Valve retaining device

Abstract

A device for retaining a self-closing valve in a closure is provided. The device comprises a body for receiving a self-closing valve and having a crimping flange capable of being bent from an uncrimped position to a crimped position so as to retain the valve in the device. The body is receivable into a closure with the valve retained. The crimping flange has a length, for instance, generally within a range of 0.5 mm and 4.0 mm.

Claims

1. A device for retaining a self-closing valve in a closure, the device comprising a body for receiving a self-closing valve and having a crimping flange capable of being bent from an uncrimped position to a crimped position to retain the valve in the device by engaging a peripheral flange on the valve and thereby defining a flange height F in the crimped position, the body being receivable into a closure with the valve retained, wherein the crimping flange has a length H of approximately 1.4 mm; the peripheral flange height F is generally within a range of 1.25 mm and 2.5 mm; and the overall height of the device is about 6.40 mm, so as to collectively increase the rigidity of the peripheral flange and define an extended crimping profile for increasing by in excess of about 300% the force required to separate the self-closing valve from the retaining device.

2. The device set forth in claim 1, wherein the crimping flange has a length generally within a range of 1.10 mm and 2.5 mm.

3. The device set forth in claim 1, wherein the overall device height is generally within a range of 5 mm and 8 mm.

4. A device for retaining a self-closing valve in a closure, the device comprising a body for receiving a self-closing valve and having a crimping flange capable of being bent from an uncrimped position to a crimped position to retain the valve in the device by engaging a peripheral flange on the valve and thereby defining a flange height F in the crimped position, the body being receivable into a closure with the valve retained, wherein the crimping flange has a length H generally within a range of 1.0 mm and 2.50 mm; the peripheral flange height F is generally within a range of 1.25 mm and 2.50 mm; and the overall height of the device is generally within a range of 6.30 mm and 7.70 mm, so as to collectively increase the rigidity of the peripheral flange and define an extended crimping profile for increasing by in excess of about 200% the force required to separate the self-closing valve from the retaining device.

5. The device set forth in claim 1, wherein the overall height of the device is either approximately 5.95 mm or approximately 6.35 mm.

6. The device set forth in claim 1, wherein the crimping flange comprises an upstanding wall.

7. The device set forth in claim 1, further comprising a circular upstanding wall and the crimping flange comprises a circumferentially upstanding wall.

8. The device set forth in claim 1, further having an external side bead for snap-fitting the device into a closure.

9. The device set forth in claim 1, further including a sloping surface for receiving a valve flange.

10. The device set forth in claim 1, further formed as a retaining ring.

11. The device set forth in claim 1, further formed as a single-piece article.

12. The device set forth in claim 4, wherein the self-closing valve has a weight generally within a range of 0.05 g and 0.11 g.

13. The device set forth in claim 4, wherein the assembly weight is generally within a range of 0.08 g and 0.11 g.

14. The device set forth in claim 4, wherein the assembly weight is generally within a range of 0.05 g and 0.08 g.

15. The device set forth in claim 4, wherein the valve is formed of a material selected from a group consisting essentially of silicon or a silicon-based material, a rubber material, TPV, or TPE.

16. A self-closing valve sub-assembly comprising a retaining device in combination with a non-laminar, flange-presenting self-closing valve in a closure for a container, in which the closure is adapted for direct connection with the container, the device being separate from the closure for the container and separate from the container, the retaining device comprising a single piece article having a member for crimping the valve into the device prior to assembly, a crimping flange being separate from the closure for the container and separate from the container, the crimping member comprising the crimping flange capable of being bent from an uncrimped position to a crimped position, the crimping flange having a height of approximately 1.4 mm, the self-closing valve including a valve head and a peripheral flange engaged by the crimping flange in the crimped position, the self-closing valve having a weight generally within a range of 0.05 g and 0.11 g, in which the height of the valve peripheral flange is generally within a range of 1.25 mm and 2.5 mm, so as to collectively increase the rigidity of the peripheral flange and define an extended crimping profile having a selected flexibility for increasing by in excess of about 300% the force required to separate the self-closing valve from the retaining ring.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) A specific, illustrative, representative valve retaining device, according to the disclosure, is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a device formed according to the disclosure without a valve in position;

(3) FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the device shown in FIG. 1 with a valve loosely in position;

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the device illustrated in FIG. 1 with a valve crimped in position;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a cross-section through the device set forth in FIG. 3 with a valve crimped in position;

(6) FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the device of FIG. 1 with a valve crimped into position and with the device positioned in a closure;

(7) FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a device formed in accordance with another aspect of the disclosure;

(8) FIG. 7 shows the device of FIG. 6 fit with a valve, according to a further aspect of the disclosure; and

(9) FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a valve sub-assembly formed according to still another aspect of the disclosure.

