FIG. 2 is a front view of an embodiment of the tap according to the present invention;

[0032] FIG. 3 is a front sectional view of an embodiment of the assembled tap according to the present invention;

[0033] FIG. 4 is a front view and a side sectional exploded view of an embodiment of the tap according to the present invention;

[0034] FIG. 5 is a front view and a side exploded view of an embodiment of the tap according to the present invention;

[0035] FIG. 6 is a front view of an embodiment of the tap according to the present invention in its opening position;

[0036] FIG. 7 is a front sectional view of an embodiment of the tap according to the present invention in its opening position;

[0037] FIG. 8 is a front, side sectional, side, tope and isometric view of a component of the tap according to the present invention;

[0038] FIG. 9 is a front, side, top and isometric view of a component of the tap according to the present invention;

[0039] FIG. 10 is a front, side sectional, side, top and isometric view of a component of the tap according to the present invention;

[0040] FIG. 11 is a front, side sectional side, top and isometric view of a component of the tap according to the present invention;

[0041] FIG. 12 is a front, side and bottom view of a first connector for containers according to the prior art;

[0042] FIG. 13 is a front, side and bottom view of a second connector for containers according to the prior art;

[0043] FIG. 14 is a front, side and bottom view of a third connector for containers according to the prior art;

[0044] FIG. 15 is a sectional view of a first tap according to the prior art;

[0045] FIG. 16 is an isometric, top, right side, front and left side view of a second tap according to the prior art;

[0046] FIG. 17 is an isometric, side sectional and detailed view of an embodiment of the tap according to the present invention; and

[0047] FIG. 18 is an isometric, side sectional and detailed view of an embodiment of the tap according to the present invention in its opening position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] With reference to the Figures, an example and non-limiting embodiment of the delivering tap 1 of the present invention is shown and described. It will be clear for a skilled person in the art that the described tap can be made of equivalent shapes, sizes and parts, and can be used for various types of containers, for example the so-called Bag-In-Box ones, but also the rigid or semi-rigid containers, or others.

[0049] The delivering tap or tap 1 of the invention, preferably completely made of plastic material, is used for delivering liquids from a container (not shown), and comprises: a main body 3 comprising a connecting element 3.20 to the container, comprising fitting means 3.1 with the container, and a supporting body 3.21 adapted to be closed by a plug or upper closing element 2 coupled with a valve 5, preferably an internal valve 5 with flexible lips; such supporting body 3.21 comprises a first opening 3.2 for exiting liquid, and sealing means 3.3 associated with the first opening 3.2 and adapted to be operatively coupled with lower sealing means 2.1 of the plug 2.

[0050] Preferably, the fitting means 3.1 are composed of sealing rings 3.4 obtained on the connecting element 3.20, adapted to be operatively connected to the connecting mouth (not shown in the figures) which is in turn welded to the BIB container, and operates as connecting element between the tap 1 and the BIB container. In a preferred way, the connecting element 3.20 of the main body 3 comprises a ring 3.5 with sharp edge, which operates as removal-preventing abutment and consequently as anti-counterfeiting of the tap once inserted in the connecting mouth. Preferably, the supporting body 3.21 comprises a seat 3.6 made therein, adapted to operate as guide/seat and removal-preventing abutment of the internal valve 5 with flexible lips, and external guiding means 3.7, obtained on its external surface and useful to guide the plug 2 in the opening and closing steps of the plug, by cooperating with a cam profile made of two parts: the first part 2.6, preferably the upper part, of the cam profile being made on the plug 2 and the second part 4.2, preferably the lower part, of the cam profile being made on a cam seal 4 associated with the plug 2, preferably with its upper part 2.7 of the plug 2.

[0051] Preferably, the main body 3 comprises a complete disk 3.8, made on the external surface of the connecting element 3.20 and tap-orienting elements 3.9, for example two elements 3.9, obtained on the supporting body 3.21 and comprising through-windows 3.9 which form an holding edge of the seat 3.6, preferably obtained when molding through direct coupling of the mold male parts. Preferably, the main body 3 comprises fastening element 3.10 obtained on the external surface of the supporting body 3.21, preferably two standard fastening elements of the three connectors on the market, shown in FIGS. 12, 13 and 14 and manufactured by company ITW.

