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A device comprises a first portion including a first polymer, and a second portion that is relatively flexible in comparison to the first portion and includes a second polymer that is substantially not bondable to the first polymer. A chamber of the device is hermetically sealable with respect to am

A device comprises a first portion including a first polymer, and a second portion that is relatively flexible in comparison to the first portion and includes a second polymer that is substantially not bondable to the first polymer. A chamber of the device is hermetically sealable with respect to ambient atmosphere and is defined by (i) an interior of the second portion, and/or (ii) a space formed between the first and second portions. A third portion of the device includes a third polymer that is bondable to the first and second polymers and fixedly secures the first and second portions to each other.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A device comprising: a first portion including a first polymer;a second portion that is relatively flexible in comparison to the first portion including a second polymer that is substantially not bondable to the first polymer, and a chamber that is hermetically sealable with respect to ambient at

1. A device comprising: a first portion including a first polymer;a second portion that is relatively flexible in comparison to the first portion including a second polymer that is substantially not bondable to the first polymer, and a chamber that is hermetically sealable with respect to ambient atmosphere and defined by at least one of (i) an interior of the second portion, and (ii) a space formed between the first and second portions; anda third portion including a third polymer that is bondable to the first and second polymers and that fixedly secures the first and second portions to each other. 2. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the first, second and third portions are co-extruded. 3. A device as defined in claim 2, wherein the first, second and third portions are co-extrusion blow-molded. 4. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the first polymer includes first and second monomers, the second polymer includes and third and fourth monomers that are different than the first and second monomers and substantially not bondable thereto, and the third polymer includes and fifth and sixth monomers, wherein the fifth monomer is at least substantially similar and bondable to at least one of the first and second monomers for bonding the third polymer to the first polymer, and the sixth monomer is at least substantially similar and bondable to at least one of the third and fourth monomers for bonding the third polymer to the second polymer. 5. A device as defined in claim 4, wherein the fifth monomer is the same as at least one of the first and second monomers, and the sixth monomer is the same as at least one of the third and fourth monomers. 6. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the first portion defines a relatively rigid outer body, the second portion defines a relatively flexible inner bladder, and the third portion fixedly secures at least one of the relatively rigid outer body and the relatively flexible inner bladder to the other. 7. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the chamber is a variable-volume chamber, the device further comprises a one-way valve fixedly secured to at least one of the first, second and third portions and in fluid communication with the chamber, and the one-way valve defines a normally closed position that hermetically seals the chamber with respect to the ambient atmosphere, and an open position that allows substance to flow out of the chamber and device through the one-way valve. 8. A device as defined in claim 7, wherein the third portion forms at least part of a neck of the device. 9. A device as defined in claim 8, wherein the one-way valve is mounted on the neck of the device. 10. A device as defined in claim 7, wherein the one-way valve substantially prevents the ingress of bacteria and other contaminants into the chamber in both the closed and open positions. 11. A device as defined in claim 10, wherein the one-way valve includes a flexible valve member that is movable from the closed to the open position in response to substance at an inlet to the one-way valve exceeding a valve opening pressure. 12. A device as defined in claim 11, wherein the flexible valve member defines a normally closed valve opening. 13. A device as defined in claim 12, wherein the one-way valve further includes a relatively rigid valve seat that engages the flexible valve member in the normally closed position and defines the normally closed valve opening therebetween. 14. A device as defined in claim 7, wherein the one-way valve includes a valve member formed of an elastic material and including an axially-extending valve portion forming a normally closed, axially-extending valve opening, and the valve portion is movable radially between a normally closed position, and an open position with at least a segment of the valve portion spaced radially away from the closed position to connect the valve opening in fluid communication with the variable-volume chamber and thereby allow the passage of fluid from the variable-volume chamber through the valve opening. 15. A device as defined in claim 7, further comprising a pump coupled between the variable-volume chamber and the one-way valve for pumping substance from the chamber through the one-way valve. 16. A device as defined in claim 15, wherein the pump is configured to pump discrete portions of substance from the chamber through the one-way valve, and during the pumping of discrete portions of substance through the one-way valve, the one-way valve and chamber maintain any remaining substance in the chamber in an aseptic condition and sealed with respect to ambient atmosphere. 17. A device as defined in claim 14, wherein the one-way valve includes a valve body defining at least one flow aperture, and the valve member is mounted on the valve body and fixedly secured against axial movement relative thereto. 