FI103027B - Holding device or drip catch - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a drip-catcher for, for instance, a bottle and intended for preventing dripping and drops seeping from the bottle orifice during pouring. The drip-catcher of the invention simply consists of a piece (1) of flexible and elastic foil material, preferably plastic material foil having the thickness of 0.1-0.2 mm. The diameter of the piece of material may be 60-80 mm. When used as a drip-catcher the piece of material is rolled into an oblong cylindrical form and inserted in the orifice of the bottle. Due to its elasticity the piece of material will positively engage the orifice and constitute a tube-formed outlet spout. Due to the small thickness of the foil material and its liquid-repellent nature this spout cuts off the jet very efficiently and is also a very efficient drop-catcher. The drip-catcher of the invention is extremely simple and cheap. Its use is uncomplicated and it is universally applicable because the piece of material adjusts itself to the bottle orifice irrespective of its size. The effect of the drip-catcher is remarkable due to the small thickness and liquid-repellent surface of the material.

Description

103027

The present invention relates to a pouring device or a dropper for a bottle or a similar liquid container and is of the type indicated in the preamble of claim 1.

For example, beakers in the form of beakers to be placed in a bottle are already known and are intended to prevent dripping when the bottle is poured. A well-known dropper of this type comprises a cap with a penetrating tubular nozzle inserted therein. The nozzle terminates at an oblique cut edge which, when pouring 10 fluid, on the one hand will collect the liquid into a uniform and precise jet to avoid splashing, and on the other hand will cut off the jet after pouring so that no droplets form on the nozzle. The latter feature is particularly important because when the bottle returns to its upright position, the droplet on the edge of the nozzle tends to exude downwardly on the outside of the bottle, which is highly undesirable.

Apart from the fact that the intended result is only partially achieved, it is a common feature of known dropper inhibitors that they are clumsy, impractical in use, and relatively expensive to manufacture. They are not suitable for disposal after use. As for the design comprising the cap 20 with the tube inserted, the cap will often dry out without being tightly attached to the bottle. The liquid will then be able to drain out along the cap during pouring, so that the device, far from improving the pouring properties of the bottle, will increase the degree of contamination of the bottle and the contamination of the environment.

It is an object of the invention to provide a simple, inexpensive and generally useful dropper that does not exhibit the drawbacks of the prior art dropper. This dropper should, more efficiently than hitherto possible, prevent splashing and ejection, for example during glass pouring.

The object of the invention is achieved by a pouring device or a dropper according to the invention, characterized in what is stated in the characterizing part of claim 1 of the independent patent 30. Preferred embodiments of the pouring device and dropper according to the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims.

The droplet catcher simply comprises a round or round-shaped portion of a semi-rigid plastic film having a thickness of 0.1 to 0.2 mm depending on the elasticity of the material of the wood. Other types of materials or multi-material laminates, e.g. plastic laminated paper, may also be used.

2 103027

The size of the piece of material may be in the order of 60 to 80 mm in diameter.

When using a dropper, wrap a piece of material into an elongated cylinder and transfer the other end into a bottle or container. Due to the elasticity of the piece of material 5, it tends to open to adopt its original flat shape, and in doing so it is tightly adhered to the inside of the bottle mouth. In this simple manner, a cylindrical nozzle is formed which may be split or completely closed. It should be noted that the piece of material adapts itself to the bottle mouth regardless of mouth size, i.e.. the dropper is generally useful within a relatively wide diameter range.

When poured, the liquid passes through the cylindrical nozzle shown by the dropper. Due to the flat and thin feature of the foil material, the nozzle will form an ideal drip inhibitor because the edge of the foil sharply cuts off the shower. By using a plastic material having a low adhesion effect on the liquid of interest according to claim 3, it effectively prevents the formation of a drop on the cutting edge, which otherwise would, at the end of pouring, result in droplets falling onto the outer surface of the bottle. In other words, the dropper effectively performs his task in a simple way.

The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a circular piece of material according to the invention in its initial form, Figure 2 is the same piece of material in roll form for insertion into a bottle; Fig. 3b is a similar view, however, with a dropper insert inserted into a slightly larger bottle, Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing the nozzle edge or cut edge of the dropper, with fluid exiting the nozzle, Fig. 5 several shapes.

In the embodiment of the drawing, the dropper simply comprises a circular cut-off part 1 of 0.13 mm plastic foil or plastic laminate, e.g. PVC plastic material or similar plastic material quality. The material may be transparent or opaque and may be colored. Material- 3 103027

The roll must be suitably flexible and elastic, depending on the purpose, so that the cylindrical shape shown in Figure 2 can be easily achieved by manual scrolling. The size of the piece of material depends on the size of the bottle. For regular household bottles, the diameter is 60-80 mm.

After being shaped into a cylinder (Figure 2), the piece of material is introduced into the mouth of the bottle (Figure 3). In the drawing, the bottle is marked with an "F". Due to its elasticity, the body of material tends to roll open to its original flat shape, which, however, will be prevented by the bottle mouth. The material will adhere to the inside of the bottle, thereby forming a cam-like mouthpiece on the bottle. Assuming that the bottleneck is regularly round and flat, the piece of material will effectively close inside the bottleneck and provide the ideal bottle nozzle.

In the casting operation, the thin and sharp edge of the foil body at the nozzle edge 2 causes the liquid jet V to be effectively cut off when the pouring is stopped, i. when the bottle returns to its upright position. The interruption prevents the formation of droplets on the nozzle edge 2 which otherwise would drop on the outer surface of the bottle. The drop repellent effect is increased by using a type of plastic material with a low surface adhesion to the liquid in question in the dropper.

20 As shown above, the dropper is self-guided, i. the dropper may be used for bottles of different sizes, cf. Figures 3a and 3b. Thus, a dropper is generally useful. The cut-off effect of the dropper is illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, which show the casting operation at the nozzle edge and the end of the flow, respectively, in which the liquid jet V is cut into a portion that continues to leave the bottle It should be noted that the sharp edge of the foil prevents droplets from sticking to it, all related to the smooth liquid-repellent foil surface and liquid surface tension.

A few variations of the invention are shown in Figure 6. The material body should preferably have rounded angles that provide the best drop-inhibiting effect.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment of the drawing or the above description. The dropper of the invention is useful for applications other than bottles such as jugs, canisters and barrels. The material of the severed piece may be other than as defined herein.

Claims (3)

1. A pouring device or drip catch for a bottle or similar liquid container, which pouring device or drip catch is of a type adapted for placement in the bottle outlet opening for enabling drip-free pouring of liquid from the bottle or container, and which pouring device or drip dispenser a piece of a suitable elastic and flexible sheet material, said piece being used as a pouring device or drip catcher in the opening of the bottle or container as a tubular roll, said tubular roll, due to the elasticity or flexibility of the sheet material, with its own force, positively abuts the inside of the opening of the container or the bottle neck in such a way that the piece of material in the form of said tubular roll constitutes a pouring spout with a sharp edge, characterized in that said material piece (1) is circular, and that the sheet material is of the type having e n smooth, liquid-repellent surface and apply surface adhesion to the liquid in question to effectively prevent droplets from flowing from the outlet opening edge to the outside of the bottle or container at the end of the pour when the bottle is returned to the upright position. Pouring device according to claim 1, characterized in that depending on the elasticity or flexibility of the material in question, the thickness of the sheet material is of the order of 0.1 - 0.2 mm, and that the circular material piece (1) has a diameter of the order of 60 - 80 mm. Pouring device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sheet material (1) consists of a plastic foil, a plastic laminated or impregnated paper or a suitable metal foil.