Two piece, T-shaped dispensing tap and method of making same
A two piece, molded tap is contemplated. The tap is includes a T-shaped body with a rotatable cap serving as a valve element. Camming means are provided on opposing but concealed faces of the cap to enable the smooth and easy rotation of the cap between open and closed positions while rotating the cap less than one full revolution in comparison to the body which remains fixed to a flexible pouch or container.
1. A dispensing tap comprising:
a hollow tubular body having a T-shape with a narrowing funnel portion defining a container attachment end, a tapering sidewall defining a dispensing port end, an upper sidewall defining a cap-receiving end, and a flow channel fluidically connecting the container attachment end to the cap-receiving end and the dispensing port end and wherein: (i) an outer facing of the upper sidewall is provided with at least one radially extending outer camming protrusion, (ii) an inner facing of the upper sidewall is provided with at least one annular sealing bead and at least one radially extending inner camming protrusion, and (iii) an inner facing of the tapering sidewall is provided with an annular outlet sealing bead, wherein the outer camming protrusion on the outer facing is formed adjacent and opposite to the inner camming protrusion on the inner facing; and
a cap having an skirt coaxially fitted around an sealing cylinder and a top panel connected to top terminal edges of the skirt and the sealing cylinder and wherein: (a) at least one camming groove spirals axially along each of an inner facing of the skirt and an outer facing of the sealing cylinder, (b) a bottom terminal edge of the sealing cylinder extends axially beyond a bottom terminal edge of the skirt, and (c) when the cap is fitted over the upper sidewall of the body, the cap-receiving end of the upper sidewall is positioned in a gap formed between the skirt and the sealing cylinder, and the inner and outer camming protrusions are received in the at least one camming groove.
2. The dispensing tap of claim 1 wherein all of the radially extending camming protrusions has a spherical shape conforming to a shape of each camming groove associated therewith.
3. The dispensing tap of claim 1 wherein each of the outer camming protrusions provided on outer facing of the upper sidewall are larger than the inner camming protrusion(s) provided on the inner facing of the upper sidewall.
4. The dispensing tap of claim 1 wherein a plurality of annular sealing beads are axially offset along the inner facing of the upper sidewall.
5. The dispensing tap of claim 1 wherein the annular sealing bead(s) of the upper sidewall is positioned to remain axially beneath the camming grooves irrespective of the positioning of the camming protrusions within the camming grooves.
6. The dispensing tap of claim 1 wherein at least one of the camming grooves is provided with a seat denoting an open and/or closed position for the dispensing tap.
7. The dispensing tap of claim 1 wherein the sealing cylinder includes a tapered lower section that conforms to the tapering sidewall when the cap is rotated to a closed position.
8. The dispensing tap of claim 1 wherein a conical section constricts radially inward beneath the annular sealing bead on the tapering sidewall.
9. The dispensing tap of claim 1 wherein a second outer camming protrusion and a second inner camming protrusions are equally spaced apart along a circumference on the inner and outer facings of the upper sidewall.
10. The dispensing tap of claim 1 wherein all of the camming grooves are configured to position the cap in an open or closed position at less than one full rotation of the cap relative to the body.
11. The dispensing tap of claim 1 wherein a radial attachment flange is provided at the container attachment end.
12. The dispensing tap of claim 1 wherein a sealing bevel is provided at a terminal end of the upper sidewall.
13. The dispensing tap of claim 1 wherein the inner and outer camming protrusions and the at least one camming groove are concealed in the gap of the cap.