EP3227199B1

EP3227199B1 - Anti-refill pourer

Info

Publication number: EP3227199B1
Application number: EP15804713.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Gianni Tagliapietra
Original assignee: Estal Packaging SA; Labrenta Srl
Current assignee: Estal Packaging SA; Labrenta Srl
Priority date: 2014-12-05
Filing date: 2015-11-27
Publication date: 2019-04-24
Anticipated expiration: 2035-11-27
Also published as: ES2745828T3; EP3227199A1; WO2016087325A1

Description

The present invention regards an anti-refill pourer to be applied on the bottlenecks, according to the general part (preamble) of claim 1. Among the various types of closures to be applied on the neck of a bottle a below-cap closure identified by the name pourer is well known, which has a shaped spout that doses the content in an optimal manner, allowing controlled pouring of the flow and at the same time prevents unwanted dripping of product on the bottle.
In particular, for food use (oil, vinegar, alcohol and the like) there is widespread use of the so-called "anti-refill" pourer, which foresees that it is provided with a one-way valve that prevents unwarranted refilling of the bottle.
Constructively, the anti-refill pourer consists of a hollow cylindrical body, inside which a ball, made of plastic or glass, floats, said ball, during pouring (bottle inclined) being held against the upper wall equipped with openings for the product to come out from and shaped like a spout, whereas in rest condition (bottle arranged vertically) said ball rests on the lower wall, obstructing the passage hole of the fluid from the bottle to the pourer.
In the current state of the art, the usual anti-refill pourers are held on the4 neck of the bottle, equipping the outer surface of the cylindrical body with a plurality of circular elastic tabs projecting radially and of a greater diameter than the diameter of the hole of the neck that receives them.
With such a configuration, the tabs, during the action of introducing the body of the pourer in the neck of the bottle, necessarily bend, but such a deformation is not homogeneous and regular, so that unsealed points are produced and therefore there is the unwanted possibility of product leaking during pouring.
Moreover, in bottlenecks made from transparent material the tabs of the pourer, being clearly visible, constitute a visual disturbance, in particular when the pourer is applied on bottles having a high aesthetic value.
The most relevant document of the prior art, which discloses the features of the preamble of claim 1, is WO 2010/139033 A1 ; other documents of the state of the art are:

The purpose of the present finding (i. e. invention) is to make an anti-refill pourer that does not have the drawbacks of similar known products.
Specifically, the purpose of the finding is to make an anti-refill pourer to be used as below-cap element, both on screw caps, and on pressure caps that, by not having outer tabs, ensures the same, if not better, seal on the neck of the bottle, with respect to conventional anti-refill pourers.
Such a purpose is obtained through a pourer according to the characterising part of claim 1.
The finding will be defined better through the description of a possible embodiment thereof, given only as a non-limiting example, with the help of the attached tables of drawings, where:

figs. 1, 2 (table I) represent two schematic views, respectively, assembled and exploded, of the pourer according to the finding;
figs. 3, 4 (table II) represent two sectioned views, respectively, in plan and elevated, of the cylindrical body;
figs. 5, 6 represent two sectioned views, respectively, in plan and elevated, of the upper part equipped with the spout;
figs. 7, 8 (table III) represent two views of the application of the pourer according to the finding, respectively, on a screw cap and on a pressure cap.
fig. 9 (table IV) represents a variant embodiment of the pourer not according to the finding.

As can be seen from figs. 1,2, the pourer according to the finding, wholly indicated with reference numeral 1, consists of a hollow cylindrical body 2, equipped on its lower base 3 with a hole 4 and closed on top by a cap 5, equipped with a dosing spout 6, with openings 7 and with a lid 8 (see figures 5, 6), the cavity enclosing a ball 9, floating between the hole 4 and the lid 8, all as per se known.
As can be seen in figs.3 and 4, the body 2 has the outer side surface 10 smooth and an increased outer diameter, which requires a pressure insertion in the mouth of the neck of the bottle, to ensure the hermetic seal and the locking of the pourer on the neck (see figs. 7, 8).
As can be seen in figs. 5 and 6, in the cap 5 the embossed outer ring 11, which clings to the body 2, is connected to the collar 12 of the dosing spout 6 through an inclined circular wall 13 and the lid 8 is supported through inclined radial ribs 14, projecting from the base of the aforementioned collar.
As can be seen from observing the detail "K" of fig. 6, the ring 11, the wall 13 and the rib 14 make a cusp-shaped geometry that allows the minimum elastic deformation, which occurs when the pourer is pressure-inserted in the neck of the bottle, to be absorbed.
The finding also foresees that the base 3, on which venting, notches 15 are formed, is positioned in a recessed manner with respect to the lower end 16 of the body 2, so that, when the ball 3 rests on said base to close the hole 4, it is not visible, since it is totally contained in said body.
Finally, the finding foresees that the end 16 of the body 2 ends with a tapered and flexible portion 17, which facilitates the introduction of the object in the hole of the neck of the bottle.
A variant embodiment not according to the finding present, in particular, when maximum safety is required against tampering, foresees a pourer 100, in which the body 2 and the cap 5 constitute a single moulded body 20, which has the same cusp-shaped "variable geometry" described above.
What has been outlined above fully achieves the preset purpose, since the anti-refill pourer according to the finding, without the outer projecting circular elastic tabs, equally ensures a perfect hermetic seal, by means of the elasticity given by its flexible geometry and is particularly aesthetically pleasing.
The structure thus conceived is subject to variants and its materials can vary greatly, compatibly with the specific use; moreover, the contingent shapes and sizes can vary according to the usage and constructive requirements, provided that they are all encompassed by the scope of the inventive concept defined by the following claims.

Claims

ANTI-REFILL POURER (1), to be pressure inserted into the neck of a bottle, of the type that comprises a hollow cylindrical body (2), equipped on its lower base (3) with a hole (4) and closed on top by a cap (5), equipped with a dosing spout (6), comprising openings (7) and a lid (8), the hollow cylindrical body enclosing a ball (9), floating between the hole (4) and the lid (8), said body (2) having a smooth outer side surface (10) and a thickness such as to make it rigid, where a micro-deformation occurs during said pressure insertion of the pourer (1), the pourer being characterised in that in the cap (5) there is an embossed outer ring (11), which clings to the body (2), said ring being connected to a collar (12) of the dosing spout (6) through an inclined circular wall (13), the lid (8) being supported through inclined radial ribs (14), projecting from the base of the aforementioned collar, wherein the ring (11), the wall (13) and the ribs (14) make a cusp-shaped geometry, and in that the micro-deformation which occurs during the pressure-insertion of the pourer (1) is absorbed by a deformation of the inclined circular wall (13), which is allowed by the particular configuration with flexible geometry of the cap (5).
ANTI-REFILL POURER (1), according to claim 1, characterised in that the base (3), on which venting notches (15) are formed, is positioned in a recessed manner with respect to a lower end (16) of the body (2), so that when the ball (9) rests on said base to close the hole (4), said ball (9) is not visible, since it is totally contained in said body (2).
ANTI-REFILL POURER (1), according to claims 1 or 2, characterised in that the end (16) of the body (2) ends with a tapered and flexible portion (17).