CN104321257A - pour aid - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses a pouring aid (1) comprising an outlet (10) and a closure receptacle (15) adjacent the outlet, a container support cap (20) extending from the closure receptacle, an adjacent closure A connecting member (200) of the piece receiver and a handle (40) extending from the container support cover. The container support shield has an interior surface (25) sized and dimensioned to enclose at least a portion of the container (30).

Description

pour aid

technical field

A device used to assist in the pouring of liquids from containers.

Background technique

Liquids for consumer use are often packaged in plastic containers. Examples of consumer-use liquids sold in such containers include carbonated sodas, laundry detergent, milk, juice, and household cleaners. For consumers, the consumer trend is to require larger containers for such liquids. For example, given that carbonated sodas are often sold in volumes of around 0.3L in the 1970s, expanded to 2L in the 1980s, and more recently even 3L. A similar trend has emerged for laundry detergents, where liquid laundry detergents are being marketed in larger and larger containers in response to consumers' propensity to shop less frequently and the perceived value associated with larger packaging.

As containers of liquids become larger and larger, the mass of such filled containers increases approximately proportionally. Liquids such as carbonated soda, milk, and laundry detergent typically have a specific gravity of about 1 or greater. Thus, a 2L container filled with such a fluid may have a mass of 2kg.

Liquid containers for laundry detergent, milk, juice and household cleaners are often provided with handles to assist the consumer. Providing a liquid container with a handle can be a technical challenge. Due to the heavy volume of fluid, the forces can be high between the part of the container where the handle connects to the rest of the container. To resist such high forces, thicker walls are used to reduce the corresponding stress, thereby limiting deformation to acceptable levels. One problem with using thicker wall sections is that more plastic must be used, which increases the cost of the container, which in turn increases the cost of the product to the consumer.

One way to reduce the cost of containers for consumers is to use thin-walled plastic containers of simple construction without handles. Such a solution may be attractive, except that such a container without a handle may not be easily manipulated by adults with small hands, children without fully developed physique and or motor skills, and e.g. due to age, disease or other conditions. Personnel with limited skills and physical strength are dumped outside. Furthermore, such lightweight, thin-walled containers tend to be prone to wrinkling, which, although this property may be desirable for recyclable materials that must be stored prior to delivery, can adversely hinder pouring.

With these limitations in mind, there is a continuing unmet need for devices for assisting pouring from containers that do not have handles.

Contents of the invention

A pouring aid. The pouring aid may include an outlet and a closure receiver adjacent the outlet. The pouring aid may include a container support shroud extending from the closure receptacle. The container support cover may have an interior surface sized and dimensioned to enclose at least a portion of the container. The container support shroud may include a connection member adjacent the closure receptacle. The pouring aid may include a handle extending from the container support shield.

Description of drawings

Figure 1 is a pouring aid shown in cross-sectional view showing a container engaged therewith, a portion of a container support shroud, a cap and a closure receptacle.

Figure 2 is a container, part of which is depicted in cross-section.

Figure 3 is a cross-section of the pouring aid with a container mounted therein, the section being taken at a location through the handle and looking towards the outlet.

Figure 4 is an embodiment of a connecting member.

Fig. 5 is a side sectional view of the tipping assist device.

Figure 6 is a pouring aid with a transparent portion.

Figure 7 is a bottom view of the pour assist device.

Detailed ways

The pouring aid 1 is shown in FIG. 1 . The benefits of the pouring aid 1 can be experienced by a consumer by way of non-limiting example as follows. A consumer can purchase a container 30 of simple construction from a store. The container 30 may be a thin walled plastic container 30 having the minimum structural properties required to withstand filling, shipping and storage. The container 30 may have a cylindrical top cover of simple construction. Because the assembly of the container 30 and the overcap is simple to construct, the container 30 and overcap can be low cost, especially compared to a container with a handle and an ergonomically or otherwise functionally enhanced overcap. Consumers can benefit from saving money or marketers can provide enhanced features to the contents of the container. For example, if the contents of the container are liquid laundry detergent, the cost structure may allow the marketer to offer enhanced bleaching technology with no change or net reduction in price per load to the consumer, compared to when the detergent is in a more robust/complex container compared to the price per load that is traded in to pre-treat dirty laundry.

