Patent Publication Number: US-10759573-B1

Title: Varialbe pour flow device

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Devices for pouring contents contained therein typically include a container for containing contents to be poured, and a cap for closing the container and facilitating pouring contents of the container in a controlled manner. One known problem with pouring devices is the lack of user control over the flow rate of the pouring device. While some pouring device caps are configured to limit a flow rate through the cap to a single, relatively consistent and controlled flow when the pour device is tilted within a range of angles, other spouts have a more open configuration that feature a flow rate varying with the degree of tilt. Neither type of pour flow device features both a variation of the pour flow rate while also featuring a relatively consistent and controlled flow when the pour device is tilted. 
     Additionally, pouring contents from a container replaces the contents from the container with atmospheric air surrounding the container. Insufficient air or interruption of the passage of air into the container affects the manner in which the liquid flows from the container. When the pouring device is tilted to pouring position, the liquid flows out of the cap from the container such that the air in the container is above the liquid, and the entering air and discharging liquid must pass in opposite directions. This causes an uncontrolled flow that is uneven and inconsistent when pouring contents from the pouring device. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to one aspect, a cap for a variable pour flow device is disclosed. The cap is configured to close an opening of a container holding a liquid when assembled with the container. The cap includes a spout in communication with an interior of the container when the cap is assembled with the container. The cap is further configured to provide a first fluid flow in which fluid flows through a first passage and the spout when the container with the cap assembled thereto is tilted from an upright position toward the spout to an intermediate degree. The cap is also configured to provide a second, greater fluid flow in which fluid flows through the first passage, a larger second passage, which is spaced from the first passage, and the spout when the container with the cap assembled thereto is tilted further toward the spout from the intermediate degree. 
     According to another aspect, a variable pour flow device is disclosed. The variable pour flow device includes a container and a cap assembly. The container is formed by a side wall having an inner surface defining an interior and an outer surface defining an exterior. The container also has an end defining an opening. The cap assembly includes a cover configured to substantially close the opening of the container when the cap is assembled with the container, such that the cover has a cover inner surface facing the interior of the container. The cap includes a cap wall, a spout, and a channel. The cap wall extends from the cap and has an inner surface that is configured for engaging the container around the opening of the container, such that the cap wall has a cap wall inner surface. The spout is configured for communicating liquid between the interior of the container and the exterior of the container. A channel along the cover of the cap includes at least two passages configured to communicate an inside of the channel with the interior of the container and the exterior of the container. Tilting the container from an upright position towards the spout to an intermediate degree with the cap assembled to the container facilitates fluid flow into the channel through a first passage of the at least two passages. Further tilting the container from the intermediate degree towards the spout facilitates fluid flow into the channel through a second passage of the at least two passages. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of a variable pour flow device according to the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the variable pour flow device of  FIG. 1  partially unassembled. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of a cap for the variable pour flow device shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view from below the cap for the variable pour flow device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the cap for the variable pour flow device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the variable pour flow device tilted at an intermediate degree. 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the variable pour flow device tilted further from the intermediate degree. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawings herein are merely illustrative and that various modifications and changes can be made in the structures disclosed without departing from the present disclosure. Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views,  FIG. 1  illustrates an assembled variable pour flow device  90  including a cap  92  and container  102 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the cap  92  and container  102  assembled together are oriented in an upright position. The cap  92  is configured to close an opening  104  of the container  102  holding a liquid when assembled with the container  102 . The upright position of the variable pour flow device  90  is defined herein as the orientation resulting from standing the variable pour flow device  90  on a horizontal surface such that a longitudinal axis  106  of the variable pour flow device  90  is normal to the horizontal surface. 
