Assembly for controlling discharge of material from a pressurized dispensing package

Claim 2

In a material dispensing package having a material container and a valve structure including a delivery passage for delivering material from said container, a one-piece actuator cap comprising an annular wall surrounding said valve structure and including structure for securing said cap to said container, a spout, including a discharge passage, said spout spanning said annular wall, extending past the plane defined by the outer surface of said wall, and secured to said valve structure with said discharge passage in communication in the said delivery passage, supporting structure for said spout, said structure being integral with said cap and also extending outwardly of said plane, and coupling structure joining said spout to said supporting structure at the outlet end of said spout outside of said plane, said spout being otherwise unsupported between said supporting structure and said valve structure, and said spout further having an exposed surface located such that application of force to said exposed surface acts to pivot said spout about said supporting structure, thereby to operate said valve structure.

Claim 3

The package of claim 1 wherein said supporting structure comprises a pair of spaced apart support arms, and said spout is disposed between said arms, and said coupling structure secures said arms to said spout adjacent the outlet end of said spout.

Claim 4

The package of claim 2 wherein said support arms extend in a direction substantially parallel to the discharge direction of said spout.

Claim 5

The package of claim 3 wherein said spout extends in a direction substantially parallel to said support arms.

Claim 6

The package of claim 2 wherein said coupling structure includes a pair of elongated web members for securing said spout to said support arms, said web members having longitudinal axes arranged substantially perpendicular to the discharge direction of said spout.

Claim 7

The package of claim 2 wherein said coupling structure includes elongated regions extending for a substantial length of said spout, said regions having longitudinal axes arranged substantially parallel to the discharge direction of said spout.

Claim 8

The package of claim 6 wherein said spout has a flexible hinge located in its unsupported portion between said elongated regions and said valve structure.

Claim 9

The package of claim 7 wherein said hinge is defined by a reduced thickness strip across the lower wall of said spout.

Claim 10

The package of claim 8 wherein said strip is located adjacent said elongated regions.

Claim 11

The package of claim 6 wherein said supporting structure also includes a brace member secured to the underside of said spout, adjacent the interior ends of said elongated regions, said brace member arranged to rest on said container.

Claim 12

The package of claim 10 wherein said spout has a flexible hinge located in its unsupported portion between said brace member and said annular wall.

Claim 13

The package of claim 1 wherein said supporting structure is secured to the outer surface of said annular wall.

Claim 14

For use in a material dispensing package having a material container and a valve structure including a delivery passage for delivering material from said container, a one-piece actuator cap comprising an annular wall surrounding said valve structure and including means for securing said cap to said container, a pair of spaced apart support arms, secured to said cap, and extending outwardly of the outer surface of said wall, a spout spanning said annular wall, disposed between said arms and also extending outwardly of the outer surface of said wall, said spout including a discharge passage with an outlet end outside of said outer surface and a coUpling end for securing to said valve structure with said discharge passage in communication with said delivery passage, and a pair of web members connected between said spout and said support arms at the outer ends of said spout and said support arms to support said spout, said web members having longitudinal axes arranged substantially perpendicular to the discharge direction of said spout, said spout being otherwise unsupported between said support arms and said coupling end, and said spout further having an exposed surface located such that application of force to said surface acts to pivot said spout about said web members, thereby to operate said valve structure.

Claim 15

For use in a material dispensing package having a material container and a valve structure including a delivery passage for delivering material from said container, a one-piece actuator cap comprising an annular wall surrounding said valve structure and including means for securing said cap to said container, a pair of spaced apart support arms, secured to said cap, and extending outwardly of the outer surface of said wall, a spout spanning said annular wall, disposed between said arms and also extending outwardly of the outer surface of said wall, said spout including a discharge passage with an outlet end outside of said outer surface and a coUpling end for securing to said valve structure with said discharge passage in communication with said delivery passage, and a pair of web members connected between said spout and said support arms at the outer ends of said spout and said support arms to support said spout, said web members having longitudinal axes arranged substantially perpendicular to the discharge direction of said spout, said spout being otherwise unsupported between said support arms and said coupling end, and said spout further having an exposed surface located such that application of force to said surface acts to pivot said spout about said web members, thereby to operate said valve structure.

Claim 16

The package of claim 13 wherein said support arms and said spout extend in parallel directions substantially parallel to said discharge direction.

Claim 17

The package of claim 14 wherein said support arms are arranged to span said annular wall, being spaced from portions of said annular wall directly beneath.

