Sealable dispenser for dispensing a fluid, viscous or pasty medium contained in a container

Abstract

A sealable dispenser device for dispensing a fluid, viscous or pasty medium contained in a container, has a dispensing opening for dispensing the medium in the container and a closure device. By operation of the closure device a connection between the dispensing opening and the container may be produced or broken. The closure device is formed by an element that may be displaced along the connection between the dispensing opening and the container. The closure device is embodied such that the above must be displaced onto the container in order to generate a connection between the dispensing opening and the container and must be displaced away from the container in order to break the connection between the dispensing device and the container. Such a device is simple and easy to operate yet cannot open itself under any circumstances.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation, under 35 U.S.C. § 120, of copending international application No. PCT/DE02/00058, filed Jan. 10, 2002 which designated the United States, and international application No. PCT/DE03/00058, filed Jan. 10, 2003 which designated the United States.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a sealable dispenser for dispensing a fluid, viscous or pasty medium contained in a container. The dispenser has a dispensing opening for dispensing the medium that is located in the container, and a closure device, through whose activation a connection between the dispensing opening and the container can be formed and disconnected. The closure device is formed by an element that can be moved longitudinally along the connection between the dispensing opening and the container.

Such dispensers may be used, for example, in drinking bottles that are used by children or by cyclists.

Such a dispenser is known, for example, from Published, Non-Prosecuted German Patent Application DE 199 37 754 A1. The dispenser that is described in this publication is a device that can be fitted onto a drinking bottle and is composed of a part which is fixed in the state in which it is fitted onto the drinking bottle, and a nipple which can be pushed into the part and pulled out of it. Running through the nipple is a duct that can form a connection between the drinking bottle and a dispensing opening that is provided at the upper end of the nipple. The duct is closed in the state in which the nipple is inserted into the fixed part of the dispenser (pushed onto a stopper which closes the duct), and is opened in the pulled-out state. The dispenser also contains measures that are intended to ensure that the duct is completely closed in the closed position of the nipple, and that the nipple cannot automatically leave the closed position, but on the other hand, by applying a small force can be moved into the closed position and out of the closed position. These measures contain latching elements which are provided on the nipple and which latch, in the closed position, into assigned latching elements of the fixed part of the dispenser, the latching elements which are provided on the fixed part of the dispenser being disposed on elastically moveable elements which are accessible outside the dispenser.

The fact that the dispenser can be sealed in a completely tight fashion and cannot open automatically is an important precondition for the drinking bottle also to be able to be used for carbonated drinks. In dispensers which do not fulfill the aforesaid preconditions, gases can escape from the drinking bottle, which causes the carboxylic content of the drink to decrease and/or an overpressure which comes about in the drinking bottle can automatically open the dispenser, causing the drink which is located in the drinking bottle to flow out. It goes without saying that both of these things are undesirable.

The measures which were taken in the dispenser which is described above and is known from DE 199 37 754 A1 in order to fulfill the aforesaid conditions do not fulfill these conditions in an optimum way—it is not possible to reliably ensure that the dispenser does not in fact open automatically, and furthermore the operator control, to be more precise the closing and above all the opening of the dispenser, becomes more complicated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a sealable dispenser for dispensing a fluid, viscous or pasty medium contained in a container which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art devices of this general type, which closes in a particularly tight fashion and cannot open automatically and, can easily and simply be opened and closed.

With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a sealable dispenser for dispensing a medium such as a fluid medium, a viscous medium or a pasty medium contained in a container. The sealable dispenser contains a dispenser body having a step and a dispensing opening. The dispenser body is connected to the container for dispensing the medium contained in the container. A sealing device is provided through whose activation a connection between the dispensing opening and the container can be formed and disconnected. The sealing device has an element that can be moved longitudinally along the connection between the dispensing opening and the container. The sealing device is embodied such that, in order to form the connection between the dispensing opening and the container, the sealing device has to be moved toward the container, and in order to disconnect the connection between the dispensing opening and the container, the sealing device has to be moved away from the container. The sealing device further has a seal which, in a closed state of the dispenser, is pressed downward against the step, the sealing device additionally has a pin and the seal is held by the pin, and the pin can be moved relative to the seal.

