Ventilation system

Abstract

A venting system for ambient air to enter a liquid container while preventing leakage from the container, wherein the air inlet of the container does not require a hole in the bottom of the container for venting. Instead, ambient air enters the container between a complementary coupling portion of the container body and a closure member, and through an air conduit in the venting system, including an air exhaust recess or perforations defined in a peripheral lip of a sealing element, an air exhaust groove defined in a bottom surface of the sealing element, a hole in the sealing member configured to selectively communicate with the interior of the container body, and a one-way valve in the sealing member that seals the hole to prevent liquid from the container from passing through and selectively allows air to pass through the hole into the container interior.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to a ventilation system, and more particularly to a ventilation system for liquid containers, especially baby bottles. Background Technology

[0002] Specially manufactured baby bottles are designed to reduce colic symptoms in infants drinking from a bottle, especially from zero months to about four months. Typically, a vent insert used in conjunction with the cap provides an air passage from the outside to the inside of the bottle. In these bottles, air bubbles must pass through the drinking liquid, or an anti-bubble tube must be provided to transfer air from the top of the bottle to the bottom (above the top when the baby is drinking). These top venting systems have a dispensing opening to allow liquid to pass through for dispensing.

[0003] To facilitate internal cleaning and eliminate the need for anti-foaming tubes, various bottles with bottom openings have been developed to allow air to flow in during drinking. While these bottom air intakes can be small, they can allow dust to enter the bottle along with ambient air, and the hole can be difficult to clean to prevent clogging. Therefore, efforts have been made to eliminate air intakes altogether.

[0004] Such a baby bottle is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 10,226,402 (granted to Berkovitch) dated February 16, 2014, and in that patent... Figure 1 The bottle is described in detail below. It includes a body having a top opening and a bottom opening configured to receive a dispensing element. The bottle also includes a solid closure member for sealing the bottom opening of the container body. The closure member includes a bottom portion and peripheral sidewalls having coupling elements configured to engage the coupling elements on the bottom of the container body. Since the closure member has no orifice, the coupling elements at the bottom opening of the container body and on the peripheral sidewalls of the closure member are configured to define an air passage between them during container assembly. The bottle also includes a sealing member having a sealing element configured to be disposed within the closure member, and a peripheral sealing lip for sealing the edge of the bottom opening of the container body. Furthermore, the sealing element includes an orifice configured to selectively communicate with the interior of the container body, and a one-way valve that seals the orifice to prevent liquid from the container from passing through and selectively allows air to enter the interior of the container through the orifice. To allow air to reach the orifice from the air passage between the coupling elements, an air conduit is defined in the bottom surface of the sealing element, communicating with the air passage between the coupling elements and the orifice.

[0005] The air duct extends from the orifice through the peripheral sealing lip of the sealing member, defining a single opening slot or groove extending in the bottom surface of the sealing member and the sealing lip. While the opening slot allows air to enter between the coupling elements to flow around the sealing member to the orifice, it weakens the structure of the sealing member, particularly the sealing lip, such that when the closure member is tightly fastened, the pressure of the edge of the opening at the bottom of the container body on the sealing lip causes the sealing lip to collapse, thus rendering the sealing member unable to prevent liquid leakage from the bottle. One embodiment of the bottle according to Berkovitch's U.S. patent has more than one vent slot, which increases the sensitivity of the sealing lip to collapse when the closure member is tightly fastened, thereby increasing the sensitivity of the bottle to leakage.

