Valve systems for non-refillable containers

Claim 2

A fluid dispensing valve assembly having a body one end of which is formed for securement to a container, said body forming a conduit for filling and discharge flow of fluid, a shut-off valve operable for controlling the flow of fluid through said conduit, said shut-off valve having an externally accessible control, and convertible means in said body in condition initially to accommodate the flow of fluid through said conduit in both filling and discharge directions, a portion of said conduit including two passages in parallel, a check valve in one of said two passages arranged to pass fluid only in the discharge direction and said convertible means including means for sealing permanently the other of said two passages when the valve assembly is to be rendered non-refillable, said sealing means being operable by the shut-off valve from the exterior of the valve assembly into its sealing condition, and means including said body and said shut-off valve for securely enclosing and guarding said sealing means against access from the exterior of the valve assembly for reopening the cOnduit to the flow of fluid in the filling direction, whereby a container equipped with the valve assembly may be evacuated and then filled with fluid in the initial condition of the valve assembly but is substantially nonrefillable after conversion of the convertible means.

Claim 3

A fluid dispensing valve assembly having a body one end of which is formed for securement to a container, said body forming a conduit for filling and discharge flow of fluid, a shut-off valve operable for controlling the flow of fluid through said conduit, said shut-off valve having an externally accessible control, and convertible means in said body in condition initially to accommodate the flow of fluid through said conduit in both filling and discharge directions, a portion of said conduit including two passages in parallel, a check valve in one of said two passages arranged to pass fluid only in the discharge direction and said convertible means including means for sealing permanently the other of said two passages when the valve assembly is to be rendered non-refillable, said sealing means being operable by the shut-off valve from the exterior of the valve assembly into its sealing condition, said sealing means including an initially open readily deformable device in said other of said two passages and said sealing means further including a part operable by said shut-off valve for deforming said deformable device into a passage closure, said valve assembly when secured to a container having means including said body and said shut-off valve for securely enclosing and guarding said sealing means against access from the exterior of the valve assembly for reopening the conduit to the flow of fluid in the filling direction, whereby a container equipped with the valve assembly may be evacuated and then filled with fluid in the initial condition of the valve assembly but is substantially non-refillable after conversion of the convertible means.

Claim 4

A fluid dispensing valve assembly having a body one end of which is formed for securement to a container, said body forming a conduit for filling and discharge flow of fluid, a shut-off valve operable for controlling the flow of fluid through said conduit, said shut-off valve having an externally accessible control, and convertible means in said body in condition initially to accommodate the flow of fluid through said conduit in both filling and discharge directions, a portion of said conduit including two passages in parallel, a check valve in one of said two passages arranged to pass fluid only in the discharge direction and said convertible means including means for sealing permanently the other of said two passages when the valve assembly is to be rendered non-refillable, said sealing means being operable by the shut-off valve from the exterior of the valve assembly into its sealing condition, said sealing means including an initially open readily deformable device in said other of said two passages and said sealing means further including a part operable by said shut-off valve for deforming said deformable device into a passage closure, said valve assembly when secured to a container having means including said body and said shut-off valve for securely enclosing and guarding said sealing means against access from the exterior of the valve assembly for reopening the conduit to the flow of fluid in the filling direction, whereby a container equipped with the valve assembly may be evacuated and then filled with fluid in the initial condition of the valve assembly but is substantially non-refillable after conversion of the convertible means.

Claim 5

A fluid dispensing valve assembly having a body one end of which is formed for securement to a container, said body forming a conduit for filling and discharge flow of fluid, a shut-off valve operable for controlling the flow of fluid through said conduit, said shut-off valve having an externally accessible control, and convertible means in said body in condition initially to accommodate the flow of fluid through said conduit in both filling and discharge directions, said convertible means being convertible permanently into means obstructing the flow of fluid selectively in the filling direction, said shut-off valve including a part cooperable with said convertible means for effecting conversion thereof into said obstructing means in the closing operation of the shut-off valve, said valve assembly when secured to a container having means including said body and said shut-off valve for securely enclosing and guarding said obstructing means against access from the exterior of the valve assembly for reopening the conduit to the flow of fluid in the filling direction, whereby the first closing operation of the shut-off valve following a filling of the container causes automatic conversion of the valve assembly to its non-refillable condition, and whereby a container equipped with the valve assembly may be evacuated and then filled with fluid in the initial condition of the valve assembly but is substantially non-refillable after conversion of the convertible means.

Claim 6

A fluid dispensing valve assembly having a body one end of which is formed for securement to a container, said body forming a conduit for filling and discharge flow of fluid, a shut-off valve operable for controlling the flow of fluid through said conduit, said shut-off valve having an externally accessible control, and convertible means in said body in condition initially to accommodate the flow of fluid through said conduit in both filling and discharge directions, said convertible means being convertible permanently into means obstructing the flow of fluid selectively in the filling direction, said shut-off valve including a part cooperable with said convertible means for effecting conversion thereof into said obstructing means in the closing operation of the shut-off valve, said valve assembly when secured to a container having means including said body and said shut-off valve for securely enclosing and guarding said obstructing means against access from the exterior of the valve assembly for reopening the conduit to the flow of fluid in the filling direction, whereby the first closing operation of the shut-off valve following a filling of the container causes automatic conversion of the valve assembly to its non-refillable condition, and whereby a container equipped with the valve assembly may be evacuated and then filled with fluid in the initial condition of the valve assembly but is substantially non-refillable after conversion of the convertible means.