     The cap  92  includes an upper cap member  100  having a cap side wall  108  extending from a cover  110 . The cap side wall  108  is generally cylindrical, and concentric about the longitudinal axis  106 , which can also be considered as a central axis of the cap  92 . The cover is generally circular when viewed normal to the longitudinal axis  106 . The cap side wall  108  has an inner surface  112  defining an interior of the cap  92 , and an outer surface  114  defining an exterior of the cap  92 . A ridge  116  is integrally formed adjacent the periphery of the cover  110 , protruding toward the interior of the cap  92 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 2 , the container  102  is formed by a wall  118  having an inner surface  120  defining an interior of the container and an outer surface  122  defining an exterior of the container. The container  102  has an end  124  defining the opening  104  of the container. The container  102  can be sized to be hand-held, e.g., picked up by an adult with one hand, and can be useful in storing liquids, such as cooking oil, salad dressing, cream and other consumable liquids. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the cap  92  further includes a first insert  126  received in the upper cap member  100  between the cap side wall  108  and the ridge  116 . The first insert  126  includes an insert side wall  128  having an inner surface  130  facing the interior of the cap  92 , and an outer surface  132  facing the exterior of the cap  92  when the cap  92  is assembled. Further, the insert side wall  128  has a first end  134  configured for engaging the upper cap member  100  between the ridge  116  and cap side wall  108 , and a second end  136  opposite from the first end  134  relative to the insert side wall  128 . The inner surface  130  of the insert side wall  128  is threaded, being configured to engage a threads of the container  102 . 
     A first flange  138  protrudes inwardly toward the longitudinal axis  106  from the inner surface  130  of the insert side wall  128 , and is configured to contact the ridge  116  when the cap  92  is assembled. To this end, the first flange  138  features teeth  140  on an upper surface  142  of the first flange  138 , and the teeth  140  are configured to contact the ridge  116  upon assembly of the cap  92 . Also, the ridge  116  features a groove pattern  144  facing the teeth  140 , and the groove pattern  144  is configured for engaging the teeth  140  upon assembly of the cap  92 . The first insert  126  is ultrasonically welded to the upper cap member  100  to connect the two components where the groove pattern  144  contacts the teeth  140 . Alternatively, the upper cap member  100  could be overmolded onto the first insert  126  to connect the two components. 
     A second flange  146  integrally protrudes outwardly from the second end  136  of the first insert  126  toward the exterior of the cap  92  when the cap  92  is assembled, such that an outermost surface  148  of the second flange  146  aligns with the outer surface  114  of the cap side wall  108 . A steel ring  150  is disposed on the second flange  146  of the first insert  126 , around the outermost surface  148  of the ridge  116 . 
     The upper cap member  100 , and more particularly the cover  110  includes an air vent  152  configured for communicating air pressure between the interior of the container  102  and the exterior of the container  102  when the cap  92  is assembled with the container  102 . A boss  154  extends from the cover  110  toward the interior of the cap  92 , and the air vent  152  is a through hole disposed through the boss  154 . The air vent  152  is located on the cover  110 , on a side of the cover  110  opposite from a spout  156 . 
     The spout  156  brings the exterior of the container  102  in communication with the interior of the container  102  for fluid passage when the variable pour flow device  90  is assembled. The spout  156  is located on a side of the cap  92  opposite from the air vent  152 , and extends from the upper cap member  100  at an edge  158  formed between the cover  110  and the cap side wall  108 . The cover  110  is curved to bend toward the interior of the cap  92 , and the spout  156  extends from the upper cap member  100  in a direction substantially matching the incline of the cover  110  relative to the wall of the container  102 , such that the spout  156  and cover  110  form a substantially continuous surface, facilitating an unimpeded fluid flow to the spout  156 . The spout  156  includes a tube  160  inserted in the cap  92 , extending the spout  156 . The tube  160  can be made from steel and include a rolled distal edge to inhibit dripping. 