[0052] Preferably, the main body 3 also comprises fastening elements 3.11 of the seal 4 obtained on the external surface of the supporting body 3.21, connected to abutment ribs 3.12 and to abutment elements 3.13 of the seal 4, useful when assembling the plug 2 on the cam seal 4 (pre-assembled on the main body 3); the plug 2 comprising the first part 2.6 of the cam profile made inside the upper part 2.7 of the plug, is associated with the cam seal 4 preferably by means of projecting elements 4.1 present on the cam seal 4, which cooperate with seats 2.2 present on the plug 2, in particular made inside the upper part 2.7, by being inserted therein.

[0053] The plug 2 comprises a central cylinder 2.3 connected to the upper part 2.7 of the plug and comprising the lower sealing means 2.1 obtained at its lower end, adapted to be coupled with the sealing means 3.3 of the main body 3, preferably composed of a flexible profile 3.3 of the first opening 3.2, to determine the (lower) seal of the plug next to the first opening 3.2, when the tap will not be operating. The plug 2 comprises upper sealing means 2.4, preferably composed of an area of the central cylinder 2.3 with increased diameter adapted to be operatively coupled with two lips 5.1 and 5.2 of the valve 5, and creates the upper seal of the tap 1.

[0054] Preferably, the plug 2 comprises external gripping means 2.5 obtained on the external surface of the upper part 2.7 to facilitate the rotation/opening of the plug 2 of the tap 1 once assembled with all the components. In a preferred way, the plug 2 comprises a threading made therein, preferably two threads made at 180 one to the other, which operates as upper abutment of the external guiding means, for example composed of a tooth 3.7, of the main body 3, and makes the edge of the first (upper) part 2.6 of the cam profile. In practice, the cam profile adapted to guide the plug 2 to its opening position (guided by the tooth 3.7) is split into two parts: the first part 2.6 is inside the plug 2 and the second part 4.2 is in the cam seal 4. Advantageously, this splitting of the cam into two parts allows simplifying the parts, lowering their production costs, and facilitates the assembling of the tap.

[0055] Normally, in the cam profiles which guide the openings of plugs in rotation of a known type (such as those of company Scholle, for example) the cam profiles are obtained on the main body while the teeth (for example, the tooth 3.7) are obtained inside the plugs, which are the mobile part of the known plugs. This compels to product particular geometries of known plugs (in the example shown in FIG. 15, part 9.1) which need a further molded component adapted to cover the holes and the necessary geometries for the embodiment of internal teeth in the plug, and thereby generate an increase of the final price of the plug and more pollution due to the production cycle; the only task of this component is covering the plug holes necessary to product the internal teeth 9.1 which cannot be left opened, since they are a possible seat for dust and dirt. Advantageously, the splitting of the cam having the first part 2.6 inside the plug 2 and the second part 4.2 in the cam seal 4, for the tap 1 of the invention removes the need of producing a plug 2 with plug opening holes, since only the first part of the cam 2.6 has been obtained inside the plug, and therefore it is not necessary to produce and add a further dust-preventing covering part, such as for example necessary in the plug of company Scholle (FIG. 15).

[0056] The plug 2 of the tap 1 of the invention goes out of the mold with the upper part 2.7 already closed and therefore does not allow the dust and the dirt to reach inside of the plug. On the plug 2 there are weight-reducing recesses 2.8 useful to make more flexible the edges comprising the seats 2.2, composed for example by open slits 2.2, in order to flex them during the assembling step of the plug 2 on the cam seal 4; the elastic sealing valve 5 associated with the plug 2 preferably comprises, obtained on its external surface, fastening means 5.3 to the seat 3.6 of the main body 3, composed for example of a fastening step 5.3 to the holding edge of the seat 3.6, and an external cylindrical sealing surface 5.4 on an internal surface 3.14 of the supporting body 3.21, the internal surface 3.14 being adapted to be operatively connected to the valve 5 through interference.