18. A device as defined in claim 6, wherein at least one of the outer body and inner bladder defines a hermetically sealed, variable-volume storage chamber including stored therein multiple portions of fluid in an aseptic condition. 19. A device as defined in claim 7, wherein the first portion defines a relatively rigid outer body and the second portion defines a relatively flexible inner bladder, and further including at least one of a fluid-flow aperture and a second one-way valve coupled in fluid communication between the relatively rigid outer body and the relatively flexible inner bladder that allows fluid to flow from the ambient atmosphere into the space between the outer body and inner bladder. 20. A device as defined in claim 15, wherein the pump includes a compression chamber, a compressive surface receivable within the compression chamber, and a manually-engageable actuator coupled to at least one of the compression chamber and compressive surface, wherein at least one of the compressive surface and compression chamber is movable relative to the other by the manually-engage able actuator between a rest position and at least one actuated position for pressurizing fluid within the compression chamber and, in turn, dispensing fluid through the one-way valve. 21. A device as defined in claim 20, wherein at least one of the compressive surface and compression chamber is movable relative to the other by the manually engageable actuator between (i) a first position with the compression chamber coupled in fluid communication with the variable-volume chamber for receiving fluid from the variable-volume chamber into the compression chamber, and (ii) a second position with the compressive surface received within the compression chamber and the compression chamber substantially sealed with respect to the variable-volume chamber to pressurize the fluid within the compression chamber and, in turn, dispense pressurized fluid through the one-way valve. 22. A device as defined in claim 21, further comprising a flexible member defining on one side thereof the manually-engage able actuator, and defining on another side thereof the compressive surface. 23. A device as defined in claim 22, wherein the flexible member is substantially dome shaped, and the compression chamber is defined by a recess opposing the substantially dome-shaped flexible member. 24. A device as defined in claim 15, wherein the pump is co-molded with the one-way valve. 25. A device as defined in claim 24, wherein the pump and one-way valve form a pump and valve assembly including a base defining a valve seat, a relatively flexible manually-engage able actuator for pumping substance through the one-way valve, and a relatively flexible valve member engaging the valve seat and forming a normally closed valve opening therebetween. 26. A device as defined in claim 25, wherein the pump and valve assembly further comprises at least one of (i) a penetrable and resealable portion and (ii) a one-way filling valve for filling the variable-volume chamber therethrough. 27. A device as defined in claim 26, wherein the at least one of the penetrable and resealable portion and the one-way filling valve is co-molded with the pump and valve assembly. 28. A device as defined in claim 27, wherein the pump and valve assembly includes a support surface formed integral with the base and movable relative thereto, the manually-engageable actuator and valve member are co-molded to the support surface, and the support surface is movable into engagement with the base to fixedly secure the support surface to the base and form a fluid-tight seal therebetween, and to place the valve member in engagement with the valve seat forming the normally closed valve opening therebetween. 29. A device as defined in claim 28, further comprising a flexible gasket formed on the base and engageable between the base and the third portion forming a fluid-tight seal therebetween. 30. A device as defined in claim 29, wherein the gasket is co-molded with the manually-engageable actuator and valve member. 31. A device as defined in claim 28, wherein the pump and valve assembly further includes a hinge extending between the support surface and base for allowing movement of at least one relative to the other. 32. A device as defined in claim 26, wherein the one-way filling valve is coupled in fluid communication with the variable-volume chamber and defines (1) a normally closed, fluid-tight position hermetically sealing the variable-volume chamber from the ambient atmosphere, and (2) an open position allowing the passage of fluid through the filling valve to introduce fluid therethrough to fill the variable-volume chamber. 33. A device as defined in claim 32, wherein at least one of the valves includes a valve seat and a sealing surface movable relative to the valve seat between closed and open positions, wherein the sealing surface is engageable with the valve seat in the closed position to form a fluid-tight seal therebetween, and is movable relative to the valve seat in the open position to form a valve opening for the passage of fluid therethrough. 34. A device as defined in claim 33, wherein at least one of the valves includes an axially-extending valve seat, and a flexible valve member overlying the valve seat and forming a fluid-tight seal therebetween. 35. A device as defined in claim 34, wherein at least one of the valves further defines an annular, axially-extending seam formed between the valve member and valve seat for receiving fluid therethrough. 36. A device as defined in claim 35, in combination with a filling or injection member engageable with the filling valve to introduce fluid from the filling or injection member, through the filling valve, and into the variable-volume chamber. 37. A device as defined in claim 15, wherein at least a portion of at least one of the pump, the one-way valve, and a surface defining the variable-volume chamber is penetrable by a filling or injection member for filling the variable-volume chamber through the filling or injection member with a fluid to be stored therein, and a resulting penetration aperture is resealable by applying radiation or energy thereto. 