360° pour beverage container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9745110-B2
Application number	US-201514863386-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2015
Priority date	Sep 23, 2015
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

A beverage container comprises a container body defining an opening and having an interior volume and a 360° pour spout assembly removably coupled to the container body. The pour spout assembly comprises an outer plug and an inner plug at least partially received within the outer plug, the outer plug being removably coupled to the container body and the inner plug being vertically displaceable along a longitudinal container body axis and removably coupled to the outer plug.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A beverage container comprising:
a container body defining an opening and having an interior volume; and,
a 360° pour spout assembly removably coupled to the container body, the pour spout assembly providing access to the interior volume and having open and closed orientations, the pour spout assembly comprising an outer plug and an inner plug at least partially received within the outer plug,
the outer plug being removably coupled to the container body; and
the inner plug being displaceable along a longitudinal container body axis and removably coupled to the outer plug, the inner plug further comprising one or more retaining members extending from a bottom surface of the inner plug.

2. The beverage container according to claim 1 , further comprising a circumferential stop rib on an inner surface of the outer plug proximate a bottom surface thereof.

3. The beverage container according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more retaining members is inwardly radially deflectable.

4. The beverage container according to claim 1 , wherein in the closed orientation, threads on an inner surface of the outer plug are engaged with threads on an outer surface of the inner plug.

5. The beverage container according to claim 1 , wherein in the open orientation, the one or more retaining members extending from a bottom surface of the inner plug is engaged with a circumferential stop rib on an inner surface of the outer plug.

6. The beverage container according to claim 5 , wherein the one or more retaining members is inwardly radially deflectable upon application of torque to the inner plug.

7. The beverage container according to claim 5 , wherein the one or more retaining members is inwardly radially deflectable upon application of about 0.5 newton meters to about 3 newton meters of torque to the inner plug.

8. The beverage container according to claim 5 , further comprising a contact surface for engaging the circumferential stop rib on the one or more retaining members, the contact surface being angled relative to the longitudinal container body axis.

9. The beverage container according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of sets of partial threading on an outer surface of the inner plug.

10. The beverage container according to claim 9 , further comprising one or more channel sections on the outer surface of the inner plug, the one or more channel sections being disposed between first and second sets of partial threading.

11. The beverage container according to claim 10 , wherein the channel sections are recessed relative to sections carrying the first and second sets of partial threading.

12. The beverage container according to claim 1 , the outer plug further comprising an annular and outwardly flared pour spout extending beyond a top surface of the opening.

13. The beverage container according to claim 1 , further comprising an inwardly flared sealing wall disposed on an inner surface of the outer plug proximate a bottom surface thereof.

14. The beverage container according to claim 13 , further comprising a seal disposed on an exterior surface of the inner plug proximate a bottom surface thereof, the inwardly flared sealing wall of the outer plug sealing against the seal on the exterior surface of the inner plug when the pour spout assembly is in the closed orientation.

15. The beverage container according to claim 13 , the inwardly flared sealing wall of the outer plug being separated from the seal on the exterior surface of the inner plug by an annular ring pathway that is in fluid communication with the interior volume when the pour spout assembly is in the open orientation.

16. The beverage container according to claim 1 , the outer plug further comprising a seal disposed on an exterior surface of the outer plug proximate a bottom surface thereof, the seal disposed on the exterior surface of the outer plug sealing the pour spout assembly to the container body.

17. The beverage container according to claim 1 , wherein the beverage container body is a double walled container.

18. A beverage container comprising:
a container body defining an opening and having an interior volume; and,
a 360° pour spout assembly removably coupled to the container body, the pour spout assembly providing access to the interior volume and having open and closed orientations, the pour spout assembly comprising an outer plug and an inner plug at least partially received within the outer plug,
the outer plug being removably coupled to the container body; and
the inner plug being displaceable along a longitudinal container body axis and removably coupled to the outer plug,
wherein the inner plug further comprises a top portion, a body, and a residual seal between the top portion and the body, the residual seal sealing against an inner surface of the outer plug when the pour spout assembly is in the closed orientation.

19. The beverage container according to claim 18 , wherein the residual seal comprises an outwardly flared annular wall.

20. A method of pouring a liquid from a beverage container, the method comprising:
providing a beverage container comprising a container body defining an opening and having an interior volume and a 360° pour spout assembly removably coupled to the container body, the pour spout assembly providing access to the interior volume and having open and closed orientations, the pour spout assembly comprising an outer plug and an inner plug at least partially received within the outer plug, the outer plug being removably coupled to the container body, and the inner plug being displaceable along a longitudinal container body axis and removably coupled to the outer plug, the beverage container further comprising a circumferential stop rib on an inner surface of the outer plug and one or more retaining members extending from a bottom surface of the inner plug;
positioning the pour spout assembly in the open orientation, wherein positioning the pour spout in the open orientation comprises rotating the inner plug, thereby causing the inner plug to move slightly along the longitudinal container body axis based on a threaded connection between the inner plug and the outer plug, such that the one or more retaining members extending from a bottom surface of the inner plug is engaged with the circumferential stop rib on an inner surface of the outer plug; and,
pouring a liquid from the beverage container.

Assignees

• Ignite Usa Llc

Inventors

• Boyer Christopher T
• Coon Robert C
• Washburn Bryan
• Hurley Paul D

Classifications

• B65D47/121 Primary

  Stoppers · CPC title

• B65D47/246 Primary

  moving helically, e.g. screw tap · CPC title

• A45F2003/205

  Collapsible or foldable cups · CPC title

• A45F3/20 Primary

  of flexible material; Collapsible or stackable cups · CPC title

• A47J41/0027

  the stopper incorporating a dispensing device, i.e. the fluid being dispensed through the stopper · CPC title