Abstract:
A container comprising, a container body, a tubular spout having a forward portion and a rearward portion which is mounted on the container body, a closure for sealing the tubular spout, and a baffle extending across and partly closing off the tubular spout leaving an open liquid outlet, wherein the fixed baffle comprises an element of a separate insert which is slidable into the tubular spout through the forward portion, the separate insert having an air inlet.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to a pouring aid. It relates particularly but not exclusively to the incorporation of a pouring aid in the spout of a container to smooth the flow of pouring liquid from the container especially when the container is relatively full with liquid. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Containers for bulk handling of liquids (i.e. in excess of 1 or 2 litres of liquid) are often formed with a small spout on the front face of the container, the spout being positioned close to an edge of the front face. 
         [0003]    Typically, the small spout will be sealed with a closure which may be screwed onto the spout to seal it. 
         [0004]    Especially when the container is full of liquid, it has been found that the normal method of pouring liquid through the spout of such a container, involving turning the container so that the spout is at a lower level and tipping the container to pour liquid out of the spout, results in splashing and uneven flow of the liquid from the spout. This is because air has to enter the spout to compensate for the vacuum created in the container as the liquid pours out of the spout. The air enters as discrete bubbles which periodically interrupt the flow followed by a sudden increase in flow as each bubble has passed through the spout. 
         [0005]    The present invention seeks to provide a construction which seeks to ameliorate the problems associated with the above described conventional pouring approach. 
       DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The invention provides in one aspect a container comprising,
       a container body,   a tubular spout having a forward portion and a rearward portion which is mounted on the container body,   a closure for sealing the tubular spout, and a baffle extending across and partly closing off the tubular spout leaving an open liquid outlet,   wherein the fixed baffle comprises an element of a separate insert which is slidable into the tubular spout through the forward portion, the separate insert having an air inlet.       
 
         [0011]    The container may typically be a container for handling of liquids i.e. it may generally have a capacity of 0.2 or more litres. 
         [0012]    The container may be formed of any suitable material such as is known in the art e.g. plastics, metal, etc. 
         [0013]    In one embodiment, the container may comprise a metal body provided with a flat front face. The tubular spout formed on the front face may include attachment means for securing a closure to the spout. The attachment means may comprise a screw thread, the spout having a complementary screw thread. 
         [0014]    The insert may comprise a member which is shaped as a plug, with the baffle forming part of the plug. The plug may be a plastic threaded insert which could be screwed onto or into the thread of the spout. In another embodiment it may be shaped so that it can be directly pushed into the spout and held therein by a friction fit. It may be provided with lugs for this purpose. The insert may comprise low density polyethylene. 
         [0015]    The insert may also be configured so that it can be retained in a closure. It may be retained by a screw thread which co-operates with the screw thread of the closure. Alternatively it may be retained by an alternative friction fit arrangement such as a feather edge which presses up against the closure skirt. 
         [0016]    Suitably, the area represented by the liquid outlet comprises from 10% to 50% of the surface area of the pouring opening provided by the spout. More preferably, it may comprise from 18% to 30% of the surface area. 
         [0017]    Similarly, the air inlet may comprise from 0.5% to 20% of the surface area for the spout. More preferably it may comprise from 2% to 10% of the surface area. 
         [0018]    The baffle may comprise between 81.5% and 25% of the pouring opening of the spout. 
         [0019]    Typically, the spout itself may comprise 1% to 20% of the surface area of the front face where the front face is flat. 
         [0020]    Preferred aspects of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0021]      FIG. 1  shows an isometric view of an insert according to the invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 2  shows a different isometric view of the insert of  FIG. 1  and a closure; 
           [0023]      FIG. 3  shows an isometric view of the closure and insert of  FIG. 2  assembled together; 
           [0024]      FIG. 4  shows a cross-section of the insert and closure of  FIG. 2  applied to the spout of a container; 
           [0025]      FIG. 5  shows a cross-section of the insert of  FIGS. 1 and 2  fitted to the spout of a container while liquid is being poured; 
           [0026]      FIG. 6  is an exploded view of an alternative cap, insert container combination; and 
           [0027]      FIG. 7  is a cross section taken through  FIG. 6  of the combined container spout and insert. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0028]    The various elements identified by numerals in the drawings are listed in the following integer list. 
       INTEGER LIST 
       [0000]    
       
         
           
               19  Liquid outlet 
               20  Insert 
               22  Baffle 
               23  Skirt 
               24  Flange 
               25  Feather edge 
               26  Air inlet 
               27  Lip 
               28  Lug 
               29  Ramp 
               30  Closure cap 
               31  Screw thread 
               32  Container 
               33  Front face 
               34  Spout 
               35  Skirt 
               38  Sealing surface 
               39  Internal skirt 
               40  Liquid 
               41  Air bubbles 
               42  Tear line 
               50  Closure cap 
               51  Insert 
               52  Container 
               53  Spout 
               56  Top panel 
               57  Skirt 
               60  Outer skirt 
               61  Screw thread 
               62  Circumferential flange 
               63  Plug skirt 
               65  Baffle 
               66  Air inlet 
               67  Lip 
               68  Liquid outlet 
               69  Ratchet tooth 
               70  Screw thread 
               71  Slot 
               73  Tear line 
           
         
       
