Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D83/00—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents
  • B65D83/14—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents for delivery of liquid or semi-liquid contents by internal gaseous pressure, i.e. aerosol containers comprising propellant for a product delivered by a propellant
  • B65D83/16—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents for delivery of liquid or semi-liquid contents by internal gaseous pressure, i.e. aerosol containers comprising propellant for a product delivered by a propellant characterised by the actuating means
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
  • B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B67D7/00—Apparatus or devices for transferring liquids from bulk storage containers or reservoirs into vehicles or into portable containers, e.g. for retail sale purposes
  • B67D7/02—Apparatus or devices for transferring liquids from bulk storage containers or reservoirs into vehicles or into portable containers, e.g. for retail sale purposes for transferring liquids other than fuel or lubricants
  • B67D7/0277—Apparatus or devices for transferring liquids from bulk storage containers or reservoirs into vehicles or into portable containers, e.g. for retail sale purposes for transferring liquids other than fuel or lubricants using negative pressure
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D47/00—Closures with filling and discharging, or with discharging, devices
  • B65D47/04—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps
  • B65D47/20—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps comprising hand-operated members for controlling discharge
  • B65D47/24—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps comprising hand-operated members for controlling discharge with poppet valves or lift valves, i.e. valves opening or closing a passageway by a relative motion substantially perpendicular to the plane of the seat
  • B65D47/248—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps comprising hand-operated members for controlling discharge with poppet valves or lift valves, i.e. valves opening or closing a passageway by a relative motion substantially perpendicular to the plane of the seat the valve being opened or closed by imparting a motion to the valve stem
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D2517/00—Containers specially constructed to be opened by cutting, piercing or tearing of wall portions, e.g. preserving cans or tins
  • B65D2517/0001—Details
  • B65D2517/0031—Reclosable openings
  • B65D2517/0046—Unusual reclosable openings
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D2517/00—Containers specially constructed to be opened by cutting, piercing or tearing of wall portions, e.g. preserving cans or tins
  • B65D2517/0001—Details
  • B65D2517/0047—Provided with additional elements other than for closing the opening
  • B65D2517/0049—Straws, spouts, funnels, or other devices facilitating pouring or emptying

