A SPOUT FOR A SEALED CARTON FOR CONTAINING LIQUID PRODUCTS

Abstract: A sealed carton for containing liquid product such as milk, juice or the like comprising a spout made of an elastic material such as polyethylene resin in such a way that it comprises a main body (3) in the form of a pipe or case passed through the wall of the carton and a cover (2) for closing an opening of the main body (3), the main body and the cover being made as an integral body. The cover (2) and the main body (3) are interconnected with each other through a reduced-thickness separable portion (9) which is severed when the cover (2) is opened and through a reduced-thickness portion (7) which functions as an hinge portion when the cover (2) is opened. The main body (3) and the cover (2) have formed on the outer surfaces thereof an engagement element (11E) and an engagement recess (10E). When a tab (12) is pulled upwardly to open the cover (2), the distal end of the engagement element (11E) engages with the engagement recess (10E) so that the cover (2) is maintained in an opened position. When the cover (2) is closed, an engaging projection (8a) is brought into engagement with the inner surface of the main body (3), whereby the cover (2) is maintained in the closed position.

Description: The present invention relates to a spout for a sealed carton for containing liquid product, comprising in which milk, juice and other beverages are filled in hermetically sealed state. The spout in accordance with the present invention is applied advantageously to, for instance, gable-top-sealed type paper containers, rectangular-box-shaped paper containers or the like. BACKGROUND ART: Heretofore. in order to dispense the content in packaging containers containing milk, juice or the like, an opening is formed by cutting off or pulling out the sealed portion of the containers. For this purpose, scissors are needed or a considerably great opening force is required. Further, the fingers of the person opening the container contact with the opening so that the latter cannot be maintained in sanitary condition. Furthermore, in the case of providing an opening forming means in the form of a spout having a sealing cap thereon, the spout main body and the sealing cap must be separately fabricated so that the fabrication steps are increased in number and the fabrication costs become expensive. EP-A-167 095 published on 08.01.86 with priority of 26.04.84 discloses a gable top carton for containing a liquid product, wherein the carton includes a box-like body having a closed bottom and a sealed gable top, the gable to having a pair of oppositely sloping sides one of which has defined therein an aperture for pouring out the contained liquid product, whereby a mouthpiece of one piece plastic molding watertightly closes the aperture, the mouthpiece including a lid having a pull tab projecting therefrom said lid being torn open by the exertion of a pull on the pull tab. The gable top of the box-like body has a sealed ridge and the pull tab of the mouthpiece is formed to include a hook capable of engaging the sealed ridge of the gable top when the lid is torn open, for holding the lid open. But in order to be able to engage the sealed ridge it is necessary to observe an exact location of said aperture with respect to the ridge and an exact dimension of said sealed ridge itself. The object of the present invention is to provide a spout for a packaging container which makes it unnecessary to cut off or pull out the sealed portion of the container or to remove a sealing cap for the purpose of dispensing the content of the container, which makes it easy and simple to open the container for dispensing the content and to reclose the same, which can be kept sanitary and be produced easily and which can be operated easily, whereby it is not necessary to observe an exact location of the spout within the container. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION: A sealed carton for containing liquid product comprises a box-shaped body having a closed bottom and a closed top wall which has a hole therethrough, and a spout sealingly attached to said top wall and having a main body which is located at said hole and has an opening, said spout having a cover integrally joined to said main body so as to close said opening of the main body, said cover having one side integrally connected to the main body through a reduced-thickness portion which defines a hinge portion, the remaining portion except said hinge portion of said cover being integrally connected to the main body through a reduced-thickness separable portion. In accordance with the invention either one of the main body and the cover has an engaging element in the form of a strait wall of an elastic material, projecting integrally away from the outer surface thereof and having a hook-shaped distal end, said engaging element being positioned adjacent to said hinge portion, and said other one of the main body and the cover has an engaging recess in the outer surface thereof, said engaging element and said recess being so designed, constructed and positioned that the hook-shaped distal end will