The dispenser according to the invention is characterized in that the closure or sealing device is embodied in such a way that, in order to form a connection between the dispensing opening and the container, it has to be moved toward the container, and in order to disconnect the connection between the dispensing opening and the container, it has to be moved away from the container.

With such a dispenser there is no risk of gases escaping and/or of the dispenser opening automatically even if an overpressure is present in the container. Precisely the opposite is the case: an overpressure which is present in the container forces the closure device into the closed position so that the dispenser is closed even more tightly when there is an overpressure present in the container than would be the case without an overpressure.

In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the dispenser body contains a carrier part and a pouring part fitted onto the carrier part. The carrier part is fitted onto the container and forms a fixed part of the dispenser in a state in which the carrier part is fitted onto the container. The pouring part can be moved in relation to the carrier part and the pouring part can be screwed onto the carrier part to differing degrees. Alternatively, the pouring part can be pushed into the carrier part and pulled out of the carrier part manually.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention, a lever mechanism is provided and the pouring part can be pushed into the carrier part and pulled out of the carrier part by the lever mechanism.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, the sealing device is formed by the pouring part or is a component of the pouring part and the step is a component of the carrier part.

In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the seal has an opening and a movement of the pin that takes place in the closed state of the dispenser causes the seal to be exposed, and in that, by the opening in the seal, pressures that are present on each side of the seal can be equalized.

In accordance with a further added feature of the invention, the dispenser body has a separate pressure equalization opening through which an overpressure or partial vacuum present in the container can be reduced. Ideally, the pressure equalization opening is disposed such that a person who opens the dispenser with his mouth or who already places the dispensing opening against his mouth while the dispenser is opening is not able to breath in, or is prevented from breathing in, gases which emerge from the pressure equalization opening while the container is vented.

The dispenser is embodied such that, during activation which has to be carried out in order to form the connection between the dispensing opening and the container, at first a connection is formed between the pressure equalization opening and the container, and only afterwards is the connection between the dispensing opening and the container formed.

Furthermore, the dispenser is embodied such that there is no connection between the pressure equalization opening and the container if there is the connection between the dispensing opening and the container.

In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, the container is a drinking bottle.

Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a sealable dispenser for dispensing a fluid, viscous or pasty medium contained in a container, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a diagrammatic, cross-sectional view through a first dispenser which is in a state in which neither a medium which is to be dispensed by the dispenser nor gases can escape according to the invention;

FIG. 1B is a diagrammatic, cross-sectional view through the dispenser equivalent to FIG. 1A, but in a state in which gases, but not the medium which is to be dispensed by the dispenser can escape;

FIG. 1C is a diagrammatic, cross-sectional view through the dispenser equivalent to FIGS. 1A and 1B, but in a state in which the medium which is to be dispensed by the dispenser can be discharged;

FIG. 2A is a diagrammatic, cross-sectional view through a second embodiment of the dispenser, in a state in which neither the medium which is to be dispensed by the dispenser nor gases can escape;

FIG. 2B is a diagrammatic, cross-sectional view through the dispenser equivalent to FIG. 2A, but in a state in which gases can escape, but not the medium which is to be dispensed by the dispenser; and

FIG. 2C is a diagrammatic, cross-sectional view through the dispenser equivalent to in FIGS. 2A and 2B, but in a state in which the medium which is to be dispensed by the dispenser can be discharged.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The dispensers that are described below are configured for use for a drinking bottle. A fluid (a drink) that is contained in the drinking bottle can be poured out or drunk by the dispenser.

However, even at this point it is to be noted that there is no restriction to such a use of the dispensers that are described below. The dispensers can, if appropriate after suitable adaptation to the given conditions, also be used with other containers than a drinking bottle and they can also be used to dispense other fluid, viscous or pasty media, for example medicines, soaps, oils, perfumes, cleaning agents, etc.

Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, particularly, to FIGS. 1A-1C thereof, there is shown a first embodiment of a dispenser screwed onto a neck 1 of a bottle. However, it is not absolutely necessary to attach the dispenser to the neck 1 by screwing it onto the neck. Attachment can also be carried out in any other desired fashion, for example by plugging on, plugging in, screwing in, bonding, etc.

