Pouring spout for a liquid container

• US 20030034363A1
• Filed: 10/07/2002
• Published: 02/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yang Ji Chemical Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Mauser-Werke GmbH (Mauser Packaging Solutions)
• Inventors: Morgenroth, Ingolf
• Granted Patent: US 6,845,885 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/481.5
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2205/00 Venting means
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 23/04 Means for mixing or for promoting flow of contents hydro-dynamic means for influencing the flow of liquids F15D
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/06 with pouring spouts or tubes; with discharge nozzles or passages with slidable spouts B65D47/26

Abstract

A pouring spout for liquid containers to allow for a dosed and continuous ventilation of the container interior and thus a regular pouring of the liquid independent of the degree of tilt of the container, includes a ring-shaped upper part and a tubular segment attached to the ring-shaped upper part and having at least one ventilation opening through which the air enters in a dosed manner. Provided in the lower part of the tubular segment is a partition which extends on an inner side of the tubular segment in substantial parallel relationship to the tubular segment and is connected laterally with the tubular segment. The partition wall has an upper part distal bottom wall for connection to the tubular segment to form a so-called air trap.

Claims

1. A pouring spout for a liquid container, comprising:

a ring-shaped upper part for placement in a pouring neck of a liquid container;

a tubular segment attached to the ring-shaped upper part and extending approximately in prolongation of the ring-shaped upper part downwards into the pouring neck, said tubular segment having at least one opening for permitting air to enter; and

a partition wall extending on an inner side of the tubular segment in substantial parallel relationship to the tubular segment and connected laterally with the tubular segment, said partition wall having an upper part distal bottom wall for connection to the tubular segment.

2. The pouring spout of claim 1, wherein the partition wall extends in a pouring direction and is configured in the form of a tubular segment.

3. The pouring spout of claim 1, wherein the partition wall has an upper rim to form a flow tear-off edge and extends to a lower edge of the pouring neck of the container.

4. The pouring spout of claim 1, wherein the partition wall and the tubular segment are each outwardly curved, said partition wall having a radius of curvature which is approximately the same as or slightly greater than a radius of curvature of the tubular segment.

5. The pouring spout of claim 1, and further comprising an anti-rotation mechanism for preventing a rotation of the pouring spout relative to the pouring neck of the container.

6. The pouring spout of claim 5, wherein the upper part includes an outer slot for engagement by a projection jutting out inwardly from the pouring neck to thereby implement the anti-rotation device.

7. The pouring spout of claim 1, and further comprising a push-in inhibiting mechanism to prevent the pouring spout from being pushed-in into the container.

8. The pouring spout of claim 7, wherein the upper part is provided with a flanged rim projecting radially outwards for engagement in a recess of the pouring neck of the container to thereby implement the push-in inhibiting mechanism.

9. The pouring spout of claim 1, wherein the tubular segment includes two of said opening in vertical superimposed disposition, thereby defining a lower ventilation opening and an upper ventilation opening, wherein the lower ventilation opening has a diameter which is greater than a diameter of the upper ventilation bore.

10. The pouring spout of claim 1, and further comprising a conical gradation positioned between the upper part and the tubular segment to realize a press-fit of the pouring spout in the pouring neck, wherein the opening of the tubular segment is configured as a vertical slot which extends upwards almost to the conical gradation and downwards to bottom wall.

11. The pouring spout of claim 1, wherein the bottom wall has a sickle-shaped configuration.

12. The pouring spout of claim 11, wherein the sickle-shaped bottom wall has at least two ventilation bores.

13. The pouring spout of claim 1 in the form of an injection molded plastic part having a greatest diameter which is greater by about 2% to 4% than an inner opening diameter of the pouring neck of the container.

14. The pouring spout of claim 1, wherein the partition wall extends in circumferential direction approximately over 180°

of the tubular segment so that the partition wall projects only slightly inwardly in a radial direction so as to maintain a greatest possible free cross section for filling purposes.

15. The pouring spout of claim 14, wherein the partition wall extends inwardly in the radial direction by about 6 mm.

16. The pouring spout of claim 9, and further comprising two vertical intermediate walls extending between the partition wall and the tubular segment to define two outer chambers and a center chamber, wherein the intermediate walls as well as the partition wall extend in the area of the outer chambers to about a lower edge of the upper part, while the partition wall extends in the area of the center chamber to about the lower edge of the pouring neck and up to the upper ventilation opening.

17. The pouring spout of claim 9 for use with a 20 liters canister, wherein the upper part has an outer diameter of 48 mm, with the pouring spout having an overall vertical dimension of 52 mm, wherein the partition wall has a vertical dimension of 27 mm, wherein the upper ventilation bore has a diameter of about 5 mm, and the lower ventilation bore has a diameter of about 9 mm.

18. The pouring spout of claim 16, wherein the partition wall extends inwardly by about 6 mm.

19. The pouring spout of claim 13, wherein the injection-molded plastic part is made from HD-PE.

20. The pouring spout of claim 9, wherein the bottom wall has at least two ventilation bores, wherein the ventilation openings in the tubular segment and the ventilation bores in the bottom wall are so positioned that in an initial pouring stage, in which the container is tilted slightly, air is able to enter through the upper ventilation opening as a main pouring stream is thrown out through the upper part while a small amount of liquid is able to flow also through the lower ventilation opening, that in a second pouring stage upon further tilting of the container to about 90°

air enters through both the upper and lower ventilation openings while liquid is able to flow also through the ventilation bores in the bottom wall along an inner side of the partition wall for subsequent union with the main pouring stream, and that in a final pouring stage in which the container is tilted to about 120°

, air is drawn also through the ventilation bores in the bottom wall.