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US 12,252,311 B2Granted
Lid-spout assembly for a package and package having a lid-spout assembly
AssigneeTetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A.
InventorsDavide Morciano, Paolo Zanon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
There is described a lid-spout assembly for a package. The lid-spout assembly comprises at least a spout having a collar carrying a pouring outlet, a coupling ring arranged around a portion of the collar, a lid and a hinge element hinging the lid to the coupling ring. The lid is controllable between at least a closed configuration and an open configuration. The lid-spout assembly comprises an interaction assembly partially associated to the collar and partially associated to the lid and being designed such to determine a threshold force needed to be exceeded, in use, in order to control the lid from the closed configuration to the open configuration.
Claims15
Lid-spout assembly for a package having a designated pour opening and being filled with a pourable product;
- the lid-spout assembly comprises at least:
- a spout having a collar carrying a pouring outlet;
- a coupling ring arranged around a portion of the collar;
- a lid configured to selectively close and open the pouring outlet;
- and
- a hinge element hinging the lid to the coupling ring and defining a hinge axis around which the lid is angularly movable;
- wherein the lid is controllable between at least:
- a closed configuration in which the lid is in a first angular position with respect to the hinge axis and in which the lid is configured to cover and/or covers the pouring outlet;
- and
- an open configuration in which the lid is in a second angular position with respect to the hinge axis and in which the lid is configured to open the pouring outlet;
- wherein the lid-spout assembly is designed such that the lid is controllable between the closed configuration and the open configuration by means of an angular movement around the hinge axis;
- wherein the lid-spout assembly comprises an interaction assembly partially associated to the collar and partially associated to the lid;
- wherein the interaction assembly is designed such to determine a threshold force needed to be exceeded, in use, in order to control the lid from the closed configuration to the open configuration,
- wherein the interaction assembly comprises an interaction member associated to the collar and an interaction element associated to the lid,
- wherein the interaction member and the interaction element are configured to interact with one another so as to define the threshold force,
- wherein the interaction member comprises a first sliding surface and the interaction element comprises a first engagement surface,
- wherein the first sliding surface and the first engagement surface are designed such that during the exertion of an opening force for angularly moving the lid from the first angular position to the second angular position the first engagement surface abuts against the first sliding surface impeding the angular movement if the opening force is below or equals the threshold force and slides over the first sliding surface if the opening force exceeds the threshold force.
14 more elements
Lid-spout assembly for a package having a designated pour opening and being filled with a pourable product;
- the lid-spout assembly comprises at least:
- a spout having a collar carrying a pouring outlet;
- a coupling ring arranged around a portion of the collar;
- a lid configured to selectively close and open the pouring outlet;
- and
- a hinge element hinging the lid to the coupling ring and defining a hinge axis around which the lid is angularly movable;
- wherein the lid is controllable between at least:
- a closed configuration in which the lid is in a first angular position with respect to the hinge axis and in which the lid is configured to cover and/or covers the pouring outlet;
- and
- an open configuration in which the lid is in a second angular position with respect to the hinge axis and in which the lid is configured to open the pouring outlet;
- wherein the lid-spout assembly is designed such that the lid is controllable between the closed configuration and the open configuration by means of an angular movement around the hinge axis;
- wherein the lid-spout assembly comprises an interaction assembly partially associated to the collar and partially associated to the lid;
- wherein the interaction assembly is designed such to determine a threshold force needed to be exceeded, in use, in order to control the lid from the closed configuration to the open configuration,
- wherein the interaction assembly is also designed to determine an auxiliary threshold force required to be exceeded, in use, in order to control the lid from the open configuration to the closed configuration;
- wherein the threshold force is larger than the auxiliary threshold force.
12 more elements
Lid-spout assembly for a package having a designated pour opening and being filled with a pourable product;
- the lid-spout assembly comprises at least:
- a spout having a collar carrying a pouring outlet, wherein the collar comprises an inner surface and an outer surface opposite to inner surface;
- a coupling ring arranged around a portion of the collar;
- a lid configured to selectively close and open the pouring outlet;
- and
- a hinge element hinging the lid to the coupling ring and defining a hinge axis around which the lid is angularly movable;
- wherein the lid is controllable between at least:
- a closed configuration in which the lid is in a first angular position with respect to the hinge axis and in which the lid is configured to cover and/or covers the pouring outlet;
- and
- an open configuration in which the lid is in a second angular position with respect to the hinge axis and in which the lid is configured to open the pouring outlet;
- wherein the lid-spout assembly is designed such that the lid is controllable between the closed configuration and the open configuration by means of an angular movement around the hinge axis;
- wherein the lid comprises:
- a top wall configured to cover the pouring outlet with the lid being controlled in the closed configuration,
- a side wall protruding from the top wall and being configured to at least partially surround the collar with the lid being arranged in the closed configuration, and
- a sealing ring protruding from the top wall,
- wherein the lid-spout assembly comprises an interaction assembly partially associated to the collar and partially associated to the lid;
- wherein the interaction assembly comprises an interaction member associated to the collar, protruding from the outer surface of the collar, and an interaction element associated to the lid;
- wherein the interaction assembly is designed such to determine a threshold force needed to be exceeded, in use, in order to control the lid from the closed configuration to the open configuration;
- wherein the interaction member and the interaction element are configured to interact with one another so as to define the threshold force;
- wherein the sealing ring, with the lid being in the closed configuration,
- is configured to interact with the collar so as to laterally seal the pouring outlet,
- protrudes into a flow channel delimited by the inner surface of the collar, and
- laterally contacts a rim of the collar delimiting the pouring outlet.
20 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.