Container and overcap with hinged spout for metered dispensing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9759594-B2
Application number	US-201514631134-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2015
Priority date	Feb 25, 2015
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

A container and overcap assembly includes an open mouth container and an overcap with a built-in spout that is hinged to the overcap. The spout snaps shut inside the overcap when in a fully closed position and snaps into a fully open position as well. The spout accommodates a metered dose of product. In the fully open position, the spout seals the opening in the overcap to prevent product from exiting the container while a metered dose is dispensed from the open spout. The container assembly is particularly useful for containing and providing metered dispenses of dry products such as powders and granulated materials.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An overcap and spout assembly for a container for dispensing a metered amount of product from the container, the overcap and spout assembly comprising:
an overcap including a sidewall connected to a top panel, the sidewall defining an opening that mateably receives a spout, the sidewall including an exterior surface and an interior surface, the opening including a first end and a second end,
the spout including an interior wall connected to an arcuate exterior wall at a corner that is hingedly connected to the first end of the opening, the interior wall and arcuate exterior wall extending away from each other as they extend away from the corner, the interior wall including a distal end opposite the corner, the arcuate exterior wall including a top edge, a bottom edge and a distal edge opposite the corner,
the spout further including a top wall and a bottom wall, the top wall connecting the interior wall to the top edge of the arcuate exterior wall and the bottom wall connecting the interior wall to the bottom edge of the arcuate exterior wall, the top wall including a distal edge disposed opposite the top wall from the corner, the bottom wall including a distal edge disposed opposite the bottom wall from the corner,
the distal edges of the arcuate exterior wall, the top wall and the bottom wall forming a spout opening with the interior wall,
wherein the exterior surface of the sidewall includes a detent disposed adjacent to the second end of the opening with a transverse rib disposed between the detent and the second end of the opening, and
the distal edge of the arcuate exterior wall including a latch that receives the transverse rib when the spout pivots to a closed position.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the sidewall is cylindrical with a central axis and a radius that defines a curvature of the sidewall, the arcuate exterior wall of the spout also having a curvature that is defined by the radius of the sidewall.

3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the distal end of the interior wall engages the interior surface of the sidewall when the spout is pivoted to an open position.

4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the distal end of the interior wall includes a pair of spaced-apart legs, the detent being disposed between the spaced-apart legs when the spout pivots to an open position.

5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the corner is hingedly connected to the sidewall with a living hinge.

6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the corner is welded to the sidewall.

7. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the corner, top wall, bottom wall, arcuate exterior wall and a portion of the interior wall that is connected to the top and bottom walls define a chamber of a predetermined volume for dispensing a metered amount of powder.

8. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the interior wall is arcuate and has a curvature that is defined by a radius of the sidewall.

9. A container assembly for containing and dispensing a metered amount of a powder, the container assembly comprising:
an overcap including a sidewall connected to a top panel, the sidewall including an opening that mateably receives a spout, the sidewall including an exterior surface and an interior surface, the opening including a first end and a second end,
the sidewall terminating at a skirt, the skirt connecting to an open mouth of a container,
the spout including an arcuate interior wall connected to an arcuate exterior wall at a corner that is hingedly connected to the first end of the opening, the arcuate interior wall and arcuate exterior wall extending away from each other as they extend away from the corner, the arcuate exterior wall including a top edge, a bottom edge and a distal edge disposed opposite the corner,
the spout further including a top wall and a bottom wall, the top wall connecting the arcuate interior wall to the top edge of the arcuate exterior wall and the bottom wall connecting the arcuate interior wall to the bottom edge of the arcuate exterior wall, the top wall including a distal edge disposed opposite the corner, the bottom wall including a distal edge disposed opposite the corner,
the distal edges of the arcuate exterior wall, top wall and bottom wall forming a spout opening with the arcuate interior wall, the distal end of the arcuate interior wall engaging the interior surface of the sidewall when the spout pivots to an open position,
wherein the exterior surface of the sidewall includes a detent disposed adjacent to the second end of the opening with a transverse rib disposed between the detent and the second end of the opening, and
the distal edge of the arcuate exterior wall including a latch that received the transverse rib when the spout pivots to a closed position.

10. The assembly of claim 9 wherein the sidewall is cylindrical with a central axis and a radius that defines the curvature of the sidewall, the arcuate interior wall and arcuate exterior wall of the spout also having curvatures that are defined by the radius of the sidewall.

11. The assembly of claim 9 wherein the distal end of the arcuate interior wall includes a pair of spaced-apart legs, the detent being disposed between the spaced-apart legs when the spout is pivoted to an open position.

12. The assembly of claim 9 wherein the corner is hingedly connected to the sidewall with a living hinge.

13. The assembly of claim 9 wherein the corner is welded to the sidewall.

14. The assembly of claim 9 wherein the skirt is glued to the open mouth of the container.

15. The assembly of claim 9 wherein the skirt is snap-fitted onto the open mouth of the container.

16. A method for dispensing a metered dose of a pourable product, the method comprising:
providing a container assembly including an overcap, a spout and a container, the overcap including a sidewall connected to a top panel, the sidewall including an opening that mateably receives the spout, the sidewall including an exterior surface and an interior surface, the opening including a first end and a second end, the sidewall terminating at a skirt connected to the container, the spout including an interior wall connected to an arcuate exterior wall at a corner that is hingedly connected to the overcap at the first end of the opening, the interior wall and arcuate exterior wall extending away from each other as they extend away from the corner, the arcuate exterior wall including a top edge, a bottom edge and a distal edge disposed opposite the corner, the spout further including a top wall and a bottom wall, the top wall connecting the interior wall to the top edge of the arcuate exterior wall and the bottom wall connecting the interior wall to the bottom edge of the arcuate exterior wall, the top wall including a distal edge disposed opposite the corner, the bottom wall including a distal edge disposed opposite the corner, the distal edges of the arcuate exterior wall, top wall and bottom wall forming a spout opening with the interior wall, wherein the exterior surface of the sidewall includes a detent disposed adjacent to the second end of the opening with a transverse rib disposed between the detent and the second end of the opening, and the distal edge of the arcuate exterior wall including a latch that receives the transverse rib when the spout pivots to a closed position,
pivoting the spout to a closed position where the distal edge of the arcuate exterior wall engages the sidewall at the second end of the opening so the latch receives the transverse rib,
moving the container assembly to place a central axis of the container and overcap in a horizontal orientation,
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Assignees

• Sonoco Dev Inc

Inventors

• Carpenter Lawrence Robert
• Ziegenfelder Kurt

Classifications

• G01F11/003 Primary

  for fluent solid material · CPC title

• B65D47/046

  Closures with swivelling dispensing devices (containers with swivelling devices comprising a bottom wall and two side walls B65D25/525) · CPC title

• B65D83/06

  for dispensing powdered or granular material · CPC title