US3913809A

US3913809A - Valve for detecting pressure differences

Info

Publication number: US3913809A
Application number: US448878A
Authority: US
Inventors: Billy Nilson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Sterisol AB
Priority date: 1973-03-22
Filing date: 1974-03-07
Publication date: 1975-10-21
Anticipated expiration: 1992-10-21
Also published as: FR2222274A1; IT1010704B; ATA237674A; FI52694C; SE376586B; DE2412998A1; FI52694B; AT341410B; JPS5026677A; GB1453646A; CA998365A; NO741008L

Abstract

A valve for detecting pressure differences between two spaces one of which may be atmospheric air and which valve includes a wall opening between said spaces whereby upon an increase in pressure on the media in one space said valve will open and allow the discharge of said media through said wall opening, but when the pressure in said spaces is equal or the atmospheric pressure is greater than said wall opening is closed.

Description

Unite States atet 11 1 Nilson 1 Oct. 21, 1975 [54] VALVE FOR DETECTING PRESSURE 2,755,974 7/1956 Godfrey 222 494 DIFFERENCES 3,312,237 4/1967 Mon et a1. 137/5253 X Primary Examiner-Stanley H. Tollberg Assistant ExaminerNorman L. Stack, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Ulle C. Linton [57] ABSTRACT A valve for detecting pressure differences between two spaces one of which may be atmospheric air and which valve includes a wall opening between said spaces whereby upon an increase in pressure on the media in one space said valve will open and allow the discharge of said media through said wall opening, but when the pressure in said spaces is equal or the atmospheric pressure is greater than said wall opening is closed.

12 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures US. Patent Oct. 21, 1975 Sheet 1 of3 3,913,809

V I I f I US. Patent Oct.21, 1975 Sheet 2 Of3 3,913,809

US. Patent Oct. 21, 1975 v Sheet3 of3 3,913,809

VALVE FOR DETECTING PRESSURE DIFFERENCES The present invention relates to a valve of the kind which is arranged in the partition wall between a first and a second space and which has the ability to react upon or answer to the pressure differences between said spaces of which the first space may consist of the free air.

The primary object of the invention is to provide such a valve that automatically opens at a predetermined first pressure difference and closes at a second pressure difference and at pressure equilization, respectively, and that despite of a very simple and cheap structure permits an effective control of the above mentioned kind.

The valve may of course be utilized in a great number of applications, such as in the automatical control of flows of media in pipe systems but will be described in connection with packages and more precisely tubes in the following description thereof.

To accomplish the objects stated above as well as further objects the invention has the characteristics disclosed in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings exemplifying embodiments of the invention are shown,

FIG. 1 is an end view of a tube designed in accordance with the invention,

FIG. 2 is a section through one end of the tube according to FIG. 1 in a closed condition,

FIG. 3 is a section similar to FIG. 2 but showing the tube in the dispensing state,

FIG. 4 is a section through one end of the tube with mounting for a closure part,

FIG. 5 is a section according to FIG. 4 but taken perpendicular to the section shown in FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 is a section taken along line 6 6 in FIG. 5,

FIG. 7 is a section through one end of a tube provided with a modified closure,

FIG. 8 is a partial bottom view of the tube illustrated in FIG. 7 as seen from the side thereof of the tube,

FIG. 9 is a section through a modified closure part integrally formed with the tube wall,

FIG. 10 is a section through a somewhat modified closure part having the ability to suck air into the package and, finally,

FIG. 11 is a section through a part of the device of FIG. 10.

In the drawings reference numeral 1 generally designates a container, preferably a tube, made from an elastically deformable material such as a plastic material suitable for this purpose. The tube has a suitably conical end portion 2, provided with a central dispensing opening 3. A deformable sleeve generally designated 4 is inserted into the tube mouth provided by opening 3 and one end of said sleeve is closed by means of a bottom wall 5. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the free end of the sleeve 4 may be closed by a plug 6, that serves as a so called transportation closure. It is understood that the contents of the container is hereby effectively prevented from exiting through the opening 3. Similarly, it is understood that the dispensing of the container contents can be accomplished by removing plug 6 and for example, manually squeezing the tube. The pressure that the container contents exerts upon the sleeve 4 results in compression of the sleeve according to FIG. 3, whereby the container material is dispensed through the opening so defined. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 6 the tube is divided into two

spaces

8, 9, respectively, by means of a partition wall 7. This partition wall, according to FIG. 6, is thereby folded at 10 so that the wall may conform to the deformation that the tube is given by the squeezing thereof. It may be seen that the tube as well may lack such a partition wall and, respectively, may be provided with several such walls in case more spaces are desired. Each space may thereby contain a special component of for example a liquid comprising several components.