Container 30 may be used for a product selected from liquid laundry detergent, liquid soap, household cleaners, carbonated soft drinks, milk and juice.

Once back at her home, the consumer can remove the simply constructed top cap and install the container into the pouring aid 1 . For example, the consumer may insert the open end of the container 30 into the pouring aid 1 or place the pouring aid 1 on the container 30 until the pouring aid 1 clicks into engagement with the container 30 . The consumer can then use the pouring aid to assist in pouring the liquid contained in the container 30 . The pouring aid may have a top cover 12 that acts as a measuring cup (like those often deployed for liquid laundry detergents) or a dose/flow measuring device or may function to contain the contents of the container 30 with other functions. Cover 12. Cap 12 may be a cap as shown and described in US Patent 5,181,630, US Patent 5,549,209, US Patent Application 2011/0162151A1, and US Patent Application 2011/0311296A1.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the pouring aid 1 comprises an outlet 10 and a closure receiver 15 adjacent to the outlet 10 . The pouring aid 1 also includes a container support hood 20 extending from the closure receptacle 15 . The container support cover 20 has an interior surface 25 sized and dimensioned to enclose at least a portion of the container 30 . That is, the interior surface 25 of the vessel support enclosure 20 may define the interior volume 26 of the vessel support enclosure 20 . A handle 40 may extend from the support cover 20 . The container support cap 20 may include a connection member 200 adjacent the closure receptacle 15 . The connection member 200 is sealingly engageable with the container 30 .

The interior space 26 may be sized and dimensioned to receive the container 30 .

The interior space may have a volume greater than about 500 mL. Interior space 26 may have a volume greater than about 750 mL. The interior space may have a volume greater than about 1000 mL. The interior space may have a volume greater than about 1500 mL. The container support shield 20 may have a receiving end 27 . Receiving end 27 may be sized and dimensioned to receive container 30 .

The outlet 10 may provide an opening in the pouring aid 1 such that liquid may be dispensed through the outlet 10 . For example, the route of liquid transfer may be from the container 30 through the neck of the container to and through the outlet 10 of the pouring aid 1 .

The pouring aid 1 may also include a cap 12 sealingly engaged with a closure receptacle 15 . The closure receiver 15 may include threads onto which the cap 12 may be screwed. Cap 12 provides for fluid containment within container 30 when pouring aid 1 is not in use. The cap provided as the closure for the container 30 may be the same cap 12 that may be connected to the closure receptacle 15 or a different cap 12 may be utilized when the container is presented to the consumer in a store. The overcap 12 shown in FIG. 1 is depicted in partial cross-section to show that the overcap 12 is sealingly engaged with the closure receptacle 15 . By sealingly engaged it is meant that, taking into account the depth of the liquid contained in the container 30 , the liquid does not leak between the cap 12 and the closure receptacle 15 under the maximum hydrostatic pressure that may be present at the pouring aid 1 . The cap 12 may be sealingly engaged with the closure receptacle 15 using a threaded connection. Threaded connections are considered effective in preventing leaks between the top cover and the container. The top cap 12 may be a flip top cap having a pin that sealingly engages an aperture in the closure receptacle 15 . The cap 12 may be any kind of closure capable of sealingly engaging the closure receptacle 15 in order to avoid or reduce the possibility of leakage from the pouring aid 1 .