The first dispenser shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C is composed of a carrier part 2 which is fixed (in the state in which the dispenser is attached to the neck 1), a pouring part 3 which can be connected to the carrier part, a pin 4 which is attached to the pouring part 3, and a sealing washer 5 which is secured by the pin 4.

The carrier part 2 is in the shape of a stepped hollow cylinder with a lower part 21 that has a large diameter, and an upper part 22 that has a relatively small diameter. An internal thread, by which the carrier part 2 can be screwed onto the neck 1 of a bottle, is provided on the lower part 21. An external thread, onto which the pouring part 3 can be screwed, is provided on the upper part 22. A pressure equalization opening 23 via which, as will be described in more detail later, an overpressure or partial vacuum which is present in the bottle can be reduced is provided approximately at the location where the lower part 21 and the upper part 22 meet.

The pouring part 3 is composed of an essentially beaker-shaped body 31 with an edge 32 which starts from the upper end, and runs downward at first toward the outside and then essentially in parallel with the body 31.

The edge 32 has an internal thread that can be screwed onto the external thread of the upper part 22 of the carrier part 2.

The body 31 is open at the top; its upper end is used as a dispensing opening or pouring element 33 for dispensing the fluid contained in the bottle. The shape and the size of the pouring element 33 are selected in the example under consideration in such a way that a person can place the pouring element 33 in his mouth and drink from it. However, the pouring element 33 can also be of any other desired shape and of any other desired size; the shape and the size of the pouring element 33 are preferably made dependent on the purpose of use of the dispenser.

The body 31 is sealed at the bottom by a base 34. An opening through which the pin 4 can be plugged is preferably provided in the center of the base 34.

The body 31 has, in the lower region, an indent 35 that runs around part of its circumference and is provided with breakthroughs 36.

The sealing washer 5 is, in the example under consideration, a washer that is formed in the shape of a circle and, in the sealed state of the dispenser, is pressed from below against the upper part 22 of the carrier part 2 and seals the bottle in a fluid-tight and gas-tight fashion. An opening through which the pin 4 can be plugged is preferably provided in the center of the sealing washer 5.

The pin 4 has a different diameter along its length. It has the largest diameter at its lower end. At the end it has a head whose diameter is larger than the diameter of the opening that is provided in the sealing washer 5. Adjacent to this, the pin 4 has a diameter which is referred to below as the medium-sized diameter and which corresponds approximately to the diameter of the opening which is provided in the sealing washer 5, or is somewhat smaller. The region in which the pin 4 has the medium-sized diameter extends, in the assembled state of the dispenser, from the head of the pin 4 to the point at which the pin reaches the base 34 of the body 31; the end of the pin section which has the medium-sized diameter impinges from below against the base 34 in the assembled state of the dispenser. Above this, the pin 4 has once more a relatively small diameter, referred to below as the smallest diameter, the smallest diameter corresponding approximately to the diameter of the opening that is provided in the base 34 of the body 31.

The part of the pin 4 that has the smallest diameter, i.e. the upper part, has, starting from the top, one or more slits which run in the longitudinal direction of the pin 4. The pin parts which are separated from one another by the at least one slit can be moved elastically and have, at their free ends, outwardly projecting latching hooks which engage behind the opening in the state of the pin 4 in which it is plugged through the opening in the base 34 of the body 31, and as a result the matching hooks prevent the pin 4 from being pulled out of the opening which is provided in the base 34 of the body 31.

The sealing washer 5 is attached to the body 31 by the pin 4. For this purpose, the pin 4 is plugged through the sealing washer 5 from below, and then plugged through—also from below—the base 34 of the body 31.

The dispenser is opened and closed by turning the pouring part 3, to be more precise by screwing the pouring part 3 onto the carrier part 2 to differing degrees. As a result of the pouring part 3 being turned, it moves upward or downward in relation to the carrier part 2.