Definitions

• the invention relates to completely closed carbonized beverage cans, bottle or closed drinking cups used to prevent spilling of fluid, contained in the can, bottle or drinking cup, while in action and fluid is withdrawn from the can, drinking cup or handheld container, US class 220/706 ; 220/85; 222/214; 220/713; 220/714 etc. (International Patent Classification A47G 19/22; BD65d 1/00; BD65D 25/48 etc.)
• Carbonated beverages are supplied in aluminum cans, bottles or other containers for consumption. As soon as the can or bottle is opened, the fluid starts deteriorating and becomes flat in short time thereafter. If supplied in bottles, the beverage is normally poured into a cup for immediate drinking, while the rest is kept under pressure in the bottle for future use by a screw cap. Aluminum cans, however, are commonly opened by pulling away a piece of the top closure and cannot be closed thereafter. This means that the fluid needs to be consumed more or less immediately after opening. Also when poured from a bottle into a cup the amount may be too much for immediate consumption and someone may want to use it over an extended period of time.
• Drinking cups and handheld containers with leak tight top-covers combined with drip-less spout and air vent are provided throughout the years in many shapes and forms, in order to prevent spilling of the liquid, contained therein for temporarily storage.
• the spout and vent are provided with valves that enable fluid to be withdrawn from the container or cup, when suction is applied to the spout.
• the reduction in fluid content in the container is replaced by air that flows through a second opening in the cover.
• This air vent holds a control valve that opens when the pressure sinks below the atmospheric outside pressure, due to the suction action at the spout.
• a drip less feeding/ training container of this nature has been described by Belanger in U.S. patent description 5,079,013 ; U.S. PAT.
• the present invention overcome all these problems as well as for beverage cans as for closed non-spilling drinking cups combining a number of advantages over prior art solutions, in the same application being: Maintaining the gas pressure to keep the fluid carbonized; easy transport of partially filled containers and no fluid is spilled while drinking and used in action.
• the present invention has an additional advantage of being more hygienic than using a beverage can closure and/or drinking adapter as provided for in e.g. U.S. PAT. 4,883,192 of Krugman and other inventions thereafter.
• the present invention of one type of embodiment, comprises a flow control element with a spout for sucking fluid from a pressurized cup, metal beverage can, bottle or handheld container, whereby the fluid is a carbonized beverage or hot drink such as coffee or tea.
• the flow control element is activated by sucking on the spout, whereby a membrane type element lifts a valve that closes off the inside of the container from the outside.
• the inside of the container normally has a higher gas pressure than the atmospheric outside pressure caused by the carbonized fluid or expanding air that is heated by a hot drinking fluid within the confinement of the drinking cup.
• the flow control element comprises a spout, gas tight connected to a housing, a spring, a centrally perforated membrane shape element connected to a valve stem, which is hollow in nature, to enable fluid to flow from the container to the spout through the opening in the membrane; a valve stem guide with valve seat, which is an extrude part of the housing and a valve of soft resilient material.
• the valve is held firmly in the closed position by a spring that pushes onto the membrane and valve stem, towards the valve seat. As the valve is connected through the valve stem with the membrane, movement of the membrane in axial direction, results in the same movement of the valve.
• the membrane By reducing the pressure on one side of the membrane by suction on the spout, the membrane will displace the valve thereby opening up the inside of the container and allowing fluid to flow.
• the fluid flows from the container through a thin flexible tube in the form of a straw inside the container, that reaches from the bottom of the container to the valve opening, through the valve stem, through the membrane into the spout to the mouth.
• the valve closing area is substantially smaller than the active surface area of the membrane. A small suction pressure difference over the membrane will result in a relative large force to open the valve against the pressure of the spring, that normally keeps the valve closed.
• the combination of the valve, spring and membrane is therefore an essential part of the invention enabling the flow control element to work.
• the housing of the flow control element is either gas tight fit in a hole in the cover of an aluminum beverage can or is an integral part of a gas tight cover of a drinking cup.
• the lower side of the membrane is held at atmospheric pressure by an opening in the housing of the flow control element.
• an air vent is provided in the valve guide, that only opens when this is the case, to replace the reduced fluid amount.
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an assembled beverage can, that embodies one of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Further details of this embodiment are shown in FIG. 3, 4 and 5
