Apparatus and method for handling a sealing device - Patents.com

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus (100) and method for handling a sealing device (1) to place an outlet pipe (10) of a valve (4) of the sealing device into a storage position. The handling apparatus may include a cap support (150) arranged downstream of the protective cap (61) and configured to support the protective cap, and a pressing device (120) arranged upstream of the base and configured to apply a first pressing force to the base (3) and / or the valve housing (25) to urge the base, valve, and protective cap against the cap support, and a second pressing force to the outlet pipe of the valve to urge the outlet pipe into its storage position.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for handling a sealing device. The present disclosure also relates to an assembly including a handling device and one or more sealing devices. [Background technology]

[0002] The sealing device is of a type configured to seal a receptacle, such as the spout of a spouted pouch container, e.g. a container such as a bottle, carton, cup or can, or similar holder for holding a drinkable (carbonated or non-carbonated) liquid. The sealing device may be configured to open and close a discharge opening of the receptacle. More generally, the sealing device may comprise a base structured to be mounted on the receptacle, the base comprising a sleeve forming a discharge conduit, a valve including a valve housing disposed on the base, the receptacle being disposed upstream of the valve when the base is mounted on the receptacle, the discharge direction of the receptacle defining a downstream direction opposite to the upstream direction, the valve at least partially protruding into the sleeve of the base, therein a discharge pipe axially movable in the upstream and downstream directions between a storage position in which the valve is closed and another utility position in which the valve is closed or open, and a protective cap disposed on the base and / or the valve to protect the valve.

[0003] The following Patent Document 1 describes a sealing device that is structured so that it can be placed in various modes or positions: an open utility position in which the valve of the sealing device is open, a closed utility position in which the valve of the sealing device is closed in a normal manner (when the sealing device is in use), and a closed storage position in which the valve is closed more tightly than in a normal manner to ensure that the probability of the valve remaining closed is increased. The known sealing device provides airtight sealing in the (closed) storage position (whereas in the closed utility position, sealing only needs to be liquid-tight). The closed storage position is also referred to simply as the storage position in this disclosure. The closed storage position is also referred to simply as the storage position in this disclosure. For example, the valve may be placed in the closed storage position when the sealing device is stored or transported between a manufacturing site and a filling site. Alternatively or additionally, the sealing device may be held in the storage position immediately after the sealing device is connected to a receptacle and the receptacle is filled with contents, for example during its transport from an assembly site to a store, and before the sealing device is opened for the first time by an end user.

[0004] The patent document 1 further discloses that in a storage mode / position, the sealing device is structured such that the seal functions as a good seal in connection with the filling, packing, transport and storage of the beverage in the (drinking) receptacle. In a closed utility mode / position, the sealing device is also structured to function as a good seal in connection with the consumption of the beverage in the drinking receptacle, hereafter referred to as a utility seal. During consumption, the valve is typically repeatedly opened and closed, and therefore the sealing device is structured such that it can function well in the context of this type of application as well. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] European Patent No. 2040991 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, with known sealing devices, situations can arise where the valve should be in the storage position when the receptacle is filled with liquid and subsequently transported, otherwise there is a small risk that the receptacle with the sealing device will not be completely liquid-tight, for example in exceptional circumstances small amounts of liquid may leak out of the sealing device during transport and storage of the filled receptacle.

[0007] The inventors have found that the risk of leakage of the sealing device after the receptacle to which the sealing device is connected has been filled with contents can be further reduced if it is ensured that the valve is in the closed storage position described above, and that transportation and / or storage of the receptacle when the sealing device is not in the closed storage position (i.e. when it is in the open utility position or the closed utility position) should be avoided.

[0008] Furthermore, the valve, seat and cap may be manufactured away from where the sealing device is attached to the receptacle and / or away from where the receptacle is filled. For example, the valve and seat of a sealing device may be manufactured as one common sealing unit at a first geographical location, but the sealing device is assembled by placing the cap on the sealing unit only at a second geographical location. This requires transportation from the first to the second location. During transportation (and possibly also during storage), the valve of the sealing unit may be unintentionally displaced, so it cannot be guaranteed that the sealing device will still be in the storage position when it arrives at the second geographical location and that it will remain in the storage position during further handling at the second location.

[0009] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a method and apparatus for handling a sealing device in which one or more of the above disadvantages are reduced or eliminated.

[0010] It may also be an object of the present disclosure to provide a method and apparatus for handling a sealing device in which the likelihood of leakage is reduced.

[0011] One object of the present disclosure may be to provide a method and apparatus for handling a sealing device that allows efficient assembly of the sealing device.

[0012] One object of the present disclosure may be to provide a method and apparatus for placing a valve of a sealing device in a fully closed position in a reliable manner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] At least one of the objects can be achieved at least in part in a handling device for handling a sealing device for sealing a receptacle. a base structured to be attached to a receptacle, the base having a sleeve forming a discharge conduit; a valve including a valve housing disposed on a base, the receptacle being disposed upstream of the valve when the base is attached to the receptacle, the receptacle defining a discharge direction of the receptacle defining a downstream direction opposite to the upstream direction, and further including a discharge pipe at least partially protruding into a sleeve of the base and being axially movable therein in the upstream and downstream directions between a storage position in which the valve is closed and another utility position in which the valve is closed or open; The handling device may be configured to place the discharge pipe of the valve of the sealing device in the storage position, the handling device comprising: a support that is or is arranged downstream of the base and that is configured to support a handling device; a pressing device arranged or positioned upstream of the base, configured to apply a first pressing force to the base and / or the valve housing to urge at least the base and the valve against the support and to apply a second pressing force to an exhaust pipe of the valve to urge the exhaust pipe into its stored position; Equipped with.

[0014] The handling device may be configured to apply a second force to the discharge pipe that is greater or less than a first force applied to the base and / or the valve housing. Further, the pressing device may be configured to apply the first force to the base independent of applying the second force to the discharge pipe, which may cause a displacement of the discharge pipe independent of a displacement of the base.

[0015] If the discharge pipe was not originally in the stored position, the bias of the second pressing force may displace the discharge pipe in the downstream direction relative to the valve housing and the base.

[0016] The pressing device can apply a first pressing force to the base, thereby pressing the base and the valve (and in some embodiments also the protective cap) together and locating them in a predetermined fixed position relative to the support, and can apply a second pressing force to the movable exhaust pipe of the valve to ensure that the (exhaust pipe of) the valve will be in a closed storage position.

[0017] If the sealing device does not have a protective cap, the support is a valve support configured to support a valve. The valve support may be configured to contact, for example, a clamping ring and / or a valve collar of the sealing device, as described below. If the sealing device has a protective cap, the support is a cap support configured to support a protective cap, as also described below.

[0018] It should be noted here that the pressing force applied to the sealing device may be achieved by moving (a part of) the pressing device towards the sealing device while the support is kept stationary. However, in other embodiments, the pressing force applied to the sealing device is achieved by keeping a part of the pressing device stationary while the support is moved towards the sealing device. In yet other embodiments, both (a part of) the pressing device and the support are moved towards each other.

[0019] Furthermore, since both the position of the valve housing to be pressed by the pressing device and the dimensions of the sealing device are known in advance, the correct storage position of the discharge pipe is known as well, allowing the pressing device to press the discharge pipe until it reaches exactly the correct position. The handling device can provide a very high positioning accuracy of the discharge pipe relative to the base and the valve housing, such that no sensors or the like are required to determine the position of the base and / or the valve before and after the pressing operation in order to determine the exactly correct storage position. The handling device can have a relatively simple and reliable structure and can allow very high handling speeds.

[0020] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the protective cap remains unattached: applying a first force to the base is performed only to ensure that the base, valve and cap are aligned so that the valve can be brought more accurately to the storage position. In other embodiments, the first force is alternatively or additionally applied to automatically attach the protective cap to the valve and / or base, for example if the protective cap comprises one or more snap-fit ​​elements. The cap is attached / locked to the base / valve by sliding it over the base / valve assembly, and the protective cap will have a feature that will fit the valve collar. When pressed downwards, the valve collar will be compressed and the snap detail of the protective cap will snap under the base collar. Thus, the interface between the protective cap and the valve top surface will create a pretension to snap when the valve is a soft material, creating a seal between the cap valve and the base.