engage in the recess, when said cover is swung in an opening direction about said hinge portion afetr the reduced-thickness separable portion is severed, to maintain the cover in an opened state. The spout in accordance with the present invention can be attached to any suitable packaging containers. When a liquid filled into a packaging container is to be dispensed, the reduced-thickness separable portion between the cover and the main body is severed and the cover is swung in the opening direction about the hinge portion so that the cover can be maintained in the opened state by the mutual engagement of the first and second engaging means which are disposed on the main body and the cover, rspectively and are spaced apart from each other with the hinge portion therebetween, whereby the liquid content can be discharged. When it is desired to stop the discharge, the cover is fitted with the main body, thereby closing the spout. As both engaging elements are attached on the spout itself it is not necessary to observe an exact location of the spout on the container. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS: Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a spout in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modified embodyment of the spout according to the present invention; and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a further modified embodiment of the spout in accordance with the present invention. BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION: As shown in Fig. 1, a spout in accordance with the present invention is attached to a packaging container C1 for any liquid which is only schematically shown here. The packaging container C1 may be a gable-top-sealed paper container for containing a beverage such as milk, juice or the like. The spout 1E is attached to an wall C1 of a container not shown. The container may be a rectangular-box-shaped paper container or any other container having various configurations. The spout 1E may be formed as an integral unit by injection molding process from an elastic synthetic resin such as polyethylene resin or the like. It generally comprises a lower main body 3 and an uooer cover 2. A peripheral flange 4 is formed integral with the base portion of the cylindrical main body 3 and, as shown in Fig. 1, the peripheral flange 4 is made into contact with the inner surface of the inclined top wall C1 of the container. The main body 3 is passed outwardly through a hole formed through the top wall C1 of the container, whereby the spout 1E is joined to the container. As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the cover 2 is inclined in such a manner that its right end as viewed in this figures is higher while the left end is lower. The lower end of the cover 2 is integrally connected through a straight reduced-thickness portion 7 to the upper portion of the main body 3. the reduced-thickness portion 7 defines a hinge portion 6 for the cover 2. The reduced-thickness separable portion 9 is formed arcuately along the upper end of the main body 3 and its both ends are terminated at positions adjacent to the straight reduced-thickness portion 7 and are spaced apart therefrom by a small distance. An engagement element 11E is formed integral with the cover 2 in parallel with the hinge portion 6 and is spaced apart with the hinge portion 6 therebetween as shown in Fig. 1. It is to be understood that the engaging element 11E is not necessarily straight. In Fig 1 the engaging element 11E is extended outwardly and has a distal end portion in the form of a hook. As shown in Figs. 1 to 3 an opening and closing tab 12 is forme integral with the cover 2 in diametrally opposed relationship with the engaging elements 10E, 10F, 10 G; 11E, 11F, 11G). when the tab 12 is joined flexibly to the cover 2 (for instance, by slightly reducing the thickness of the interconnecting portion between the tab 12 and the cover 2), the tab 12 will bend when a force is unintentionally exert thereto so that no severing force be transmitted to the reduced-thickness portion, whereby the opening of the cover 2 by mischievous handlings can be prevented. The spout of the present invention is constructed in the manner described above. Therefore, when the tab 12 is pulled upwardly, the cover 2 will be sheared off from the spout main body 3 along the reduced-thickness portion 9 to the positions adjacent to the hinge portion 6 and be swung upwardly about the hinge portion 6 which is defined by the straight reduced-thickness portion 7, whereby the spout is opened. In order to prevent the reduced-thickness portion 7 from being severed when the reduced-thickness portion 9 is being severed, the reduced-thickness portion 9 is not joined to the reduced-thickness portion 7. As the cover 2 is swung upwardly, the distal end of the engaging element 11E is brought into engagement with the engaging element 10E of the main body 3 whereby the cover 2 is maintained in the opened position. Therefore, the content can be easily dispensed. After the discharge of the content from the container, the cover 2 is pushed down whereby the cover is maintained in the closed