[0057] The valve 5 further comprises the two flexible upper sealing lip 5.1 and lower sealing lip 5.2 adapted to be operatively coupled with the upper sealing means 2.4 of the plug 2, and a facilitating edge 5.6 to enable assembling the valve 5 on the main body 3 and plan seats 5.5 useful to provide an assembling thrust on a plane; a cam seal 4 (preferably of the tamper evident type) comprising the second (lower) part of the cam profile 4.2 made preferably on an external wall thereof, for example on the upper edge of a cylindrical wall, which allows the plug 2, once assembled on the tamper evident seal 4, to be guided by the external guiding means 3.7, preferably composed of the teeth 3.7 present on the main body 3 and is the lower abutment for the tooth 3.7 (the upper abutment of the tooth 3.7 is composed of the first (upper) part of the cam profile 2.6, preferably of the two threads at 180 obtained inside the plug 2).

[0058] Moreover, the cam seal 4 comprises a plane profile 4.3 at the end of the second part 4.2 of the cam profile, on which the tooth 3.7 resides during the closing step (see FIG. 3) adapted to prevent the accidental opening of the plug 2 and a bearing 4.4 of the tooth 3.7 which limits its excursion during the closing step of the plug (FIG. 3). In a preferred way, the cam seal 4 comprises the projecting elements 4.1 obtained on its external surface, preferably four, useful to be fastened to the seats 2.2 of the plug 2 and abutments 4.8 useful to transmit the rotary motion of the plug 2 to the cam seal 4 once assembled.

[0059] The cam seal 4 further comprises a tamper evident ring 4.5 adapted to be separated from the cam seal 4 upon its first opening providing evidence thereof, preferably connected to the cam seal 4 through frangible elements 4.7 adapted to be broken upon the first opening; the cam seal 4 comprises abutment elements 4.10 adapted to transmit, when assembling, the insertion force to the ring 4.5, allowing it to pass the fastening elements 3.11 present on the main body 3 without damages and remaining untouched. The cam seal 4 preferably comprises two recesses 4.9 obtained on its internal surface at 180 one to the other, which allow the seal 4 to pass the teeth 3.7 of the main body 3 when assembling.

[0060] In particular, with reference to FIG. 3, the tap 1 is shown in section in its closing position, and it is noted that the plug 2 is inserted into the supporting body 3.21 of the main body 3. The central cylinder 2.3 is operatively sealing coupled (lower seal) on the geometry present on the first liquid outlet opening 3.2 by means of the lower sealing means 2.1 present on the central cylinder 2.3 of the plug 2. Internally to the tap 1, the valve 5 with the flexible lips 5.1 and 5.2 is assembled, and remains fastened to the main body 3 by means of undercuts obtained on the seat 3.6 (preferably two) obtained on the main body 3; the valve 5 is operatively externally sealing coupled through interference of the external cylindrical surface 5.4 on the internal surface 3.14 of the supporting body 3.2, and with operative seal (both static, but above all dynamic when opening the plug) with the coupled flexible lips 5.1 and 5.2 with the upper sealing means 2.4 of the plug 2 (upper seal), for example with the area of the central cylinder 2.3 with increased diameter. Previously, the cam-type tamper evident seal 4 inserted in the main body 3, in particular in the supporting body 3.21, has been assembled due to the recesses 4.9 which allow passing the teeth 3.7 of the main body 3 to form, once having assembled the plug 2, the complete cam formed of the first part (upper part) of the cam profile 2.6 and of the second part (lower part) of the cam profile 4.2 which guide the plug 2 during the opening torsion at the plug opening height.

[0061] With reference to FIG. 7, the tap 1 of the invention is shown in its opening position. It can be noted that, once assembled, the plug 2 and the cam-type tamper evident seal 4 form a single body which cannot be divided. Once having ended the first opening, to give evidence thereof, the cam seal 4 is divided into two parts, part 4A with the upper part of the cam seal 4 which remains fastened to the plug 2, and part 4B formed of the tamper evident ring 4.5, which remains fastened to the main body 3 held by the fastening elements 3.11, thereby providing evidence of opening and helping the end user to understand if the product/plug has been previously violated or even worse counterfeited.