Spout assembly having a plurality of fluid passages

• US 20030102318A1
• Filed: 11/04/2002
• Published: 06/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jung Min Lee
• Original Assignee: Jung Min Lee
• Inventors: Lee, Jung Min
• Granted Patent: US 7,124,917 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 220/705
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/066 the spout being either flexible or having a flexible wall portion, whereby the spout is foldable between a dispensing and a non-dispensing position B65D47/2043 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 77/28 Cards, coupons, or drinking straws B65D5/4212, B65D23/14, B65D25/205, B65D33/004, B65D51/245, B65D75/54 take precedence

Abstract

The present invention relates to a spout assembly having a plurality of fluid passages so as to enable easy and convenient drinking of liquid beverages contained in the container through an associated straw and easily dispense the liquid beverages into another container. The spout assembly includes a main body coupled on a top of a container, a fluid spout assembly having a first fluid passage through which the liquid beverage can flow out of the container in a state where the container is inclined and a second fluid passage through which the liquid beverage can be socked in a state where the container vertically stands; and a cap coupled to the fluid spouting assembly. The fluid spout assembly can be folded on a folding portion or be elected so that the user can drink or dispense the liquid beverages.

Claims

1. A spout assembly having a plurality of fluid passages comprising:

a main body coupled on an opening of a container;

an outflow means having a first fluid passage through which the liquid beverage can flow out of the container in a state where the container is inclined and a second fluid passage through which the liquid beverage can be sucked in a state where the container vertically stands;

a cap coupled to the outflow means; and

a bending means where the outflow means can be bent or be erected so that the user can easily drink or dispense the liquid beverages.

2. The spout assembly having a plurality of fluid passages as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main body includes an opening identification skirt which is divided by a separating guide line and is provided with an engagement jaw engaged and fixed to a top end of the container.

4. The spout assembly having a plurality of fluid passages as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main body adheres to the container.

5. The spout assembly having a plurality of fluid passages as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main body is integrally molded by an inserting manner to the top end of the container.

6. The spout assembly having a plurality of fluid passages as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main body is integrally molded with the container.

7. The spout assembly having a plurality of fluid passages as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main body is provided with a space for receiving the outflow means bent by the bending means.

8. The spout assembly having a plurality of fluid passages as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first fluid passage is protrudently extended from the main body to the outside, and the spout assembly includes a spout formed with a central hole for discharging internal contents.

9. The spout assembly having a plurality of fluid passages as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second fluid passage includes a small diameter of an outflow tube mounted inside of the first fluid passage, and the outflow tube communicates from the top end of the first fluid passage to the bottom end of the container.

10. The spout assembly having a plurality of fluid passages as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second fluid passage is supported by a supporting means in the first fluid passage and includes an operating outflow tube upward or downward movably mounted thereto, the operating outflow tube communicates from the top end of the first fluid passage to the bottom end of the container, an outer protrusion of the top end of the operating outflow tube is elastically engaged and fixed with an inner protrusion of the cap whereby the operating outflow tube moves upwardly by a fixed distance while opening the cap.

11. The spout assembly having a plurality of fluid passages as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cap is threaded with an outer circumference of the outflow means and includes an opening identification skirt that is divided by a separating guide line and is provided with an engagement jaw engaged and fixed to the main body.

12. The spout assembly having a plurality of fluid passages claimed in claim 1, wherein the bending means includes a bellows bending portion formed on the outflow means.

13. The spout assembly having a plurality of fluid passages as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bending means includes a bending margin portion that is connected between the main body and the outflow means to accomplish of bending the outflow means and a bending border portion that is connected between an opposite main body from the bending margin portion and the outflow means thereby being a bending axis of the outflow means.

14. The spout assembly having a plurality of fluid passages as claimed in claim 7, wherein the main body is provided with an elastic protrusion for preventing the cap and the outflow means from being erected while bent to the side wall of the space and the elastic protrusion has a suitable size to elastically pass the cap.

15. The spout assembly having a plurality of fluid passages claimed in claim 8, wherein the spout is formed at its inside with an air inflow hole.

16. The spout assembly having a plurality of fluid passages as claimed in claim 9, wherein the outflow tube is formed with a bellows bending portion.

17. The spout assembly having a plurality of fluid passages as claimed in claim 9, wherein the outflow tube is made from a flexible synthetic resin.

18. The spout assembly having a plurality of fluid passages as claimed in claim 9, wherein the outflow tube is composed of an upper outflow tube and a straw inserted thereinto, and the straw is formed with the bellows bending portion.

19. The spout assembly having a plurality of fluid passages as claimed in claim 9 wherein the outflow tube is disposed into the first outflow passage in state of interposing a supporting member.

20. The spout assembly having a plurality of fluid passages as claimed in claim 10, wherein the operating outflow tube is formed with the bellows bending portion.

21. The spout assembly having a plurality of fluid passages as claimed in claim 10, wherein the operating outflow tube is made from the flexible synthetic resin.

22. The spout assembly having a plurality of fluid passages as claimed in claim 10, wherein the operating outflow tube is composed of a lower outflow tube fixed by the supporting member and a movable outflow tube inserted into the lower outflow tube and upwardly and downwardly moves, and the lower outflow tube is formed with the bellows bending portion.

23. The spout assembly having a plurality of fluid passages as claimed in claim 13, wherein the bending margin portion is formed with a folding portion.

24. The spout assembly having a plurality of fluid passages as claimed in claim 13, wherein the bending margin portion, is connected between a side wall forming a concave space of the main body and the outflow means, and is composed of a bottom surface of the concave space and the side wall while the outflow means is bent in a direction.

25. The spout assembly having a plurality of fluid passages as claimed in claim 13, wherein the bending margin portion is upwardly protruded from an end portion of the main body, and the outflow means is tilted while it is bent.

26. The spout assembly having a plurality of fluid passages as claimed in claim 25, wherein a fixing sticker is stuck to the outflow means and the top surface of the main body.

3. The spout assembly having a plurality of fluid passages as claimed in claim, wherein the main body includes an inserting groove where the top end of the container is inserted and seal-coupled.