Having the closure receiver 15 as part of the pouring aid 1 provides a number of benefits. For example, the top caps sold with the containers in stores may be simple round/cylindrical plastic caps like those commonly used for 2L carbonated soda containers in the United States. These caps typically may be screw caps that are generally cylindrical and have a plurality of lines around the outer surface of the cap in a direction normal to the direction of rotation of the cap. Such overcaps are inexpensive but tolerably have inadequate gripping surfaces and may be too small for the consumer to grip tightly in order to allow the consumer to unscrew the overcap from the container. Therefore, marketers of liquid containers must find a balance between the cost of the cap and the possibility of having a more sophisticated ergonomic design, which is beneficial to the consumer.

In the absence of the pouring aid 1 as shown in Figure 1, the consumer will unscrew and tighten the cap many times until the contents of the container are depleted. Accordingly, a top cover with poor ergonomic design can have a negative impact on the consumer's experience of use. With the pouring aid 1, once the consumer removes the cheap/simple top lid that the container 30 has in the store, a more ergonomically qualified top lid and/or A better-performing overcap can be used by the consumer, which can enhance the consumer experience. A more ergonomically acceptable cap 12 may comprise thermoplastic elastomer and/or foam and be shaped to conform to the consumer's grip.

A top cap provided with a pour aid may have a diameter of about 3 cm, compared to a simple round plastic cap with a diameter of 1.5 cm. Larger diameter caps tend to be more ergonomic than small diameter caps, up to a diameter within which a typical human hand can be grasped in the palm or between the thumb and forefinger.

To provide improved consumer comfort, the handle 40 may comprise a first material 42 and the container support cover 20 may comprise a second material 43 having a different chemical composition than the first material. For example, the first material 42 may include polypropylene, rubber, neoprene, and/or KRATON and the second material may be high density polyethylene, polyamide, and/or styro lacrylintrol. To provide improved consumer comfort, handle 40 may comprise a thermoplastic elastomer that is soft to the consumer's touch.

One possible advantage of the pouring aid 1 may be that marketers of such devices can invest in making a high quality pouring aid 1 and/or cap 12 that the consumer retains when the container 30 is depleted. The consumer can then purchase a replacement container 30 and use the high quality pouring aid 1 and/or top lid 12 again. Because the pouring aid 1 has a handle 40, the marketer of the liquid-filled container 30 need only provide a base container 30 that can withstand the stresses of manufacturing, shipping, and storage. The container does not need to comprise other functional elements such as a handle, since this property is provided by the pouring aid 1 . Providing handles and grips for each container 30 is an expensive proposition and can add significant cost to the product. Providing the consumer with a single reusable pouring aid 1 may be economically attractive to the consumer because she will not have to pay for the complication of providing the container with a handle or grip every time she buys a container 30 . In addition, less raw material may be consumed to manufacture the base container 30 than a stronger container with a handle.

One embodiment of a container 30 that can be used with the pouring aid 1 is shown in FIG. 2 . As shown in FIG. 2, the container 30 may have an open end 110 and a bottom 120 opposite the open end. The container 30 may have sidewalls 140 extending from the perimeter of the bottom 120 . Between the sidewall 140 and the open end 110 , the container 30 may have a neck 130 . Neck 130 may be part of container 100 wherein the shape of the bottle is tapered between sidewall 140 and open end 110 . The container 100 may have a container height CH extending between the bottom 120 of the container 100 and the open end 110 of the container. The container 30 may have a peripheral lip 150 adjacent the open end 110 . Peripheral lip 150 may extend completely around container 30 . The lip 150 of the container 30 may facilitate connection between the container support cover 20 and the container 30 through the connection member 200 .

At any position on the container 30, the container support cover 20 may cover more than about 10%, more than about 20%, more than about 30%, more than about 40%, more than about 50%, more than about 60%, and more than about 70% of the height CH of the container. % or more, about 80% or more or about 90% or more.

The handle 40 may be a through handle, which is one or more fingers of a consumer can pass completely through and the consumer secures her grip by wrapping her fingers around the handle. A through handle provides a strong grip for many consumers and is used in the United States in milk containers and in liquid laundry detergent sold in the United States under the trademark TIDE.