[0021] The handling device can thus be configured to attach the protective cap to the valve and / or the base and to place the valve in a storage position. Preferably, the attachment and positioning are performed simultaneously. For example, when the base and the valve have already been connected to each other in a previous manufacturing operation to form a common sealing unit, the pressing device may be able to attach the protective cap to the sealing unit in a further manufacturing operation (which may be performed in a different geographical location than the previous manufacturing operation). At the same time, it is ensured that the valve of the resulting sealing device (i.e. the sealing device with the base, the valve and the protective cap) is in the storage position. The sealing device is thus in a suitable state to be attached to a receptacle to be filled with contents.

[0022] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the pushing device is configured to apply a second force to the discharge pipe that is greater than a first force applied to the base and / or valve housing. As will be described later, in an embodiment using a resilient member such as a compression spring, the first force will be determined primarily by the spring constant of the compression spring, while the second force (which is applied essentially independent of the first force) will be determined by a drive device that drives the movement of the pushing device.

[0023] The sealing device may be of a type in which the discharge pipe is configured to be axially movable between a storage position in which the discharge pipe moves in a downstream direction to contact a storage seal seat of the sleeve to close the discharge conduit, an open utility position in which the discharge pipe moves in an upstream direction to open the discharge conduit, and a closed utility position disposed between the storage position and the open utility position in which the discharge pipe moves to contact a utility seal portion of the sleeve to close the discharge conduit. When the sealing device is of this type, the handling device may be configured to move the discharge pipe from the open utility position (via the closed utility position) to the storage position or from the closed utility position to the storage position.

[0024] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the valve and base are configured to allow movement of the exhaust pipe between a closed storage position where the valve is more tightly closed than in the closed utility position, where the valve is closed to ensure an increased likelihood that the valve will remain closed during handling, i.e., during transportation and / or storage.

[0025] When the discharge pipe of the sealing device is provided with an upstream sealing member, a first pressing element of the handling device, e.g. a pressing device of the handling device, may be configured to contact the upstream sealing member and to move it in a downstream direction until the discharge pipe reaches its storage position. More generally, the pressing device comprises: a first pressing element having a first contact surface arranged against the discharge pipe, for example against an upstream sealing element of the discharge pipe; a second pressing element having a second contact surface arranged against the base; wherein the first and second pushing elements may be configured for axial displacement relative to each other.

[0026] The first pressing element may be configured to apply a pressing force only to the movable discharge pipe of the valve (i.e. directly or indirectly), while the second pressing element is configured to apply a force only to the stationary base and / or stationary parts of the valve (i.e. on the housing of the valve).

[0027] As mentioned above, the drive of the handling device is configured to drive the movement of the first pressing element and to drive the movement of the second pressing element. In principle, the first pressing element can be displaced independently from the second pressing element. In a particular embodiment, the drive comprises a first drive unit for driving the movement of the first pressing element and a (separate) second drive unit for driving the movement of the second pressing element independently of driving the first pressing element. Alternatively or additionally, the drive comprises: a first drive unit for driving the movement of the first pressing element; at least one elastic member (e.g. a compression spring or similar elastic element) connected between the first and second pressure elements and configured to move the second pressure element with the movement of the first pressure element; This allows the handling device to use a single drive unit to directly drive the first pressing element and only indirectly drive the second pressing element while still ensuring an appropriate amount of force applied to the base and the valve, respectively.

[0028] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the drive device comprises: - in a first stage, moving the second pressing element together with the downstream axial movement of the first pressing element until the second pressing element is adjacent to the base; - in a second stage, while continuing to move the first pressing element in the downstream direction, a second pressing element applies a pressing force to the base to position the base, the valve and the protective cap relative to one another and to urge the protective cap against the cap support; In a third step, the first pressing element starts to press the valve against the discharge pipe, bringing the discharge pipe into a storage position. It is configured as follows.

[0029] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first pressing element of the handling device comprises an elongated pressing rod, and the second pressing element comprises a tube arranged concentrically around the pressing rod. The first and second pressing elements are configured to be axially movable relative to each other. In one of these embodiments, the second pressing element is spring-loaded to the first pressing element. The first and second pressing elements can apply a force to one or more specific parts of the base and the valve independently of each other. The first pressing element can be formed by one piece of material. In another embodiment, the first pressing element comprises a first pressing rod part and a replaceable second pressing rod part. The second pressing rod part is generally aligned with the first pressing rod part and may be removably attached to the first pressing rod part. Furthermore, two or more replaceable second pressing rod parts may be provided, each of the second pressing rod parts having a different contact surface adapted to a different discharge pipe shape, for example adapted to an upstream seal member of the valve. The contact surface of the first pressure element can thus be adapted to a particular type of sealing device.

[0030] The sealing device can be positioned on the handling device in different ways: Means may be provided for positioning the sealing device on the handling device, i.e. between the pressing device and the cap support (e.g. assembly line, conveyor, automated system, manual system, etc.).

[0031] According to a further aspect of the present disclosure there is provided an assembly of a handling device as defined herein and at least one sealing device.

[0032] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of handling a sealing device in a handling device, comprising the steps of: - arranging a sealing device between the cap support and a pressing device of the handling device; - applying a first pressing force to a base and / or a valve housing of the sealing device to bias the base, the valve and the protective cap against the cap support; applying a second biasing force to the discharge pipe of the valve to bias the discharge pipe into its stored position; A method is provided comprising:

[0033] The method may include attaching a protective cap to the valve and / or base and placing the valve in a storage position.

[0034] The method may comprise applying a second force to the exhaust pipe greater than the first force applied to the base and / or valve housing.

[0035] In embodiments in which the discharge pipe of the sealing device is configured to be axially movable between a storage position in which the discharge pipe moves in a downstream direction to contact a storage seal seat of the sleeve to close the discharge conduit, an open utility position in which the discharge pipe moves in an upstream direction to open the discharge conduit, and a closed utility position disposed between the storage position and the open utility position in which the discharge pipe moves to contact a utility seal portion of the sleeve to close the discharge conduit, the method may comprise moving the discharge pipe from the open utility position or the closed utility position to the storage position.

[0036] In embodiments in which the discharge pipe includes an upstream sealing member, the method may include contacting the upstream sealing member and moving the upstream sealing member in a downstream direction until the discharge pipe reaches its stored position.

[0037] In an embodiment in which the pressing device comprises a first pressing element having a first contact surface and a second pressing element having a second contact surface, the method may comprise moving the second pressing element towards a base of the sealing device and causing the second contact surface of the second pressing element to apply a pressing force against the base, and moving the first pressing element towards an exhaust pipe of the sealing device and causing the first contact surface of the first pressing element to apply a pressing force against the exhaust pipe.

[0038] The method may further comprise driving the movement of the first and second pressing elements using a drive device connected to the pressing device and / or driving the movement of the first pressing element independently of driving the movement of the second pressing element. Additionally, the method may comprise aligning the base and the valve housing by applying a first pressing force.

[0039] Further advantages, features and details of the present disclosure will be elucidated with reference to the description of some examples thereof. In the description, reference is made to the attached figures, which are schematic and may be somewhat distorted with respect to the relative dimensions and positions of the components. Generally, similar or corresponding details of the figures are given the same or similar reference numbers in the following. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0040] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a partially cut-away, exploded side view of a first embodiment of a sealing device and (part of) a receptacle. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2A shows a perspective side view of a second embodiment of a sealing device. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B shows a respective cutaway side view of the second embodiment of FIG. 2A. [Figure 2C] FIG. 2C shows a respective cutaway side view of the second embodiment of FIG. 2A. [Figure 3A] 3A-C show longitudinal cross-sectional views of an embodiment of a sealing device in a storage mode, an open utility mode, and a closed utility mode, respectively. [Figure 3B] 3A-C show longitudinal cross-sectional views of an embodiment of a sealing device in a storage mode, an open utility mode, and a closed utility mode, respectively. [Figure 3C] 3A-C show longitudinal cross-sectional views of an embodiment of a sealing device in a storage mode, an open utility mode, and a closed utility mode, respectively. [Figure 4A] 4A-4B show cross-sectional and exploded views, respectively, of a further embodiment of a sealing device. [Figure 4B] 4A-4B show cross-sectional and exploded views, respectively, of a further embodiment of a sealing device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 shows a cutaway side view of yet another embodiment of a sealing device. [Figure 6A] Figures 6A-6C show exploded views of a further embodiment of a sealing device, and Figures 6A-6C show an alternative embodiment of the fastening of the valve to the base. [Figure 6B] Figures 6A-6C show exploded views of a further embodiment of a sealing device, and Figures 6A-6C show an alternative embodiment of the fastening of the valve to the base. [Figure 6C] Figures 6A-6C show exploded views of a further embodiment of a sealing device, and Figures 6A-6C show an alternative embodiment of the fastening of the valve to the base. [Figure 7A] 7A and 7B are longitudinal cross-sectional views of an embodiment of a handling device in a first and second position, respectively. [Figure 7B] 7A and 7B are longitudinal cross-sectional views of an embodiment of a handling device in a first and second position, respectively. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 shows a longitudinal section of another embodiment of a handling device, which is particularly suitable for handling sealing devices that do not have a protective cover. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0041] <Detailed explanation of the drawings> In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices have not been described in exhaustive detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention.