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an assembled non-spilling drinking cup or container of a second embodiment of the invention of which further details are shown in FIG. 6
• FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view and a top view of the first preferred embodiment showing all parts required for the flow control element of the invention
• FIG. 4 shows a cross-section of an enlarged part of FIG. 3, for better view of the assembly of the flow control element
• FIG. 5 -a) through 5-e) Shows cross-sections of the individual parts that make-up the flow control element of the invention
• FIG. 6 shows a partial cross-section with top view of a non-spilling drinking cup of the second embodiment of the invention of which FIG. 2 shows a perspective view.
• FIG. 7 shows a cross-section of a third embodiment of the invention, whereby the valve is pushed open, when a suction pressure is applied to the spout, rather than that the valve is drawn from its seat in the first two embodiments.
• FIG. 8 shows a cross-section of a fourth embodiment of the invention, which is similar to the third embodiment of FIG. 7 except that the extruded portion of the membrane encompasses also the spout.
• FIG. 1 shows a partially opened-up, outside perspective view of a beverage can with a centrally located flow control element in the top cover, extending from the outside to the inside of the can, of the first preferred embodiment. Details of this embodiment are shown in a partially cross-sectional drawing of FIG. 3, while FIG. 4 shows an enlarged cross section of the flow control element, for clarification.
• the beverage can enclosed by a cylindrical wall 1, a bottom 2, a top cover 3 and a flow control element 4 holds a carbonized beverage 5 that remains under a gas pressure (P3) 6 by the carbonization process.
• P3 gas pressure
• This gas pressure can be substantially higher than the outside atmospheric pressure (P2) to keep the beverage carbonized for the pleasure of drinking the fluid.
• the flow control element 4 maintains this gas pressure as long as needed, while access to the fluid in the can remains possible.
• This is accomplished by a housing 9 that fits tightly into the upper cover 3 of the beverage can and forms part of the barrier between the inside and outside of the can.
• a spout 7 is gas tight connected to this housing and keeps a centrally perforated membrane 8 in place, that fits on the suction side gas tight into the housing 9, while on the other side an atmospheric pressure is maintained. Above and below the membrane, adequate space is available to allow the membrane to move a few millimeters up and down at the center area, while fixed at the periphery.
• the membrane 8 is integrally connected to a valve stem 10, while the valve stem is hollow in nature for allowing the fluid to pass through, while also the membrane has a central hole at which location the valve stem is gas tight connected to the membrane.
• the valve stem 10 fits into the lower cylindrical part 14, acting as a valve stem guide, forming an integral part with housing 9, providing little clearance between these parts. This clearance is slide fit, allowing movement of the valve stem on one side but being tight enough, not to allow fluid or gas to pas through.
• the lower part of the valve stem guide 14 holds also the valve seat 13.
• a valve 11 of resilient material is held in place that closes off the access opening 12 to the valve seat 13, to the inside of the beverage can.
• a flexible tube (straw) 15 is used, that is tightly fixed to the valve opening 12 and reaches down to the bottom of the can.
• the valve is closed by a spring 16 on the suction side of the flow control element, that pushes the membrane 8 and therewith the valve 11 to its rest position.
• the hollow valve stem is narrowed down in the lower part 17, while in this tapered section one or more holes 18 are made, through which the fluid passes when the valve 11 is lifted from its seat 13.
• a small air passage 19 is provided in the housing 9 to assure that the back pressure on the lower side of the membrane remains atmospheric (PI).
• the flow control element 4 is thus activated: Suction by mouth to the spout 7 will move the membrane 8 upwards, thereby lifting the valve from its seat against the spring pressure.
• the magnitude of the force to activate the valve can be determined from the pressure difference over the membrane times the active surface area of the membrane, which is (Pl- P2) x A.
• the active surface area "A” being Vi. ⁇ .d 2 in which " ⁇ " (pi) is 3.14 and "d” is the active membrane diameter.
• a vent 20 is provided, which consists of one or more holes in the upper part of the valve stem guide 14. These vents are normally closed off by a rubber band 21 of adequate width to cover the holes completely and which will act as a valve, allowing air to pass from the air passage 19 into the area under the membrane, along the upper portion of the valve stem guide through the vent holes 20 into the can. This feature will take care that the inside pressure P3 of the can will never drop substantially below atmospheric outside pressure PI.
• valve guide 14 The upper portion of the valve guide 14 is therefore slightly enlarged to allow air to pass-by.
• a hygienic cap 21 is provided that tightly fits onto the shoulder of housing 9 to keep the spout from getting dirty during transport and when not in use.
• FIG 5-a) through 5-e) the individual parts are drawn that makes up the flow control element as described of the first preferred embodiment.
