Abstract:
A liquid pourer assembly having three main components: an upper cap, a valve ball, and a lower valve seat sleeve. The ball is capable of freely moving within a chamber within the sleeve when liquid is being delivered, but seals the liquid in the container when in the upright position. Very narrow drain channels allow liquid to pass back into the container but precludes contaminants from entering the container.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/401,866, filed Aug. 8, 2002. 
     
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a liquid pourer assembly; and, more particularly, to a pourer which seals the contents of a bottle or other fluid container from exposure to contaminates when in a first stored position and allows for the free flow of liquid from the bottle when in a second delivery position. Thus, the present invention provides a unique stopper and a nozzle combination. Further, the present invention aerates the liquid flow creating an aesthetically pleasing flow pattern. Further yet, the present invention provides a bottle bumper or protective cushion around the pourer and the bumper identifies the contents of the liquid in the bottle. 
         [0003]    Like fleas and ticks on a dog, flies and gnats present a serious contamination problem to millions of bottles in licensed beverage establishments all over the world. In the USA bottles are routinely checked for bug contamination by the state Alcohol Beverage Control officers and local health departments. Contaminated bottles are poured out or confiscated and in many states the owner/operators are fined $50 or more per bottle. Desperate to avoid this nuisance and profit drain many costly and time consuming methods are employed such as covering every bottle pour spout with: a plastic cup, paper cone, rubber tip, golf tee insertion, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, plastic garbage bags, etc. Several types of screened pourers or pourers with attached “dust covers” are available, but these easily clog, break-off, and do not give a professional look and pour flow. 
         [0004]    Prior art devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,996,860; 5,961,008; 5,924,606; 5,641,098; 4,214,675; 3,794,202; 3,344,963; and 1,716,802. However, nothing in the art teaches or discloses the free pour flow of liquids from a liquid container through a ball cage assembly that then allows the ball to seal/seat in such a manner as to prevent liquid contamination (primarily from insects such as fruit flies, gnats, and the like) and reduce liquid evaporation from the liquid container, as is achieved by the present invention. 
         [0005]    Further, the present invention has a structure which facilitates the unseating of the ball from the valve seat when moved to the delivery position. In prior art devices, a ball valve often sticks on the valve seat because the liquid contains sticky, sugar-like substances which secure the ball to the seat when such substances dry. 
         [0006]    The simplicity of the present inventive design allows for low cost manufacture of the pourer. The three-piece construction is easy to fabricate and assemble. 
         [0007]    Further yet, the unique tip design allows the ball to move from the seated position to the delivery position with little interference in fluid flow through the pourer. Fluid flow guides facilitate the convergence of the liquid as it exits the discharge post to create an aesthetically pleasing, twisting, fluid flow pattern. 
         [0008]    A resilient, rubberized bumper or cushion is affixed to the pourer collar to protect the bottles from being banged together. Further, the cushion is provided with a unique structure to allow the bartender or user to immediately identify the liquid in the bottle according to an identification code associated with the cushion. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  illustrates an exploded perspective view of the present invention in a pourer unit. 
           [0010]      FIG. 1A  shows an elevation view of the bumper or cushion affixed to the pourer collar showing the liquid identification system. 
           [0011]      FIG. 1B  illustrates another embodiment of the present invention showing a tapering neck portion with a coding ring around the lowest circumferential flange. 
           [0012]      FIG. 1C  is a partial perspective of yet another embodiment of the coded collar which fits beneath the lower flange of the neck. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2A  is a perspective plan view of the pourer tip of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2B  shows a side elevation plan view of the pourer tip of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2C  illustrates a side elevation cross sectional view of the present invention in a first seated position. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2D  shows a side elevation cross sectional view of the present invention in a second delivery position. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3A  is a top perspective view of the cap or tip end of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 3B  shows a bottom perspective view of the cap or tip end of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 4A  illustrates a top perspective view of the valve seat sleeve section of the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 4B  shows a bottom perspective view of the valve seat sleeve section of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0021]    Turning to  FIG. 1 , a liquid pourer  10  having a unique pour control and contamination reduction nozzle assembly  12  is illustrated in an exploded perspective view. The lower section  14  of the pourer  10  is generally of a shape and configuration well known in the art. However, the upper neck  16  of the pourer is provided with a nozzle receiving chamber  18  to retain a lower valve seat sleeve  20 , a valve ball  22 , and an upper cap member  24  which make up the nozzle assembly  12 . 
         [0022]    As will be further understood below, the nozzle assembly  12  may be sized to retrofit existing pourers  10  which have been adapted to receive the assembly  12 . The assembly  12  may be fabricated by any number of well known processes, but preferably it is composed of molded plastic material which may be snapped together and then inserted into the nozzle receiving chamber  18 . The valve ball  22  may also be made of a non-stick coating material or stainless steel to reduce the propensity of the ball sticking on the valve seat when remnants of the poured liquid remain and/or dry on the ball and valve seat surfaces. 
         [0023]    In one embodiment of the present invention, to ensure proper alignment and assembly, the nozzle receiving chamber  18  has an inner ledge or shoulder  26  with an inner diameter d 1 , less than the outer diameter d 2  the lowermost end  28  of the sleeve  20 . The outer diameter d 4  of the chamber  18  is approximately equal to the outer diameter d 3  of the upper end  32  sleeve  20  so as to achieve an interference fit to secure the sleeve  20  within the chamber  18  upon assembly. The nozzle assembly  12  may be pre-assembled as a unit and subsequently inserted into the chamber  18 . In such cases, there is no need for shoulder  26 , the nozzle assembly  12  is simply glued into the chamber  18 . 