The handle 40 may be continuously integral with the container support cap 20 . For continuous integration, the handle portion 40 and container support cap 20 are formed in a single molding step or in a multi-shot injection molding process. Without being bound by theory, it is believed that an embodiment in which the handle 40 is continuously integral with the container support cap 20 may be less expensive to manufacture and may provide better structural stability than forming the handle 40 from a separate material and having In a subsequent step, the handle 40 is connected to the container support cover 20 by mechanical connection or chemical bonding of the two parts.

The interior surface 25 of the container support enclosure 20 may define a hollow space into which the container 30 may fit for engagement with the container support enclosure 20 . If the container 30 is so weak that the neck 130 of the container does not have sufficient strength to support the filled container 30 when engaged with the container support cap 20, and the container 30 will deform or wrinkle significantly adjacent the neck 130 of the container 30, the container The interior surface 25 of the support shield 20 may be sized and dimensioned to substantially conform to at least a portion of the container 30 as shown in FIG. 3 , which is a cross-sectional view taken through the handle 40 . By substantially fitting it is meant that at least some portion of the side wall 140 of the container 30 is supported by the container support shield 20 when pouring liquid from the container 30 . Such an embodiment may allow the forces generated when the tilting container 30 falls to be distributed to the interior surface 25 of the container support shield 20 . Significant deformation of the container 30 may cause a leak in the container 30 or may cause a leak in the connection between the container 30 and the container support shield 20 . The interior surface 25 of the vessel support shield 20 may substantially conform to a portion of the vessel 30 , such as the upper quarter, upper third, upper half, or upper two-thirds of the vessel 30 . The interior surface 25 of the vessel support shield 20 may be sized and dimensioned to substantially conform to a majority of the surface area of the vessel 30 as measured based on the outer surface area of the vessel 30 . The interior surface 25 of the vessel support shield 20 can be sized and dimensioned to substantially conform to greater than about 5 percent, greater than about 10 percent, greater than about 20 percent, greater than about 35 percent, greater than about 50 percent of the surface area of the vessel 30, Above about 60%, above about 80%, above about 95%, or above about 99%.

The container support cover 20 may conform to substantially the entire side wall 140 of the container 30 such that only the bottom 120 of the container 30 is not covered by the container support cover 20 . The container support cover 20 may be a solid connected material. The vessel support shield 20 may have one or more hollow portions to reduce the mass of the vessel support shield 20 . The container support shield 20 may be manufactured by injection molding as is known in the art. The container support cover 20 may be made of polypropylene, polyethylene, acrylic, or other plastic material with sufficient strength properties to withstand the forces experienced during pouring.

The connection member 200 operably engages the container 30 with the container support cover 20 . The connection member 20 is directly engageable with the container support cover 20 . The connecting member 200 may be joined to the container support cap 20 by another element, such as the closure receiver 15 . The connection member 200 may be integrated with the container support cover 20 .

A non-limiting example of a connection member 200 that may be used for the pouring aid 1 is shown in FIG. 4 . The connection member 200 may be any structure capable of sealingly engaging the container 30 with the container support cover 20 .

The connection member 200 may include a movable latch 210 . The connection member 200 may include a plurality of movable latches 210 . The latch 210 or latches 210 may be operatively engaged with the peripheral lip 150 of the container 30 . The latch 210 may be translatably mounted inside the connection member 200 . One or more arms 230 may extend from the active latch 210 to the button 220 opposite the active latch 210 . Movement of the button 220 in and out moves the arm 230 which moves the latch 210 .