[0042] As will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure, each of the individual embodiments described and illustrated herein has distinct components and features which may be readily separated or combined with the features of any of the other several embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. Any recited method can be carried out in the order of events recited or in any other order which is logically possible.

[0043] It should be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It should be further noted that the claims may be drafted to exclude any element. Accordingly, this statement is intended to serve as a predicate basis for using exclusive terminology, such as "solely," "only," or "negative" limitations in connection with the recitation of claim elements.

[0044] An example of a sealing device having a storage position for use when the sealing device is stored, an open utility position for opening an exhaust passage of the sealing device, and a closed utility position for closing an exhaust passage of the sealing device is described in WO 2008 / 016307, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0045] FIG. 1 shows a schematic exploded view of an assembly of a receptacle 50 for a container (the container is not shown but can be any container or holder capable of carrying a liquid or liquid-like medium, such as a flexible spouted pouch container, a bottle, a can, a beverage carton, etc.) and a first embodiment of a sealing device 1 according to the present disclosure.

[0046] The sealing device 1 comprises a base 3 connected to a receptacle 50 and a valve 4 attached to the base 3. The base 3 comprises a stationary base housing 21 comprising at least a wall partition 31 and a tubular base wall 7. In further embodiments, such as the embodiment of Figs. 2A-2C, the base housing 5 also comprises a tubular connecting portion 11, while the base housing 5 may also comprise a cylindrical flange 39, as will be described below. The base 3 also comprises a discharge conduit 8 in which a base passage (i.e. a passage through the base 3) is provided. To this end, the base housing 21 may comprise a tubular body 6 (here also referred to as sleeve 6) as part of the discharge conduit 8.

[0047] Similarly, the valve 4 comprises a stationary valve housing 25 which is mounted on the base housing 21. The stationary valve housing 25 may comprise a tubular mounting wall 37 and a valve collar 13. The valve 4 also comprises several parts which are arranged to be movable relative to the stationary valve housing 25. For example, the valve 4 comprises an exhaust pipe 10 in which a valve passage is provided. When the valve 4 is placed on the base 3, the base passage in the exhaust conduit of the base 3 and the valve passage in the exhaust pipe of the valve 4 together form a closable or sealable passage from the interior of the sealing device 1 and the receptacle 50 connected to the outside, which allows the contents of the container to be dispensed, as described below.

[0048] In the illustrated embodiment, the wall partition 31 extends at least partially radially relative to the discharge conduit 8. Connected to or integrally formed with the wall partition 31 are three concentric axial tubular walls: a tubular base wall 7 having a relatively large diameter, a cylindrical flange 39 having a small diameter, and a ring-shaped connecting portion 56 having an intermediate diameter (i.e. a diameter larger than the diameter of the cylindrical flange 39 and smaller than the diameter of the tubular base wall 7). The base 3 further comprises a base collar 15 formed by a substantially ring-shaped radially projecting portion of the tubular base wall 7 of the base 3. The base collar 15 is preferably arranged at the upstream free end of the tubular base wall 7.

[0049] The valve 4 further comprises an outer tubular wall 32 connected to the inner tubular wall 34 of the discharge pipe 10 via a top wall 33. The outer tubular wall 32 defines a tube with a larger diameter than the inner tubular wall 34 of the discharge pipe 10 and defines a gap 35 between the inner and outer tubular walls 34, 32. The outer wall 32 is further formed of a ring-shaped flexible (elastic) wall 36 which in turn is formed of or connected to a tubular mounting wall 37. The flexible wall 36 allows the downstream part of the valve 4 to move axially upstream or axially downstream relative to the stationary base 3. At the free end of the tubular mounting wall 37 a valve collar 13 is formed. The valve collar 13 is configured as a substantially ring-shaped radially protruding part of the tubular mounting wall 37 of the valve 4.

[0050] In the illustrated embodiment, the receptacle 50 is a spout 51 comprising a tubular spout member 54 provided at its lower end with a container mounting flange portion 52 that can be attached (e.g., welded) in any known manner to the wall of a flexible container, such as a container formed by welding together portions of flexible film material. The tubular spout member 54 is also provided with a lateral flange 53 extending transversely to the axial direction of the spout, the flange being provided for easier handling of the spouted container, for example, in a labeling and / or filling machine. The tubular spout member 54 further comprises a circumferential connecting element 49. In the illustrated embodiment, the circumferential connecting element 49 comprises a flange-like projection projecting radially from the tubular spout member 54. Similarly, the base 3 may comprise a ring-shaped connecting portion 56. The ring-shaped connecting portion 56 may have a flexible lower edge configured to engage with the circumferential connecting portion 49 of the tubular spout member 54. The ring-shaped connecting portion 56 of the base 3 may have an inner diameter that matches or is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the circumferential connecting portion 49 of the tubular spout member 54 to securely fasten the base 3 to the drinking receptacle 50. More specifically, the base 3 may be slid over the discharge end of the receptacle 50 and the flexible connecting portion 56 of the base 3 may be forcefully slid over the connecting portion 49 of the receptacle 50 such that the connecting portion 56 clicks into the protruding flange of the connecting portion 49 of the tubular spout member 54, thereby fastening the sealing device 1 to the receptacle 50.

[0051] The outer surface of the tubular spout member 54 may include a plurality of external axial ribs / grooves 48 (at axial locations between the connection portion 49 and the discharge end 55). The external axial ribs / grooves are preferably uniformly distributed around the circumference of the tubular spout member outer surface. The external axial ribs 48 are configured to engage corresponding ribs / grooves 47 provided on the inside of the base 3 on the inner surface of the cylindrical flange 39 connected to or integrally formed with the wall partition 31 (see FIG. 1 ) to prevent rotational movement of the base 3 relative to the receptacle 50. This may reduce unintended wear due to rotation of the base 3 relative to the receptacle 50 that may otherwise reduce the reliability of the connection of the sealing device 1 to the receptacle 50.

[0052] Figures 2A-2C and 3A-3B show a second embodiment of the sealing device 1 according to the present disclosure. Figures 2A-2C show various side views of (details of) the second embodiment of the sealing device 1 (Figures 2B and 2C are partially cut away). The second embodiment corresponds to the first embodiment, except for the absence of the ring-shaped connecting part 56 and the cylindrical flange 39. Figures 3A-3C are schematic cross-sectional views of a further embodiment, showing parts of the sealing device that are common to the sealing device of Figures 1 and 2A-2C.

[0053] Although in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 the receptacle 50 is shown to be a spout 51 forming part of a spouted container and the base 3 is attached to the spout 51 using a ring-shaped connecting part 56 arranged inside the base (more specifically inside the volume defined by the tubular base wall 7), the receptacle may also be part of or form another type of container, such as a bottle, for example a glass or plastic bottle. Also in this case the base 3 of the sealing device may be attached to the receptacle by a ring-shaped connecting part. However, the base 3 may also be attached to the receptacle in a different way. For example, with reference to the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 2A-2C, the sealing device 1 may be attached in a different way to a drinking receptacle, for example the discharge end of a bottle. To this end, the sealing device 1 may comprise a tubular connecting portion 11 (e.g. formed by the aforementioned free cylindrical end of the tubular base wall 7 of the base 3) having an outer diameter that corresponds to an inner diameter of the discharge end of the drinking receptacle, such that the sealing device 1 may be fitted within the discharge end of the receptacle. Alternatively, as will be described below, the tubular connecting portion 11 may have an inner diameter that corresponds to an outer diameter of the discharge end of the drinking receptacle, such that the sealing device 1 may be fitted outside the discharge end of the drinking receptacle.