     The cap  92  further includes a second insert  162  having a baffle  164  and a gasket  166 . The baffle  164  and the gasket  166  are integrally formed from the second insert  162  in the illustrated embodiment. The gasket  166  is generally L-shaped, and is seated about the periphery of the upper cap member  100  below the first flange  138  of the insert side wall  128  and between the ridge  116  and the boss  154 . The gasket  166  is positioned between a lower surface  168  of the first flange  138  and an upper edge  170  on the end  124  of the container  102 . The second insert  162  includes a hole  172  that receives the boss  154 . The second insert  162  is made of silicone, or another flexible material. In an alternative embodiment, the second insert  162  is instead integrally formed with the cover  110 . 
     When the cap  92  is assembled, the baffle  164  extends from the cover  110  to define a channel  174  disposed within the interior of the cap  92 , along the cover  110  of the cap  92 . The longitudinal direction of the channel  174  formed by the baffle  164  is aligned from the air vent  152  to the spout  156 . The length of the baffle  164  extends from the air vent  152  to the spout  156 . In the illustrated embodiment, the baffle  164  has a substantially square U-shaped cross section taken normal to longitudinal direction. The baffle  164  further defines a first passage  176  and a second passage  178 , each of which are configured to communicate the interior of the container  102  and the channel  174 . The baffle  164  further defines a first open end  180  ( FIG. 3 ) of the channel  174  directed toward the spout  156 . 
     The first passage  176  extends through the baffle  164  into the channel  174 . The second passage  178  is defined by a second open end  182  of the channel  174 , and spaced from the first passage  176 . Specifically, the second passage  178  is located on a side of the channel  174  opposite from the first passage  176 , farther away from the spout  156 . Considering a longitudinal plane  184  (not shown) bisecting the cap  92  along which the longitudinal axis resides, the first passage  176  and the second passage  178  are located on opposite sides of the plane, with the first passage  176  located closer to the spout  156  than the second passage  178 . The air vent  152  terminates in the interior of the cap  92  at a vertically higher location than a lower most end  186  of the baffle  164  adjacent the second passage  178  when the cap  92  is in the upright position, as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     A first rib  188  and a second rib  190  extend downwardly from the cover  110  toward the interior of the cap  92 . Each of the ribs  188 ,  190  are integrally formed with the upper cap member  100  and feature a respective outer side surface (only outer side surface  192  being visible in  FIG. 4 ) configured to engage the baffle  164 . The ribs  188 ,  190  provide a locating feature for the baffle  164  when assembling the baffle  164  with the upper cap member  100 . The ribs  188 ,  190  may be aligned in a parallel orientation and further aligned according to longitudinal position and lateral position relative to the channel  174 . The ribs  188 ,  190  may be symmetric about the channel  174 , disposed on either side of the channel  174 , and partially define the channel  174 . Regarding lateral position relative to the channel  174 , the ribs  188 ,  190  are closer to the spout  156  than the air vent  152 . 
     Tilting the assembled variable pour flow device  90  from the upright position towards the spout  156  to an intermediate degree with the cap  92  assembled to the container  102  facilitates a first fluid flow through the first passage  176 , which is shown in  FIG. 6 . Further tilting the container  102  from the intermediate degree towards the spout  156  facilitates a second fluid flow, which is greater in volume than the first fluid flow, through a second passage  178 , which is shown in  FIG. 7 . The first passage  176  is smaller than the second passage  178 , such that the fluid flow through the second passage  178  may be greater than fluid flow through the first passage  176 . As seen when comparing  FIG. 6  to  FIG. 7 , fluid does not flow through the second passage  178  when the container  102  is tilted to the intermediate degree. By having a substantially square U-shaped cross section, the baffle  164  is provided with a substantially planar lower surface so that when tilted beyond the intermediate degree, for example a degree between  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7  where the fluid just begins to enter the second passage  178 , a larger volume of fluid can pass into the channel  174  as compared to a more curved U-shaped cross section. 
     It will be appreciated that various descriptions of the above-disclosed variable pour flow device and other features and functions, or alternatives or varieties thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Also that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.