US3401850A - Check valve for vent hole of a container - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 17, 1968 J. ANDERSON CHECK VALVE FOR VENT HOLE OF A CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec.

INVENTQR. James HIVDfEJ'ON BYg/g1 H15 ATTORNEYS Sept. 1968 J. ANDERSON 3,401,850

CHECK VALVE FOR VENT HOLE OF A CONTAINER I iled Dec. 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. AME: filvoeesmv flaw/5. Mm.

HIS ATTORNEK' United States Patent 3,401,850 CHECK VALVE FOR VENT HOLE OFA CONTAINER James Anderson, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, assignor to Electrolux Corporation, Old Greenwich, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 6, 1966, Ser. No. 599,578 7 Claims. (Cl. 222482) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A. check valve to prevent the escape of liquid through a vent hole of a container. The check valve defines a chamber located between the inner Wall of a container and the adjacent surface of the check valve. The vent hole of the container communicates with this chamber so that atmospheric pressure acts on an area of the check valve which is much larger than the area of the vent hole, as a result, the check valve operates to vent the tank when only a small differential pressure exists.

Background of the invention A closed liquid container which has separate filler and discharge openings must be provided with a vent as is well known. In many circumstances such a container will be accidentally or intentionally positioned so that the contents can leak out through the vent which is normally open at all times. As a result some measure must be taken to open the vent when discharging the tank and keeping the vent closed at all other times.

Summary of the invention The improvement according to my invention provides an inexpensive automatically operated vent, and in accordance with a presently preferred embodiment comprises a vented cap for the filler opening of a container. The container may be a picnic jug which can he accidentally tipped over without the spillage or a rug shampoo container adapted to be fitted on the handle of a floor treating machine, such as disclosed in US. Patent No. 3,153,251, in which the handle is intentionally lowered into a horizontal position when cleaning under a piece of furniture such as a table or chair. However, the invention is applicable to any container which requires an automatic, leakproof vent.

An object of my invention therefore is to provide a vent for a liquid container which is normally closed and opens only when liquid is withdrawn from the container.

Another object of my invention is to provide a filler cap having a vent according to the foregoing object which is inexpensively manufactured and assembled.

A more general object of my invention is to provide an improved container for liquids which has separate filler and discharge openings.

The foregoing objects and advantages together with additional advantages and features of my invention will become apparent from the following description of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

Brief description of drawing FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a container having a filler cap according to my invention in which the vent is open.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the filler cap per se.

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional vie-w of the tiller cap according to FIGS. 1 and 2 in which the vent is closed.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a container and filler cap in an inclined position with the vent closed.

"ice

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the filler cap used as a measuring cup.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a check valve according to the invention.

Description of preferred embodiment In FIG. 1 reference numeral 10 designates a container which may be a picnic jug or a shampoo tank for a floor treating machine having a filler opening .11 and a separate, valved discharge opening 12. The discharge valve 13 is actuated by a push button 14 connected to the rod 15 for opening the valve 13 which is normally held in closed position by spring 16. The push button 14 is located in a recess 10a formed in the container 10 to prevent accidental depression of the button and loss of the liquid contents. The recess 10a is large enough to allow a person to insert a finger to reach the button 14. The opening 17 through which the valve rod 15 passes, is sealed by a sleeve 18 of elastic material which engages the rod, or in any other satisfactory known manner.

The'filler opening 11 of the container 10 is threaded internally, and closed by a cap or plug generally designated 20. The cap 20 has an end wall 22 and a threaded portion on the exterior of a cylindrical skirt or sidewall 21 which matches the thread of opening 11. The end wall 22 of the cap is configured to provide an inwardly extending central portion 23 having a vent hole 24, and an axial opening 25 which is adapted to receive the domed projection or rivet-like nipple 31 of the generally cupshaped check valve The check valve 30 is assembled with the cap 20 by simply inserting an elongated pin loosely into the hollow bore of the rivet-like part of the valve and pushing the domed head of the valve into the opening 25 provided for it in the end wall 22. The dome of the nipple 31 is received in a central recess of the end wall to prevent accidental disassembly or dislodging of the valve 30 from the end wall 22 of the closure cap 20.

In FIG. 1 the valve 13 is shown open and liquid is being discharged as indicated by the arrows. When the pressure within the container 10 is reduced below atmospheric the check valve 30 is deformed or bowed inwardly slightly as seen on an exaggerated scale by the dash lines in FIG. 3 thereby bleeding air through vent 24, around the marginal edge of the check valve 30 and into the container 20.

Referring to the enlarged detail view in FIG. 3, it should be noted that the check valve 30, in its closed position, bears against shoulder 22a of the end wall 22 which surrounds the opening 25, and the marginal edge of the valve bears lightly against the end wall 22 at 40. Between these two bearing areas an annular enclosed space 50 is formed which communicates with vent 24. Because of the vent hole 24, air at atmospheric pressure is always contained in the annular space 50 and as a result the area of the valve acted upon by atmospheric pressure is only slightly less than the area of the inner surface of the check valve acted on by internal pressure within the container. Therefore the check valve can be unseated by a slight decrease in pressure within the container. That is, if the space 50 was eliminated and the check valve 30 directly overlies the vent hole 24, atmospheric pressure would only operate on an area of the check valve equal to the area of the vent hole and a large drop in pressure within the container would be required to open the check valve. On the other hand when the tank is tilted, as seen in FIG. 4 or the filler cap is used as a measuring cup, FIG. 5, which it may be by virtue of the extended skirt portion 21, the check valve is urged by the liquid against the end wall 22 preventing leakage through the vent hole. Also, the force at is light or small so that the vent is opened by a small pressure drop in the container.

The check valve is preferably composed of an elastic material such as rubber, and is of thin gauge to obtain a high degree of deformability or pliability.

An equivalent arrangement to that disclosed in FIG. 3 and described above for defining the space 50, is to form a shoulder on the check valve, as seen in FIG. 1, which performs the same function as shoulder 22a of the end wall 22.

As indicated above the check valve is preferably held against the end wall 22. However, the check valve 30 may be loosely held by the rivet-like portion 31 in the end wall 22 so that the vent hole communicates with the interior of the tank at all times except when the tank is tilted or the weight of fluid urges the check valve into intimate engagement with the end wall 22 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. However, the space 50 is still provided when the check valve is seated in the end wall to prevent the check valve from hearing directly against the vent hole 24 and requiring a large pressure differential to subsequently unseat the check valve.

As seen in FIG. 6, the check valve 30 is formed with a relatively heavy wall section 32 and a thinner flange portion 33. The marginal edge of the flange 33 forms a small angle such as shown in the figure with the radial plane passing through the marginal edge. The oppositely directed rigidifying skirt portion 34 of the check valve is provided to seat the flange 33 over 360 under the condition shown in FIG. 4 wherein the liquid engages only a portion of the check valve.

The foregoing description of a presently preferred embodiment of my invention is given by way of example and is not intended to limit the invention to the exact structure shown since it will be apparent that variation and modification are possible without departing from the foregoing teaching.

What is claimed is:

1. A closure cap member for a liquid container, said cap having an end wall, and a vent hole in said end wall for venting said container; the improvement comprising an imperforate generally concave check valve of pliable material, means for connecting said check valve on the inside surface of said end wall for preventing escape of liquid through said vent hole and defining an enclosed chamber between said end wall and check valve, said vent hole communicating with said chamber; said chamber exposing a substantial surface area of said check valve to atmospheric pressure which enters said chamber through said vent hole relative to the surface area of said vent hole whereby said check valve is unseated by a small pressure differential acting on said check valve when liquid is withdrawn from said container.

2. A closure cap according to claim 1 in combination with a liquid container having a filler opening adapted to receive said closure cap, and a discharge opening in said container remote from said filler opening, valve means operatively associated with said discharge opening, said valve means including a push button recessed in a wall of said container for preventing opening of said valve means by accidental depression of said push button.

3. A closure cap according to claim 1 with the addition of a axially extending cylindrical side wall for providing a measuring cup integral with said cap; said end wall having a raised central portion for defining an annular axially extending recess adjacent the cylindrical side wall, concavity of said check valve the central portion of said end wall having an inwardly extending shoulder portion for separating said check valve from the remainder of said central portion and defining said enclosed space.

4. A closure cap according to claim 3 wherein said check valve comprises a generally cup-shaped body of elastomeric material having a central rivet-like portion, a disc-shaped portion and a peripheral inclined flange portion for defining an annular depression between said raised and flanged portion, said disc-shaped portion overlying the central portion of said end wall in spaced relation, said flange portion terminating in a radially extending marginal edge for engaging said end wall within the recess thereof.

5. A closure cap according to claim 4 wherein said check valve has a ridge integral with the periphery of said skirt, said ridge extending axially of said check valve in the direction opposite said inclined flange portion.

6. A closure cap according to claim 4 wherein said means for connecting said check valve on said end well comprises a central aperture in said end wall surrounded by said shoulder portion, the central raised portion of said check valve defining a hollow rivet-like member having a shank receivable in said central aperture.

7. A closure cap according to claim 1 wherein said cap is provided with an extended side wall for forming a measuring cup.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,159,176 12/1964 Russell et al. 137--493.1 1,950,325 3/1934 Punte 315-56 X 2,319,517 5/1943 Rand 222--510 X 2,653,734 9/1953 Stoker 222471 X 2,893,037 7/1959 Strong 1550 X 3,037,522 6/1962 Millan 137512.15 X 3,099,028 7/ 1963 Ardito 15-50 3,258,178 6/1966 Gran 222-482 3,337,900 8/1967 Schwartzman 137512.15 X 3,302,822 2/ 1967 Edwards 22044 ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

N. L. STACK, Assistant Examiner.

Images