(10) The same numerals are used throughout the drawing figures to designate similar elements. Still other objects and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from the following description of specific, illustrative embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(11) In the following description, all orientational terms, such as upper, lower, radially and axially, are used in relation to the drawings and should not be interpreted as limiting this disclosure or connection to a closure.

(12) Example embodiments are described below in sufficient detail to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to embody and implement the systems and processes herein described. It is important to understand that embodiments can be provided in many alternate forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein.

(13) Accordingly, while embodiments can be modified in various ways and take on various alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and described in detail below as examples. There is no intent to limit to the particular forms disclosed and as well as individual embodiments the disclosure is intended to cover combinations of those embodiments as well. On the contrary, all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the appended claims should be included. Elements of the example embodiments are consistently denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings and detailed description where appropriate.

(14) The terminology used herein to describe embodiments is not intended to limit the scope. The articles a, an, and the are singular in that they have a single referent however, the use of the singular form in the present document should not preclude the presence of more than one referent. In other words, elements referred to in the singular can number one or more, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms comprises, comprising, includes, and/or including, when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, items, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, items, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

(15) Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein are to be interpreted as is customary in the art. It will be further understood that terms in common usage should also be interpreted as is customary in the relevant art and not in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

(16) Referring now to the drawings and, more particularly, to FIG. 1 there is shown generally a device 1, referred to hereinafter as a retaining ring 1. The ring comprises a molded single-piece article with a chimney in the form of a circular wall 10. The chimney provides a surface for assembly machinery to handle the retaining ring. At one end of the chimney is a radially, outwardly sloping surface 11a on an annular wall 11. At the outer radial end of the sloping surface, there is provided another circular wall 12, which has the same rotational axis generally as chimney 10, and extends in an upward direction.

(17) Along the circumference of a radially outer surface of wall 12 is a projection in the form of an external sealing bead 13. At an end of wall 12 is a crimping flange 14 which in its uncrimped condition is an upstanding wall which, in this embodiment, has a height H of approximately 1.1 mm. In a further embodiment, a wall with a height of approximately 1.4 mm is provided.

(18) A flexible self-closing valve 2 is provided which typically has the features shown in FIG. 2. For instance, such a valve 2 has a head portion 3, which is thicker towards the edge than the centre and which has at least one slit 4 therein. The head portion is concave with respect to a container (not shown).

(19) A side-wall portion 6 connects head portion 3 with a flange 8. Flange 8 is typically shaped such that it has a relatively substantial size in the form of a rim. It is this flange 8 which rests on sloping surface 11 of retaining ring 1 when it is located correctly.

(20) In this embodiment, to crimp valve 2 in place, crimping flange 14 is bent over from the position shown in FIG. 2 until it sandwiches flange 8 between itself 14 and sloping surface 11, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

(21) Also shown is a valve 2 with crimping flange 14 bent over. Although crimping flange 8 is shown as being bent over by 90 degrees radially inward, it should be understood that the angle through which it must be bent is not fixed. For instance, it has been found that the crimping flange need only be bent over by a few degrees in order that it hold the valve in place within retaining ring 1. This is because the crimping flange is bent over along the entire circumference of retaining ring 1 and valve 2. Furthermore, crimping flange 14 could be bent over by more than 90 degrees so that it lies against and substantially parallel with the surface of flange 8.

(22) In FIG. 5, a retaining ring 1 is shown with a valve 2 crimped in place. In addition, the retaining ring is positioned within a closure 20. The closure has a circular wall 21 which has a rotational axis coincident with the axis of the retaining ring. Along the radially inner side of this wall 21 is a sealing bead 22 in the form of a projection.