In order to support the sleeve 4 in the tube mouth a U-shaped mounting 11 may be provided. This mounting that is suitably integrally formed with the tube mouth, therefor has a bottom 12 engaging the bottom of the sleeve 4 together with

side guides

13a, 13b to cooperate with corresponding guide portions of the sleeve 4. These guide portions may comprise grooves, ridges or the like. It may be understood that the tube closure now described may be manufactured at very low costs and provides an extremely effective closure means and the simpliest dispensing possible.

However, it is also possible to locate a dispensing opening 14 in the side of a tube according to FIGS. 7 8. This opening is made in the bottom of the tube and opens downwardly. The opening 14 is in FIG. 8 shaped as a circular segment and communicates with

cuts

15a, 15b in the tube wall. In this case the tube closure comprises a resilient tongue 16 which has a curved shape, so that it normally closes the opening 14 and for the lo cation thereof it has projecting

ribs

17a, 17b to be inserted into the

cuts

15a, 15b. A pressure exerted upon the contents of the container deforms the tongue according to FIG. 8, whereby a dispensing opening is formed between the tongue and the edge portion of the opening 14. As may be seen in FIG. 9, the tongue may be integrally formed with the tube bottom and forms a thin walled curved portion 18 of the same.

In the embodiments described the tube will be succesively flattened since air is not sucked into the same. Thus, in those cases where such a flattening can not be accepted, measures must be taken to permit such an air entrance.

FIGS. 10 11 illustrate such an embodiment. Thus, the closure part 19 has a bottom comprising two overlapping

tongues

20, 21 which will thereby act as a back valve that provides for sucking of air every time the tube after the squeezing step will return to the original position thereof. Reference numeral 22 in the drawing show guide ribs for the securing of the closure part according to the above.

As previously mentioned, the described embodiments only refer to examples of the practical use of the invention. I-Iereby, the interior of the package defines the first space mentioned in the preamble while the free air represents the second space. Since the latter in this case comprises the atmospheric pressure it is required that the first space has an over pressure in order to effect dispensing. In case the valve 3 5, 14 17, or 19 22 is inserted between two restricted spaces dispensing from one to the other may naturally occur even in case the space corresponding to the interior of the container has for example atmospheric pressure provided that the space to which dispensing shall occur has a lower pressure.

I claim:

1. Valve for detecting pressure difference between two spaces comprising a wall separating a first space from a second space wherein one of said spaces may be the free air, said wall having a through opening forming the only communication between said spaces, a closure member and having a relatively thin and resilient portion partially extending into and normally closing said opening which in the closing position of said closure member portion is biassed by its resiliency to follow and sealingly contact the edge of said wall surrounding said opening, said portion projecting also into said first space and having one surface thereof in communication with the medium present in said first space and its opposite surface out of communication with said medium and instead engaging the medium in said second space such that said portion may be influenced by the action of a pressure difference effected between said first and second spaces, said portion having further a curved cross section corresponding to the curvature of said opening with the curvature of said portion being changed by such pressure difference thereby partly uncovering said wall opening.

2. A valve according to claim 1, characterized in that said wall defines part of a container including said first space.

3. A valve according to claim 1 wherein a tube includes said wall, said closure member comprises a tube shaped sleeve made from an elastically deformable material, one end of said sleeve being closed, said sleeve being inserted in the opening of said wall and having a closed end located inside said tube, said sleeve having an open end being located in said wall opening, whereby the outer envelope surfaces of said sleeve normally sealingly engages the edge portion of said wall defining said wall opening.

4. A valve according to claim 1 including a U-shaped member positioned immediately inside said wall opening and connected to said containers and said closure part extending in said U-shaped member.

5. A valve according to claim 2 wherein a container includes said wall, said wall openings partially extending into and normally closing said opening is in one end of said container such that a part thereof extends in a side of said container and is open in a direction from said end, and additionally said closure part comprises a resilient tongue.

6. A valve according to claim 1 wherein a container has a bottom and said wall is a side wall of said container, said closure member is a tongue integral with said container bottom and said wall opening is in said container side wall.

7. A valve according to claim 1 wherein said closure member at least in the portion thereof engaging the edge portion of said wall opening, is convex.

8. A valve according to claim 1, wherein said closure part is a tube shaped sleeve with a closed end of said tube shaped sleeve being shaped as a normally closed valve.

9. A valve according to claim 1 wherein, said first space comprises at least two spaces, and an expandable partition walls separates said spaces.

10. A valve according to claim 5, wherein said wall opening and said closure part have co-operating means securing said closure part in relation to said wall opening in two preferably opposite points so that said securing points will serve as support points for said closure part by the deformation thereof.

11. A valve according to claim 8, wherein said closed end of said sleeve comprises two overlapping lips.

12. A valve according to claim 8 wherein, a plug is detachably mounted on said wall opening for closing the mouth of said sleeve in order to thereby serve,

among other things, as a transportation security.

Claims

12. A valve according to claim 8 wherein, a plug is detachably mounted on said wall opening for closing the mouth of said sleeve in order to thereby serve, among other things, as a transportation security.