WO1994018086A1

WO1994018086A1 - Pouring spout

Info

Publication number: WO1994018086A1
Application number: PCT/DK1994/000056
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jesper Lodberg; Jens Avnskjold
Original assignee: Lodberg & Avnskjold I/s
Current assignee: Lodberg & Avnskjold I/s
Priority date: 1993-02-05
Filing date: 1994-02-04
Publication date: 1994-08-18
Anticipated expiration: 1995-08-05
Also published as: DK14093D0; DK14093A; AU6038194A; DK169989B1

Abstract

A pouring spout for fitting into a container opening, e.g. into a bottle neck, comprises a tubular portion (1) with an inlet opening (2), an outlet opening (3) and a collar portion (4) for abutment on a container edge. At the outlet opening (2) and on the outside the tubular portion (1) is designed to incline towards the centerline of the tubular portion (1) and towards the outlet opening whereas the inside of the tubular portion (1) extends substantially parallel with the center line. At its inlet and on the inside (6), the pouring spout may be designed to incline toward the center line of the tubular portion and towards the outlet opening and furthermore it may be provided with through-going holes (10) in the tubular portion (1) between the inlet opening (2) and the collar portion (4) thereof.

Description

Pouring spout

The invention relates to a pouring spout for fitting in the outlet opening of a container, e.g. a bottle or the like, and comprising a tubular portion having a downwardly facing inlet opening and an upwardly facing outlet opening with an annular edge and a collar portion on said tubular portion for abutment on a container edge.

Such pouring spouts are used for mounting in container openings where they serve to provide spill-proof dis¬ pensation of liquid from the container. Thus, the pouring spout acts as a drip catcher.

A pouring spout of the above-mentioned type is described in e.g. German patent publication No. 1,944,012. At its outlet opening the thus known pouring spout is provided with a flat edge and consequently it has been known not always to ensure the desired spill-proof dispensation of liquid.

A corresponding pouring spout is also known which is provided with a rounded portion on the inside of the tubular portion. This embodiment does not ensure spill- proof dispensation, either.

US patent No. 4,222,504 discloses a pouring spout which is provided with an annular edge at its outlet opening. The pouring spout is provided with a conical portion which expands towards the outlet opening. This means that by use of such pouring spout and when dispensation is discontinued there is a high risk of spilling as the container, e.g. a bottle, into which the pouring spout is fitted will have to be removed a considerable distance upwards of the place of dispensation in order to be able to carry out that turning of the container about an axis transversal of the longitu- dinal axis of the container which is necessary to cut off the liquid flow, that is in case the liquid has not already stuck to the outside of the pouring spout and from here finds its way down the container. The fact that the container has to be tilted at a comparatively large angle means that the flow is not cut off in a speedy and effici¬ ent manner and at the same time the required large distance between the container and the place of dispensation makes high demands to the user. Thus, this known drip catcher cannot in all instances provide the desired spill-proof dispensation.

Moreover, similar pouring spouts or drip catchers are known from EP patent No. 160 309, US patent No. 3,491,925 and US patent No. 3,868,051.

Lastly, DK patent application No. 2297/90 discloses devices comprising a rounded film disc and intended for fitting into a bottle neck. Such device may only be used in connection with a bottle and only for the dispensation at a determined position of the device. Moreover the device which is secured by means of its intrinsic resiliency requires that the bottle neck has a smooth and uniform inner surface in order for the disc to abut thereon. Spill- proof dispensation is therefore not always ensured, bottles often having rough and non-uniform designs. In such cases the liquid often trickles from between the film disc and the bottle neck.

Therefore it is the object of the invention to provide a pouring spout of the above-defined type which in all cases ensures spill-proof dispensation.

This object is achieved with a pouring spout which is characterized in that the tubular portion of the outlet area on the inside extends substantially parallel with the center line of the tubular portion and on the outside inclines towards the center line towards the outlet opening.

By designing a pouring spout as disclosed above it is ensured that the fluid which flows through the tubular portion of the pouring spout during dispensation is cut off abruptly at a short distance from the place of dispensation by the upward movement of the container portion effected when dispensation is discontinued.

The invention is based on the discovery that in order to ensure the spill-proof dispensation, the surface tension must be ruptured abruptly without any possibility of drops sticking to the outside of the pouring spout and from there finding its way below.

The pouring spout is well suitable for fitting to a bottle but other applications are also possible. Exemplary applications include plastics cans, cardbord packagings or the like. The pouring spout may conveniently be provided with an inlet portion having an internal cross sectional area which is larger than the internal cross sectional area of the tubular portion at the outlet. Thereby undisturbed flow in and about the inlet is ensured.

An alternative embodiment of the pouring spout according to the invention is provided with through-going holes in the downwardly facing portion of the tube. These holes contri¬ bute to the filtration of impurities contained in the container from the liquid when the latter passes into the tubular portions and may, if the pouring spout is used in connection with a wine bottle, moreover contribute to efficient oxidation of the wine during dispensation.

