Pour spout closure with handle

• US 5,582,315 A
• Filed: 08/30/1994
• Issued: 12/10/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Innovative Molding, Innovative Molding, Inc. (TriMas Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Innovative Molding, Inc. (TriMas Corporation)
• Inventors: Reid, Grahame W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elkins, Gary E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Newhouse, Nathan
• Application Number:
  US08/297,750
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 220/367, 220/705, 220/710.5, 220/716, 220/717, 220/719, 220/760, 220/762, 220/763, 220/764, 220/714, 220/373, 220/374, 220/367.1, 220/254, 222/519-520, 222/526, 222/528-533, 222/538, 222/548, 222/570-571, 222/465.1, 16/342, 16/112, 215/387-389
• US Class Current: 220/254.4
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 19/2272 from drinking glasses or cups comprising lids or covers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/265 between planar parts B65D47/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/1683 by actuating a separate element in the container or closure
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/242 provided with means for facilitating lifting or suspending of the container

Abstract

A threaded closure for large-mouth containers has a handle which swings up or down on a horizontal pivot, and closes a vent hole when in the downward position. A pour spout rotates on an inclined off-vertical axis, to store the pour spout closely alongside the top surface of the closure, sealing off the pour spout, or to rotate outward to an upwardly inclined pouring position in which the spout is open. The vent hole in the top of the closure has a negative draft for a snap fit with a nipple or plug on the handle. Another preferred element of the closure construction is that the handle is held onto the closure body with polygonally shaped pegs extending into similarly shaped holes in the closure body. The handle thus tends to stay in different selected positions when pouring. The plastic handle itself is molded to a smaller reach width, so that it is stretched when assembled and continuously exerts a force inward against the closure body, reliably holding the pegs in the holes. Another feature of the invention relates to the pour spout seal, which includes an upwardly dome-shaped surface on the closure, so that when the pour spout or spigot is snapped into place, a chamber-dividing web of the pour spout wipes across this domed surface with sealing pressure constantly exerted.

Claims

1. A pour spout closure for a relatively large mouth container, of the type wherein a pour spout or spigot rotates from a closed position rotated back toward the center of the closure and an open position projecting outwardly over the edge of the closure, and wherein a pivoted handle secured to the closure body swings up to a position for carrying the weight of the closure and container and swings down to a position against an upper surface of the closure body, comprising:

the closure comprising a raised region at the top of the closure body, having a downwardly and outwardly sloped, substantially annular circumferential wall with an annular groove at the bottom of the wall and a slightly upwardly domed top surface on the raised region, with an opening at one side of the domed top surface,

and the pour spout or spigot further including a generally bell-shaped base portion and a generally tubular pour spout portion, the pour spout communicating with a first chamber in the base portion, and there being a second chamber in the base portion divided from the first chamber by a dividing wall, and the pour spout including an annular flange for assembling down over and snapping into the annular groove on the circumferential wall of the raised region of the closure body, the dividing wall between the two chambers being arched convexly downwardly so that it will engage with an interference or biasing preload against the domed top surface of the raised region, so that when snapped together onto the raised region, the dividing wall of the pour spout structure slightly displaces the domed top surface and engages the domed top surface tightly in a preloaded wiper seal arrangement,

whereby the preload between the dividing wall and the domed top surface of the raised region on the closure body effectively prevents leakage from the open side of the raised region'"'"'s top surface across to the chamber connected to the tubular pouring spout.

2. The closure construction of claim 1, further including an annular ridge surrounding the two chambers in the base portion of the pour spout component, positioned to engage downwardly with a sealing pressure against an annular region of a shoulder at the periphery of the domed top surface of the raised region when the pour spout component is snapped together onto the closure body, to further seal against leakage between the closure body an the pour spout component.