(23) At the upper end of wall 21 is another wall 24 which lies perpendicular to wall 21. This wall 24 extends radially inward from wall 21.

(24) When retaining ring 1 is fitted to closure 20, it is pushed into the closure until crimping flange 14 meets the underside of wall 24. Further, sealing bead 13, on the radially outer side of wall 12 of the retaining ring, is provided such that it has an external diameter greater than that of the diameter of the radially inner surface of sealing bead 22. Accordingly, the retaining ring snap-fits into the closure so that the two sealing beads 13, 22 form an interference seal in a manner well known in the art.

(25) Alternative or additional methods of fitting retaining ring 1 in closure 20 are, of course, possible. Such methods could include glueing, corresponding screw threads and chemical means.

(26) Additionally, although valve 2 has been shown in this embodiment to be crimped into retaining ring 1, in other embodiments it would be possible to glue or affix the valve to the retaining ring by other means such as by chemical means.

(27) Further still, it has been found that contrary to expectation, it has been possible to bend crimping flange 14 over without the need to apply heat to soften the material.

(28) Furthermore, although only one valve 2 has been discussed, it would be possible to design a retaining ring 1 which could have more than one valve 2 crimped into it. This might be useful if it was desired to have a closure with more than one dispensing orifice.

(29) Although the advantages of the above described retaining ring have already been discussed, (e.g., improved rigidity to improve handleability and prevent accidental passing of valve 2 through an orifice of a closure), further advantages may be achieved. One such advantage is that the valve and retaining ring may be pre-assembled on a different production machine than the machines which are used to produce the closures or assemble the closures, if different therefrom. Further, because the valves and retaining ring can be assembled more quickly than the closure can be produced or assembled, a stock of these pre-assembled valves and retaining rings can be maintained, with obvious benefits.

(30) Another advantage of the disclosure is that the rigidity of the flange of the valve is increased.

(31) In FIG. 6, a ring on 101 formed according to an alternative embodiment is shown. The ring is generally the same as ring 1 shown in FIGS. 1-5, except that the length H of crimping flange 114 is approximately 1.4 mm, with an overall ring height of approximately 6.40 mm.

(32) It has been found that this flange length gives particular benefits to the force required to pull the valve out of a sub-assembly, by greatly increasing the force required, in some embodiments by in excess of a 300% increase in valve pull out force.

(33) The ring benefits from several beneficial features: i) extended crimping profile designwhich will improve component processing quality, and increased valve pull out forces to improve transportation quality; ii) side bead 113 vertical increasewhich allows a better ring feed into an assembly machine, thus giving better processing efficiencies; and iii) redesigned chimney 110 inside diameterwhich allows a greater flexibility for the valve sub-assembly to closure assembly machines.

(34) Referring now to FIG. 7, a valve sub-assembly 220 is shown. In this embodiment, a retention ring 201 is provided that is generally the same as that shown in FIG. 6. More particularly, the ring is combined with a valve 202 which is generally similar to valve 2 shown in FIGS. 2-5. However, in this embodiment the height F of flange 208 is significantly less, being approximately 1.52 mm.

(35) In other embodiments (not shown), a reduced height flange may be used in combination with a retaining ring but without an extended crimping flange.

(36) Shown in FIG. 8 is a sub-assembly 320 formed according to an alternative embodiment. A valve 302 is fitted into a retention ring 301, the valve having a weight of approximately 0.06 g. The ring has a crimping flange 314 with a height H of approximately 1.0 mm. The overall height of ring 301 is approximately 6.05 mm.

(37) In this embodiment, the ring is a device for retaining a non-laminar, flange-presenting self-closing valve in a closure for a container. The closure (not shown) is directly attachable to a container. The valve is mounted within the retainer device by the crimping flange. In so doing, the crimping flange extends entirely around the outer flange of the valve. The retainer device is separate from the closure which is used to close the container. As such, the closure is adapted for direct connection with the container. A lid (not shown) may also be associated with the closure. This lid may be either separate from the closure or attached to the closure.

(38) Although specific, illustrative embodiments have been disclosed in detail herein, with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is understood that the invention is not limited to the precise embodiments shown and that various changes and modifications can be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.