The dispenser is closed if the pouring part 3 is screwed onto the carrier part 2 only to a small degree, and is opened if the pouring part 3 is screwed onto the carrier part 2 to a large degree. In order to avoid misunderstanding it is to be noted that the term “closed dispenser” is intended to refer to the state of the dispenser in which there is no connection between the inside of the bottle and the pouring element 33, that is to say fluid cannot be discharged from the interior of the bottle via the pouring element 33, and the term “opened dispenser” is intended to refer to the state of the dispenser in which there is a connection between the interior of the bottle and the pouring element 33, that is to say fluid can be discharged from the interior of the bottle via the pouring element 33.

FIG. 1A illustrates the state in which the dispenser is sealed. Here, the pouring part 3 is screwed upward to such an extent that it pulls the sealing washer 5 (via the pin 4) to the step between the upper part 21 and the lower part 22 of the carrier part 2. In this state, neither fluid nor gas can escape into the region lying above the sealing washer 5 from the region lying below the sealing washer 5; the region that lies below the sealing washer 5 is sealed in a fluid-tight and gas-tight fashion. In contrast to conventional dispensers of the type described, this occurs even if an overpressure is present in the drinking bottle. An overpressure that is present in the drinking bottle has the effect of pressing the sealing washer 5 even more strongly against the step between the upper part 21 and the lower part 22 of the carrier part 2 than with the case if there were no overpressure in the drinking bottle.

If the pouring part 3 is screwed further onto the carrier part 2, as shown in FIG. 1A, the pouring part 3 moves downward in relation to the carrier part 2. As the pouring part 3 moves, the pin 4 also moves downward (the base 34 of the pouring part 3 presses against the step which is present between the pin section having the smallest diameter and the pin section having the medium-sized diameter). The sealing washer 5 remains first in the position shown in FIG. 1A. This state is shown in FIG. 1B.

In this state of the dispenser, gas can flow from the region lying underneath the sealing washer 5 into the region lying above the sealing washer 5 (if there is an overpressure in the bottle), or conversely (if there is a partial vacuum in the bottle). The gas flows through the opening which is present in the sealing washer 5 and through which the pin 4 passes (if the sealing washer 5 stays in its position shown in FIG. 1A), and/or between the sealing washer 5 and the step which is present between the parts 21 and 22 of the carrier part 2 (if the sealing washer also moves downward). The region that lies above the sealing washer 5 is connected to the surroundings of the dispenser via the pressure equalization opening 23 which has already been mentioned above. As a result, in the state of the dispenser that is shown in FIG. 1B, an overpressure or partial vacuum that is present in the bottle can be reduced via the pressure equalization opening 23. The path of the gas is illustrated in FIG. 1B by arrows which are designated by G. During the pressure equalization, fluid can still not pass out of the pouring element 33. This is prevented by the base 34 of the body 31—if and for as long as the base 34 is located in the upper part 22 of the carrier part 2 there is no connection between the pouring element 33 and the interior of the bottle. A connection does not come about between the pouring element 33 and the interior of the bottle until the pouring part 3 is screwed even further onto the carrier part 2; this will be described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 1C. In the state of the dispenser which is shown in FIG. 1B, it is also the case that no fluid, or at most a negligibly small amount of fluid, can pass to the outside via the pressure equalization opening 23. The paths that the fluid would have to take are too narrow for this.

The pressure equalization opening 23 is used to vent or ventilate the bottle before the dispenser is opened. Such venting or ventilation proves advantageous, because the pouring part 3 continues to move with the smaller application of force owing to the elimination of the force which is exerted on it by an overpressure which is present in the bottle, and because this can prevent fluid spraying out of the pouring element 33 when the dispenser is opened, owing to an overpressure which is present in the bottle.

The fact that the venting does not take place via the pouring element 33 but rather via the pressure equalization opening 23 which is provided at another location also has the advantage that there is no risk of a person who opens the dispenser with his mouth, or who has already placed the pouring part 3 against his mouth while the dispenser is being opened being able to, or having to, breath in gases escaping during the venting of the container. The breathing in of these gases would not be unproblematic, in particular if there is a carbonated drink in the bottle. The gas that escapes in this case is in fact carbon dioxide and breathing it in could cause a person drinking from the bottle to experience a lack of oxygen, with the associated symptoms.

