A fluid dispensing device having a container with a collapsible body section and an upper neck which is adapted to receive therein a dispensing head which is automatically self-closing. The dispensing head has a housing defining a dispensing channel vertically therethrough in which a valve is positioned having a valve head for abutting a valve seat defined in the upper portion of the dispensing channel and a valve stem extending downwardly to a valve flange. A resilient member is secured to the upper face of the valve flange and in contact with the bottom surface of the housing to urge the valve into a closed position. The spring is positioned outwardly from the valve stem and exerts bias at multiple exterior points about the valve flange to create a completely equal and upwardly directed bias in order to maintain smooth operation of movement of the valve between an open and a closed position. Fluid flow holes are defined in the flange to facilitate the flow of fluid out the annular dispensing channel defined between the external diameter of the valve stem and the internal diameter of the dispensing channel. A one-way check valve is located in the housing of the dispensing head or the container to facilitate the flow of air from the external environment. The valve flange can include a plurality of individual struts in a wheel-like configuration.
A dispensing cap for a product container, preferably a cosmetic product container, is provided. The cap includes a movable member comprising a valving portion capable of selectively opening and closing a product-dispensing orifice depending upon pressure within the container. The cap also includes an elastically deformable mounting element coupled to the movable member to retain the movable member on the cap, and the mounting element comprises a sealing member configured to selectively open and close at least one air intake passage, the air intake passage being separate from the product-dispensing orifice.
A bottle cap having a valve which provides a water tight seal to prevent spillage when a water bottle is inverted for installation onto a water dispenser, but which can be opened after the water bottle is installed by generating a hydraulic shock wave within the bottle to open the valve. A first embodiment has a triple valve seal with mechanical interference between the valve pieces to create an initially water tight seal. A second embodiment employs a dual valve structure. A third embodiment employs a single valve structure. In the first three embodiments, the valves are pivotally attached to the valve body by flexible living hinges. A fourth embodiment has a single linearly sliding valve. Three methods are presented for generating the hydraulic shock wave to open the valve. In the first method, the water bottle is positioned just above the water dispenser and lowered rapidly. In the second method, the bottle is placed on the dispenser and tipped so that one shoulder of the bottle is just above the top opening of the dispenser, then the bottle is allowed to settle back into place. These two methods create an inertial shock wave when the bottle comes to rest. In the third method, the bottle is placed on the dispenser with the seal intact, and the user strikes the top or the sides of the water bottle to create the hydraulic shock wave.
A valve element may be configured to be mounted in an air intake passage of a container. The valve element may be at least partially elastically deformable. The valve element may include a valving member configured such that, when vacuum pressure inside the container is less than a predetermined threshold differential from atmospheric pressure, the valving member is in sealed contact with a seat formed on the container. The valving member may also be configured such that the valving member moves away from the seat when the predetermined threshold differential is reached, so as to allow air to be taken into the container. By elastic return, the valving member may return to a position in sealed contact with the seat when the vacuum pressure inside the container drops back to less than the predetermined threshold differential. The valve element may be placed in a functional configuration via an elastically irreversible modification thereof during mounting.
A fluid dispensing closure is provided for use on a squeeze-type container. The closure includes a resilient dome member projecting convexly outwardly over the opening. The dome member defines at least one slit extending through the dome member. The dome member is sufficiently resilient to have a normally closed configuration in which the slit is sealed closed when the pressure inside the dome member equals the pressure outside the dome member. The dome member is sufficiently flexible to be deformed further outwardly from and relative to the normally closed configuration for opening the slit when the container is squeezed to exert a predetermined fluid pressure against the inside of the dome member whereby the fluid product can discharge from the container through the open slit.
An assembly for mixing two different liquid components includes a container having two barrels, and an exit conduit detachably connected to the container. The exit conduit includes a static mixer along with a check valve located between the static mixer and an outlet of the exit conduit. The check valve prevents the dripping of mixed materials from the exit conduit between intended dispensing operations, and may be discarded along with the exit conduit after extended interruptions between dispensing operations.
