Patent Publication Number: US-5839625-A

Title: Extruded fluted insert dispensing tube

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     When pouring liquid from a container having a narrow neck portion, air bubbles enter the container through the neck portion and flow through the remaining portion of the liquid in the container resulting in a sporadic or turbulent flow of the liquid through the container neck resulting in an overspill of the dispensed liquid. 
     This is particularly true when using plastic bottles having the configuration shown in Design U.S. Pat. Nos. 289,376 and 352,904 wherein the neck of the bottle is offset from the longitudinal axis of the bottle. These bottles are adapted to contain motor oil, and to reduce or eliminate the turbulent or sporadic flow of oil through the bottle neck. The manufacturer recommends that the bottle be held in such a manner that the bottle neck is positioned quite a distance from the engine oil intake hole. Most users want to position the bottle neck as close as possible to the engine oil intake; therefore, the bottle is held in a position opposite to the recommended position resulting in the turbulent flow of the oil through the neck and the overspill of oil at the engine oil intake hole. 
     To overcome the turbulent flow of liquid through the neck portion of a container, the dispensing tube of the present invention has been devised to provide a continuous or laminar flow of liquid through the container neck portion. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The dispensing tube of the present invention comprises, essentially, an extruded fluted, plastic tube adapted to be inserted through the neck of a container containing liquid. The free end of the tube is spaced from the bottom wall of the container, while the opposite end is frictionally held in the container neck. The side wall of the tube is provided with at least one flute, formed by a longitudinal recess extending either the entire length of the tube or a portion of the length of the tube. 
     By this construction and arrangement, during the filling of the container, the tube functions as a fill tube, and the flute functions as an air vent. During the pouring of the liquid from the container, the tube will initially function as a dispensing tube, and the flute will function as a dispensing port. When the liquid level in the container reaches a position below the free end of the tube, the liquid continues to flow through the flute, to thereby provide a continuous, rather than turbulent, flow of liquid from the container. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective side elevational view of a container having its neck portion offset from the longitudinal axis of the container and showing the container in a pouring position causing sporadic or turbulent flow of liquid through the container neck; 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional side elevational view of a container having its neck portion aligned with the longitudinal axis of the container, and illustrating the sporadic or turbulent flow of liquid through the container neck; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional, side elevational view of the container shown in FIG. 1, but in a pouring position to provide a continuous flow of liquid from the container; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view illustrating the threaded neck portion employed with the containers of the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the fluted, dispensing tube of the present invention wherein the flute extends the entire lengths of the tube; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the fluted dispensing tube of the present invention wherein the flute extends a portion of the length of the tube; 
     FIG. 7 is a sectional side elevational view of the container shown in FIG. 1, having the fluted tube shown in FIG. 5 mounted therein, and illustrating the flow of liquid through the tube and flute; and 
     FIG. 8 is a sectional side elevational view of the container and tube, as shown in FIG. 7, illustrating the liquid level in the container being below the tube, and the flow of liquid through the flute. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to the drawings and, more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 3, there are shown containers 1 having a threaded neck portion 2 offset from the longitudinal axis of the container. These containers are conventional plastic bottles having the configuration shown in Design U.S. Pat. Nos. 289,376 and 352,904. These containers are plastic bottles adapted to contain motor oil 3, and to reduce or eliminate the turbulent or sporadic flow 5 of oil through the bottle neck as shown in FIG. 1. The manufacturer recommends that the bottle 1 be held in the position shown in FIG. 3 resulting in the threaded neck portion 2 being positioned quite a distance from an engine oil intake hole (not shown). Most users want to position the bottle neck as close as possible to the engine oil intake; therefore, the bottle is held in a position shown in FIG. 1 resulting in the turbulent flow 5 of oil through the neck 2, and the concomitant overspill of oil at the engine and intake hole. 
     The same problem exists in conventional containers 6 shown in FIG. 2 wherein the threaded neck portion 7 is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the container. 
     To overcome the turbulent flow 5 of liquid through the neck portion 2 of the container 1, the dispensing tube 8 of the present invention has been devised, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The tube 8 is an extruded plastic tube having at least one flute formed by a recess 9 in a side wall of the tube 8 and extending the entire length of the tube, as shown in FIG. 5, or a portion of the tube length as shown in FIG. 6. 
     The tube 8 is adapted to be inserted into the neck 2 of the container 1 and held therein by a friction fit. To this end, the neck 2, as seen in FIG. 4, is provided with a pair of axially spaced, inwardly extending annular shoulders 2a and 2b, and the open end edge of the neck 2 is provided with an inwardly extending annular flange portion or lip 2c. The neck 2 is also provided with threads 2d for the closure cap, not shown, and an outwardly extending annular shoulder 2e adapted to be engaged by a conventional tamper-evident ring, not shown. 
     FIGS. 7 and 8 show the tube 8 mounted in the container 1 wherein the free end 8a of the tube 8 is spaced from the bottom wall 1a of the container while the opposite end portion 8b of the tube is frictionally held in the neck 2 by the inwardly extending shoulders 2a and 2b engaging the outer surface of the tube. The tube 8 is inserted into the container 1 until the opposite end 8b snaps underneath the lip 2c on the neck 2. 
     With the tube 8 mounted in the container 1 as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, during the filling thereof, the tube 8 functions as a fill tube, and the flute 9 functions as an air vent. During the pouring of the liquid from the container 1, the tube 8 will initially function as a dispensing tube as shown in FIG. 7, and the flute 9 will function as a dispensing port, whereby a continuous flow of liquid is dispensed from the container. When the liquid level in the container 1 reaches a position below the free end 8a of the tube 8, as shown in FIG. 8, the liquid continues to flow in a continuous manner through the flute 9. 
     When the extruded, fluted, dispensing tube 8 of the present invention is inserted into a plastic bottle, containing motor oil and having a configuration disclosed in the above-mentioned design patent, the user will be able to position the neck 2 of the bottle in proximity to the engine oil intake hole, and the fluted dispensing tube 8 will provide a continuous flow of oil from the bottle, to thereby prevent overspill of oil at the engine oil intake hole. 
     While the dispensing tube 8 of the present invention has been shown and described for use in a container having an offset neck portion, it can also be employed in the container 6 as shown in FIG. 2 wherein the neck 7 is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the container 6. 
     Also, the tube 8 can be inserted in the containers 1 and 6 at the place of manufacture and/or filling of the container, or it can be sold as an after-market item and inserted into a tubeless container by the user. 
     It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from, the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claims.