Claim 7

A fluid dispensing valve assembly having a body one end of which is formed for securement to a container, said body forming a conduit for filling and discharge flow of fluid, a shut-off valve operable for controlling the flow of fluid through said conduit, said shut-off valve having an externally accessible control, and convertible means in said body in condition initially to accommodate the flow of fluid through said conduit in both filling and discharge directions, a portion of said conduit including two passages in parallel, said convertible means including a check valve in one of said two passages arranged To pass fluid only in the discharge direction and said convertible means including means for sealing permanently the other of said two passages when the valve assembly is to be rendered non-refillable, said shut-off valve including a part operable during the closing motion of the shut-off valve for causing the sealing means to seal said other of said two passages, said valve assembly when secured to a container having means including said body and said shut-off valve for securely enclosing and guarding said sealing means against access from the exterior of the valve assembly for reopening the conduit to the flow of fluid in the filling direction, whereby a container equipped with the valve assembly may be evacuated and then filled with fluid in the initial condition of the valve assembly but is substantially non-refillable after conversion of the convertible means.

Claim 8

A fluid dispensing valve assembly having a body one end of which is formed for securement to a container, said body forming a conduit for filling and discharge flow of fluid, a shut-off valve operable for controlling the flow of fluid through said conduit, said shut-off valve having an externally accessible control, and convertible means in said body in condition initially to accommodate the flow of fluid through said conduit in both filling and discharge directions, a portion of said conduit including two passages in parallel, said convertible means including a check valve in one of said two passages arranged To pass fluid only in the discharge direction and said convertible means including means for sealing permanently the other of said two passages when the valve assembly is to be rendered non-refillable, said shut-off valve including a part operable during the closing motion of the shut-off valve for causing the sealing means to seal said other of said two passages, said valve assembly when secured to a container having means including said body and said shut-off valve for securely enclosing and guarding said sealing means against access from the exterior of the valve assembly for reopening the conduit to the flow of fluid in the filling direction, whereby a container equipped with the valve assembly may be evacuated and then filled with fluid in the initial condition of the valve assembly but is substantially non-refillable after conversion of the convertible means.

Claim 9

A fluid dispensing valve assembly having a body one end of which is formed for securement to a container, said body forming a conduit having only one through passage for filling and discharge flow of fluid, a shut-off valve operable for controlling the flow of fluid through said passage, said shut-off valve having an externally accessible control, and convertible means in said body comprising an initially inactive check valve initially in condition to accommodate the flow of fluid through said passage in both filling and discharge directions, said check valve being convertible after an initial filling operation into an active check valve in said passage in series with said shut-off valve, said initially inactive check valve including a movable valve member, a valve seat, means for biasing said valve member toward said valve seat, and detent means effective initially to prevent the cooperation of said valve member with said valve seat, said detent means being defeatable after an initial filling operation to enable said valve member to engage said seat, said check valve when active being operative to pass fluid only in the discharge direction, said check valve after being rendered active to obstruct the flow of fluid selectively in the filling direction being guarded against access from the exterior of the valve assembly when secured to a container for reopening the passage to the flow of fluid in the filling direction, whereby a container equipped with the valve assembly may be evacuated and then filled with fluid in the initial condition of the valve assembly but is substantially non-refillable after conversion of said convertible means.

Claim 10

A fluid dispensing valve assembly having a body one end of which is formed for securement to a container, said body forming a conduit having only one through passage for filling and discharge flow of fluid, a shut-off valve operable for controlling the flow of fluid through said passage, said shut-off valve having an externally accessible control, and convertible means in said body comprising an initially inactive check valve initially in condition to accommodate the flow of fluid through said passage in both filling and discharge directions, said check valve being convertible after an initial filling operation into an active check valve in said passage in series with said shut-off valve, said initially inactive check valve including a movable valve member, a valve seat, means for biasing said valve member toward said valve seat, and detent means effective initially to prevent the cooperation of said valve member with said valve seat, said detent means being defeatable after an initial filling operation to enable said valve member to engage said seat, said check valve when active being operative to pass fluid only in the discharge direction, said check valve after being rendered active to obstruct the flow of fluid selectively in the filling direction being guarded against access from the exterior of the valve assembly when secured to a container for reopening the passage to the flow of fluid in the filling direction, whereby a container equipped with the valve assembly may be evacuated and then filled with fluid in the initial condition of the valve assembly but is substantially non-refillable after conversion of said convertible means.

Claim 11

A valve assembly in accordance with claim 5, wherein said shut-off valve has means for releasing said movable check-valve member from said detent means for thereby activating the check valve.

Claim 12

A valve assembly in accordance with claim 5, wherein said shut-off valve has a stem bearing an external manual operating knob constituting said external control, and a movable member carried by said stem for driving said movable check-valve member past said detent means during the initial closing operation of the shut-off valve.

Claim 13

A valve assembly in accordance with claim 5, wherein said shut-off valve has a movable valve member and a seat, the movable member being normally biased against said seat, and wherein said externally accessible control is a valve stem arranged to lift said movable valve member from said seat, and an internal part operable by said valve stem for driving said movable check-valve member past said detent means during the operation of the movable valve member in the valve-opening direction.

Claim 14

A valve assembly in accordance with claim 5, wherein said detent means is of a material related to the liquefied fluid fill of the container on which the valve assembly is to be used so as to be rendered soft and thus to be disabled as detent means after substantial exposure to the liquefied fluid fill.

Claim 15

A valve assembly in accordance with claim 5, wherein said movable check-valve member is adapted to be shifted into active cooperation with its seat due to iTs inertia in response to an impact-induced shift of the valve assembly.