As shown in FIG. 4 , the connection member 200 may include two latches 210 on opposite sides of the connection member 200 . In such embodiments, the arms 230 that drive the movement of each latch 210 may be layered on top of each other. The latch 210 may be biased into a position of engagement with the peripheral lip 150 of the container 30 . The latch may contact more than about 1% of the circumference of the peripheral lip 150, more than about 10% of the circumference of the peripheral lip 150, more than about 25% of the circumference of the peripheral lip 150, more than about 33% of the circumference of the peripheral lip 150, or More than about 50% of the lip 150 circumference.

The bias may be provided by one or more springs 240, which are structures within the connecting member that deform under load within the range of an applied load and return substantially to their original shape when the load is removed. Spring 240 may be an elastic material or structure that exhibits linear elastic behavior over a range of applied stresses and loads. A spring 240 may connect the arm 230 of one latch 210 to the arm of the other latch 210 and be biased to keep the latch 210 toward the center of the connecting member 200 . When the button 220 is pressed, the arm 230 moves the latch 210 in a direction away from the center of the connecting member 200 to allow the peripheral lip 150 to be released and the spring 240 to be loaded. When the button 220 is released, the latch 210 moves back toward the center of the connecting member 200 and engages the peripheral lip 150 of the container 30, when present. The range of motion of the latch 210 may be limited by one or more posts 245 between which a tab 246 on the arm 230 is movable and which are engaged to the connection member 200 . The one or more latches are engageable with the peripheral lip 150 on the container 30 when the one or more buttons 220 are in the released position. The one or more latches may have an angled tip that biases the peripheral lip 150 of the container (3) in a direction towards the sealing ring on the container support cap 20 such that between the peripheral lip 150 of the container 30 and the container support cap 20 A leak-proof connection is formed between them. Downstream of the sealing ring may be the closure receiver 15 and the outlet 10 .

As shown in FIG. 4, when the button 220 on the right side of the figure is pressed, the arm 240 drives the latch 210 on the opposite side of the connection member 200 to move from the pressed button 220, and the latch 210 moves. away from the center of the connection member 200 . At the same time the spring 240 in the upper right part of FIG. 4 is loaded in a compressed state.

The connecting member 200 may be threaded, for example having a thread 250 or a plurality of threads 250 . The one or more threads 250 may be sized and dimensioned to mate with corresponding threads at the open end 110 of the container 30 . Such an embodiment may be desirable because threaded connections tend to be structurally stable and strong and may not leak. If the connecting member 200 is threaded, the vessel support shield 20 may be sized and dimensioned such that the vessel 30 can rotate freely inside the vessel support shield 20 to allow the threads 250 to engage corresponding threads on the vessel 30 . In an alternative embodiment, the connection member 200 may be rotatably mounted in the vessel support housing 20 to allow the connection member to be threaded to the open end 110 of the vessel 30 .

At least a portion of the container support cover 20 may be transparent, as shown in FIG. 6 . A container support cover 20 having a transparent portion 300 may be desirable as it may allow a portion of the container 30 to be visible to the consumer when in use. The portion of the container that is visible when in use may include indicia 310 . Indicia 310 can be a brand name or inspirational text. The indicium may be a marking on the container 300 that is visible to the consumer when in use and indicates that the container 30 is correctly installed in the pouring aid 1 . For example, indicia 310 may be an arrow that appears to touch the boundary between transparent portion 300 and another portion of container support cover 20 when the container is properly mated with container support cover 20 . The marking 310 may be a point on the container 30 which becomes aligned with a point on the transparent part 300 when the container 30 is correctly installed in the pouring aid 1 . The transparent portion 300 may also be desirable to the consumer as it may help the consumer determine when the container 30 needs to be refilled or when a new container 30 needs to be purchased.

A portion is considered transparent if the opacity is greater than about 70%. Opacity refers to a property of a substrate that characterizes the ability of the substrate to hide or obscure properties of objects placed behind the substrate from a viewing point from view. Opacity is the ratio, expressed in %, of the diffuse reflectance of a substrate backed by a black body with 0.5% reflectance to the diffuse reflectance of the same substrate backed by a white body with 89% absolute reflectance rate ratio. Opacity is measured as described in ASTM D 589-97 "Standard Test Method for Opacity of Paper (15°/Diffuse Illuminant A, 89% Reflectance Backing and Paper Backing)".