position. This condition can be attained by pressure contact of the engaging projection 8a with the inner wall of the main body 3. The main body is so designed and constructed that the right side as viewed in Figs. 1 to 3 is higher while the left side is lower. Furthermore, the reduced -thickness separable portion 9 is made thinner than the reduced-thickness portion 7 which serves as the hinge portion so that it becomes easier to sever the separable portion 9. The tab 12 is disposed at one side of the cover 2 and the engaging projection 8a is formed on its upright portion. The second engaging element 11E disposed on one side of the hinge portion 6 is curved toward the first engaging element 10E disposed on the other side, and when the cover 2 is opened, the distal end of the second engagement element 11E approches and then engages the first engaging element 10E whereby the cover 2 is maintained in the opened state. In the embodiment shown in Fig 1, the first engagement element is a recess 10E being formed to receive therein the distal end of the second engaging member 11E when the cover 2 is opened. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, the cover 2 is formed with a second engaging recess 11F for engagement with the first engaging element 10F. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, a first engaging element 10G which is adapted to engage a second engaging recess 11G is extended away from the second engaging recess 11G whereby the cover 2 can be maintained in the widely opened state. As described above, in the spouts according to the present invention, when the cover is pulled by utilizing the tab, the reduced-thickness portion interconnecting the cover and the main body is severed so that an open spout can be easily formed. Furthermore, the cover can be maintained in the opened state by the engagement between the engaging elements whereby the dispensing of a liquid from the packaging container is much facilitated. Moreover, in case of opening the spout, fingers do not make contact with the spout itself and a portion therearound so that sanitary condition can be maintained. In addition, when the spout is closed, the cover is pushed down to engage with the main body, whereby the firmly closed state can be maintained. Furthermore, the spouts for packaging containers in accordance with the present invention are simple in construction so that they can be produced by plastic injection molding process as an integral unit at little costs. INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY: The spouts in accordance with the present invention can be applied to paper packaging containers in which is filled a beverage in hermetically sealed state, as well as to other containers.

Claims: 1. A spout for a sealed carton for containing liquid product, comprising a box-shaped body having a closed bottom and a closed top wall (C₁ ) which has a hole therethrough said spout (1) being sealingly attached to said top wall (C₁ ) and having a main body (3) which is located at said hole and has an opening, said spout having a cover (2) integrally joined to said main body so as to close said opening of the main body, said cover (2) having one side integrally connected to the main body (3) through a reduced-thickness portion (7) which defines a hinge portion (6), the remaining portion except said hinge portion of said cover being integrally connected to the main body through a reduced-thickness separable portion (9); characterized in that either one of the main body (3) and the cover (2) has an engaging element (11E; 10F; 10G) in the form of a straight wall of an elastic material, projecting integrally away from the outer surface thereof and having a hook-shaped distal end, said engaging element being positioned adjacent to said hinge portion (6), and that the other one of the main body (3) and the cover (2) has an engaging recess (10E; 11F; 11G) in the outer surface thereof, said engaging element and said recess being so designed, constructed and positioned that the hook-shaped distal end will engage in the recess, when said cover (2) is swung in an opening direction about said hinge portion (6) after the reduced-thickness separable portion (9) is severed, to maintain the cover in an opened state. 2. A spout according to claim 1, characterized in that said engaging element (11E) extends substantially upright from the cover (2), and the hook-shaped distal end of the engaging element (11E) extends toward the recess (10E)(FIG.1). 3. A spout according to claim 1, characterized in that said engaging element (10F) extends upright from the main body (3), and the hook-shaped distal end of the engaging element (10F) extends toward the recess (11F) (Fig. 2). 4. A spout according to claim 1, characrerized in that said engaging element (10G) extends away from the main body (3) and the cover (2), and the hook-shaped distal end of the engaging element (10G) extends away from the recess (11G) (Fig. 3).

Inventors: ASHIZAWA, KENJI, UEMATSU, HIROSHI
Applicants: DAI NIPPON INSATSU KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1986
Main classification: B65D5
IPC codes: B65D5, B65D47