         [0024]    Assembly of the nozzle assembly  12  is easy to accomplish by inserting ball  22  into a valve ball retaining chamber  30  inside the sleeve  20 . Cap member  24  with discharge port  38  has a downwardly depending wall  34  sized to have an interference fit with the outer diameter d 5  approximately equal to diameters d 3  and d 4 . Cap member  24  has a lip  36  which abuts against top end  37  of the neck  16  of the pourer to retain and seal the entire nozzle assembly  12  inside the neck  16 . 
         [0025]    In  FIG. 1 , sleeve  20  is provided with ball guides  31  along the inner wall of the sleeve; however, as the other figures show, these guides may be eliminated so long as the upper cap member  24  has the ball stops and liquid flow guides  42  which extend downwardly into the upper end  32  of sleeve  20 . 
         [0026]      FIG. 1A  illustrates a resilient, elastic rubberized bumper or cushion  102  which stretches around the pourer collar member  100 . As is well known, collar member  100  extends outwardly from the top of the bottle neck when the pourer is fitted into the liquid containing bottle (not shown). One problem with existing pourers is that the collars are often banged together as the bottles are pulled from the shelf and returned after dispensing of liquid product. The collars chip and become hard to grip both for pouring and when the pourer must be removed after the bottle is empty. 
         [0027]    The bumper  102  protects the collar edge, but it is uniquely designed to have an open panel section  103  around the circumference of the bumper. It has been found that an identifier  104  may be placed inside the collar in panel section  103  which indicates the product in the bottle. It may be coded for price, quality of product, age of the open bottle, or any other indicator important for management to control and track. For example, panel  103  may be color coded to indicate the price of the liquid in the bottle. The bartender merely glances at the panel and knows that this product is too expensive to use on “long” pours. Another color could mean that the product is less expensive and more “wastage” or “spillage” is possible. 
         [0028]    Alternatively,  FIG. 1B  illustrates that a tapering neck  101 A design on the pourer reduces the possibility of impact at the lowermost section or flange of the neck and results in less breakage of the neck shoulders. In this design of  FIG. 1B  the bumper or cushion  102 A may be coded by color or another identifier  103 A without the use of the open panel sections. 
         [0029]    In  FIG. 1C , the coded bumper or collar  102 B fits under the clear or transparent tapered neck  101 A below the lowest flanged section  100 A of the neck. Coded bumper  102 B may be seen by the user through the neck. In some cases the outside diameter of the bumper is larger than the lowest section of the neck  101 A and may be more easily observed by the user even if the lower neck portion is not transparent. 
         [0030]    Turning again to the structural elements of the nozzle assembly,  FIGS. 2A-2C  show the nozzle  12  assembled with ball  22  inside valve ball retaining chamber  30 . As maybe seen, the diameter d 6  of the ball  22  (see  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) is less than the inside diameter d 7  and less than the height h 1  of the valve ball receiving chamber  30 . This allows the ball  22  to rock and roll freely inside the chamber  30  when liquid is being poured. Further, this clearance allows the ball to be easily knocked or jarred loose from valve seat  40  if it gets momentarily stuck to the seat. As will be obvious to one skilled in the art the ball diameter d 6  is greater than the diameter of the opening in the valve seat. This ensures sealing of the liquid in the container (not shown) to which the pourer  10  is affixed. 
         [0031]    The top of the chamber  30  is formed by the ball stop shoulder  42  on the bottom of the cap member  24 . These shoulder stops  42  extends downwardly into only the upper portion of chamber  30  and effect the flow pattern of the liquid being poured. Thus, when the container and nozzle are pivoted or inverted to pour liquid, ball  22  moves from a first seated position ( FIG. 2C ) to a second delivery position ( FIG. 2D ) wherein the ball abuts against shoulder  42 , allowing liquid to flow through inlet port  44 , pass seat  40 , into chamber  30 , into cap member  24  and out discharge port  38 . 
         [0032]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrate the details of the cap member  24 . A plurality of fluid flow guides  50  extend along the inner walls  52  of the cap member  24 . The guides extend from the nozzle end  39  to the ball stop shoulder  42  with the shoulder extending beyond and into the chamber  30  when assembled. The inner walls  52  taper from a first diameter d 8  to a second smaller diameter d 9  ( FIG. 2C ). The guides, the extension of the shoulder  42 , and the tapering opening create an aesthetically pleasing convergence of the poured liquid and aerates the liquid. 
         [0033]    The lower valve seat sleeve  16  is shown in detail in  FIGS. 4A and 4B . It will be understood from the figures that the inlet end  56  may have a plurality of fluid drain channels  58  extending along the inner walls  60  of the sleeve from the lowermost end  28  to the valve seat  40 . These channels are very narrow (0.015″ to 0.035″) and are designed to allow fluid to drain back into the container but prevent contamination or pollutants (such as fruit flies and gnats) from passing the valve seat/valve ball in the sealed or seated position and into the container. In some cases the channels may be totally eliminated to prevent even the smallest contaminate from entering the container. 
         [0034]    Although the invention has been described with reference to a specific embodiment, this description is not meant to be construed in a limiting sense. On the contrary, various modifications of the disclosed embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the description of the invention. It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will cover such modifications, alternatives, and equivalents that fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.