Cap for dispensing liquids from a container

A method of dispensing liquid from a container, the method including tilting the container to cause liquid in the container to exit through a dispensing opening of a cap operable for sealing engagement with an opening of the container, the cap including:

• a dispensing opening operable to be selectively sealed;
• and
• a housing including an outer member and defining a passage along a longitudinal axis thereof, the passage having a plurality of ribs disposed in the passage and extending radially from a location proximal to an outer periphery of the outer member towards a central support structure that extends substantially along said longitudinal axis to thereby define a spoked arrangement and a plurality of flow channels, each flow channel defined by the surface of two ribs of the plurality of ribs, the central support structure and an internal surface of the outer member which, when the container is in a sufficiently tilted state, cause liquid in the container to exit through the dispensing opening, wherein at least one flow channel is a liquid-flow channel through which liquid flows out of the dispensing opening when unsealed.

A container assembly including a container and a cap, the cap including a dispensing opening operable to be selectively sealed and a housing configured for sealing engagement with an opening in the container, said housing including an outer member and defining a passage along a longitudinal axis thereof, the passage having a plurality of ribs disposed in the passage and extending radially from a location proximal to an outer periphery of the outer member towards a central support structure that extends substantially along said longitudinal axis to thereby define a spoked arrangement and a plurality of flow channels, each flow channel defined by the surface of two ribs of the plurality of ribs, the central support structure and an internal surface of the outer member which, when the container is in a sufficiently tilted state, cause liquid in the container to exit through the dispensing opening, wherein at least one flow channel is a liquid-flow channel through which liquid flows out of the dispensing opening when unsealed.

A method of manufacturing a cap for sealing engagement with a container opening, the method including the steps of:

• additively fabricating a housing defining a passage along a longitudinal axis thereof, the housing including:
• an external wall enclosing an internal spoke arrangement of a plurality of ribs radially emanating from a central support structure thereby defining a plurality of flow channels, each flow channel defined by the surface of two ribs of the plurality of ribs, the central support structure and an internal surface of an outer member, wherein the external wall, spoke arrangement and central support structure together define the outer member of the cap, and
• an inner member of the cap, wherein the inner member is configured to sealingly engage the container opening by threaded connection and is also configured to sealingly engage the outer member by threaded connection.