Claim 18

The package of claim 14 wherein said support arms and said spout have opposed parallel planar walls adjacent said outlet end, and each said web member joins a planar wall of said spout to the opposed planar wall of the adjacent support arm.

Claim 19

The package of claim 16 wherein said discharge passage of said spout is of rectangular cross section at the outlet end of said spout.

Claim 20

The package of claim 13 wherein said cap includes a base wall forming a top for said annular wall, said base wall including an opening sized to receive said exposed surface, and upstanding wall portions extending upwardly from said base wall along opposed edges of said opening, said upstanding wall portions being integral extensions of said support arms, and said upstanding wall portions and said opening defining a region in which said spout is freely pivotal.

Claim 21

For use in a material dispensing package having a material container and a valve structure including a delivery passage for delivering material from said container, a one-piece actuator cap comprising an annular wall surrounding said valve structure and including means for securing said cap to said container, a pair of spaced apart support arms, secured to said cap, and extending outwardly of the outer surface of said wall, and a spout spanning said annular wall, disposed between said arms, and also extending outwardly of the outer surface of said wall, said spout including a discharge passage with an outlet end outside of said outer surface and a coupling end for securing to said valve structure with said discharge passage in communication with said delivery passage, said spout jointed to said support arms at its outlet end along elongated regions extending for a substantial length of said spout, said regions having longitudinal axes arranged substantially parallel to the discharge direction of said spout, said spout being otherwise unsupported between said support arms and said coupling end, and said spout further having an exposed surface located such that application of force to said surface acts to pivot said spout, thereby to operate said valve structure.

Claim 22

For use in a material dispensing package having a material container and a valve structure including a delivery passage for delivering material from said container, a one-piece actuator cap comprising an annular wall surrounding said valve structure and including means for securing said cap to said container, a pair of spaced apart support arms, secured to said cap, and extending outwardly of the outer surface of said wall, and a spout spanning said annular wall, disposed between said arms, and also extending outwardly of the outer surface of said wall, said spout including a discharge passage with an outlet end outside of said outer surface and a coupling end for securing to said valve structure with said discharge passage in communication with said delivery passage, said spout jointed to said support arms at its outlet end along elongated regions extending for a substantial length of said spout, said regions having longitudinal axes arranged substantially parallel to the discharge direction of said spout, said spout being otherwise unsupported between said support arms and said coupling end, and said spout further having an exposed surface located such that application of force to said surface acts to pivot said spout, thereby to operate said valve structure.

Claim 23

The package of claim 19 wherein said actuator cap also includes a brace member secured to the underside of said spout, adjacent the interior ends of said elongated regions, said brace member arranged to rest on said container, and said spout has a flexible hinge located in its unsupported portion between said brace member and said annular walls.

Claim 24

For use in a material dispensing package having a material container and a valve structure including a delivery passage for delivering material from said container, a one-piece actuator cap comprising a base including structure for securing said cap to said container and defining an opening, spout structure defining a discharge passage, and including a portion disposed for movement in said opening, a coupling end for securing to said valve structure so that said discharge passage is in communication with said delivery passage, and an outlet end outside of said base, spout support structure comprising a pair of spaced apart support arms secured to said base and extending outwardly of and terminating outside of the outer surface of said base, the outlet end of said spout structure being disposed between said support arms in a region also lying outside of the outer surface of said base, and coupling structure joining the outlet end of said spout structure to said support arms, said spout structure being otherwise unsupported between said spout support structure and said valve structure, and said spout structure further having an exposed surface located in said opening such that application of force to said exposed surface pivots said spout structure about said spout support structure, thereby to operate said valve structure.

Claim 25

For use in a material dispensing package having a material container and a valve structure including a delivery passage for delivering material from said container, a one-piece actuator cap comprising a base including structure for securing said cap to said container and defining an opening, spout structure defining a discharge passage, and including a portion disposed for movement in said opening, a coupling end for securing to said valve structure so that said discharge passage is in communication with said delivery passage, and an outlet end outside of said base, spout support structure comprising a pair of spaced apart support arms secured to said base and extending outwardly of and terminating outside of the outer surface of said base, the outlet end of said spout structure being disposed between said support arms in a region also lying outside of the outer surface of said base, and coupling structure joining the outlet end of said spout structure to said support arms, said spout structure being otherwise unsupported between said spout support structure and said valve structure, and said spout structure further having an exposed surface located in said opening such that application of force to said exposed surface pivots said spout structure about said spout support structure, thereby to operate said valve structure.