Closed loop fluid dispensing system
View Patent ↗A fluid dispensing system includes a closure assembly. The closure assembly is configured to enclose a container opening. The closure assembly has a fluid supply tube with an opening and a shut-off valve threadedly coupled to the supply tube. The shut-off valve has a valve member configured to close the opening in the supply tube upon rotating the shut-off valve in a first direction and to open the opening in the supply tube upon rotating the shut-off valve in a second direction. A cap assembly is coupled to the closure assembly. The cap assembly has a connector member with a fluid passage fluidly coupled to the supply tube. The cap assembly is coupled to the shut-off valve to rotate the shut-off valve in the first direction and the second direction. The configuration of the system eliminates the need for spring-based valves.
1. A fluid dispensing system, comprising:
a closure assembly constructed and arranged to enclose a container, the closure assembly including
a shut-off valve constructed and arranged to close upon rotating the shut-off valve in a first direction and to open upon rotating the shut-off valve in a second direction,
a container engagement collar having an internal thread engageable with threading on the container,
a closure body to which the collar is coupled in a ratcheting manner, wherein the closure body includes one or more tabs each having a notch, and
the collar having a groove engaging the tabs and one or more fingers that are configured to engage the notches in the ratcheting manner in which the container engagement collar is only able to rotate in one direction relative to the closure body to increase the difficulty in removing the closure assembly from the container.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the thread of the collar has one or more thrust teeth located to bite into the threading of the container upon pulling of the closure assembly away from the container in an attempt to unscrew the closure assembly.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the collar has one or more container engagement teeth extending radially inwards to bite into the threading of the container upon squeezing of the closure assembly.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the collar includes a blocking tooth positioned to engage a tail end of the threading on the container upon an attempt to unscrew the closure assembly.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the collar has one or more container engagement teeth extending radially inwards to bite into the threading of the container upon squeezing of the closure assembly in an attempt to disengage the blocking tooth from the threading of the container.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the thread of the collar has one or more thrust teeth extending therefrom.
7. The system of claim 1 , comprising means for preventing removal of the closure assembly from the container.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the means for preventing removal of the closure assembly includes one or more thrust teeth extending from the thread of the collar.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the collar defines one or more friction reduction notches configured to reduce surface contact area between the collar and the closure body.
10. A container engagement collar, comprising:
a collar body having an internal thread engageable with threading of a container;
the collar body defining a groove in which one or more retention tabs of a closure body are slidably received to permit relative movement between the collar and the closure body; and
the collar body having one or more fingers configured to engage notches in the closure body in a ratcheting manner, wherein the collar body includes one or more thrust teeth extending from the thread of the collar body.
11. The collar of claim 10 , wherein the collar body includes one or more container engagement teeth extending radially inwards.
12. The collar of claim 11 , wherein the collar body includes a blocking tooth positioned to engage a tail end of the threading on the container.
13. The collar of claim 10 , wherein the collar body includes a blocking tooth positioned to engage a tail end of the threading on the container.
14. The collar of claim 10 , wherein the collar body defines one or more friction reduction notches positioned to face the closure body to reduce frictional contact between the collar body and the closure body.
15. The collar of claim 10 , wherein the collar body has a friction reduction section that has an outer diameter that is smaller than the rest of the collar body to reduce frictional contact between the collar body and the closure body.
16. A fluid dispensing system, comprising:
a closure assembly constructed and arranged to enclose a container, the closure assembly including
a closure body having a fluid opening through which fluid is dispensed from a container, the closure body including one or more tabs and one or more notches,
a shut-off valve rotatably coupled to the closure body, the shut-off valve being able to rotate relative to the closure body in a first direction and a second direction that is opposite the first direction, the shut-off valve being constructed and arranged to close the fluid opening of the closure body upon rotating the shut-off valve in the first direction and to open the fluid opening upon rotating the shut-off valve in the second direction, and
a container engagement collar having a groove extending continuously around an outer radial wall of the container engagement collar, the container engagement collar being a separate component from the closure body, the tabs of the closure body being snapped into the groove of the container engagement collar to allow the collar engagement collar to rotate freely relative to the closure body, the container engagement collar having an internal threading engageable with threading on the container, and
the container engagement collar having one or more tabs configured to engage the notches of the closure body in a ratcheting manner in which the tabs engage the notches when the closure body is rotated in a securing direction where the container engagement collar rotates with the closure body to secure the closure assembly to the container and the tabs disengage from the notches when the closure body is rotated in the opposite direction to the securing direction to allow the container engagement collar to remain secured to the threading of the container while the closure body rotates in the opposite direction relative to the container engagement collar.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the collar has one or more container engagement teeth extending radially inwards to bite into the threading of the container upon squeezing of the closure assembly.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the threading of the collar has one or more thrust teeth located to bite into the threading of the container upon pulling of the closure assembly away from the container in an attempt to unscrew the closure assembly.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the collar includes a blocking tooth positioned to engage a tail end of the threading on the container upon an attempt to unscrew the closure assembly.