[0054] An overcap 60 (herein also referred to as a cover lid, dust cap or end cap, see FIG. 5 ) may be placed on top of the sealing device 1 to ensure the sterile properties of the sealing device 1, for example during transport and / or storage. Furthermore, the overcap 60 may prevent undesired opening of the valve, for example during the transport stage of the sealing device from the manufacturer of the sealing device to the filling site where the containers are filled.

[0055] Typically, the sealing device is manufactured in a first geographical location, ready for storage, and then transported to a remote second geographical location. Only when the sealing device arrives at the second location is the sealing device attached to a receptacle of the container. At the same or a further geographical location, the container is filled with contents and ready for use. The above storage modes or positions of the sealing device correspond to the position of the valve 4 immediately after its manufacture. The sealing device 1 is then ready for storage to be transported from the manufacturing site to an assembly and / or filling site, where the sealing device is connected to a receptacle and the associated container is (optionally) filled. Once the container is filled, the valve may be kept in the storage position and ready for first opening by the end user.

[0056] 2A-2C, the valve 4 of the sealing device 1 according to the second embodiment comprises an axially movable discharge pipe 10 with an inner tubular wall 34. The inner tubular wall 34 of the discharge pipe 10 is seated inside a short non-movable tubular body or sleeve 6 of the base 3, the sleeve 6 being part of the discharge conduit 8. The non-movable tubular body / sleeve 6 is also referred to herein as a stationary sleeve 6. FIG. 2B shows the stationary sleeve 6 connected to or integrally formed with the surrounding support structure in the form of a wall partition 31. As mentioned above, the wall partition 31 may be connected to or integrally formed with a tubular connecting portion 11 configured to enable the base 3 to be rigidly connected to the receptacle 50.

[0057] As shown in Figures 3A-3C, the discharge pipe 10 is arranged coaxially within the sleeve 6 and is axially movable (upwards and downwards in the figures) relative to the stationary sleeve 6 between (at least) three different axial positions. The discharge pipe 10 is axially movable and configured for valve actuation. More specifically, the discharge pipe 10 constitutes a control body in the form of a valve stem that can open and close the passage of liquid through the sealing device 1. The discharge pipe 10 is provided at its upstream end with an upstream sealing member 12. The upstream sealing member may be formed by an end wall 12. This end wall of the discharge pipe 10 is closed, but at the side of the discharge pipe 10 there are one or more radial openings 16 that allow liquid to flow from the container through the base passage and the valve passage to the outside when the valve is in the open utility position of Figure 3B.

[0058] As shown in Fig. 2B, the inner tubular wall 34 of the discharge pipe 10 is connected to the outer tubular wall 32 via a top wall 33. The outer tubular wall 32 defines a tube having a larger diameter than the inner tubular wall 34 of the discharge pipe 10 to define a gap 35 between the inner and outer tubular walls 34, 32. Furthermore, the outer wall 32 is formed of a flexible (elastic) wall 36 (see Figs. 1, 2A, 2B) extending obliquely or transversely to the axial direction, while the flexible wall 36 is in turn formed of or connected to a tubular mounting wall 37. Meanwhile, the tubular mounting wall 37 of the valve 4 can be rigidly attached to the stationary base 3, as will be explained later. The flexible wall 36 enables the outer tubular wall 32 (and therefore also the discharge pipe 10) to be movable upwards or downwards relative to a non-movable (stationary) tubular mounting wall 37 of the valve 4 (and of course relative to a non-movable (stationary) base 3 to which the valve 4 is connected) between a storage position, an open utility position and a closed utility position.

[0059] To open and close the discharge passage, the valve 4 comprises a sealing body 9, preferably formed by an elastic ring-shaped sealing collar 14 extending outwardly towards the sleeve 6. The sealing body 9 is located on the upstream sealing member (upstream end wall 12) of the discharge pipe 10. The sealing collar 14 may be formed from a suitable plastic material that is elastic in nature. As mentioned above, the discharge pipe 10 is also provided with several pipe wall radial openings 16. These radial openings 16 are located immediately downstream of the sealing collar 14. Thereby, when the valve is in the open utility mode, the discharge of liquid takes place through the pipe wall openings 16 and through the discharge pipe 10. Along its inner circumference, the sleeve 6 is provided with a ring-shaped sealing valve 18 (see FIG. 2B and more specifically FIGS. 3A-3C) that extends into the sleeve 6. The sealing valve 18 comprises an upstream-oriented storage sealing seat 20 that is structured to seal the reception of said sealing collar 14 when the valve 4 is in the storage mode, as shown in FIG. 3A. This is possible because the sealing collar 14 is located in the upstream region of the sealing valve 18 .

[0060] Additionally, the sleeve 6 is provided with an upstream-directed ring-shaped end seat 22, which is also disposed upstream of the sealing valve 18 and is one of several utility seal seats within the sleeve 6. In this exemplary embodiment, the end seat 22 comprises an upstream-directed beveled edge formed at the upstream end 24 of the sleeve 6. The end seat 22 is structured to seal the reception of the sealing collar 14 when the valve 4 is in a closed utility mode, as shown in FIG. 3C. The valve 4 is thus structured to open the discharge conduit 8 by virtue of the upstream-directed movement of the sealing collar 14 relative to the discharge direction of the valve and away from the end seat 22 when the valve 4 is in an open utility mode, as shown in FIG. 3B. In FIG. 3B, the discharge direction is indicated by a downstream-directed arrow, and the direction of movement of the sealing collar 14 during valve opening is indicated by an upstream-directed arrow.

[0061] The sealing valve 18 also includes a downstream-oriented ring-shaped stop seat 26 that is structured for motion-limiting contact with an external stop collar 28 formed around the discharge pipe 10 in an area downstream of the pipe wall opening 16 and downstream of the sealing valve 18. Figure 3B shows the stop collar 28 in contact with the stop seat 26 following axial movement of the discharge pipe 10 that is directed upstream and opens the valve.

[0062] The sleeve 6 also includes an internal and cylindrical seal portion 30 located in a longitudinal portion between the end seat 22 and the sealing valve 18. In this example embodiment, the entire seal portion 30 is structured to slide seal against the seal collar 14. When in its radially expanded position, the seal collar 14 is arranged to have a diameter slightly larger than that of the internal cylindrical seal portion 30, as shown in FIG. 3C. Thus, the cylindrical seal portion 30 can function as both a continuous storage seal seat and a utility seal seat, and the seal collar 14 is somewhat radially compressed when disposed in the seal portion 30. Thus, the storage seal seats 20, 30 and the utility seal seats 22, 30 are all structured to seal against the seal collar 14 during movement of the seal collar 14 in the downstream direction.

[0063] The upper part of FIG. 2B shows a partially cut-away side view of the sealing device 1 of FIG. 2A, and the lower part of FIG. 2B shows a detailed cross-section of the lower end of the base 3 of the sealing device 1. The base 3 is configured to support the valve 4 and to enable the valve 4 to be placed in an open utility mode, a closed utility mode and / or a storage mode. For this purpose, the base 1 comprises a tubular connection part 11 configured to be attached to a receptacle 50. The tubular connection part 11 is connected to or integrally formed with the tubular base wall 7. The tubular base wall 7 is connected to or integrally formed with the wall partition 31. The upper part of the wall partition 31 also takes a tubular shape and constitutes a sleeve 6. The discharge pipe 10 can be displaced relative to its sleeve 6. The partition wall 31 is also provided with an annular axial rim 2 that forms a gap between the outside of the partition wall 31 of the base 3 and the inside of the outer tubular wall 32 and the flexible (elastic) wall 36 to provide sufficient space for the discharge pipe 10 to move axially. When an axial force is applied to the valve 4 in the direction of the upstream end wall 12, for example by a user pressing the user's lips against the valve, the discharge pipe 10 of the valve 4 is moved from a storage mode or a closed utility mode to a closed utility mode and / or an open utility mode. Due to the elastic properties of the wall portion 36 of the valve 4 facing the partition 31, after the action of said force is released, the sleeve 6 of the valve 4 can be moved relative to the base 3 from the open utility mode to the closed utility mode.

[0064] For example, in Figures 2B and 3B the sealing device 1 is shown in a storage mode, and application of the force can move the upstream end wall 12 in the upstream direction to a closed utility mode (see Figure 3C), and further application of force in said direction can move the upstream end wall 12 further in said direction, thereby placing the sealing device 1 in an open utility mode (see Figure 3C), thereby allowing fluid to flow from a drinking receptacle located upstream of the sealing device 1.

[0065] In principle, the valve 4 of the first or second embodiment can be arranged on the base 3 in a non-fixed manner. For example, the valve 4 and the base 3 can be attached together to a cap, a cap-like cover or the like, the cap being provided with a radially narrowed portion serving as a seat for the valve collar 13 and / or the base collar 15 in order to attach the base 3 and the valve 4 to the cap, cap-like cover or the like in a click-like manner. However, such a mounting method may be unreliable and there is a risk that the base 3 and the valve 4 may come loose or that their sealing properties may be impaired. It is therefore necessary to rigidly connect the valve 4 and the base 3 at least at and / or near a part of the valve collar 13 and the base collar 15.

[0066] To achieve a more reliable seal of the entire sealing device 1, the present disclosure contemplates fixing the valve 4 and the base 3 to one another. A fixed connection can be achieved according to an embodiment of the present disclosure by placing a ring-shaped mounting element on both collars 13, 15 and attaching it to both the base collar 15 of the base 3 and the valve collar 13 of the valve 4. In other embodiments, the ring-shaped mounting element can be an integral part of either the base collar 15 or the valve collar 13. In these embodiments, the ring-shaped mounting element only needs to be attached to the other collar 13, 15.

[0067] 1 and 2A-2c, the valve 4 and the base 3 may be connected to each other using a clamping ring 40. The base wall 7 includes a circumferential base collar 15 that projects radially from the base 3, while the tubular mounting wall 37 of the valve 4 includes a circumferential valve collar 13 that also extends radially. After the valve collar 13 is placed on the base collar 15, the clamping ring 40 may be placed around the base so as to contact both the valve collar 13 and the base collar 15. The clamping ring 40 may be connected to both the valve collar 13 and the base collar 15 by any attachment technique, such as gluing and / or welding (e.g., heat welding, ultrasonic welding, RF welding, pressure welding and / or impact welding or snapping). Preferably, the clamping ring 40 is fixedly connected to the valve collar and / or the base collar 15 by ultrasonic welding. The clamping ring 40 preferably includes at least a portion that covers the radially extending portion of the valve collar 13 of the valve 4 and at least a portion that is fixedly connected to the valve collar 15. This prevents movement (both axial and rotational) of the valve collar 13 relative to the base collar 15.

[0068] The clamping ring may be a separate ring that is placed around the collars 13, 15 when they are placed on top of each other. In other embodiments, the clamping ring 40 is an integrally formed part of either the base collar 15 or the valve collar 13. In the embodiment of Figures 2B and 2C, the clamping ring 40 is integrally formed with the base collar 15. The clamping ring 40 need only be attached (glued and / or welded) to the other collar, again by gluing and / or welding.

[0069] 2B and 2C, the valve 4 and the base 3 are separate elements before joining them. The clamping ring 40 is integrally formed with the base collar 15, whereby a base collar gap 17 (see FIG. 2C) is formed between a portion of the clamping ring 40 and a portion of the base collar 15, the shape of the gap 17 being substantially corresponding to the shape of the portion of the valve collar 13 that is fitted into the gap 17 and such that when the valve collar 13 is fitted into said gap 17, axial movement of the valve collar 13 relative to the base collar 15 is prevented. Thus, when the valve collar 13 is applied to the gap 17, the clamping ring 40 may be configured such that a portion of the clamping ring 40 snaps onto the valve collar 13, thereby preventing axial movement of the collar 13 relative to the base collar 15. Furthermore, the clamping ring 40 may be further fixed to the base collar 15 and / or the valve collar 13. As previously mentioned, the clamping ring 40 can be fixedly attached to the valve collar 13 by adhesive, heat sealing, ultrasonic sealing, RF sealing, pressure sealing and / or impact sealing. Preferably, the clamping ring 40 is fixedly connected to the valve collar 13 by ultrasonic sealing.

[0070] Returning to FIG. 2B, alternatively or additionally, the base 3 may be attached to a spout seat 5 (corresponding to the spout seat 51 in FIG. 1) at the inner circumference of the base wall 7, more specifically at the inner circumference of the tubular connection part 11 of the base 3. The spout seat 5 locally reduces the inner diameter of the tubular connection part 11. The tubular connection part 11 may be configured to be placed on a receptacle formed by a spout, the spout having an outer shape corresponding to the inner shape of the tubular connection part 11. For example, the inner diameter of the tubular connection part 11 may correspond to the outer diameter of the spout to which the connection part is attached. The spout may for example have a substantially cylindrical connection part (not shown in the figures). Such a connection part preferably comprises a radially projecting part forming a flange-like projection, said spout seat 5 being configured to cooperate with said flange to attach the sealing device 1 to the spout. For example, when the sealing device 1 is attached to the spout, the spout sheet 5 may be snapped onto a flange to prevent the sealing device 1 from moving relative to the spout.

[0071] Alternatively or additionally, the tubular connecting portion 11 may include an internal thread configured to be screwed into the external thread of a drinking receptacle. Still alternatively or additionally, as described above, the outer surface of the tubular connecting portion 11 may be configured to fit into the inner circumference of the connecting portion of the receptacle.

[0072] 4A-4B show a partially cut-away perspective view of another embodiment of the sealing device. Similar elements are given similar reference numbers and their individual detailed description is omitted. The difference between the embodiment of Figs. 4A and 4B and the embodiment of Figs. 1, 2A-2C lies mainly in the features related to the tubular base wall 7 and / or the connecting portion 11 (see Figs. 2A-2C) and the connecting portion 56 (see Figs. 4A-4B, similar to the connecting portion shown in Fig. 1), 11' and the corresponding spout seat 5'. Like the embodiment of Fig. 1, the embodiment of Figs. 4A-4B has a connecting portion 56 for snap-fitting into the connecting portion 49 on the tubular spout member 54 of the spout-type receptacle 50.

[0073] Additionally, the embodiment of Figures 4A-4B includes one or more base anti-rotation ribs and / or grooves 47, also described in relation to Figure 1. The ribs / grooves 47 may also be applied to each of the other embodiments described herein.

[0074] The connecting portion 56 in Figs. 4A-4B is configured to receive the connecting portion of the spout therein. The connecting portion 56 has a reduced inner diameter relative to the tubular base wall 7. Thus, the connecting portion 56 is connected to the base 3 by an axial tubular flange that starts at the bottom surface of the partition wall 31 and extends downwards. The outer end of this axial tubular flange is formed by the connecting portion 56. The connecting portion 56 is configured to have an inner diameter that matches the outer diameter of the connecting portion of the receptacle (such as, but not limited to, the receptacle of Fig. 1) to which the sealing device 1 is attached. The upstream portion of the connecting portion 56 may comprise a spout seat 5' having a similar purpose as the spout seat 5 shown in Fig. 1. The spout seat 5' may be discontinuous along the upstream portion of the connecting portion 56 in order for the connecting portion 56 to temporarily deform in order to receive the snap-locking action of the spout seat 5' on the flange-like projection 49 of the receptacle 50.

[0075] In FIG. 4B, an alternative structure for mounting the valve 4 to the base 3 is shown. The base 3 may comprise a radially protruding base collar 15 having an increased outer diameter relative to the outer diameter of the valve collar 13. The base collar 15 may comprise one or more welding ridges 46, i.e. locally increased thicknesses of the base collar 15, which are configured to assist the welding operation. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 4B, one continuous welding ridge 46 is shown. However, a person skilled in the art will recognize that multiple welding lines are also applicable. The welding line 46 may be a continuous or discontinuous welding line and may be located in a portion of the base collar 15 that extends radially further than the radially outermost portion of the valve collar 13. A clamping ring 40, shown as a separate element, may be provided on the valve 4 and on the base 3. The clamping ring 40 will contact the base 3 through the base collar 15 at the location of the welding line 46. The clamping ring 40 is connected to the base collar 15 by gluing, heat welding, ultrasonic welding, RF welding, pressure welding and / or impact welding, preferably by ultrasonic welding. The clamping ring 40 has a portion which covers at least a part of the valve collar 13 in the axial direction of the sealing device 1. This prevents axial and rotational movement of the valve collar 13 relative to the base collar 15.

[0076] In FIG. 4B, a plurality of optional cap connectors 23 are shown on the clamping ring 40. The cap connectors 23 may be integrally formed with the clamping ring 40 or may be separate elements configured to allow the cap to be connected to the valve 4 and / or the base. Alternatively or additionally, the cap connectors 23 may be integrally formed with both the cap and the clamping ring 40 such that the cap and the clamping ring 40 form one interconnected unit. For example, the cap connectors 23 may be configured to connect with a dust cap 60 as shown in FIG. 5, which is a perspective view of the sealing device 1 of FIGS. 4A and 4B. In FIG. 5, the sealing device 1 is provided with a cap 60 that may prevent dust, solids, fluids, bacteria or other undesirable substances from contacting the valve 4 of the sealing device 1. Furthermore, the cap 60 may prevent the valve 4 of the sealing device 1 from being unintentionally forced into an open utility mode or prevent the sealing device 1 from being unintentionally forced into a closed utility mode when the sealing device 1 is in a storage mode. The cap 60 may be attached to the clamping ring 40 in a releasable manner, for example via the cap connector 23. For this purpose, the cap connector 23 may be connected to the cap 60 in such a way that a pulling action on the cap 60 can break the connection of the cap connector 23 to the cap 60. Alternatively or additionally, the dust cap may be attached to the clamping ring 40 in a reversible manner and may comprise two dust cap parts, a first part permanently or releasably connected to the clamping ring and a second part hinged to the first cap part, allowing the second part to move between a closed position and an open position.

[0077] 6A-6CC show further embodiments of the sealing device, where different methods for attaching the valve to the base are described.

[0078] In Fig. 6A, a number of welding elements 41 are shown, which are integrally formed with the base 3 prior to connection of the base 3 to the valve 4. During connection of the base 3 and the valve 4, the welding elements 41 may be connected to the upstream side of the valve 19, which may be connected by gluing, heat welding, ultrasonic welding, RF welding, pressure welding and / or impact welding, preferably by ultrasonic welding. Due to such connection, movement of the valve collar 13 relative to the base collar 15 is prevented.

[0079] Further, in some embodiments, the upstream side of the valve 19 may be provided with a number of holes (not shown) at positions corresponding to the positions of the welding element 41, through which at least the welding tip 45 of the welding element 41 may protrude so that the welding element 41 may also be connected to the base 3 in the portion of the base 3 facing the welding tip 45.

[0080] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the welding element 41 may alternatively be located on the valve 4, for example the welding element may be located upstream of the valve 19 instead of on the valve collar.

[0081] In FIG. 6B, a number of connecting elements 42 are shown. The connecting elements 42 are integrally formed with the base 3 before the connection of the base 3 to the valve 4. During the connection of the base 3 and the valve 4, the connecting elements 42 may be connected to the upstream side of the valve 19 by threading the arrow-shaped end of the connecting elements 42 into a corresponding connecting hole 43 in the upstream side of the valve 19. Preferably, the arrow-shaped head of the connecting elements 42 has a maximum diameter that is similar, but preferably slightly larger than the diameter of the hole, so that it is difficult to achieve reversal of the connecting elements 42 after they are threaded through the connecting hole 43. Due to such a connection, movement of the valve collar 13 relative to the base collar 15 is prevented. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the connecting elements 42 may be welded to the valve 4.

[0082] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the connecting element 42 may alternatively be located on the valve collar 13 and / or on the base collar 15 facing the valve 4, e.g. on the valve collar 13 facing the base collar 15. In such an embodiment, the connecting hole would be located at a corresponding position on the valve collar 13 and / or on the base collar 15.

[0083] In FIG. 6C, a number of clamping elements 44 are shown. The clamping elements 44 are integrally formed with the base 3 prior to the connection of the base 3 to the valve 4. During the connection of the base 3 and the valve 4, the clamping elements 44 may be connected to the upstream side of the valve 19 by making the valve collar 13 pass through the inwardly pointed protrusions of the clamping elements 44. As a result, the valve collar 13 is clamped to the base 3 via the clamping elements 44. This prevents the valve collar 13 from moving relative to the base collar 15. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the clamping elements 44 may be welded to the valve 4. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the clamping elements 44 may alternatively be disposed on the valve collar 13 facing the base collar 15.

[0084] Preferably, the sealing device and valve are structured for releasable connection to a drinking receptacle, for example via a suitable enclosure. Opening and closing of the valve can be performed manually, although valve actuation assistance mechanisms known per se may be used for this purpose.

[0085] Figures 7A and 7B show an embodiment of a handling device 100 according to the present disclosure. In the figures, the handling device 100 is shown handling a sealing device according to the embodiment of Figures 2A-2C. Of course, a similar handling device can be used to handle any of the other embodiments described herein.

[0086] The handling device 100 is configured to place the upstream sealing member 12 of the sealing device 1 in a closed storage position (i.e. the storage position). The sealing device 1 with the base 3 and the valve 4 may be pre-manufactured at a first location (e.g. a factory) and connected to each other to form a sealing unit, for example as described above. The sealing unit may then be stored and / or transported to a second location (e.g. an assembly site) where a protective cap 61 is connected to the sealing unit. At the same time, the protective cap 61 may be connected to the sealing unit and the valve 4 may be forced to be placed in the storage position. The sealing device (with the sealing unit and the protective cap connected thereto) is then connected to a receptacle 50. At the same location (or another location away from the second location), the receptacle 50 may be filled with contents.

[0087] In the exemplary situation where the base and the valve are pre-manufactured and already connected to each other in a first position (away from the second position where the sealing device is attached to the receptacle and / or the receptacle is filled with contents), there is a risk that during transport of the sealing device from the first position to the second position, the base 3 and the valve 4 may be slightly displaced from each other or even come off each other. This may be the result of the sealing device 1 being subjected to large rocking etc. during transport, or the base 3 and the valve 4 not being properly connected to each other, for example when the clamping ring 40 is not used or is not used properly. The fact that this situation may occur means that after transport of the sealing device, at the stage where the sealing device is attached to the receptacle and / or the receptacle is filled with contents (e.g. liquid), it is not entirely certain that the (discharge pipe of) the valve is in the right position or mode for further handling of the receptacle to be filled and the filled receptacle (e.g. storage position). It is therefore necessary to ensure that the discharge pipe of the valve is in the correct position.

[0088] Also, in the exemplary situation where the base 3 and the valve 4 forming part of the sealing device 1 are manufactured in different locations and the sealing device is assembled only immediately before mounting the sealing device 1 on a receptacle and / or filling the receptacle with contents, it is not certain whether the (discharge pipe of) the valve is in a suitable position or mode for further handling of the receptacle to be filled and the filled receptacle (e.g. in a storage position). The same applies to the exemplary situation where the base 3 and the valve 4 are integrally connected or formed in a first location and may then be transported to a second location (e.g. in a filling station location). In these situations, it may happen that the discharge pipe 10 of the valve 4 is not in a suitable position or mode for further handling of the receptacle to be filled and the filled receptacle (e.g. in a storage position).

[0089] In all of these exemplary situations, it may be necessary to ensure that the sealing device 1 is in a storage mode prior to connection of a protective cover to the sealing device 1 and / or prior to assembly of the sealing device 1 onto the drinking receptacle 50. Indeed, even during the above-described method of joining the base 3 and the valve 4, it may be necessary to perform the additional step of biasing the upstream sealing member 12 into the storage position, regardless of how the base 3, valve 4 and / or cap 61 are or will be joined, and regardless of how the base, valve and / or cap are delivered in the second position.

[0090] In order to provide a proper connection of the protective cap 61 to the sealing unit and to ensure that the valve is in the storage position and that the base 3 and the valve 4 are properly aligned with each other (especially if the base 3 and the valve 4 are tolerant of misalignment, e.g., slightly displaced relative to each other, e.g., during transport and / or storage), a handling device 100 as defined herein may be provided. With reference to Figures 7A and 7B, a handling device 100 for handling the sealing device 1 is shown. The handling device 100 comprises a sealing unit and a protective cap 61 loosely arranged on top of the sealing unit. In the illustrated embodiment, the handling device 100 comprises a stationary cap support 150 arranged downstream of the protective cap 61 and configured to support the protective cap 61. The cap support 150 has a contact surface 151 having a shape adapted to the shape of the protective cap 61 so that the cap 61 is stably received in the cap support 150.

[0091] The handling device 100 further includes a pressing device 120 disposed on the upstream side of the base 3. The pressing device 120 presses the base 3, for example, the partition wall 31 of the base 3, in the axial downstream direction (P d ) on the discharge pipe 10 of the valve 4 in the same axial downstream direction (P d ) to apply a second pressing force.

[0092] 7A and 7B, the pressing device 120 comprises a first pressing element 121 and a second pressing element 122, both of which can be moved axially relative to each other. The first pressing element 112 comprises a central elongated pressing rod and the second pressing element 122 comprises a tube arranged concentrically around the pressing rod. The pressing rod and the tube are arranged so that they can be moved axially relative to each other.

[0093] With reference to Fig. 7A, the second pressing element 122 in the shape of a tube may have an annular contact surface 124 arranged against the base 3. Similarly, the central pressing rod may have a contact surface 123 adapted to the shape of the discharge pipe 10, preferably to its upstream sealing member 12. In the particular embodiment shown in Fig. 7A, the pressing rod is composed of a first pressing rod part 127 and an exchangeable second pressing rod part 128. The exchangeable second pressing rod part 128 can be replaced by another pressing rod part having a different shape of the contact surface depending on the particular type of sealing device handled by this handling device 100.

[0094] The second pressing element is configured to apply a force only to the stationary base and / or to the stationary parts of the valve 4 (i.e. the housing of the valve), while the first pressing element 121 is configured to apply a pressing force only (i.e. directly or indirectly) to the movable discharge pipe of the valve 4. For this purpose, the handling device 100 further comprises a drive device 130. The drive device 130 is configured to drive the movement of the first pressing element 112 as well as to drive the movement of the second pressing element 122. The drive device 130 (shown only diagrammatically in the figures) can comprise one or more linear actuators, for example actuators of rack and pinion type. In an embodiment of the present disclosure (not shown), the drive device 130 comprises a linear actuator for driving the movement of the first pressing element 121 and a separate linear actuator for independently driving the movement of the second pressing element 122. 7A and 7B, however, the driver 130 comprises a first drive unit (e.g. a linear actuator) for applying an axial force 161 in the upstream and / or downstream direction to cause a reciprocating axial movement of the first pushing element 121, while the second drive unit comprises at least one elastic member 135 connected between the first and second pushing elements 121, 122 and configured to move the second pushing element 122 with the movement of the first pushing element 121. The elastic member 135 may be a compression spring or a similar device.

[0095] In operation, the sealing device 1 is placed in a handling device 10. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a protective cap 61 may be placed loosely on top of the sealing unit consisting of the base 3 and the valve 4 connected to each other at an earlier stage. In other embodiments, the base 3 and the valve 4 are already attached to the protective cap.

[0096] Then, in a first phase, the drive device 130 exerts a force 161 on the first pressing element 121 such that the first pressing element 112 moves towards the sealing device 1. Due to the presence of the elastic member 135 between the first and second pressing elements 121, 122, the second pressing element 122 is moved together with the downstream axial movement of the first pressing element 121 until the contact surface 124 of the second pressing element 122 is adjacent to the base.

[0097] In the second stage, the driver 130 continues to apply a force in the downstream direction to the first pressing element 121. At that time, due to the spring action of the elastic element 135, the second pressing element 122 is pressed against the base 3 with a first force, so that the base 3, the valve 4 and the cap 61 are pressed against each other, and the protective cap 61 is biased against the cap support 150.

[0098] In a third phase, the force exerted by the drive device on the first element 121 is increased. This causes the first pressing element 121 to move towards the sealing device against the counter force provided by the elastic member 135, until the contact surface 123 of the first pressing element 121 reaches the end wall 12 of the discharge pipe 10 of the valve 4 and starts pressing against the discharge pipe 10. Depending on the current position of the valve, the discharge pipe 10 is either moved towards the storage position (if the valve is not yet in the storage position) or is kept in the storage position (for valves already in the storage position). In this way, it is ensured that the valve is located in the storage position.

[0099] As mentioned above, the cap support 150 and the pressing device 120 can be used simultaneously to at least actually attach the loosely placed protective cover 61 on top of the sealing unit (i.e. the interconnected base 3 and valve 4). In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the base 3 and / or the cap 61 are provided with clamping means (e.g. including some snap-fit ​​elements) to attach the cap 61 to the sealing device 1, for example in a click-like manner.

[0100] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the handling apparatus 100 may be used simultaneously with other devices configured for gluing, heat welding, ultrasonic welding, RF welding, pressure welding and / or impact welding of the valve 4 and base 3, as described above. For example, it may be preferable to place the valve 4 and base 3 in the handling apparatus 100 and join the valve 4 and base 3 by ultrasonic welding while the upstream member 12 of the discharge pipe 10 of the valve 4 is substantially simultaneously placed in a storage mode while the base and valve are held within the handling apparatus 100.

[0101] The contact surface 123 of the first element 121, at least in its upwardly outermost portion, is in contact with the upstream seal member 12 in an upward direction (P d ) to the upstream sealing member 12. For example, the part 128 as shown in Figs. 7A and 7B may have an outer end (upward) having a generally hollow cylindrical shape. This allows substantially no force to be applied (directly) to the center of the upstream sealing member 12 since the upstream sealing member 12 has a circularly symmetric shape. In this way, an upward force is applied to the upstream sealing member such that the upstream sealing member is forced to move over the sealing valve of the base 3 of the sealing device 1. This may result in a more reliable storage seal. On the other hand, if an upward force is applied to the center of the upstream sealing member, the shape of the sealing member may be deformed such that the periphery of the sealing member is not pressed against the sealing valve of the seal, e.g., the shape of the sealing member may be deformed at the center portion of the upward sealing member 12 while not forcing the periphery of the sealing member past the sealing valve.

[0102] Figure 8 shows a further embodiment of a handling device according to the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the handling device is particularly contemplated to handle sealing devices that are not provided with a protective cover. The previous embodiment of Figures 7A and 7B relates to a handling device that is particularly contemplated to handle sealing devices that have a removable protective cap arranged on top of the base / valve.

[0103] In a further embodiment, the handling device comprises a stationary valve support 152 arranged downstream of the valve and configured to support the valve 4. To this end, the valve support 152 is shaped to have a circumferential flange 154 having a bottom circumferential edge 155 shaped to contact the clamping ring 40 and / or the valve collar 13 of the valve 4 such that the sealing device can be stably received and supported in the cap support 152. Figure 8 shows the handling device in a second position corresponding to the second position shown in Figure 7B. The handling device can also be arranged in a first position similar to the first position shown in Figure 7A.

[0104] As expressed above, the terms "downward" and "upward" are used for the orientations of Figures 7A, 7B and 8 for illustrative purposes only and are not limiting. For example, the handling device 100 may be disposed above the sealing device 1. In such a case, the downward direction may be opposite to the direction of gravity, while the upward direction may be in the same direction as gravity. Those skilled in the art will recognize that any orientation with respect to the direction of gravity falls within the above disclosure, such as horizontal, vertical, diagonal, any combination thereof and / or any inversion thereof.

[0105] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a camera system is provided, for example located at the end of the assembly line, to verify that the storage seal is in place. More specifically, the camera is positioned to view the handling device from above. The camera is pointed at the mold entry point and compares this circular point with the outer rim (circular rim) of the valve. If these two circular details are concentric, then it is determined that the valve is in storage mode. If they are not concentric, it is determined that the valve is not in storage mode.

