Package with integral retractile pouring spout

• US 6,419,151 B1
• Filed: 11/02/2001
• Issued: 07/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Martin Gabriel Urtubey
• Original Assignee: Martin Gabriel Urtubey
• Inventors: Urtubey, Martin Gabriel
• Primary Examiner(s): Elkins, Gary E.
• Application Number:
  US09/985,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20020053592A1
• Time in Patent Office: 256 Days
• Field of Search: 229/215, 229/217, 229/219, 229/125.42
• US Class Current: 229/215
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/745 Spouts formed by deforming or tearing parts of the upper wall, combined with a deformation of a part of the body of the container

Abstract

A package for pourable products, with integral tamper-evident retractile pouring spout and pouring control, the package comprising a box with a corner thereof having a pouring opening defined between an upper wall, a front wall and side walls, the corner including an upper inclined portion downwardly extending from the upper wall towards the front wall, and a snapping movable portion upwardly extending the front wall and overlapping the upper inclined portion, the snapping portion snap-moving between a close position wherein the snapping portion is resting against the upper inclined portion and closing the opening, and an open position wherein the snapping portion is spaced apart from the upper inclined portion in a manner that the pouring opening forms a pouring spout.

Claims

1. A package for pourable products, with tamper-evident retractile pouring spout, the package comprising a box with a corner thereof having a pouring opening defined between an upper wall, a front wall and side walls, the corner including an upper inclined portion downwardly extending from the upper wall towards the front wall, and a snapping movable portion upwardly extending from the front wall and overlapping the upper inclined portion, the snapping portion snap-moving between a close position wherein the snapping portion is resting against the upper inclined portion and closing the opening, and an open position wherein the snapping portion is spaced apart from the upper inclined portion in a manner that the pouring opening forms a pouring spout.

2. The package of claim 1, wherein,

the upper inclined portion downwardly extends from a transverse folding line in the upper wall towards the front wall,

the snapping movable portion extends from a folding line in the front wall towards the upper inclined portion,

the pouring opening being further defined between the upper inclined portion and the snapping movable portion, and

the snapping portion is connected to the side walls by resilient driving means for providing the snapping portion with a snapping effect in the movement between the close position and the open position.

3. The package of claim 2, wherein the upper inclined portion is inwardly extending and fixed to the side walls by first fold portions of the side walls.

4. The package of claim 2, wherein the snapping portion includes an upper edge that is detachably fixed to the upper inclined portion.

5. The package of claim 2, wherein the upper inclined portion and the snapping portion are inclined the same angle when the snapping portion is in the close position.

6. The package of claim 5, wherein the snapping portion defines an outwardly extended curve when the snapping portion is in the open position, whereby forming the pouring spout.

7. The package of claim 4, wherein the upper edge of the snapping portion includes a pulling tongue upwardly extending from the snapping portion.

8. The package of claim 7, wherein the pulling tongue is encircled by a wing extending from the upper edge of the snapping portion, the wing being joined to the upper edge by a tearing line and being spaced apart from the pulling tongue by a cut, the wing being adhered at least to the upper inclined portion in such a manner that a consumer may pull from the pulling tongue to split the snapping portion from the wing that remains adhered to the upper inclined portion thus forming a tamper-evident spout.

9. The package of claim 8, wherein the snapping portion comprises a central portion having a lower portion defined by side straight folding lines and an upper portion defined by curved folding lines forming an ogival profile continuing into the pulling tongue.

10. The package of claim 9, wherein the resilient driving means comprises, at each side of the central portion of the snapping portion, a second fold portion defined in the side wall and a triangular curved portion defined by one of said curved lines defining the ogival profile, by the second fold portion and by part of the upper edge.

11. The package of claim 10, wherein each second fold portion is defined by an lower triangular portion in the side wall, the lower triangular portion having a smallest-angle vertex coincident with the folding line of the snapping portion in the front wall, the lower triangular portion having a smallest side defined by a segment of the upper edge of the snapping portion, the lower triangular portion having a longest side coincident partially with the straight folding lines of the central portion and partially with a side of the triangular curved portion in the snapping portion.

12. The package of claim 3, wherein the first fold portions comprises an upper triangular portion defined in the side wall at each side of the upper wall, each upper triangular portion having a smallest-angle vertex coincident with the transverse folding line of the upper inclined portion in the upper wall of the package, said smallest-angle vertex defining an angle of about 30°

, with the inclined upper portion being inclined about 60°

relative to the upper wall.

13. The package of claim 11, wherein the smallest-angle vertex of the lower triangular portion defines an angle of about 15°

, with the snapping portion being inclined about 30°

relative to the front wall.

14. The package of claim 11, wherein the lower triangular portion further includes an outer hinge side forming a hinge between the corresponding side wall and the snapping portion.

15. The package of claim 2, wherein the upper inclined portion is formed by a pair of overlapping leaves, each leaf being part of corresponding upper overlapping panels that form the upper wall of the package.

16. The package of claim 15, wherein each leaf includes folding lines for facilitating a downward folding of the leaves during a manufacturing process of the package.

17. The package of claim 2, wherein the upper inclined portion forms a partial damming wall in the pouring opening when the snapping portion is in the open position, whereby controlling the flow of the pourable products passing through the opening.

18. The package of claim 2, wherein the entire package is made of only one integral blank piece of laminar material.

19. The package of claim 18, wherein the laminar material is cardboard.

20. A package, with integral tamper-evident retractile pouring spout and pouring control, for containing and dispensing pourable products, the package comprising a box made from an integral cardboard piece, the box having at least one corner formed by side walls, an upper wall and a front wall, the corner including:

an upper inclined portion downwardly extending from a transverse folding line in the upper wall towards the front wall,

a snapping movable portion in the front wall, the snapping portion upwardly extending from a folding line in the front wall towards the upper inclined portion, and

a pouring opening defined between the upper inclined portion and the snapping movable portion,

wherein the snapping portion is movable between a close position wherein the snapping portion is resting against the upper inclined portion and closing the opening, and an open position wherein the snapping portion is spaced apart from the upper inclined portion in a manner that the pouring opening forms a pouring spout,

the snapping portion being connected to the side walls by resilient driving means for providing the snapping portion with a snapping effect in the movement between the close position and the open position.