Alternative embodiments will appear from the remaining, independent claims. The invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the drawings, wherein

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an em- 5 bodiment of the pouring spout according to the invention,

Fig. 2 shows an alternative embodiment of a pouring spout according to the invention seen sidewise, 10 and

Fig. 3 shows a further embodiment of the pouring spout according to the invention seen sidewise.

15_. As shown in Fig. 1 the pouring spout is formed of a tubular portion 1 which, in the area around the outlet opening 3 on the inside 6, extends substantially parallel with the center line of the tubular portion 3 and on the outside 7 is inclined towards the center line towards the outlet

20 opening 3. Hereby a sharp edge 5 is formed. At its inlet opening 2 the pouring spout is provided with an expansion which results from the tubular portion on the inside extending in an inclined manner away from the center line, whereas the tubular portion on the outside extends sub-

25 stantially parallel with the center line. This expansion towards the inlet opening contributes to a steady and uninterrupted flow in the tubular portion of the pouring spout. Moreover, the pouring spout is provided with a collar 4 which in the mounted state of the pouring spout

30 abuts on the container (not shown) about the opening of the latter. In this case, two flexible sealing flanges 8 are provided on the pouring spout.

Fig. 2 shows an alternative embodiment of the pouring spout 35 according to the invention wherein, as distinguished from the pouring spout shown in Fig. 1, only one sealing flange 8 is provided and wherein guides 9 are arranged, too. Fig. 3 shows a third embodiment of the pouring spout according to the invention where the tubular portion 1 is provided with through-going holes 10 between the inside 6 and the outside 7.

In Fig. 3 the upward portion of the pouring spout is of frustoconical shape on the outside. The angle between the center line and a random generatrix on the inclined outer surface is an acute angle.

Most containers, such as bottles, are produced in accordan¬ ce with widely used standards. For instance, such standards prescribe certain outlet diameters but allow deviations within certain tolerances. Such containers and packagings of e.g. glass may moreover have rough and non-uniform surfaces.

Therefore, the pouring spout may be designed with one or more annular flexible sealing flanges and it may moreover be provided with guides positioned along the periphery of the tubular portion. The guides serve to guide and centra¬ lize the pouring spout when mounting the latter in a container.

As already mentioned the pouring spout may be designed with through-going holes in the tubular portion. The holes serve to filter and oxidize the container contents, e.g. wine in a bottle.

The holes are preferably in the shape of circular, through- going holes with a diameter of more than 0.5 mm.

According to a preferred embodiment the circular holes have a diameter of about 1 mm. For use in connection with e.g. a wine bottle sediments or other particles, if any, will be filtered off the wine by dispensation. Moreover, the pouring spout will contribute to efficient oxidization of the wine as bubbles of atmospheric air which enter through the pouring spout during dispensation because of the holes will divide into smaller bubbles and rise through the holes. During division the bubbles have achieved a larger overall surface area which results in an efficient oxidiza¬ tion. Decantation of the wine to obtain oxidization is therefore no longer necessary.

The pouring spout according to the latter embodiment is conveniently designed with at least 100 holes, and it has been shown that a particularly favourable effect with regard to the oxidization occurs when the pouring spout has from 300 to 400 holes.

Preferably, the pouring spout is made of plastics and may e.g. be produced in an injection moulding process. An embodiment where the pouring spout is made of a metallic material is also possible.

Furthermore, it is possible to produce the pouring spout in plastics coated with a metallic material to impart an attractive and exclusive appearance to the pouring spout.

Claims

C l a i m s

1. A pouring spout for fitting into the outlet opening of a container, e.g. a bottle or the like, and comprising a tubular portion (1) with a downwardly facing inlet opening (2) and an upwardly facing outlet opening (3) with an annular edge, and a collar portion (4) on the tubular portion (1) for abutment with a container edge, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d in that the tubular portion (1) in the outlet area on the inside extends substantially parallel with the center line of the tubular portion and on the outside (7) inclines towards the center line in a direction towards the outlet opening (3) .

2. A pouring spout according to claim 1, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the outside around the outlet opening is frustoconical with an acute angle between the center line and a random generatrix on said frustoconical portion.

3. A pouring spout according to claims 1 or 2, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d in that the tubular portion (1) in the inlet area on the outside extends substantially parallel with the center line of the tubular portion (1) and on the inside inclines towards the center line in a direction towards the outlet.

4. A pouring spout according to claims 1, 2 or 3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that it comprises at least one flexible sealing flange (8) between the collar (4) and the inlet opening (2) .

5. A pouring spout according to claims 1-4, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that it comprises substantially axis parallel guides (9) arranged mutually spaced along the periphery of the tubular portion (1) between the collar (4) and the inlet opening (2) .

6. A pouring spout according to claims 1-5, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d in that it comprises through-going holes (10) in the tubular portion (1) between the collar (4) and the inlet opening (2) .

7. A pouring spout according to claim 6, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the holes (10) have a diameter of at least 0.5 mm.

8. A pouring spout according to claims 6-7, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d in that it comprises at least 100 holes.

9. A pouring spout according to claims 1-8, c h a - r a c t e r i z e d in that the pouring spout is made of plastic.

10. A pouring spout according to claims 1-8, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d in that the pouring spout is made of metal.