Patent ID: 8800826
Filing Date: 2014-08-12
Classification: B67D

Abstract:
1. A normally-closed pour spout operable to pour fluid from a container to a receptacle, said normally-closed pour spout comprising: a fluid conduit having proximal and distal ends, with the proximal end being fluidly connectable to the container and the distal end being configured for fluid association with the receptacle, said fluid conduit forming a passageway configured to pass fluid therethrough and fluidly communicate with the container and receptacle, said fluid conduit defining a valve seat spaced along the passageway from the distal end; a valve operably assembled with the fluid conduit so that the valve controls fluid flow through the passageway, said valve including a valve element shiftable between a valve closed position, in which the valve element engages the valve seat to occlude the passageway, and a valve open position, in which the valve element is spaced from the valve seat to permit flow through the passageway, said valve element shifting in a first direction from the closed position to the open position and in an opposite second direction from the open position to the closed position, said valve element being shiftable in the second direction beyond the closed position to disassemble the valve from the fluid conduit; and a retention device that restricts shifting of the valve element in the second direction beyond the closed position to thereby prevent disassembly of the valve from the fluid conduit, said valve further including a catch operable to selectively prevent shifting of the valve element in the first direction out of the closed position, said passageway extending along a passageway axis, said valve element being slidable along the passageway axis between the open and closed positions, said catch being shiftable into and out of a locking position, in which the catch prevents sliding of the valve element out of the closed position, said valve including a retainer configured to releasably retain the catch out of the locking position so as to permit sliding of the valve element out of the closed position, said catch being automatically released by the retainer when the valve body is in the valve open position so that the catch is permitted to return to the locking position.