Container and Spout with Open-Position Locking Feature
AssigneeSonoco Development, Inc.
InventorsLawrence Robert Carpenter, Kurt Ziegenfelder
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A container and spout assembly in which the spout is pivotally attached to the container. The spout is pivotally moveable between a closed position in which a spout exterior wall is flush with the container sidewall and an open position in which a spout interior wall is flush with the sidewall and spout legs frictionally engage a detent. The spout accommodates a metered dose of product. In the fully open position, the spout seals the opening in the sidewall to prevent product from exiting the container while a metered dose is dispensed from the open spout.
Claims20
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 sidewall including a detent disposed adjacent to the 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 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.
A container comprising:
- a sidewall defining an opening, the opening including a first end and a second end, the sidewall comprising an interior surface and a detent disposed adjacent to the second end, the detent forming a protrusion in the interior surface of the sidewall;
- and
- a spout comprising 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 including a distal end opposite the corner, the distal end including a pair of spaced-apart legs;
- wherein
- the spout is pivotally moveable between a closed position in which the arcuate exterior wall is flush with the sidewall and an open position in which the interior wall is flush with the sidewall and the legs frictionally engage the detent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.