Flexible, elongate dispensing valve

Abstract

A flexible, pressure-openable dispensing valve has a mounting base and has an outwardly extending, narrowing head defining a dispensing orifice at the distal end.

1 . A dispensing valve comprising:
 flexible, resilient material defining (a) a mounting base, and (b) a narrowing dispensing head extending outwardly from said base to a dispensing tip defined in an end portion of said dispensing head;
 said valve dispensing head defining a normally closed dispensing orifice which opens to permit flow therethrough in response to a pressure differential across said valve; and 
 said valve dispensing head having a tapering wall with a thickness that continuously decreases along most of its height at least to said tip, said tip having a wall thickness that is equal to, or less than, the smallest thickness of said tapering wall. 
   
     
     
         2 . The dispensing valve in accordance with  claim 1  in which
 said dispensing orifice is defined by four planar slits 90 degrees apart which intersect in said tip at a longitudinal axis;   each said slit extends below said tip into said tapering wall; and   each said slit has a lateral edge that is defined in said tapering wall and that is parallel to the longitudinal axis.   
     
     
         3 . The dispensing valve in accordance with  claim 2  in which said tapering wall extends to at least the lowermost point of each said slit. 
     
     
         4 . The dispensing valve in accordance with  claim 2  in which
 said valve dispensing head has a transverse cross-sectional shape which is generally annular; and   a pair of said slits are aligned 180 degrees apart in a coplanar orientation, and another pair of said slits are also aligned 180 degrees apart in a coplanar orientation; and   the width of each pair of aligned slits, as measured transversely across said dispensing head, is between about 30% and about 80% of the maximum inside diameter of said valve dispensing head.   
     
     
         5 . The dispensing valve in accordance with  claim 2  in which said tip is defined by an arcuate wall having a uniform thickness equal to the smallest thickness of said tapering wall. 
     
     
         6 . The dispensing valve in accordance with  claim 5  in which the arcuate wall defines a circular arc of about 136 degrees. 
     
     
         7 . The dispensing valve in accordance with  claim 5  in which the thickness of the arcuate wall is about 0.02 inch. 
     
     
         8 . The dispensing valve in accordance with  claim 5   said valve dispensing head has a transverse cross-sectional shape which is generally annular; and   said valve dispensing head tip has a wall thickness that is between about 30% and about 80% of the maximum thickness of said valve dispensing head tapering wall.   
     
     
         9 . The dispensing valve in accordance with  claim 1  in which the height of said valve dispensing head above said base is between about 30% and about 180% of the maximum inside diameter of said valve dispensing head. 
     
     
         10 . The dispensing valve in accordance with  claim 1  in which said valve dispensing head includes an exterior surface that is frustoconical at least over a major portion of the height of the dispensing head. 
     
     
         11 . The dispensing valve in accordance with  claim 10  in which the angle of the frustoconical exterior surface is about 30 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the frustoconical configuration. 
     
     
         12 . The dispensing valve in accordance with  claim 1  in which said valve dispensing head includes an interior surface that is frustoconical at least over a major portion of the height of the dispensing head. 
     
     
         13 . The dispensing valve in accordance with  claim 12  in which the angle of the frustoconical interior surface is about 22 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the frustoconical configuration. 
     
     
         14 . The dispensing valve in accordance with  claim 1  in which
 said valve has a central, longitudinal axis;   said tip is defined by an arcuate wall having a uniform thickness equal to the smallest thickness of said tapering wall;   said dispensing orifice is defined by at least one slit;   each said slit extends below said tip into said tapering wall; and   each said slit has a lateral edge that is defined in said tapering wall and that is parallel to the longitudinal axis.   
     
     
         15 . The dispensing valve in accordance with  claim 14  in which the bottom of each said slit lateral edge is about 0.115 inch below the top of the slit at the exterior of said valve dispensing head. 
     
     
         16 . The dispensing valve in accordance with  claim 2  in which said tapering wall and said dispensing head slits terminate at the same elevation below said tip. 
     
     
         17 . The dispensing valve in accordance with  claim 16  in which the top of each said slit lateral edge is about 0.055 inch below the top of the slit at the exterior of said valve dispensing head. 
     
     
         18 . A dispensing valve comprising:
 flexible, resilient material defining (a) a mounting base, and (b) a narrowing dispensing head extending outwardly from said base to a dispensing tip defined in an end portion of said valve dispensing head, and wherein   said valve dispensing head defines a normally closed dispensing orifice which opens to permit flow therethrough in response to a pressure differential across said valve, said orifice being defined by slits which intersect in said tip at a longitudinal axis;   said valve dispensing head has a tapering wall with a thickness that decreases along its height toward said tip;   said valve dispensing head includes an exterior surface that is frustoconical along a major portion of the height of the valve dispensing head;   said valve dispensing head includes an interior surface that is frustoconical along a major portion of the height of the valve dispensing head;   said tip is defined by an arcuate wall having a uniform thickness equal to the smallest thickness of said tapering wall;   each said slit extends below said tip into said tapering wall; and   each said slit has a lateral edge that is defined in said tapering wall and that is parallel to the longitudinal axis.