Forcibly sealed duckbill valve

Abstract

A resilient invertible duckbill valve is constructed so that it may be pressed downwardly and folded inwardly upon itself to a stopper position of force-fit within a compression ring to apply a direct lateral compressive force between sealing elements of the valve. This provides additional sealing surface area and very high closing pressure which prevents leakage and a tightly sealed storage condition of a container is achieved when not in use. The valve is conveniently a unitary resilient valve member which is supported by a rigid baseplate that includes an aperture in the center which forms a compression ring around the body of the valve. Both the baseplate and the valve member are releasably held between a threaded cap and top rim of the container.

1 . A duckbill valve assembly for a dispenser, comprising:
 a container for holding a flowable substance having an open mouth along a rim at a top of the container;   a rigid annular valve baseplate affixed against the rim of said container, said baseplate including an axially extending apertured compression ring in the center thereof, a unitary resilient valve member, comprising:
 a radially extending skirt at the bottom in abutment with said baseplate; 
 a convergent valve body immediately adjacent said skirt extending upwardly therefrom; 
 a neck portion extending upwardly from the top of said valve body at a foldline and including two opposing substantially flat inner walls; and 
 a pair of opposing lips forming a resilient closure slit where said inner walls meet at a top end of said valve; 
   a cap engaged with said container and having a radially extending flange that forcibly captures said valve member and said baseplate against said container rim; and   said valve member having two stable static positions, a first upwardly biased dispensing position where the closure pressure of said opposing lips is supplied only by their resilience in a free state, and a second inwardly-folded storage position where the valve body is inverted and force-fitted within said compression ring, the outside surfaces of said valve body and said neck portion being folded against each other along said foldline and said inner walls being thereby forcibly held in compression by said compression ring pressing directly against said valve body laterally such that the slit surface area and closure pressure of said valve is greatly increased compared to said first dispensing position.   
   
   
       2 . A duckbill valve assembly, comprising:
 a rigid annular valve baseplate affixed against the rim of said container, said baseplate including an axially extending apertured compression ring in the center thereof,   a unitary resilient valve member comprising a radially extending skirt at the bottom in abutment with said baseplate, a convergent valve body immediately adjacent said skirt extending upwardly through an aperture of said ring, a neck portion extending upwardly from the top of said valve body at a foldline and including two opposing substantially flat inner walls, and a pair of opposing lips forming a resilient closure slit where said inner walls meet at a top end of said valve; and   said valve member having two stable static positions, a first upwardly biased dispensing position where the closure pressure of said opposing lips is supplied only by their resilience in a free state, and a second inwardly-folded storage position where the valve body is inverted and force-fitted within said compression ring aperture and said inner walls are forcibly compressed together laterally thereby.   
   
   
       3 . The duckbill valve assembly of  claim 2  wherein said valve member and said baseplate are fastened against a container rim, said container including fluid holding means in fluid communication with said valve member. 
   
   
       4 . The duckbill valve assembly of  claim 3  further including a cap engaged with said container and having a radially extending flange that forcibly captures said valve member and said baseplate against said container rim. 
   
   
       5 . The duckbill valve assembly of  claim 4  wherein the outside surfaces of said valve body and said neck portion are folded against each other along said foldline forming a positively stoppered closure when the valve is in said second storage position. 
   
   
       6 . The duckbill valve assembly of  claim 4  wherein said cap is threadably engaged with said container. 
   
   
       7 . The duckbill valve assembly of  claim 4  wherein the valve member is forcibly captured between the cap flange and said baseplate. 
   
   
       8 . The duckbill valve assembly of  claim 1  wherein said valve body is dome shaped. 
   
   
       9 . The duckbill valve assembly of  claim 1  wherein said valve lips include substantially flat outside surfaces adapted for manual grasping to selectively move said valve between said dispensing and said storage positions. 
   
   
       10 . The duckbill valve assembly of  claim 1  wherein said valve body is downwardly biased when in the storage position.