• This embodiment is not meant to limit the invention to other configurations, whereby the same principle of force enlargement is applied by using a perforated membrane that activate a valve.
• FIG 2 and 6 second preferred embodiment is shown in applying a flow control element to a non spilling drinking cup, whereby the top cover is tightly screwed onto the cup or container.
• the housing 9' of the flow control element 4' is an integral and leak tight element of the top cover, whereby the cup can be filled with carbonized beverages, hot and cold drinks without spilling after closure. In the case of hot drinks, the air above the fluid will expand, building up pressure in the cup or handheld container.
• FIG. 2 For this application a perspective view of a partly opened cup or container is shown in FIG. 2, while a partial cross-section of the same embodiment is shown in FIG. 6.
• FIG. 6 As the principle of operation of the flow control element 4 for this application, is exactly the same as described for the first preferred embodiment, this part will not be repeated and only the changes will be described.
• FIG. 6 applies to a metal or plastic container 22, with a removable top cover 23 that is screwed onto the container 22 and having a gas tight seal of resilient material 24, preventing the container from leaking when filled with a beverage, hot or cold drink.
• the housing 9' of the flow control element 4' is now integrally molded with the top cover 23, thereby differing slightly from the flow control element of the beverage can.
• the spout 25 is removable to provide access to the inside of the flow control element for cleaning purposes.
• the remaining parts are substantially the same as used for the (aluminum) beverage can of FIG 1, 3,4 and 5.
• FIG. 7 a third embodiment of the flow control element 4" is shown, which can be applied to beverage cans, bottles or drinking cups.
• the prime difference with the previous described embodiments of the invention is that the valve is pushed open by the suction pressure, rather than that the valve is drawn from its seat.
• the third embodiment comprises the following parts: A centrally perforated membrane 8" having an extruded portion 26" that fits gas tight but moveable in axial direction in a cylinder 27", that forms part of the spout 7". Spout 7" holds the membrane 8" in place and forms at the rim a gas tight connection with a valve holder 14" having a seal 30".
• the flow control element assembly is fixed to the top of a beverage can, bottle or drinking cup 1" with a screw cap connection 31".
• the valve holder 14" holds a valve seat 13" with a valve 11" forming a hermetically sealed barrier of the inside of the beverage holder 1" with the outside, letting no fluid to pass, when not in use.
• the valve 11" is connected through the valve stem 10" with the membrane 8" by a connection piece IT'. Connecting piece 17" together with the membrane 8” holds the valve 11" gas tight to its seat 13" when no suction is applied to the spout 7", but allows fluid to pass when set in operation during suction.
• a vent hole 29" is provided in a part of the spout, thereby assuring that space above the membrane is kept at atmospheric pressure.
• a spring 32" can be added helping to keep the valve in its closed position, if the spring action of the membrane prove to be inadequate.
• the working of this embodiment of the invention is as follows: When suction is applied to the spout 7", the pressureP2 in space 28" will reduce relative to outside pressure PI above the membrane. This causes the membrane 8" to move downwards, thereby pushing the valve 11" from its seat 13" and opening a fluid flow path from the inside of the beverage container to the mouth. Incase the pressure within the container drops below the atmospheric outside pressure, by sucking the beverage from the container, the valve 11" may open up against the spring loaded membrane pressure, after the suction has seized.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Dispersion Chemistry (AREA)
• Closures For Containers (AREA)
• Devices For Dispensing Beverages (AREA)
• Containers And Packaging Bodies Having A Special Means To Remove Contents (AREA)
• Non-Alcoholic Beverages (AREA)
• Details Of Rigid Or Semi-Rigid Containers (AREA)

Priority Applications (7)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=26643200

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (11)

Cited By (19)

Families Citing this family (15)

Citations (24)

Family Cites Families (1)

• 2001
  • 2001-05-04 JP JP2001588115A patent/JP2003534995A/ja active Pending
  • 2001-05-04 CN CNB018035647A patent/CN1166541C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2001-05-04 KR KR1020027016248A patent/KR100786962B1/ko not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2001-05-04 WO PCT/EP2001/005108 patent/WO2001092133A2/en active IP Right Grant
  • 2001-05-04 CA CA002409943A patent/CA2409943C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2001-05-04 MX MXPA02011943A patent/MXPA02011943A/es active IP Right Grant
  • 2001-05-04 AU AU63902/01A patent/AU772871B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2001-05-04 EP EP01938176A patent/EP1286900B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-05-04 AT AT01938176T patent/ATE353835T1/de active
  • 2001-05-04 DE DE60126605T patent/DE60126605T2/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-05-04 ES ES01938176T patent/ES2280376T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime

Patent Citations (24)

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