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US 7,870,979 B2Granted
Container with a scoopable and pourable spout
AssigneeThe Quaker Oats Company
InventorsJames Maki, Jeffrey W. George
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A container for storing pourable contents having a cover with a spout wall upwardly extending from the top surface of the cover. The spout wall has a pouring section which gradually reduces in height to the front of the spout. On either side of the pouring section the spout wall also has a spill inhibiting section to prevent spilling as the contents of the container is poured. The container also has a removable lid which mates with the spout wall to prevent contents from spilling over the spout wall when the container is being used for dispensing.
Claims16
A container for storing pourable contents therein comprising:
- a body, said body having a sidewall, a closed bottom end and a top end cover, said cover having a top surface, said top surface having a portion with an opening to the interior of said container,
- a spout wall upwardly extending from said top surface and positioned adjacent to at least a portion of said opening, said spout wall not extending beyond the perimeter of the sidewall, said spout wall having a pouring section, said pouring section having a first end and a second end and a front between said first and second ends of said pouring section, said spout wall having a first height at said first end of said pouring section and a second height at said second end of said pouring section, and said spout wall having a height at said front that is less than said first height and less than said second height;
- wherein said spout wall has an upwardly extending first spill inhibiting section connected to said first end of said pouring section, said first spill inhibiting section extending laterally and rearwardly away from said pouring section, wherein the height of the first spill inhibiting section gradually reduces when moving away from the pouring section, and said spout wall having an upwardly extending second spill inhibiting section connected to said second end of said pouring section, said second spill inhibiting section extending laterally and rearwardly away from said pouring section, wherein the height of the second spill inhibiting section gradually reduces when moving away from the pouring section, said first and second spill inhibiting sections inhibiting the spilling of contents thereover, so that when said container is tilted to pour said contents from within said container and out said pouring section, said first and second spill inhibiting sections act to help prevent spilling of said contents from other than said pouring section;
- wherein said spout wall includes a first and a second transition section, said first transition section connecting said first spill inhibiting section with said first end of said pouring section, and said second transition section connecting said second spill inhibiting section with said second end of said pouring section;
- wherein the first and second spill inhibiting sections and the pouring section have a generally arcuate shape about a center point that is interior of the spout wall, while the first and second transition sections have an arcuate shape that is about a center point that is outside the interior of the spout wall such that the arcuate shaped first and second transition sections face opposite the direction that the first and second spill inhibiting sections and the pouring section face.
2 more elements
A cover for covering the open end of a container having a sidewall for containing and pouring contents from said container, said cover comprising:
- an upper surface and a lower surface, said cover having a portion which is removable therefrom to form an opening extending through said cover, a spout wall upwardly extending from said upper surface and positioned adjacent at least a portion of said opening, said spout wall not extending beyond the perimeter of the sidewall, said spout wall having a pouring section, said pouring section having a first end and a second end and a front between said first and second ends of said pouring section, said spout wall having a first height at said first end of said pouring section and a second height at said second end of said pouring section, and said spout wall having a height at said front that is less than said first height and less than said second height;
- wherein said spout wall has an upwardly extending first spill inhibiting section adjacent said first end of said pouring section, said first spill inhibiting section extending laterally and rearwardlv away from said pouring section, wherein the height of the first spill inhibiting section gradually reduces when moving away from the pouring section, and said spout wall having an upwardly extending second spill inhibiting section adjacent said second end of said pouring section, said second spill inhibiting section extending laterally and rearwardlv away from said pouring section, wherein the height of the second spill inhibiting section gradually reduces when moving away from the pouring section, said first and second spill inhibiting sections inhibiting the spilling of contents thereover, so that when said container is tilted to pour said contents from within said container out of said pouring section, said first and second spill inhibiting sections act to help prevent spilling of said contents from other than said pouring section;
- wherein said spout wall includes a first and a second transition section, said first transition section connecting said first spill inhibiting section with said first end of said pouring section, and said second transition section connecting said second spill inhibiting section with said second end of said pouring section;
- wherein
- the first and second spill inhibiting sections and the pouring section have a generally arcuate shape about a center point that is interior of the spout wall, while the first and second transition sections have an arcuate shape that is about a center point that is outside the interior of the spout wall such that the arcuate shaped first and second transition sections face opposite the direction that the first and second spill inhibiting sections and the pouring section face.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.