[0106] It is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to particular embodiments described, as such may vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting, since the scope of the present disclosure will be limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A handling device (100) for handling a sealing device (1) for sealing a receptacle, comprising: The sealing device (1) comprises: - a base (3) structured to be attached to said receptacle, the base (3) being provided with a sleeve (6) forming an exhaust conduit (8); a valve (4) including a valve housing (25) arranged on said base (3), said receptacle being arranged upstream of said valve (4) when said base (3) is attached to said receptacle, said receptacle defining a discharge direction of said receptacle defining a downstream direction opposite to an upstream direction, and further comprising a discharge pipe (10) protruding at least partially into said sleeve (6) of said base (3) and axially movable in said sleeve (6) in the upstream and downstream directions between a storage position in which said valve is closed and another utility position in which said valve is closed or open; Equipped with said handling device (100) is configured to place the discharge pipe (10) of the valve (4) of the sealing device (1) in a storage position; The handling device includes: a support (150, 152) arranged downstream of said base (3) and adapted to support a handling device; a pressing device (120) arranged upstream of the base (3), configured to apply a first pressing force to the base (3) and / or the valve housing (25) to urge at least the base (3) and the valve (4) against the support (150, 152) and to apply a second pressing force to the discharge pipe (10) of the valve (4) to urge the discharge pipe (10) into its storage position; Equipped with A handling device (100).

2. the pressing device (120) is configured to apply a first force to the base (3) independently of the displacement of the base (3) to the storage position and independently of the application of a second force to the discharge pipe (10) to displace the discharge pipe (130); Handling device according to claim 1.

3. a protective cap (61) disposed on the base (3) and / or the valve (4) to protect the valve (4); the support is a cap support (150) arranged downstream of the protective cap (61) and configured to support the protective cap (61); the pressing device (120) is arranged upstream of the base (3) and configured to apply a first pressing force to the base (3) and / or the valve housing (25) to urge the base (3), the valve (4) and the protective cap (61) against the cap support (150), and to apply a second pressing force to the discharge pipe (10) of the valve (4) to urge the discharge pipe (10) to its storage position; 3. A handling device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the support is a valve support (152) arranged downstream of the valve (4) and configured to support the valve (4); Handling device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The valve support (152) is arranged to contact the clamping ring (40) and / or the valve collar (13). Handling device according to claim 4.

6. the handling device is configured to attach a protective cap (61) to the valve and / or base and to place the valve in the storage position. Handling device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. the pressing device is configured to apply a second force to the discharge pipe (10) that is greater than a first force applied to the base and / or valve housing (25); Handling device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. when the discharge pipe (10) of the sealing device (1) is configured to be axially movable between a storage position in which the discharge pipe (10) moves in a downstream direction to contact a storage seal seat (18, 20) of the sleeve (6) to close the discharge conduit (8), an open utility position in which the discharge pipe (10) moves in an upstream direction to open the discharge conduit (8), and a closed utility position disposed between the storage position and the open utility position in which the discharge pipe (10) moves to contact a utility seal portion of the sleeve (6) to close the discharge conduit (8); the handling device is configured to move the discharge pipe (10) from the open utility position or the closed utility position to the storage position; and / or the valve and base are configured to permit movement of the exhaust pipe between a closed storage position and a closed utility position, the valve being more tightly closed in the closed storage position than in the closed utility position; Handling device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. When the discharge pipe (10) is provided with an upstream sealing member (12), the handling device (100) is configured to contact the upstream sealing member (12) and move the upstream sealing member in a downstream direction until the discharge pipe (10) reaches its storage position. Handling device according to any one of the preceding claims.

10. The pressing device (120) a first pressing element (121) with a first contact surface (123) arranged against said discharge pipe (10); a second pressure element (122) including a second contact surface (124) arranged against said base (3); Equipped with the first and second pressing elements (121, 122) are configured to be displaced relative to each other in the axial direction; Handling device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. a drive (130) configured to drive the movement of the first pressing element (121) and to drive the movement of the second pressing element (122), Handling device according to claim 10.

12. The drive device comprises a first drive unit (131) for driving the movement of the first pressing element (121) and a second drive unit (132) for driving the movement of the second pressing element (122) independently of driving the first pressing element (121). Handling device according to claim 11.

13. The drive device (130) a first drive unit (131) for driving the movement of said first pressing element; at least one elastic member (135) connected between said first and second pressure elements (121, 122) and configured to move said second pressure element with the movement of said first pressure element; Equipped with Handling device according to claim 11 or 12.

14. Handling device according to claim 13, wherein the resilient member (135) comprises a compression spring.

15. The drive device (130) - in a first step, moving the second pressing element (122) together with the downstream axial movement of the first pressing element (121) until the second pressing element is adjacent to the base (3), - in a second phase, while continuing to move the first pressing element (121) in a downstream direction, the second pressing element (122) exerts a pressing force on the base (3) in order to position the base (3), the valve (4) and the protective cap (61) relative to one another and to bias the protective cap (61) against the cap support (150); In a third phase, the first pressing element (121) starts to press the valve (4) against the discharge pipe (10) to bring the discharge pipe into a storage position. It is configured as follows: Handling device according to any one of claims 11 to 14, which depends on claim 3.

16. The first pressing element (121) comprises an elongated pressing rod and the second pressing element (122) comprises a tube arranged concentrically around the pressing rod so as to be axially movable relative to each other. Handling device according to any one of claims 10 to 15.

17. Handling device according to claim 16, wherein the second biasing element is spring-loaded to the first biasing element.

18. a first pressing element (121) comprising a first pressing rod part (127) and a replaceable second pressing rod part (128), the replaceable second pressing rod part (128) having a contact surface (123) adapted to the shape of the discharge pipe (10) of the sealing device (1); Handling device according to any one of the preceding claims.

19. 19. An assembly of a handling device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims and at least one sealing device (1).

20. A method for handling a sealing device (1) in a handling device (100), comprising the steps of: - positioning said sealing device (1) between a cap support (150) and a pressing device (120) of said handling device (100); - applying a first pressing force to the base (3) and / or the valve housing (25) of the sealing device (1) to bias the base (3), the valve (4) and the protective cap (61) against the cap support (150); - applying a second pressure force to the discharge pipe (10) of said valve (4) to bias said discharge pipe (10) into its storage position; A method comprising:

21. 21. The method of claim 20, comprising fitting a protective cap (61) to the valve and / or base and placing the valve in the storage position.

22. 22. The method of claim 20 or 21, comprising applying a second force to the discharge pipe (10) that is greater than a first force applied to the base and / or valve housing (25).

23. when the discharge pipe (10) of the sealing device (1) is configured to be axially movable between a storage position in which the discharge pipe (10) moves in a downstream direction to contact a storage seal seat (18, 20) of the sleeve (6) to close the discharge conduit (8), an open utility position in which the discharge pipe (10) moves in an upstream direction to open the discharge conduit (8), and a closed utility position disposed between the storage position and the open utility position in which the discharge pipe (10) moves to contact a utility seal portion of the sleeve (6) to close the discharge conduit (8); the method comprising moving the exhaust pipe (10) from the open utility position or the closed utility position to the storage position.

23. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 22.

24. When the discharge pipe (10) comprises an upstream sealing member (12), the method comprises contacting the upstream sealing member (12) and moving the upstream sealing member in a downstream direction until the discharge pipe (10) reaches its stored position.

24. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 23.

25. said pressing device (120) comprising a first pressing element (121) with a first contact surface (123) and a second pressing element (122) with a second contact surface (124); The method further comprising: - moving said second pressure element (122) towards said base (3) of said sealing device (1) and exerting a pressing force on said base (3) on said second contact surface (124) of said second pressure element (122); - moving said first pressing element (121) towards said discharge pipe (10) of said sealing device (1) and exerting a pressing force on said discharge pipe (10) by said first contact surface (123) of said first pressing element (121); Equipped with The first and second pressing elements (121, 122) are axially displaced relative to each other.

25. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 24.

26. said pressing device (120) comprising a first pressing element (121) with a first contact surface (123) and a second pressing element (122) with a second contact surface (124); the method comprising driving a movement of the first pressing element (121) and the second pressing element (122) using a drive device connected to the pressing device, 26. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 25.

27. 27. The method according to claim 25 or 26, comprising driving the movement of the first pressing element (121) independently of driving the movement of the second pressing element (122).

28. 28. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 27, comprising aligning the base (3) and the valve housing (25) by applying the first pressing force.

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