Pouring container having a non-drip lip

• US 6,474,514 B1
• Filed: 06/26/2001
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SEB SA
• Original Assignee: SEB SA
• Inventors: Guillemin, Christophe, Lebrun, Erik
• Primary Examiner(s): Kaufman, Joseph A.
• Application Number:
  US09/888,427
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 222/571, 222/572, 222/573, 222/574, 222/564, 222/566, 222/567, 222/475.1, D 7/315, D 7/317, D 7/318, D 7/319, D23/212, D32/53, D32/53.1
• US Class Current: 222/475.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 19/145 Drip catchers for coffee or tea pots
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/40 with drip catchers or drip-preventing means

Abstract

A container for pouring liquids, composed of a vessel having a longitudinal axis and a bottom, and a pouring lip made of a plastic material. The pouring lip has a central pouring part having a pouring end, and lateral parts, and the lip is composed of: an upper wall, a lower wall and a connecting surface that extends between the upper wall and the lower wall; the upper wall is inclined downwardly into the vessel when the longitudinal axis of the vessel has a vertical orientation; and, in the central pouring part, the connecting surface is free of any sharp edge and has an upper segment having a radius of curvature between 0.5 and 2 mm in a plane passing through the longitudinal axis.

Claims

1. A container for pouring liquids, comprising a vessel having a longitudinal axis, a bottom and a pouring lip made of a plastic material, wherein said pouring lip has a central pouring part having a pouring end, and lateral parts, and said lip comprises:

an upper wall, a lower wall and a connecting surface that extends between said upper wall and said lower wall;

wherein said upper wall is inclined downwardly into said vessel when the longitudinal axis of said vessel has a vertical orientation;

in said central pouring part, said connecting surface is free of any sharp edge and has an upper segment having a radius of curvature between 0.5 and 2 mm in a plane passing through the longitudinal axis; and

said connecting surface further has a lower segment with a radius of curvature in the plane passing through the longitudinal axis that is smaller than the radius of curvature of said upper segment.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein said upper wall has a mirror finish.

3. The container of claim 2 wherein said upper segment has a mirror finish.

4. The container of claim 3 wherein said lower segment has a surface roughness that is greater than that of said upper segment.

5. The container of claim 4 wherein said lower wall has a surface roughness that is greater than that of said upper wall.

6. The container of claim 1 wherein said connecting surface has a central segment disposed between said upper segment and said lower segment.

7. The container of claim 6 wherein said central segment has a surface roughness that is greater than that of said upper segment.

8. The container of claim 7 wherein said central segment extends in a direction that is essentially vertical when the longitudinal axis of said vessel has a vertical orientation.

9. The container of claim 8 wherein said upper edge has a peak that is inscribed in a plane.

10. The container of claim 1 wherein said upper wall has an inclination of between 25°

and 45°

with respect to a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

11. The container of claim 10 wherein said upper wall is parallel to said lower wall.

12. The container of claim 11, wherein said pouring end has a thickness less than 1.2 mm.

13. The container according claim 12 wherein said pouring lip presents a flow path having a central axis that is transverse to the longitudinal axis and said lower wall has a length, parallel to the central axis, greater that 4 mm.

14. The container of claim 13 wherein said lip further has a base that is spaced from said lower wall in the direction opposite to the direction of flow of liquid along the flow path, and said lower wall is joined to said base by an outer projection.

15. The container of claim 14 wherein said outer projection extends substantially along the line parallel to the longitudinal axis.

16. The container of claim 15 wherein said outer projection has a height greater than 1 mm.

17. The container of claim 16 wherein said outer projection has lateral parts and a central part located between said lateral parts, each of said parts has an upper zone, and said upper zones of said lateral parts are at a higher elevation than said upper zone of said central part when said container is in an upright position.

18. The container of claim 17 wherein said central part of said outer projection is protuberant with respect to said lateral parts of said outer projection.

19. The container of claim 1 wherein said pouring lip is made of polypropylene.

20. A container for pouring liquids, comprising a vessel having a longitudinal axis, a bottom and a pouring lip made of a plastic material, wherein said pouring lip has a central pouring part having a pouring end, and lateral parts, and said lip comprises:

an upper wall, a lower wall and a connecting surface that extends between said upper wall and said lower wall;

wherein said upper wall is inclined downwardly into said vessel when the longitudinal axis of said vessel has a vertical orientation;

in said central pouring part, said connecting surface is free of any sharp edge and has an upper segment having a radius of curvature between 0.5 and 2 mm in a plane passing through the longitudinal axis;

said upper wall has an inclination of between 25° and

45°

with respect to a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;

said upper wall is parallel to said lower wall;

said pouring end has a thickness less than 1.2 mm; and

said pouring lip presents a flow path having a central axis that is transverse to the longitudinal axis and said lower wall has a length, parallel to the central axis, greater that 4 mm.

21. The container of claim 20 wherein said lip further has a base that is spaced from said lower wall in the direction opposite to the direction of flow of liquid along the flow path, and said lower wall is joined to said base by an outer projection.

22. The container of claim 21 wherein said outer projection extends substantially along the line parallel to the longitudinal axis.

23. The container of claim 22 wherein said outer projection has a height greater than 1 mm.

24. The container of claim 23 wherein said outer projection has lateral parts and a central part located between said lateral parts, each of said parts has an upper zone, and said upper zones of said lateral parts are at a higher elevation than said upper zone of said central part when said container is in an upright position.

25. The container of claim 24 wherein said central part of said outer projection is protuberant with respect to said lateral parts of said outer projection.