In another embodiment, at least a portion of the container support cover may be translucent. It may be practical for a portion of the container support cover 20 to be translucent, so as to allow the underlying container 30 to be visible through the translucent portion. A portion is considered translucent if the opacity is between about 15% and about 70%, according to the test method previously described. Such embodiments may be useful for protecting fluids from exposure to light or certain wavelengths of light.

In another embodiment, at least a portion of the container support cover may be opaque. It may be practical for a portion of the container support cover 20 to be opaque so that decorative illustrations, branding or other indicia 310 on the container do not see through the container support cover 20 . As a result, decorative artwork, branding, or other indicia on the container support cover 20 may appear more clearly to consumers. A portion is considered opaque if the opacity is less than about 15%, according to the test method previously described. Such embodiments may also be useful for protecting fluids from exposure to light or certain wavelengths of light.

To improve the dosing accuracy available to the consumer when using the pouring aid 1 , the pouring aid 1 may also comprise a flow measuring device 400 attached to the closure receiver 15 . Flow measurement device 400 may be a device as disclosed in US Patent 7,845,524. Such devices may be attached to the pouring aid by threaded connections, tongue and groove joints, pressure fittings, or other types of connections that are leak resistant. The flow measurement device 400 may be a pour chamber through which liquid is poured and causes the water wheel to rotate, the consumer being able to select the appropriate dose based on the number of rotations of the count wheel.

Figure 7 is a bottom view of the pour assist device. As shown in FIG. 6 , the container support cover 20 defines a space into which a container 30 can be inserted.

The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the precise values recited. Instead, unless otherwise indicated, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a disclosed dimension of "40 mm" is intended to mean "about 40 mm."

Unless expressly excluded or otherwise limited, every document cited herein, including any cross-referenced or related patent or application, is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The citation of any document is not an admission that it is prior art to any invention disclosed or claimed herein or that it is presented independently or in any combination with any other reference or references, suggest or disclose any such inventions. Furthermore, to the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in any document incorporated herein by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in this document will control.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.

Claims (15)

1. A pouring aid (1) comprising: exit(10); a closure receptacle (15) adjacent to the outlet; A container support shroud (20) extending from the closure receptacle and having an interior surface (25) sized and dimensioned to enclose at least a portion of a container (30), wherein the container support shroud includes a connection member (200) adjacent to the closure receptacle; and A handle (40) extending from the container support shield. 2. The pouring aid of claim 1, wherein the interior surface is sized and dimensioned to substantially conform to at least a portion of the container. 3. A pouring aid according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the handle is a through handle. 4. A pouring aid according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the inner surface of the container support shield is sized and dimensioned to substantially conform to a substantial portion of the container. 5. The pouring aid according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pouring aid further comprises a flow measuring device (400) attached to the closure receptacle. 6. A pouring aid according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the pouring aid further comprises a cap (12) sealingly engaged with the closure receptacle. 7. A pouring aid according to claim 6, wherein the cap (12) is sealingly engaged with the closure receptacle using a threaded connection. 8. A pouring aid according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the connecting member comprises a movable latch (210). 9. A pouring aid according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein the connection member is a threaded (250) connection member. 10. A pouring aid according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the handle is continuously integral with the container support shield. 11. A pouring aid according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the handle comprises a thermoplastic elastomer. 12. A pouring aid according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the handle comprises a first material (42) and the container support shield comprises a second material (43) having A different chemical composition than the first material. 13. A pouring aid according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least part of the container support shield is transparent. 14. A pouring aid according to any one of claims 1-12, wherein at least a portion of the container support shield is opaque. 15. A pouring aid according to any one of claims 1-12, wherein at least a portion of the container support cover is translucent.