The fact that when the dispenser is moved from the state shown in FIG. 1A into the state shown in FIG. 1B, the sealing washer can remain in the position shown in FIG. 1A is also of great advantage; as has already been explained above, the pin 4 can be moved downward without entraining the sealing washer 5, and a connection between the interior of the bottle and the pressure equalization opening 23 can be formed solely by the movement of the pin 4. This has the positive effect that the dispenser can be moved from the state shown in FIG. 1A into the state shown in FIG. 1B with relatively little application of force; in particular if an overpressure is present in the bottle, the necessary force is at any rate considerably smaller than would be the case if the sealing washer 5 also had to be moved along when the dispenser is moved from the state shown in FIG. 1A into the state shown in FIG. 1B.

When the pouring part 3 is screwed further onto the carrier part 2, the pouring part 3 moves further downward. In the process, the base 34 of the pouring part 3 finally passes the step that is present between the lower part 21 and the upper part 22 of the carrier part 2. When this has happened, fluid can pass from the interior of the bottle and into the indent 35, and from there on through breakthroughs 36 provided in the indent 35, to the pouring element 33. The dispenser is opened from then onward.

Before the base 34 of the pouring part 3 has passed the step which is present between the lower part 21 and the upper part 22 of the carrier part 5, it is not possible for fluid to be discharged from the bottle because here the base 34 which slides along the inside of the upper part 22 of the carrier part 2 blocks the path of the fluid to the indent 35.

When the pouring part 3 is screwed further onto the carrier part 2, the pouring part 3 moves further downward until the dispenser is finally completely opened. This state of the dispenser is illustrated in FIG. 1C. The path of the fluid to the pouring element 33 is represented in FIG. 1C by arrows designated by F.

If, and for as long as, fluid can be discharged from the pouring element 33, the pressure equalization opening 23 is closed.

This is brought about in the example under consideration by virtue of the fact that the pouring part 3 does not have any indent 35 with breakthroughs 36 at the locations which are situated before the pressure equalization opening 23 in the opened state of the dispenser, and consequently in the opened state of the dispenser the pressure equalization opening 23 is covered by the locations on the body 31 which are free of indents. In the example under consideration, the pressure equalization opening 23 is already closed again before a connection is formed between the interior of the bottle and the pouring element 33.

The fact that the pressure equalization opening 23 is closed when the dispenser is opened proves advantageous because as a result it is possible to reliably prevent fluid from escaping via the pressure equalization opening 23 when a person drinks out of the bottle.

In particular, if the pressure equalization opening 23 is very small, to be more precise has a cross section which is so small that no fluid, or only a negligibly small amount of fluid, can escape through it, it would however, also be possible to provide for the pressure equalization opening 23 to be kept open in the opened state of the dispenser. This may be brought about, for example, by virtue of the fact that the indent 35 completely surrounds the pouring part 3, that is to say no locations that are free of indents are provided on the pouring part 3. In this case, a pressure equalization could take place via the pressure equalization opening 23 even during drinking, as a result of which it would not be necessary to interrupt the drinking process, or to do so less frequently, in order to equalize overpressure or a partial vacuum which come about in the bottle during drinking. However, it would also be possible to provide for the pressure equalization opening 23 to still be entirely or partially open if the formation of the connection between the interior of the bottle and the pouring element 33 is started and only closed again a greater or lesser period of time afterwards.

In order to close the dispenser again, the pouring part 3 must be screwed back again into the position shown in FIG. 1A. In the process, the processes which are described above occur in the opposite sequence and direction.

The external thread on the upper part 22 of the carrier part 2 and the internal thread on the edge 32 of the pouring part 3 preferably have a very large pitch so that the dispenser can already be moved from the closed position into the opened position, and vice versa, by the fraction of a rotation of the pouring part 3.

A large advantage of the dispenser described is that the pouring part 3, which at the same time forms or contains the closure device of the dispenser, has to be moved toward the bottle in order to move the dispenser into the opened state. As a result, in contrast to a large number of known dispensers, the dispenser is prevented, under all circumstances, from being moved into the opened state as a result of an overpressure that is present in the bottle.

A further advantage of the dispenser described is that the pressure equalization has been implemented in a very easy way. In particular, the pressure equalization and the dispensing of the fluid contained in the bottle take place via one and the same opening of the bottle. As a result, the described dispenser can be used with any desired conventional bottles and other containers.