[0006] Therefore, it has long been believed that there is a need for a baby bottle with a ventilation system that does not require openings in the bottom closure of the bottle to allow ambient air to enter the bottle when dispensing liquid, thus making it less susceptible to contamination entering with ambient air. It also has a resilient sealing member that does not collapse when the closure is tightly secured to the container. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This invention relates to a ventilation system for allowing ambient air into a liquid container while preventing leakage, wherein the air inlet of the liquid container does not require a hole at the bottom of the container for ventilation. Instead, ambient air enters the container between a complementary coupling portion of the container body and a sealing member, and enters the container through an air duct in the ventilation system, including an exhaust recess or perforation defined in the peripheral lip of the sealing element, an exhaust groove defined in the bottom surface of the sealing element, an orifice in the sealing member configured to selectively communicate with the interior of the container body, and a one-way valve in the sealing member that seals the orifice to prevent liquid from the container from passing through, and selectively allows air to enter the interior of the container through the orifice. This container structure eliminates the need for an opening at the bottom of the container, making it less susceptible to dust and bacteria entering the container with the air. Furthermore, this structure is less susceptible to liquid leakage from the container.

[0008] According to the present invention, a ventilation system for a liquid container is provided, the liquid container having a container body having a top distribution opening and a bottom opening, and a coupling element having a lower portion of the body. The ventilation system includes: a solid sealing member for closing the bottom opening of the body; a sealing member disposed in the sealing member; the sealing member including a sealing element configured to seal the edge of the bottom opening of the container and having an orifice, and sealing the orifice to prevent liquid from passing through the container and selectively allowing air to enter the container through the orifice; a complementary coupling element on the sealing member for coupling to a coupling element on the bottom portion of the container, configured to allow ambient air to enter between the container body and the sealing member; and an air duct in the ventilation system including an exhaust recess or perforation defined in the peripheral lip of the sealing element, an exhaust groove defined in the bottom surface of the sealing element, an orifice in the sealing member configured to selectively communicate with the interior of the container body, and a one-way valve in the sealing member that seals the orifice to prevent liquid from passing through the container and selectively allows air to enter the interior of the container through the orifice.

[0009] According to the present invention, a ventilation system for a liquid container is provided, the liquid container having a body including a top opening configured to receive a dispensing element, a bottom opening having an outer edge, and a bottom portion having a coupling element. The ventilation system includes a solid closure member and a sealing member for the bottom opening of the container body. The closure member includes a bottom portion and a peripheral sidewall therewith without an orifice, and a complementary coupling element extending from the sidewall and configured to couple to the bottom portion of the container body. The sealing member includes a sealing element configured to be disposed in the closure member and seal the edge of the bottom opening of the container, the sealing element including an orifice selectively operably communicating with the interior of the container body, a one-way valve sealing the orifice to prevent liquid from passing through the container and selectively allowing air to enter the container through the orifice, a peripheral sealing lip for sealing the edge of the bottom end of the opening of the container body, and an air duct including at least one exhaust groove defined in at least a portion of the bottom surface of the sealing element, facing the peripheral sidewall and bottom wall of the closure member, and extending into the ventilation system within the sealing element. The container includes a ventilation space and at least one vent recess, which is separately defined in the peripheral sealing lip from the vent groove but operatively communicates with the vent groove and with the air passage during container assembly. The closure member and the coupling element at the bottom are adapted and configured to define an air passage between them during container assembly, allowing ambient air to enter between the container body and the closure member, and when the sealing member is located in the closure member, the ventilation system space is defined by the inner surface of the bottom wall of the closure member and the inner wall of the orifice and valve, and is operatively communicated with the orifice.

[0010] According to the present invention, a method for manufacturing a ventilation system for a liquid container is also provided, the liquid container having a container body having a top dispensing opening and a bottom portion having a coupling element and a bottom opening, the method comprising providing a solid sealing member for closing the bottom opening; providing a sealing member in the solid sealing member, including a sealing element configured to seal the edge of the bottom opening of the container and having an orifice, and a one-way valve sealing the orifice to prevent liquid from passing through the container and selectively allowing air to enter the container through the orifice; and providing a complementary coupling element on the sealing member for coupling to a coupling element on the bottom portion of the container, the... The coupling element and complementary coupling element are configured to allow ambient air to enter between the container body and the closure member; define an air duct including at least one exhaust groove in at least a portion of the bottom surface of the sealing element and extending, when the sealing member is located in the closure member, into a ventilation system space in the sealing element defined by the inner surface of the bottom wall of the closure element and the inner wall of the orifice and valve, operatively communicating with the orifice; and define at least one exhaust recess in the peripheral sealing lip separately from the exhaust groove, but operatively communicating with the exhaust groove and operatively communicating with the air passage when the container is assembled. Attached Figure Description

[0011] The invention will be further understood and appreciated through the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0012] Figure 1 A plan view of a liquid container based on the prior art reflected in the aforementioned Berkovitch U.S. patent;

[0013] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a liquid container in the bottom opening direction according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0014] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the sealing member of the ventilation system of a liquid container according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 4 These are cross-sectional views and partial cross-sectional views of a ventilation system according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0016] This invention relates to a ventilation system for a liquid container, providing ambient air into the container to release a vacuum created when the contents of the container are removed, for example, by drinking. A particularly suitable embodiment of the liquid container is a vented baby bottle designed to reduce colic symptoms and reduce ear infections in infants. The ventilation system, located at the bottom of the container, provides a passage for ambient air from the outside to the inside of the container during drinking, while preventing liquid leakage from the container through the air passage. More specifically, the liquid container has an open-end body with a top opening and a bottom opening, and the ventilation system according to an embodiment of the invention is disposed in the bottom opening. The ventilation system is detachably connected to the bottom opening of the container and includes a one-way valve that allows air to enter the container but prevents liquid from leaving the container through the ventilation system when a vacuum is created inside the container. The valve is integrally formed with or coupled to a sealing element to form a sealing member that completely seals the bottom opening of the container. The valve covers and selectively and reversibly seals the orifice formed through the sealing element.

[0017] A solid sealing member retains the sealing member and serves as the bottom wall of the container body. It seals the bottom of the container in such a way that the sealing member completely seals the edge of the container's bottom opening, but allows ambient air to selectively enter the container. The sealing member is sized and shaped to seal the entire bottom opening of the container body when pressed against the bottom edge of the container, but allows air to pass through holes in the sealing member for selective sealing by a one-way valve. The sealing member is designed such that when the sealing member is tightly closed on the container, ambient air can enter the container between the coupling element on the sealing member and the complementary coupling element on the container body, and through the ventilation system.

[0018] For the purposes of this invention, "solid" means without breaks or openings. Therefore, the closure member is solid and has no holes in its bottom wall or peripheral sidewalls.

[0019] At least one air duct is provided, extending from the coupling element to a space in the ventilation system that is operatively in communication with an orifice. The air duct may include an exhaust groove defined in the bottom surface of the sealing member, extending into the ventilation system space in the sealing member that is operatively in communication with an orifice, and having an opening operatively in communication with the ventilation system space, and an exhaust recess defined in the sidewall of the peripheral lip of the sealing element, or a perforation in the sealing lip, separate from but operatively in communication with the exhaust groove. The recess according to an embodiment of the invention is not deeper than the depth required for air to freely pass through the sealing lip. Alternatively, the perforation is not larger than the perforation required for air to freely pass through the space of the sealing lip.

[0020] Those skilled in the art will understand that, unlike Berkovitch’s U.S. patent, in order to define the vent groove, the sealing lip is cut from its circumference to a point in the vent groove, at which point the sealing lip extends in the bottom surface of the sealing member. The vent recess or perforation according to the invention can be shallow or small, as it does not need to extend all the way to the vent groove, thus the sealing lip is more resilient and less likely to collapse under pressure.

[0021] The ventilation system space is defined by the inner surface of the bottom wall of the enclosed member and the inner walls of the orifices and valves. The upper side of the vent recess or perforation is operatively connected to a coupling element on the enclosed member and a complementary coupling element on the container body, and the lower side of the vent recess or perforation is operatively connected to an vent channel, which is operatively connected to the orifices and one-way valves. In this way, when liquid is removed from the container, for example when a baby drinks water from a bottle, the vacuum generated in the container draws ambient air into the liquid container through the air passage between the complementary elements, through the air duct leading to the ventilation system space, the orifices, and the valves, and into the container body.

[0022] It should be understood that the air duct of the ventilation system is sealed to the liquid in the container through a one-way valve, thereby preventing the liquid in the container body from flowing out of the container through the air duct.

[0023] Now refer to the attached diagram, Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a liquid container according to some embodiments of the invention, shown here only for non-limiting example purposes, as a baby bottle. The baby bottle 10 has an open-end body 12 having a top opening (not shown for clarity) and a bottom opening 14, with an edge 16. The open-end body facilitates access to the interior of the bottle from both ends, which is particularly useful during cleaning. A top neck with external threads is formed near the top opening, as is known, to receive a conventional nipple or nipple and collar (not shown for clarity). A bottom portion 18 of the body 12 with a coupling element 20 is formed near the bottom opening 14. A solid closure member 22 has a coupling element with internal threads complementary to the coupling element 20 (e.g., ...). Figure 4 As shown in the figure (reference numeral 84), it is provided to be tightly screwed onto the body 12 and to close the bottom opening 14 of the bottle 10. It should be understood that, optionally, the coupling element may include external threads on the closure member and internal threads on the bottom portion of the bottle. Alternative coupling elements, such as snap-fit ​​devices, are also effective as long as they hold the closure member firmly in place while allowing ambient air to enter from outside the bottle between the coupling element and the complementary coupling element (for the purposes of this invention, these coupling elements will also be referred to as "coupling members"), and then into the bottle. In this embodiment, the closure element 22 has a flat bottom wall 24 and peripheral sidewalls 26.

[0024] To allow ambient air to flow into the body 12 to release the vacuum when a vacuum is created inside the bottle during drinking, the bottle 10 includes a ventilation system 28 comprising a closure member 22 and a sealing member 30. The sealing member 30 includes a sealing element 32 (shown as a flat plate in this embodiment), an orifice 34, and a one-way valve 36 having a valve opening 38 (shown as a top slit in this example) for selectively introducing air into the bottle body 12 while preventing liquid from reaching the outside of the bottle through the ventilation system. Alternatively, any other valve with pressure-responsive valve characteristics can be used, meaning that the slit will remain closed when the pressure inside the bottle is equal to atmospheric pressure, but will open to allow air to enter when the contents of the bottle are removed, reducing its internal pressure below atmospheric pressure, thereby creating a vacuum. The orifice 34 is integrally formed with the sealing element 32.

[0025] The sealing element 32 completely seals the bottom opening 14 by being pressed against the edge 16 by the closed member 22; however, those skilled in the art will understand that an air duct needs to be formed in the sealing member to allow air to pass through in order for ambient air to reach the hole 34.

[0026] Preferably, the valve 36 is integrally formed with the orifice 34 and with the sealing element 32, such that the sealing member 30 is a single component. Alternatively, the sealing element 32 may be a sealing disc, and the valve 36 may be formed separately and sealably engage with the sealing disc directly or through the orifice 34. Preferably, the sealing element 32, the orifice 34, and the valve 36 are formed of a flexible material, such as silicone.

[0027] Now for reference Figure 3 The perspective view of the sealing member 40 of the ventilation system of the liquid container shown here is for the purpose of non-limiting illustration only, as a sealing member of a baby bottle.

[0028] According to some embodiments of the invention, the sealing member 40 is formed of a flexible material such as silicone resin and has a U-shaped shape complementary to the U-shaped bottom wall of the sealing member (e.g., Figure 4As shown in the figure (reference numeral 102), a tight fit is formed between the sealing member 40 and the closure member when the sealing member 40 is located within the closure member. This tight fit allows the sealing member 40 to engage securely with the edge 16 of the container body when the closure member is tightly screwed onto the container body, thereby preventing leakage. The sealing member 40 shown in this embodiment has two main parts: a sealing element 42 and a one-way valve 44 including a slit 46. The sealing element 42 includes a raised central flat portion 48 defining a through-hole 50, which is selectively sealed by the one-way valve 44 and the slit 46, and a peripheral sealing lip 52 for sealing the edge 16 of the bottom opening 14 of the bottle body 12. The sealing lip includes a circular, generally flat portion 54 and a circumferential sidewall 56, which is preferably integrally formed with the flat portion 54 at the outer diameter of the flat portion and is substantially perpendicular to the flat portion. The flat portion 54 is adapted and configured to seal against the edge of the bottle body, and its dimensions are designed to have an inner diameter less than or equal to the inner diameter of the edge 16 of the bottle body 12 and an outer diameter greater than the outer diameter of the edge of the bottle body, thereby providing a liquid seal at the bottom of the bottle.

[0029] It is well known that when a silicone-based sealing member is pressed tightly against the bottom edge of the bottle body, the sealing member and the edge tend to adhere to each other. Therefore, the user needs to pry them open with force. Furthermore, it is well known that sand is a major component of glass, and silica is a major component of sand. Therefore, when the body of a baby bottle is made of glass, due to the risks to infant health posed by plastic bottles, the use of glass is now widespread, and the adhesion between the silicone-based sealing member and the edge of the sand-based bottle body is even greater, constituting a serious defect of such bottles. To address this defect, according to one embodiment of the invention, the flat portion 54 may include protrusions or small bumps 58 to roughen the surface of the flat portion, thereby reducing the adhesion of the sealing member to the edge of the bottle body.

[0030] The sealing element 42 also includes at least one vent groove 60, and preferably includes multiple vent grooves. The vent is an opening formed in the flexible sealing element 42, preferably formed in the peripheral sidewalls and bottom wall of the sealing element facing the closure member (e.g., Figure 4 As shown in the attached figure (reference numeral 96). The vent groove 60 extends from the flat portion 54 of the sealing lip 52 (as shown in the attached figure). Figure 4 As shown, the bottom surface of the attached drawing (reference numeral 98) extends to the closed member (such as... Figure 2 As shown in Figure 102), the ventilation system space is defined by the inner surface of the bottom wall, the orifice 50, and the inner wall of the valve 44. Figure 3 As shown in the attached drawing (reference numeral 100). The exhaust duct 60 has an open end (e.g., Figure 4 As shown in the attached figure (reference numeral 104), the opening end is connected to the ventilation system space (e.g., Figure 3As shown in the attached figure, reference numeral 100) indicates operational connectivity. As previously stated, these characteristics can be... Figure 4 I saw it in the middle.

[0031] Hole 50 and valve 46, as Figure 3 The slot 60 is located at the center of the sealing element 42, but as long as the slot 60 extends into the ventilation system space along the surface of the sealing element facing the peripheral sidewalls and the bottom wall of the sealing member, the orifice 50 and valve 46 can be located anywhere on the flat portion 48. This exhaust slot is as follows: Figure 4 As shown, and described below.

[0032] Furthermore, the sealing element 42 includes (for the purpose of non-limiting example only) at least one recess 62, and preferably includes a plurality of recesses defined in the surface of the circumferential sidewall 56 facing the closing member (e.g. Figure 4 (as shown), separated from groove 60, but operatively connected to groove 60. According to this embodiment, the size of the recess in the circumferential sidewall is no greater than the depth required for air to freely pass through the sealing lip, so as not to weaken the sealing lip. Alternatively, at least one perforation may be defined in the flat portion 54 of the sealing lip, and preferably multiple perforations are defined, extending through the sealing lip (not shown). Although the invention is described with particular reference to a recess in the circumferential sidewall of the sealing element, it should be understood by way of non-limiting example only that, according to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the perforation in the flat portion of the sealing lip may be formed to provide an air passage through the sealing lip. Thus, when the bottle is assembled, the notch (or perforation) is located outside the outer diameter of the bottom edge of the bottle body. The recess 62 includes an opening tip 64 and an opening bottom 66, the opening tip 64 being coupled to the coupling element of the bottle body ( Figure 2 (see attached figure 20) and complementary coupling elements of the closed element (such as...) Figure 4 The space between the opening (shown by reference numeral 84) is operatively connected, with the bottom end of the opening operatively connected to the groove 60, but separate from the groove 60. Preferably, the recess is a shallow recess, the depth of which does not exceed the depth required to allow free airflow.

[0033] Now for reference Figure 4 Partial cross-sectional and sectional views of a ventilation system 200 according to an alternative embodiment of the invention are shown, including a closure member 80 (partial cross-sectional view) having a sealing element 74, an orifice 76 and a valve 78 having a slit 79, and a closure member 80 (sectional view) having a top opening 82 and a coupling element 84 extending inwardly from the sidewall 85 of the closure member, complementary to the coupling member 20. The closure member 80 is preferably formed of a rigid material, as opposed to the sealing member 70 formed of a flexible material such as silicone.

[0034] The sealing element 74 has an annular U-shaped bottom wall 86, a raised central flat portion 88, and a sealing lip 90, the sealing lip 90 including circumferential sidewalls 92 and a flat portion 94. Additionally, the sealing element 74 includes an vent groove 96 defined in the lower surface of the sealing element, extending from the bottom surface 98 of the sealing lip 90 to a ventilation system space 100 when the sealing element is located within the closure member. This ventilation system space is defined by the inner surface of the bottom wall 102 of the closure member 80 and the inner walls of the orifice 76 and the valve 78. The vent groove 96 has an opening 104 in operative communication with the ventilation system space 100.

[0035] Those skilled in the art will understand that the vent groove defined in the sealing element 74 extends around the curve 106 of the annular U-shaped bottom wall 86 of the sealing element to the underside of the sealing element, all the way to the ventilation system space 100. It will be further appreciated that the vent groove may be formed by an opening groove in the upper surface of the bottom wall of the closure member (not shown).

[0036] Furthermore, the sealing element 74 includes a recess 108 defined in the circumferential sidewall 92 of the peripheral sealing lip 90, the recess 108 extending through the sealing lip and having a top end 110 and a bottom end 112, wherein the top end is operatively in communication with the space between the coupling elements, while the bottom end is operatively in communication with, but separate from, the recess 96. Those skilled in the art will understand that providing a recess in the circumferential sidewall as an air conduit separate from the vent groove allows air to pass between the coupling elements to reach the orifice, while eliminating the need to form a slit or cut across the entire width of the peripheral sealing lip to connect to the vent groove to allow air to reach the orifice. This breakage significantly weakens the peripheral lip, making it susceptible to collapse under pressure exerted by the edges of the container body when the sealing elements are tightly secured. Such collapse would certainly result in leakage of liquid from the bottle.

[0037] like Figure 4 As shown, the bottom wall 102 of the closure member 80 is an annular U-shaped wall, including a centrally located protrusion 114 and a peripheral channel 116 adapted and configured to receive and support the complementary annular U-shaped bottom wall 86 of the sealing member 70. Alternatively, any other suitable shape of closure member 80 may be used.

[0038] about Figure 2 and Figure 4In this embodiment, the ventilation system 200 operates as follows. To introduce ambient air into the baby bottle 10, a sealing member 70 is located within a sealing element 80, and the sealing member is tightly screwed onto the lower portion 18 of the bottle body 12. Thus, the sealing member 70 is pressed against the bottle body, and the flat portion 94 of the sealing lip 90 seals against the edge 16 of the bottom opening 14 and seals the opening. When the sealing member 70 is located within the sealing member 80 and the sealing member is tightly screwed onto the lower portion 18 of the bottle body 12, the coupling member, notch, and vent groove act as air conduits, allowing ambient air to flow from the space between the coupling members through the notch, through the vent groove into the ventilation system space, and selectively into the bottle. In this way, the notch and groove (two independent air channels operatively connected to each other) allow ambient air to enter the ventilation system space. Any vacuum inside the bottle will draw air from the ventilation system space into the orifice, into the valve protruding into the bottle body, and selectively into the interior of the bottle through the slit.

[0039] As described above, in order to introduce air into the baby bottle 10, a sealing member 70 is disposed in the closure member 80, thereby forming at least one air conduit from the periphery of the sealing member 70 to the orifice 76, in this case from the notch 108 to the vent groove 96. Thus, in these embodiments, the air conduit partially passes through the notch of the sealing element and partially extends into the orifice in the vent groove of the sealing element, and is operatively communicated with a coupling device and a one-way valve coupled to the sealing element, selectively closing the orifice. The closure member 80 is then coupled to the bottom opening 14 in the lower part of the bottle body 12 via the bottle's coupling element 20 and the complementary coupling element 84 of the closure member 80, such that the sealing element sealably engages the edge 16 of the bottle. Then, when suction creates a vacuum inside the bottle, ambient air from outside the bottle passes between the coupling devices and flows through the groove into the vent groove orifice of the valve in the ventilation system, and flows into the bottle interior through the one-way opening or slit of the valve.

[0040] It should be understood that, since the vent groove and notch are located in the sealing element that is operatively coupled to the space between the coupling devices, there is no need for exposed holes in the sealing member to allow ambient air to enter the bottle.

[0041] While each of the above embodiments includes a single air passage hole, it should be understood that there may be more than one hole for the air passage, each hole being selectively sealed by its own check valve, or multiple holes being selectively sealed by a single check valve.

[0042] From the above description, it can be understood that the contact between the sealing member and the edge of the bottom opening of the bottle seals the bottom opening of the bottle to prevent liquid leakage. Because ambient air enters the bottle from the side via a coupling device, an air passage must be formed around the sealing element. It will be further appreciated that, since the air duct allows ambient air to enter the bottle from the threads of the sealing member around the sealing element, the structure according to the invention avoids the need for a hole through the bottom sealing member.

[0043] Although the invention has been described above with particular reference to a baby bottle, it will be understood by way of non-limiting example only that, alternatively, the ventilation system of the invention can be used to close and seal the bottom opening of any other liquid container from which liquid is desired to be dispensed into a body having a bottom opening.

[0044] According to a further embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4 The sealing member 80 can be used with a substantially flat closure member.

[0045] Although the ventilation system has been shown as circular or round, it should be understood that the sealing and closure elements can have any suitable geometry, as long as the sealing element is fitted into the closure element to seal the bottom opening of the container, and as long as the coupling element is complementary to the coupling element on the container body.

[0046] It should be understood that in any embodiment of the invention, the bottom of the sealing member does not require a hole. Thus, compared to bottles of the prior art, the general liquid containers of the present invention, especially baby bottles, are less susceptible to the effects of dust and bacteria entering the container with the air.

[0047] Furthermore, it will be recognized that since the sealing lip does not require breakage or cutting, the liquid container of the present invention, especially the baby bottle, is less prone to collapse of the sealing member, and therefore less prone to leakage.

[0048] While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, it should be understood that many variations, modifications, and other applications of the invention are possible. It will be further understood that the invention is not limited to what has been described above by way of example only. Rather, the invention is limited only to the following claims.

Claims

1. A ventilation system for a liquid container, the liquid container having a body including a top opening configured to receive a dispensing element, a bottom opening having an outer edge, and a bottom portion having a coupling element, the ventilation system comprising: A solid closure member for the bottom opening of the container body, wherein the closure member and the coupling element at the bottom are adapted and configured to define an air passage between them during container assembly, allowing ambient air to enter between the container body and the closure member; the closure member includes: The bottom portion and the peripheral sidewalls without holes therein; and Complementary coupling elements, extending from the sidewall and configured to couple to a coupling element on the bottom portion of the container body; and Sealing components, including: A sealing element, configured to be disposed in the closure member and seal the edge of the bottom opening of the container, the sealing element comprising: A one-way valve that selectively operates in communication with the interior of the container body, seals the orifice to prevent liquid from passing through the container and selectively allows liquid to enter the container through the orifice; The outer sealing lip is used to seal the edge of the bottom opening of the container body; An air duct includes at least one exhaust groove defined in at least a portion of the bottom surface of the sealing element, facing the peripheral sidewall and bottom wall of the closure member, and extending into a ventilation system space in the sealing element; and at least one exhaust recess defined separately from the exhaust groove in the peripheral sealing lip, but operatively communicating with the exhaust groove and operatively communicating with the air passage during assembly of the container; When the sealing member is located in the closure member, the ventilation system space is defined by the inner surface of the bottom wall of the closure member and the inner wall of the hole and valve, and is in operative communication with the hole.