38. A device comprising: first means for forming an outer surface of the device and including a first polymer;second means including a second polymer that is substantially not bondable to the first polymer for forming a relatively flexible inner surface of the device in comparison to the first means and a chamber that is hermetically sealable with respect to ambient atmosphere and defined by at least one of (i) an interior of the second means, and (ii) a space formed between the first and second means; andthird means including a third polymer that is bondable to the first and second polymers for fixedly securing the first and second means to each other. 39. A device as defined in claim 38, wherein the first means is a relatively rigid outer body, the second means is a relatively flexible inner bladder, and the third means is a portion of the device that is bonded to and fixedly secures at least one of the body and bladder to the other. 40. A device as defined in claim 39, wherein the body, bladder and portion bonded thereto are co-extrusion blow molded. 41. A method comprising the following steps: extruding a first portion of a device including a first polymer;co-extruding with the first portion a second portion of the device that is relatively flexible in comparison to the first portion and includes a second polymer that is substantially not bondable to the first polymer;co-extruding a third portion of the device including a third polymer that is bondable to the first and second polymers; andbonding the third portion to the first and second portions and fixedly securing the first and second portions to the third portion, and forming a chamber that is hermetically sealable with respect to ambient atmosphere defined by at least one of (i) an interior of the second portion, and (ii) a space formed between the first and second portions. 42. A method as defined in claim 41, further comprising co-extrusion blow molding the first, second and third portions. 43. A method as defined in claim 42, further comprising substantially simultaneously co-extruding the first and second polymers, sequentially co-extruding the third polymer and, in tum, bonding the third polymer to the first and second polymers and fixedly securing the first, second and third portions to each other. 44. A method as defined in claim 41, further comprising extruding a first parison of the first polymer, co-extruding a second parison of the second polymer within the first parison, sequentially co-extruding a third parison of the third polymer, and bonding the third polymer to each of the first and second polymers. 45. A method as defined in claim 44, further comprising moving at least two mold parts into engagement with the co-extruded parisons to form the device. 46. A method as defined in claim 41, wherein the chamber is a variable-volume chamber, and further comprising co-molding a pump and one-way dispensing valve assembly, and fixedly securing the pump and one-way dispensing valve assembly to at least one of the first, second and third portions with the one-way dispensing valve in fluid communication with the variable-volume chamber and the variable-volume chamber is hermetically sealed with respect to ambient atmosphere. 47. A method as defined in claim 46, wherein the variable-volume chamber is a sealed, empty, sterile variable-volume chamber. 48. A method as defined in claim 47, wherein the step of forming a sterile variable-volume chamber includes subjecting the sealed empty variable-volume chamber to radiation. 49. A method as defined in claim 48, wherein the radiation is gamma radiation. 50. A method as defined in claim 47, further comprising aseptically filling the sealed, empty, variable-volume chamber with a sterile fluid. 51. A method as defined in claim 50, wherein the sterile fluid is at least one of a food and a medicine. 52. A method as defined in claim 51, wherein the food is at least one of a milk-containing product, a soy-containing product, a non-dairy creamer, a yogurt-containing product, a fat-containing product, a nutritional supplement containing product, and a low acid product. 53. A method as defined in claim 50, wherein the co-molding step includes co-molding as part of the pump and valve assembly at least one of (i) a penetrable and resealable portion, and (ii) a one-way filling valve. 54. A method as defined in claim 53, wherein the co-molding step includes co-molding as part of the pump and valve assembly the penetrable and resealable portion, and the aseptic filling step includes penetrating the penetrable and resealable portion with a filling or injection member placed in fluid communication with the variable-volume chamber, filling the variable-volume chamber through the filling or injection member, withdrawing the filling or injection member, and resealing a resulting penetration aperture formed in the penetrable and resealable portion. 55. A method as defined in claim 53, wherein the co-molding step includes co-molding as part of the pump and valve assembly the one-way filling valve in fluid communication with the variable-volume chamber, and the aseptic filling step includes placing a filling or injection member in fluid communication with an inlet of the one-way filling valve; filling the sterile fluid through the filling or injection member and one-way filling valve and into the variable-volume chamber; removing the filling or injection member from the one-way filling valve; and sealing the variable-volume chamber with respect to the ambient atmosphere with the one-way filling valve. 56. A device as defined in claim 12, wherein the valve opening is an axially extending valve opening. 57. A device as defined in claim 26, wherein the penetrable and resealable portion is resealable by applying radiation or energy thereto. 58. A device as defined in claim 57, wherein the radiation or energy comprises laser radiation. 59. A device as defined in claim 37, wherein the radiation or energy comprises laser radiation. 60. A method as defined in claim 53, wherein the penetrable and resealable portion is resealable by applying radiation or energy thereto. 61. A method as defined in claim 60, wherein the radiation or energy comprises laser radiation. 62. A method as defined in claim 54 wherein the resealing step comprises applying radiation or energy to the penetrable and resealable portion. 63. A method as defined in claim 62, wherein the step of applying radiation or energy comprises applying laser radiation.