Abstract:
A re-sealable spigot includes a cylindrical structure configured to be attached to a liquid receptacle, wherein said cylindrical structure further comprises a stem, having an upper portion and a base portion, and a top in a coaxial arrangement with said upper portion of said stem, and a cap having a hollow receiving portion shaped as a multi-sided geometrical element, wherein said cap seals said cylindrical structure.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     The present disclosure relates generally to beverage containers, and more particularly to a re-sealable spigot for collapsible beverage containers. 
     2. Background 
     Flexible containers made from paperboard or metal foil are often used to package various beverages for retail distribution. These flexible containers are often packaged with a separate straw wrapped in cellophane and secured to the outside of the container. The straw may be removed by the consumer and used to puncture a sealed spout as the straw is inserted into the container. Once the straw is inserted, the consumer may withdraw the beverage from the container. 
     The use of a straw secured to a beverage container has numerous drawbacks. Packaging a straw together with the container can be costly and inefficient, requiring not only an additional manufacturing step to make the straw and cellophane wrap, but yet another manufacturing step to wrap the straw with the cellophane and secure it to the container. When the consumer uses the straw, the cellophane wrap is discarded, resulting in waste. The insertion of the straw through the sealed spout into the container can also be difficult, and often results in the beverage squirting up through the spout. If the entire beverage is not consumed, then it will go to waste for there is no easy way to reseal the spout once it is punctured. Moreover, the straw is prone to dislodge from the container before use, making the consumption of the beverage very difficult, if not impossible. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for a re-sealable spigot for a collapsible beverage container that is commercially viable to produce for retail distribution. The beverage container should not require the use of a straw to consume the beverage and should have a mechanism to reseal the container in the event that the beverage is not completely consumed. 
     SUMMARY 
     One aspect of a re-sealable spigot is disclosed. A re-sealable spigot includes a cylindrical structure configured to be attached to a liquid receptacle, wherein said cylindrical structure further comprises a stem, having an upper portion and a base portion, and a top in a coaxial arrangement with said upper portion of said stem, and a cap having a hollow receiving portion shaped as a multi-sided geometrical element, wherein said cap seals said cylindrical structure. 
     Another aspect of a re-sealable spigot is disclosed. A re-sealable spigot includes a cylindrical structure configured to be attached to a liquid receptacle, comprising a stem, said stem having an upper portion and a base portion, and a top in a coaxial arrangement with said upper portion of said stem, and a multi-sided cap having a hollow receiving portion, wherein said cap temporarily seals said cylindrical structure. 
     It is understood that other embodiments of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein various embodiments of the invention are shown and described by way of illustration. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments and its several details are capable of modification in various other respects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Aspects of the present invention are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a beverage container having a flexible stand-up pouch  102 ; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a re-sealable spigot and its individual components; and 
         FIG. 3  is a cross section of a re-sealable spigot in the sealed position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of various embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to represent the only embodiments in which the present invention may be practiced. Each embodiment described in this disclosure is provided merely as an example or illustration of the present invention, and should not necessarily be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a beverage container having a flexible stand-up pouch  102 . The pouch may be constructed with two wall panels  104  with a corner section cut out at the top of the pouch  102  to form a slanted edge  106 . A re-sealable spigot  200  (see  FIG. 2 ) extending from the slanted edge  106  may be used by the consumer to dispense the beverage from the pouch  102 . The term “re-sealable spigot” means a valve or spout, having a push-pull top  204 , which moves up and down a stem  202  to open and close the spigot. By way of example, a push-pull top  204  shown, in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , may be “pulled” up the stem  202  to open the spigot  200  and “pushed” down the stem  202  to close the spigot  200 . 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a re-sealable spigot  200  and its individual components. The individual components comprise: the stem  202 , the push-pull top  204 , and the sanitary cap  206 . In at least one embodiment of the re-sealable spigot  200 , the complete spigot  200  assembly may be formed with a tamper-evident seal. This may be achieved during the manufacturing process by heat-sealing the bottom portion of the sanitary cap  206  to the stem  202  with the re-sealable spigot  200  in the closed position. The tamper-evident seal may subsequently be broken by the consumer by simply twisting and/or pulling on the sanitary cap  206 . 
