Spout handle and nozzle assembly

Abstract

A valve assembly has a spout having a central opening in communication with an interior of the bag, and a circumferential interior sidewall. There is a sliding valve disposed within the central opening, the sliding valve having an open position wherein contents of the bag can flow through the valve, and a closed position, where the valve is sealed against the interior sidewall of the spout. There is a valve actuator connected to a dispensing apparatus. The valve actuator moves the sliding valve from a closed position to an open position when the spout is placed on the actuator, and the actuator moves the sliding valve from an open position to a closed position when the spout is removed from the valve actuator. The sliding valve remains in its set open or closed position until it is moved by the actuator. This arrangement prevents leakage of the container when the container is not being used in a dispensing apparatus.

1 . A valve assembly for dispensing liquid from a bag-in-box container, comprising: 
 a spout having a central opening in communication with an interior of the bag, and a circumferential interior sidewall;    a sliding valve disposed within the central opening, said sliding valve having an open position wherein contents of the bag can flow through the valve, and a closed position, where the valve is sealed against the interior sidewall; and    a valve actuator adapted to be connected to a dispensing apparatus, said valve actuator moving the sliding valve from a closed position to an open position when said spout is placed on said actuator, and said valve actuator moving said sliding valve from an open position to a closed position when said spout is removed from said valve actuator.    
   
   
       2 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the sliding valve has a plurality of gripping fingers disposed around a circumference of the valve and the actuator has a circumferential groove, and wherein in the closed position, the gripping fingers press against the interior sidewall of the spout and keep the valve closed, and in the open position, the gripping fingers are pressed inward into the groove of the actuator, to allow the valve to slide within the central opening.  
   
   
       3 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the valve has at least one aperture therethrough, such that in the open position, the at least one aperture is in communication with an interior of the container to allow fluid from the container to flow through the at least one aperture, and wherein in the closed position, the at least one aperture is sealed from the fluid in the container.  
   
   
       4 . The assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein the actuator has a channel running longitudinally therethrough, such that in the open position, fluid from the container runs through the at least one aperture of the valve and into the channel of the actuator.  
   
   
       5 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising a support structure surrounding the spout, said support structure retaining said spout on an outside of said bag-in-box container.  
   
   
       6 . The assembly according to  claim 5 , wherein said support structure has a handle so that said bag-in-box container can be carried by said handle.  
   
   
       7 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said sliding valve has a concave front surface and said actuator has a convex end portion, such that said convex end portion fits within said concave front surface to move the valve between open and closed positions.  
   
   
       8 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the spout has a threaded exterior sidewall.