2. The ventilation system of claim 1, wherein the exhaust duct includes an opening that is in operative communication with the ventilation system space.

3. The ventilation system of claim 1, wherein the exhaust recess extends through the peripheral sealing lip.

4. The ventilation system of claim 3, wherein the depth of the exhaust recess does not exceed the depth required for air to freely pass through the sealing lip.

5. The ventilation system according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust recess is a perforation in the sealing lip, the perforation being no larger than the space required for air to pass freely through the sealing lip.

6. The ventilation system of claim 1, wherein the peripheral sealing lip includes a circular, substantially flat portion, the inner diameter of which is less than or equal to the inner diameter of the bottom edge of the bottle body, and the outer diameter of which is greater than the outer diameter of the bottom edge of the bottle body, thereby providing a liquid seal to the bottom of the bottle.

7. The ventilation system of claim 6, wherein the circular, substantially flat portion includes protrusions or small bumps to roughen the surface of the flat portion, thereby reducing the adhesion of the sealing member to the edge of the bottle body.

8. The ventilation system of claim 6, wherein the peripheral sealing lip includes a circumferential sidewall.

9. The ventilation system according to any one of claims 6-8, wherein the peripheral sealing lip includes a circumferential sidewall integrally formed with and substantially perpendicular to the circular flat portion at the outer diameter of the flat portion.

10. The ventilation system of claim 8, wherein the exhaust recess is defined in the circumferential sidewall and includes a top end operatively communicating with an air passage between a coupling element of the closure member and a bottom portion of the container body and a bottom end operatively communicating with an exhaust slot.

11. The ventilation system of claim 1, wherein the sealing member is at least partially shaped to conform to the closure member so as to have a tight fit, the tight fit allowing the sealing member to engage tightly with the edge of the container body when the closure member is tightly screwed onto the container body, thereby preventing container leakage.

12. The ventilation system of claim 11, wherein the bottom wall of the sealing member has an annular U-shape complementary to the annular U-shape of the bottom wall of the closure member, so as to form a tight fit between them.

13. The ventilation system according to any one of claims 6-8 and 10-12, wherein the valve and the hole integrally formed with the sealing element are integrally formed, such that the sealing member is a single component.

14. A method of manufacturing a ventilation system for a liquid container according to any one of claims 1 to 12, the liquid container having a container body with a top distributing opening and a bottom portion having a coupling element and a bottom opening, the method comprising: Provide a solid closure member for closing the bottom opening; A sealing member is provided in the solid closed member, including: A sealing element, configured to seal the edge of the bottom opening of the container and having an orifice, and A one-way valve that seals the orifice to prevent liquid from passing through the container and selectively allows air to enter the container through the orifice; A complementary coupling element is provided on the closure member for coupling to a coupling element on the bottom portion of the container, the coupling element and the complementary coupling element being configured to allow ambient air to enter between the container body and the closure member; A defined air duct includes at least one vent groove in at least a portion of the bottom surface of the sealing element, and extends, when the sealing member is located in the closure member, to a ventilation system space in the sealing element defined by the inner surface of the bottom wall of the closure member and the inner wall of the orifice and valve, and is operatively in communication with the orifice; and At least one venting recess is defined in the peripheral sealing lip separately from the venting groove, but is operatively connected to the venting groove and operatively connected to the air passage when the container is assembled.

Images