The dispenser described above can be modified in a variety of aspects. A dispenser in which a number of the possible modifications have been implemented is shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C and will be described below with reference thereto.

The second dispenser which is shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C is composed of a carrier part 6 which is fixed (in the state of the dispenser in which it is attached to the neck 1), a pouring part 7 which is fitted thereon, and a sealing element 8 which is attached to the pouring part 7.

The carrier part 6 is in the shape of a stepped hollow cylinder with a lower part 61 that has a large diameter, and an upper part 62 that has a relatively small diameter. An internal thread, by which the carrier part 6 can be screwed onto the neck 1 of a bottle, is provided on the lower part 61. A pressure equalization opening 63, via which, as explained more precisely below, an overpressure or partial vacuum which is present in the bottle can be reduced, is provided approximately at the location where the lower part 61 and the upper part 62 meet. The lower part 61 and/or the upper part 62 have, on their inner faces, various structures that interact with the pouring part 7 and/or the sealing element 8. The configuration and the construction of these structures can be seen in FIGS. 2A to 2C and the description of the interaction of the components.

The pouring part 7 is composed of a substantially beaker-shaped body 71 with an edge 72 that starts from the upper end and then runs outward and then downward substantially in parallel with the body 71.

In the state of the pouring part 7 in which it is fitted onto the carrier part 6, the upper part 62 of the carrier part 6 comes to rest between the body 71 and the edge 72.

The pouring part 7 can be displaced axially along the carrier part 6. To be more precise, the pouring part 7 can be pushed into the carrier part 6 or pulled out of the carrier part 6. The movement of the pouring part 7 can be brought about in different ways. The first possibility is for the pouring part 7 to be pressed into the carrier part 6 or pulled out of the carrier part 6 manually like a nipple of conventional dispensers. The second possibility is for the pouring part 7 to be moved up and down by the activation of a non-illustrated lever mechanism. It should be apparent, and does not require any more detailed explanation, that the movement of the pouring part 7 could also take place in some other way.

For the sake of completeness it is to be noted that latching elements which are preferably assigned to one another are provided on the carrier part 6 and on the pouring part 7, the latching elements latching one in the other in the closed state of the dispenser (see FIG. 2A) and in the opened state of the dispenser (see FIG. 2C). These latching elements are not shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C. Providing such latching elements may, furthermore, also prove advantageous in the embodiment of the dispenser described in FIGS. 1A to 1C. No particular requirements are made of the latching elements. In particular there is no need to dispose and construct the latching elements in such a way that they cannot leave the latched position automatically, or can only do so with a very large application of force.

The body 71 is open at the top; its upper end is used as a dispensing opening or pouring element 73 for dispensing the fluid contained in the bottle. The shape and the size of the pouring element 73 are selected in the example under consideration in such a way that a person can place the pouring element 73 in his mouth and drink from it. However, the pouring element 73 may also be of any desired other shape and any desired other size; the shape and the size of the pouring element 73 are preferably made dependent on the purpose of use of the dispenser.

The body 71 is sealed at the bottom by a base 74. An opening into which the upper end of the sealing element 8 can be fitted is preferably provided in the center of the base 74. Furthermore, one or more further openings 75 are provided in the base; as will be described in more detail below, the fluid that is contained in the bottle passes to the pouring element 73 via these openings 75.

In the example under consideration, the sealing element 8 has a bell-like shape. It is pressed, as described in more detail later, from below against the upper part 72 of the carrier part 2 in the closed state of the dispenser, thus ensuring that the bottle is sealed in a way which is fluid tight and gas tight.

The upper part of the sealing element 8 has, starting from the top, one or more slits running in the longitudinal direction of the sealing element 8. The sealing element parts which are separated from one another by the at least one slit can be moved elastically and have latching hooks which protrude outward at their free ends and, in the state in which they are plugged through the assigned opening in the base 74 of the body 71, engage behind the opening and as a result prevent the sealing element 8 from being pulled out of this opening.

The opening and closing of the dispenser is carried out by pushing the pouring part 7 toward the bottle or away from the bottle, to be more precise by pressing the pouring part 7 into the carrier part 6, or by pulling the pouring part 7 out of the carrier part 6.

The dispenser is closed if the pouring part 7 is pulled upward, and is opened if the pouring part 7 is pressed downward.

FIG. 2A shows the state in which the dispenser is sealed. In this state, the pouring part 7 is moved upward to such an extent that the sealing element 8 is pressed from below against the step between the upper part 61 and the lower part 62 of the carrier part 6. In this state, neither fluid nor gas can escape from the region lying below the sealing element 8 to the region lying above the sealing element 8; the region lying below the sealing element 8 is sealed in a fluid-tight and gas-tight fashion. This is the case even if an overpressure is present in the drinking bottle. An overpressure that is present in the drinking bottle causes the sealing element 8 to be pressed even more strongly against the step between the upper part 61 and the lower part 62 of the carrier part 6 than is the case if an overpressure is not present in the drinking bottle.

If the pouring part 7 moves, starting from the state shown in FIG. 2A, on into the carrier part 6, the sealing element 8 also moves automatically with the carrier part 6. This state is illustrated in FIG. 2B.

In the state of the dispenser, gas can also flow from the region lying below the sealing element 8 into the region lying above the sealing element 8 (if an overpressure is present in the bottle), or vice versa (if a partial vacuum is present in the bottle). The gas flows through between the sealing element 8 and the step that is present between the parts 61 and 62 of the carrier part 6. The region that lies above the sealing element 8 is connected to the surroundings of the dispenser via the pressure equalization opening 63 which has already been mentioned above. As a result, in the state of the dispenser shown in FIG. 2B, an overpressure or partial vacuum that is present in the bottle can be reduced via the pressure equalization opening 63. The path of the gas is represented in FIG. 2B by arrows designated by G. During this pressure equalization, it is still impossible for any fluid to pass out of the pouring element 73. This is prevented by an elevation 81 which is provided on the sealing element 8, runs around the sealing element 8 and is in contact, in the state shown in FIG. 2B, with assigned structures in the upper part 62 of the carrier part 6, and ensures that there is (still) no connection between the pouring element 73 and the interior of the bottle. A connection between the pouring element 73 and the interior of the bottle does not come about until the pouring part 7 is moved even further into the carrier part 2; this will be described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 2C. In the state of the dispenser shown in FIG. 2B, it is also the case that no fluid, or at most a negligibly small amount of fluid, can pass to the outside via the pressure equalization opening 73. The paths that the fluid would have to take are too narrow for this.

The configuration, the construction and the function of the pressure equalization opening 63 and the advantages which can be achieved by the pressure equalization opening 63 correspond to the configuration, the construction, the function and the advantages of the pressure equalization opening 23 of the dispenser illustrated in FIGS. 1A to 1C. In order to avoid repetitions, reference is made in this respect to the description relating to FIGS. 1A to 1C.

If the pouring part 7 is moved further into the carrier part 6, the elevation 81 of the sealing element 8 moves into a region in which it is no longer in contact on all sides with assigned structures of the upper part 62 of the carrier part 6. In this state, fluid which is contained in the interior of the bottle can pass through between the carrier part 6 and the sealing element 8 and on via the openings 75 in the base 74 of the body 71 to the pouring element 73. The dispenser is opened from then on. The state in which the dispenser is completely opened is illustrated in FIG. 2C. The path of the fluid to the pouring element 73 is represented in FIG. 2C by arrows designated by F.

If, and for as long as, fluid can be discharged from the pouring element 73, the pressure equalization element 63 is closed. This is brought about in the example under consideration by virtue of the fact that in the opened state of the dispenser the pressure equalization opening 63 is covered by the elevation 81 of the sealing element 8. In the example under consideration the pressure equalization opening 63 is already closed again before a connection is formed between the interior of the bottle and the pouring element 73.

The fact that the pressure equalization opening 63 is closed when the dispenser is opened proves advantageous because in this way it is possible to reliably prevent fluid from escaping via the pressure equalization opening 63 when a person is drinking from the bottle.

