Container closure for vented pouring through an elongate aperture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9580216-B2
Application number	US-201214380896-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 2, 2012
Priority date	May 2, 2012
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

A closure ( 20, 20 A) is provided for a container that has an opening to the container interior wherein contents may be stored. The closure ( 20, 20 A) includes the following: (A) a closure body ( 30, 30 A) defining (i) a pour aperture ( 50 ) that can communicate-with the container opening and that can accommodate pouring out of the contents through the pour aperture ( 50 ), and (ii) at least one vent aperture ( 60 ) that can communicate with the container opening and that can accommodate the in-venting of ambient atmosphere through the vent aperture ( 60 ) into the container, and (B) a lid ( 32, 32 A) for closing the closure ( 20, 20 A). The pour aperture ( 50 ) has an elongate configuration oriented along a central axis line (A) that bisects the pour aperture ( 50 ) and closure body ( 30 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A closure ( 20 , 20 A) for a container that has an opening to the container interior wherein contents may be stored, said closure ( 20 , 20 A) comprising:
(A) a body ( 30 , 30 A) that is either (a) a separate structure for being attached to said container at said opening, or (b) a structure formed as a unitary portion of said container at said opening, and wherein
said closure body ( 30 , 30 A) has a deck ( 40 ) defining (i) a pour aperture ( 50 ) that can communicate with said container opening and that can accommodate pouring out of the contents through said pour aperture ( 50 ), and (ii) at least one vent aperture ( 60 ) that can communicate with said container opening and that can accommodate the in-venting of ambient atmosphere through said at least one vent aperture ( 60 ) into said container, and
said closure body ( 30 , 30 A) has a pour spout ( 70 ) projecting outwardly from said deck ( 40 ) and extending at least partway around said pour aperture ( 50 ); and

(B) a lid ( 32 , 32 A) for accommodating movement relative to said closure body ( 30 , 30 A) between (a) a closed position sealing against said closure body ( 30 , 30 A) to prevent flow of the contents outwardly of said closure body ( 30 , 30 A), and (b) an open position permitting flow of the contents outwardly of said closure body ( 30 , 30 A); and
wherein said closure ( 20 , 20 A) is characterized in that said pour aperture ( 50 ) is elongate with its length oriented along a central axis line (A) that bisects said closure body ( 30 ) and said pour aperture ( 50 );
said pour aperture ( 50 ) has an arcuate narrow end ( 52 ′);
said pour aperture ( 50 ) has a wide end ( 52 ″) that
(i) is wider than said narrow end ( 52 ′), and
(ii) is located closer to said at least one vent aperture ( 60 ) than is said narrow end ( 52 ′);

said at least one vent aperture ( 60 ) has a maximum width as measured along a line perpendicular to said closure body central axis line (A), and said maximum width of said at least one vent aperture ( 60 ) is greater than the width of at least a portion of said pour aperture ( 50 ) as said pour aperture width is measured along a line perpendicular to said closure body central axis line (A); and
said length of said pour aperture ( 50 ) is at least three time greater than the maximum width of said pour aperture ( 50 ) as the pour aperture maximum width is measured along a line perpendicular to said closure body central axis line (A).

2. The closure ( 20 , 20 A) in accordance with claim 1 in which the width of said pour aperture ( 50 ) continuously increases over a major portion of the length of the pour aperture ( 50 ) along said central axis line (A).

3. The closure ( 20 , 20 A) in accordance with claim 1 in which said wide end ( 52 ″) of said pour aperture ( 50 ) is arcuate.

4. The closure ( 20 , 20 A) in accordance with claim 1 in which
said closure ( 20 , 20 A) includes a hinge ( 36 ) connecting said closure body ( 30 ) and lid ( 32 ); and
said central axis line (A) bisects said closure body ( 30 ), hinge ( 36 ), and lid ( 32 ).

5. The closure ( 20 , 20 A) in accordance with claim 1 in which in which said at least one vent aperture ( 60 ) is circular and is spaced away from the nearest portion of said pour aperture ( 50 ) by an amount that is less than the diameter of said at least one vent aperture ( 60 ).

6. The closure ( 20 , 20 A) in accordance with claim 1 in which
said at least one vent aperture ( 60 ) is further defined by a downwardly extending vent tube ( 62 ) which projects downwardly from said deck ( 40 );
said at least one vent aperture ( 60 ) is circular;
said vent tube ( 62 ) is cylindrical; and
said at least one vent aperture tube ( 62 ) extends below said deck ( 40 ) by a distance which is greater than the diameter of the said at least one vent aperture ( 60 ).

7. The closure ( 20 , 20 A) in accordance with claim 1 in which said closure body ( 30 ) further includes a pour spout ( 70 ) that extends at least partway around said pour aperture ( 50 ).

8. The closure ( 20 , 20 A) in accordance with claim 7 in which
said pour spout ( 70 ) extends completely around said pour aperture ( 50 ) and said at least one vent aperture ( 60 ); and
said lid ( 32 ) includes a spud ( 94 ) for being received inside of, and sealingly engaged with, said spout ( 70 ) when said lid ( 32 ) is closed.

Assignees

• Wisniewski John M
• Aptargroup Inc

Inventors

• Wisniewski John M

Classifications

• B65D51/18

  Arrangements of closures with protective outer cap-like covers or of two or more co-operating closures {(B65D51/247 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B65D47/32

  with means for venting · CPC title

• B65D51/16 Primary

  with means for venting air or gas · CPC title

• B67D3/00

  Apparatus or devices for controlling flow of liquids under gravity from storage containers for dispensing purposes (separating and dispensing metered quantities of liquids G01F) · CPC title

• B65D2205/02

  Venting holes · CPC title