     
         [0068]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , there is shown an insert generally designated  20  for use in performing the present invention. The insert may typically be formed as an integral element using a plastics moulding process. The plastics material may comprise low density polyethylene. 
         [0069]    The insert comprises a liquid outlet  19  formed between the annular skirt  23  and the lip  27  of the baffle  22 . It is to be noted that the baffle  22  is generally flat and is arranged so that it will lie in a direction generally perpendicular to the axis of a spout to which it may be applied. The lip  27 , which extends from the baffle, is shaped and angled so as to direct a flow of liquid pouring through the liquid outlet  19 . A flange  24  extends outwardly from the top of the skirt and terminates in a feather edge  25  for purposes to become apparent. 
         [0070]    An air inlet  26  is formed in the skirt, the air inlet being located near the bottom edge of the skirt proximate the top of the baffle  22 . Alternatively it could be located in the baffle near the join between baffle and skirt. It could even extend through both baffle and skirt. 
         [0071]    A number of lugs  28  are formed around the skirt, the lugs being formed with ramps  29  to assist with press fitting the insert into the spout of a container. 
         [0072]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , it can be seen that the insert is constructed so that it can readily fit into a closure cap  30  so that it sits concentric with the skirt  35  of the cap immediately below the top panel of the cap. Whilst the cap shown is typically formed by pressing and rolling metal as is known in the art, it is to be appreciated that other cap constructions such as plastic moulded caps are also possible. 
         [0073]    The feather edge  25  of the insert forms a friction fit with the skirt  35  of the cap in a region of the skirt above the level of the screw thread  31  provided in the skirt. 
         [0074]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , it can be seen that the assembled cap and insert of  FIG. 3  have been screwed down onto the spout  34  of a container  32 . The spout forms an integral part of a flat front face  33  of the metal container, the spout being formed by working the metal so as to form screw threads in the tubular spout which are complementary to the screw thread  31  of the cap. 
         [0075]    The spout is also formed with a sealing surface  38  at the forward portion of the spout and an internal skirt  39  which forms a snug fit with the tubular skirt  23  of the insert when the cap is screwed onto the spout. 
         [0076]    It can be seen that the lugs  28  are positioned so that they underlie the bottom edge of the internal skirt  39  when the insert is pushed home into the spout  34 . As a result, the lugs serve to prevent the insert being removed from the spout when the cap is unscrewed notwithstanding the friction fit caused by the flexible feather edge  25  abutting the internal surface of the skirt  35  of the cap. 
         [0077]    The advantage of this construction is that the container can be filled with the spout completely open and the cap and insert can then readily be jointly screwed onto the spout using conventional equipment after the container has been filled. As an optional added feature, the insert may include a tear line  42  in the form of a thinned or scored line of material which allows the lip  27  and baffle  22  to be removed for purposes such as the insertion of a funnel or tube of a pump into the spout. 
         [0078]    When a user wishes to empty the contents of the container, the user simply removes the closure, manually orients the insert so that the liquid outlet  19  is lowermost relative to the bottom edge of the container and pours liquid  40  out of the container by tilting the container in the conventional manner. The effect of separating the air inlet  26  from the liquid outlet  19  is that air  41  freely bubbles up through the air inlet away from the liquid pouring out of the liquid outlet and the interference which would otherwise occur between air bubbles coming into the container and liquid pouring out is substantially reduced. This is shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0079]    Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , there is shown an alternative arrangement in which an insert  51  may be screw threaded into the closure cap  50  prior to application by screwing to the spout  53  of a container  52 . 
         [0080]    The cap may be a conventional closure cap having a top panel  56  and a skirt  57  which depends from the top panel. The interior to the skirt is provided with a screw thread which co-operates with the screw thread  61  provided on the outer skirt  60  of the insert  51  to hold the insert within the cap  50  when the two are screwed together. 
         [0081]    Typically, both the closure cap and insert may be produced by conventional plastics moulding techniques. 
         [0082]    The outer skirt  60  of the insert is joined by a circumferential flange  62  to a plug skirt  63  which lies surrounded by and concentric with the outer skirt  60 . 
         [0083]    The plug skirt is shaped so that it fits snugly in telescopic fashion within the spout  53  of the container when the combined cap and insert are screwed onto the spout  53 . 
         [0084]    A baffle  65  extends partly around and across the region bounded by the plug skirt. It is formed with an air inlet  66  and a lip  67  for assisting with directing pouring of liquid through the liquid outlet  68 . 
         [0085]    A tear line  73  is provided so that the baffle and lip may be torn away from the insert if a user needs to obtain completely open access to the container spout. For example, a user may wish to insert a funnel or hand pump through the spout of the container. 
         [0086]    The spout of the container includes a screw thread  70  for co-operation with the screw thread  61  of the insert. Thus the screw thread  61  is double sided in the respect that on one side it enables the insert to be screwed onto the spout  53  of the container whereas on its opposite side it allows the insert to be screwed into the closure cap  50 . 
         [0087]    In order to prevent the insert being accidentally removed from the container when the closure cap is unscrewed, the bottom of the outer skirt  60  is provided with one or more ratchet teeth  69  shaped so that they co-operate with one or more slots  71  provided at the bottom of the spout, the ratchet teeth and slots co-operating to prevent reverse rotation of the insert after it has been fully screwed home onto the spout of the container. The slots can be positioned so that they correctly orient the insert for pouring. 
         [0088]    The insert functions in much the same way as the inserts described with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 5  in smoothing the flow of liquid through the liquid outlet  68  when the container is tilted. 
         [0089]    Whilst the above description includes the preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that many variations, alterations, modifications and/or additions may be introduced into the constructions and arrangements of parts previously described without departing from the essential features or the spirit or ambit of the invention. 
         [0090]    It will be also understood that where the word “comprise”, and variations such as “comprises” and “comprising”, are used in this specification, unless the context requires otherwise such use is intended to imply the inclusion of a stated feature or features but is not to be taken as excluding the presence of other feature or features. 
         [0091]    The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that such prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia.