US2113695A - Tube closure - Google Patents

Description

April I s. J. KRANNAK 2,113,695

TUBE CLOSURE Filed Sept. 17, 1957 Sid? Ji fiuzwal By 234472 0] ZQWM 4/ 492? Patented Apr. 12, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TUBE CLOSURE Steven J. Krannak, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application September 17, 1937,Serial No. 164,345

1 Claim.

My present invention relates to collapsible tubes or containers such, for example, as used for containing tooth paste, shaving cream, shoe blacking or polish, glue, mucilage, and generally, liquid or pasty substances.

The invention is directed to improved means for controlling the discharge of the material from the tube or container and provides a structure in which an ordinary removable cap is eliminated and the valve-acting element is employed in lieu thereof. In this improved arrangement there is no part that must necessarily be removed in order to affect or control the discharge of the material from the tube.

Several forms of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, with some parts broken away, showing my invention applied to a collapsible tube or container of the general character indicated;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in vertical section illustrating a modified form of the discharge end of the tube, shown in Fig. 1.

Referring first to the structure illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the numeral l3 indicates the collapsible tube, preferably made of ductile metal, and provided with the usual externally threaded neck I4. The neck I4 and, in fact, the tube end l5 to which it is attached, may be made as a part of the tube l3 or may be independently formed and thereafter applied to the tube by welding or any other suitable operation.

Onto the threaded neck I4 is screwed a cap l6 that forms an extended portion of the discharge neck and has a quite large final discharge opening formed by a conical valve seat ll. Normally seated against the valve seat I1 and closing said discharge passage is a valve or stopper, preferably and as shown, of spherical form, indicatedby the numeral 18. This valve I8 is yieldingly pressed by a coiled spring IS, the base of which is seated on the internal end of a flange 20 of the cap 16. The opening through the flange 20 is slightly larger than the diameter of the ball or valve l8 so that the said ball can be inserted into the cap; but the said passage through the flange 20 is slightly smaller than the diameter of the base of the spring l9 so that said spring l9 has to be sprung or forced through said passage and sprung into engagement with the upper surface of the flange 20 where it will be held in place and will hold the ball or valve iii in position even when the cap it has been removed.

It is important, however, to note that for the discharge of substance from the tube it is not necessary nor desirable to remove the cap or any other part from the tube. or from working position. By the simple operation of pressing the ball inward and at the same time pressing on the collapsible tube, the desired discharge of the paste or substance from the tube will be effected. In applying shaving cream and other viscous substances to the face or other surface of application, it will be only necessary to press the ball against the face and at the same time to press slightly on the tube, and in this way the shaving cream will be well distributed over the face.

Due to the location of the conical valve surface H at the extreme outer end of the discharge passage, it will be evident that the viscous contents of the container will be cut off at the extreme outer end of the discharge passage by the cooperating valve surfaces so that all material within the recesses of the tube or neck will normally be sealed against contact with the air, thereby positively preventing contamination of all material within the confines of the tube and discharge neck, or plugging of the discharge neck by air drying of the viscous substance within the confines thereof.

Since, in the structure illustrated, the major cross sectional area, or in fact, all of the crosssectional area of the spherical valve 18 inward of the conical valve seat I1 is subject to pressure of the tube contents, pressure thereof will tend to seat the valve and thereby make it impossible to unseat the valve l8 by internal pressure exerted thereon by the tube contents, and discharge will be possible when and only when the projecting portion of the valve IB is engaged by a surface of application under suflicient pressure to inwardly open the valve co-incidentally with the application of internal pressure to the contents of the tube by distortion or collapsing action of the tube.

The operation of the structure defined in Fig. 3 is like or very similar to the operation just described. In this structure of Fig. 3 the cap 2| is shown as an integral part of the discharge end 22 of the collapsible tube 23. The ball-like valve 24 which closes the discharge passage of the cap 2| is pressed by a leaf spring 25 that is seated on an annular shoulder 26 on the interior of the cap.

It is highly important to note that the balllike stopper mounted in the discharge passage of the cap or neck, not only has exposed portions adapting the valves to be opened by pressing the same against the face or hand for example, but are capable of free rotation so that drawn pencil like over an object or surface, the ball will act as'a distributor of the material. Further highly important to note that with the ball arrangement shown in this application, the contents of the container are cut of! at the very outer edge I of the cap, so that no portion of the discharge material or of the material in the discharge passage proper will remain to harden or choke up free discharge when the valve is opened.

What I claim is:

A containing and dispensing device, for viscous substances that require pressure to flow the same, comprising a collapsible container having a tubular discharge neck formed immediately ad-' jacent its discharge end with a reduced diameter final outlet passage, of a self-sealing closure for said discharge neck which includes inwardly opening yieldingly outwardly pressed valve means normally closing the final discharge passage at the extreme discharge end thereof and against discharge of material under pressure exerted thereon by the tube contents, said discharge neck bein: formed with an annular valve seat immediately adjacent the discharge end thereof for sealing engagement with a cooperating valve surface on said valve means. said valve means having a portion extended through the final discharge passage and slightly beyond the outer end of the discharge neck for engagement by a surface of application and having its major area inward of the valve surfaces subject to pressure of the tube contents, whereby the contents of the con tainer will be positively sealed against accidental discharge under pressure exerted thereon through distortion of the tube and will be releasable from the tube when and only when the tube contents are subject to pressure through collapsing of the tube coincidentally with opening of the closure means by inward pressure exerted thereon by a surface of application, and will be cut off irrespective of internal pressure as soon as the extended portion of the valve means is withdrawn from the surface of application so that when the valve surfaces are thus sealed,,all material within the recesses of the tube and neck will be sealed against air contact to prevent drying and consequent plugging or contamination.

STEVEN J. KRANNAK.

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