     Since the physical dimensions of the pouch  102  may vary depending on manufacturing preferences and the particular application, the re-sealable spigot  200  may likewise having varying physical dimensions without straying from the teachings contained herein. For example, for retail distribution of beverage drinks, commercial viability may best be served with a small, lightweight construction. That is, the wall panels  104  may have a lateral height of 160 mm and a horizontal length of 110 mm. The slanted edge  106  may be formed at 45° angle for easy consumption of the beverage from the pouch  102  through the re-sealable spigot  200 . Moreover, one of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate that the re-sealable spigot  200  may be configured onto the pouch  102  in countless arrangements. 
     Further, the lightweight construction of the beverage container may be achieved by selecting the appropriate material, and further facilitated by incorporating a disposable re-usable spigot  200 . By way of example, the pouch  102  may be formed from a polyester, polyethylene laminate, wherein the attached re-sealable spigot  200  is comprised of a light polyurethane material capable of withstanding the repetitive open and close movements of the push-pull top  204 . The polyethylene layer may provide a heat-sealable interior lining for the pouch  102 . Because the polyester does not shrink during the heat-sealing process, various aesthetic features and written materials may be printed on the polyester layer before the pouch  102  is constructed without experiencing distortion during the heat-sealing process. The thickness of the polyester film may be about 12 microns and the thickness of the polyethylene may be about 90 microns. Other material thicknesses may be used where appropriate. 
     By way of the stem  202 , the re-sealable spigot  200  may be fused between the wall panels  104  during the manufacturing process. Upon heat treatment, the wall panels  104  form around the canoe portion  210  of the stem  202 . The canoe portion  210  may have one or more horizontal ribs  212  that may provide sufficient friction and resistance so as to create a hermetically sealed pouch  102  prior to receiving a liquid for subsequent dispensing. The push-pull top  204  may be separately formed and placed over the stem  202  since the substantially hollow cylindrical structure of the push-pull top  204  may receive the stem  202  via a friction fit. The sanitary cup  206  may be removed and replaced as necessary to extract the liquid found within the pouch  102 , thus, protecting the push-pull top  204  from foreign particulate matter or other unsanitary debris. As illustrated, the sanitary cup  206  may comprise a hollow hexagon shape that may receive the push-pull top  204  in its closed position and latch onto the stem  202  at a hexagonal receiving portion  208 . The hexagonal receiving portion  208  may be manufactured in such a way so as to form a snap fit within the inside perimeter of the sanitary cap  206 . As one of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate, although a hexagon is shown in the depicted illustrations, one may easily replace the base shape with any multi-sided polygon having three or more sides and likewise come within the spirit and objectives of this disclosure. 
       FIG. 3  is a cross section of a re-sealable spigot  200  in the sealed position with the sanitary cap  206  in place. The cylindrical stem  202  may have a barrier flange  308  that extends around the circumference of the stem  202  and protrude away from its longitudinal axis. The push-pull top  204  may likewise have an inwardly extending catch flange  306  around the internal circumference of the top  204 . The catch flange  306  and barrier flange  308  facilitate the ability of the push-pull top  204  to travel along the stem  202  axis without inadvertent removal and further, allows the top  204  to temporarily lock in the closed position to prevent inadvertent liquid spills. 
     Similarly, the sanitary cap  206  may contain a flange  304  that extends the entire inside circumference of the sanitary cap  206 . The push-pull top  204  may have a lip  302  at the upper most portion of the top  204  that provides for the interlocking with the flange  304  when a places the cap  206  over the push-pull top  204  and exerts a downward force upon the cap  206  so as to temporarily seal the drinking portion of the re-sealable spigot  200 . In reversing this process, a user may be able to exert an upward force upon the sanitary cap  206  to remove the cap and expose the push-pull top  204  for liquid extraction. The range of force necessary for placing and removing the cap  206  will vary depending on the size and placement of the interlocking flange structures  304  and  302 . 
     The previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.