In particular if the pressure equalization opening 63 is very small, to be more precise has a cross section which is so small that no fluid, or only a negligibly small amount of fluid, can escape via it, it would also, however, be possible for the pressure equalization opening 63 to be kept open in the opened state of the dispenser. In this case, it would also be possible for a pressure equalization to take place via the pressure equalization opening 63 during drinking, as a result of which the drinking process would not need to be interrupted, or would need to be interrupted less frequently in order to equalize the overpressure or partial vacuum arising in the bottle during drinking.

However, it would also be possible to provide for the pressure equalization opening 63 to still be entirely or partially open when the formation of the connection between the interior of the bottle and the pouring element 73 is started, and only to be closed a greater or lesser period of time afterwards.

In order to close the dispenser again, the pouring part 7 has to be moved into the position shown in FIG. 2A by pulling the pouring part 7 out of the carrier part 6. In the process, the processes described above take place in the opposite order and direction.

The dispenser which is shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C and described with reference thereto has essentially the same advantages as the dispenser which is shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C and described with reference thereto.

The described dispensers are dispensers that, on the one hand, close in a particularly tight fashion and cannot open again automatically, and, on the other hand, can be opened and closed easily and simply.

For the sake of completion it is to be noted that this also applies to the case in which a separate pressure equalization opening 23 or 63 is not provided; the venting and ventilation of the bottle could also be carried out via the dispensing opening (the pouring element 33 or 73).

Claims

1. A sealable dispenser for dispensing a medium selected from the group consisting of a fluid medium, a viscous medium and a pasty medium contained in a container, the sealable dispenser comprising:

a dispenser body having a step and a dispensing opening formed therein, said dispenser body connected to the container for dispensing the medium contained in the container; and

a sealing device through whose activation a connection between said dispensing opening and the container can be formed and disconnected, said sealing device having an element which can be moved longitudinally along the connection between said dispensing opening and the container, said sealing device being embodied such that, in order to form the connection between said dispensing opening and the container, said sealing device has to be moved toward the container, and in order to disconnect the connection between said dispensing opening and the container, said sealing device has to be moved away from the container, said sealing device further having a seal which, in a closed state of the dispenser, is pressed downward against said step, said sealing device additionally having a pin and said seal being held by said pin, and said pin can be moved relative to said seal.

2. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said dispenser body contains a carrier part and a pouring part fitted onto said carrier part.

3. The dispenser according to claim 2, wherein said carrier part is fitted onto the container and forms a fixed part of the dispenser in a state in which said carrier part is fitted onto the container.

4. The dispenser according to claim 2, wherein said pouring part can be moved in relation to said carrier part.

5. The dispenser according to claim 4, wherein said pouring part can be screwed onto said carrier part to differing degrees.

6. The dispenser according to claim 4, wherein said pouring part can be pushed into said carrier part and pulled out of said carrier part manually.

7. The dispenser according to claim 4, further comprising a lever mechanism, said pouring part can be pushed into said carrier part and pulled out of said carrier part by said lever mechanism.

8. The dispenser according to claim 2, wherein said sealing device is formed by said pouring part or is a component of said pouring part.

9. The dispenser according to claim 2, wherein said step is a component of said carrier part.

10. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein:

said seal has an opening formed therein; and

a movement of said pin which takes place in the closed state of the dispenser causes said seal to be exposed, and in that, by said opening in said seal, pressures which are present on each side of said seal can be equalized.

11. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said dispenser body has a separate pressure equalization opening formed therein through which an overpressure or partial vacuum present in the container can be reduced.

12. The dispenser according to claim 11, wherein said pressure equalization opening is disposed such that a person who opens the dispenser with his mouth or who already places said dispensing opening against his mouth while the dispenser is opening is not able to breath in, or is prevented from breathing in, gases which emerge from said pressure equalization opening while the container is vented.

13. The dispenser according to claim 11, wherein the dispenser is embodied such that, during activation which has to be carried out in order to form the connection between said dispensing opening and the container, at first a connection is formed between said pressure equalization opening and the container, and only afterwards is the connection between said dispensing opening and the container formed.

14. The dispenser according to claim 11, wherein the dispenser is embodied such that there is no connection between said pressure equalization opening and the container if there is the connection between said dispensing opening and the container.

15. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the container is a drinking bottle.