Patent Publication Number: US-6659310-B1

Title: Product dispensing and drainback fitting

Description:
This invention relates to a product dispensing and drainback fitting which is designed to be incorporated into the neck of a container for storing and pouring liquid. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Many liquid containers have a pour spout incorporated into the neck of the container for dispensing a liquid product. Many of these containers also have a cap or closing device which also serves as a measuring cup. When the cap is used to close the container after being used to measure liquid, it is desirable to provide means for the liquid to drain from the interior of the cap into the container. It is also desirable to provide means for returning any liquid which flows onto the outside of the pour spout to the container. Various devices for incorporating liquid drainback features into the pour spouts of liquid containers have been considered. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,434,637 to Marcel and U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,009 to Davidson et al. both teach product dispensing and drainback fittings. In these patents, an inner pouring spout is surrounded by a circumscribing well which connects to the neck of the container. Commonly, these patents show pour spouts with a slot running from the pouring end to the base of the spout. The open slots taught by these patents serve to allow air to enter the container as liquid is poured from the container, which in turn allows the fluid to be poured with a faster, relatively even flow. Pour spouts with open slots as taught by these patents are in common use. 
     Until recently, the equipment used to fill containers with liquid has lacked some precision. As a result, manufacturers tended to set the container fill level on the low side in order to avoid overfilling the container. When the fill level of a container was kept on the low side, the open slots running from the pouring end to the base of the spout commonly used in the industry presented few problems. However, new improvements in the equipment used to fill containers with liquid have resulted in the ability to fill containers to a more exact predetermined level. Consequently, containers now have a consistently higher fill level. Although the higher fill level is beneficial to consumers, it has created some problems with using the prior art pour spouts with the circumscribing wells. When a user tips a container with a high fill level to pour liquid from the container, the liquid fills the entire area of the pour spout. When the pour spout is provided with a slot running substantially the entire length of the spout, some of the liquid being poured has a tendency to flow from the slot and into the well surrounding the spout. Due to the tilt of the container, once the liquid is in the well, it can drip out of the container. Liquid may also flow into the well from the drainback hole commonly located in base of the well in spouts of this type. As a result, a mess is created and product is wasted. This condition is called “double pour”. 
     Various changes in the pour spout have been considered in an effort to avoid the double pour problem. One possible change is to widen the pour spout so that it can accommodate a greater volume of liquid. Unfortunately, if the pour spout is widened, the user&#39;s ability to control the direction of liquid flow is decreased. This is especially serious when the user wishes to measure the liquid because the user has difficulty directing the flow of liquid into the measuring cup. A wider pour spout also causes problems when using the pour spout as a spot stain treater to dispense a controlled amount of liquid to a particular area. The product dispensing and drainback fitting of the present invention solves the problem of double pouring while at the same time maintaining the ability to effectively aim the flow of liquid. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The product dispensing and drainback fitting of the present invention comprises a pour spout to facilitate directed pouring of the liquid, the spout being surrounded by a circumscribing well and having a shortened slot running from the pouring end of the spout towards the well with an appropriately sized drainback hole in the base of the well sized to prevent double pour. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a product dispensing and drainback fitting taught by the prior art. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the product dispensing and drainback fitting of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the product dispensing and drainback fitting of the present invention mounted into the neck of a container. 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of portion  4  of the product dispensing and drainback fitting shown in FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing an alternative embodiment of the product dispensing and drainback fitting of the present invention mounted into the neck of a container. 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of portion  6  of the product dispensing and drainback fitting shown in FIG.  5 . 
     FIG. 7 is a top view of the product dispensing and drainback fitting of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention generally discloses a uniquely designed product dispensing and drainback fitting which minimizes the double pour problem. FIG. 1 shows a conventional product dispensing and drainback fitting  10  having pour spout  11  and circumscribing well  12 . As stated earlier, conventional fitting  10  has a slot  13  which runs substantially the entire length of pour spout  11 . The disadvantage of fitting  10  is evident when a user attempts to pour liquid from a container having a high fill level. When a user tips a container with a high fill level to pour liquid from the container, the liquid fills the entire interior volume of pour spout  11 . Because pour spout  11  has a slot  13  running substantially the entire length of the spout, some of the liquid being poured flows has a tendency to flow from slot  13  and into the well  12  surrounding spout  11 . Due to the tilt of the container, once the liquid is in well  12 , it will drip out of the container. Liquid may also flow into the well from the drainback hole (not shown) commonly located in base of the well in conventional fittings. 
     FIG. 2 shows a product dispensing and drainback fitting  20  of the present invention. Fitting  20  includes outer frustoconical wall portion  21 , which gradually tapers downwardly and inwardly and is received within the neck of a bottle. Wall portion  21  terminates at its upper end with annular flange  22 . Pour spout  23  is centrically positioned within wall portion  21 . Spout  23  is also frustoconical in shape with a gradual taper toward pouring end  24 . Base  25  extends between spout  23  and wall portion  21  creating a circumscribing well  26 . Shortened longitudinal slot  27  is formed in spout  23  and is continuous with pouring end  24 . As shown in FIG. 7, drainback hole  28  is provided in base  25  and positioned so that it is aligned with longitudinal slot  27 . 
     As shown in FIG. 2, pour spout  23  is provided with shortened longitudinal slot  27 , which extends a distance from pouring end  24  of spout  23 . Applicant has discovered that the length of slot  27  is critical to preventing double pour. In conventional fitting  10 , slot  13  extends substantially the entire length of spout  11 . Consequently, when a container with a high fill level is tipped to dispense liquid, the liquid flows from slot  13  into well  12 , then from the well out of the container. Applicant has found that by shortening the length of slot  27  and decreasing the area of drainback hole  28 , double pouring is minimized. 
     Conventional drainback holes typically have an area of about 25 mm 2 . Double pour can occur when a liquid flows through the drainback hole, into the well, and then out of the container. If the drainback hole is too large, liquid flows through the drainback hole too fast, filling the well and causing double pour regardless of the slot length. 
     In order to minimize the occurrence of double pour caused by liquid flow through the drainback hole, Applicant has discovered that it is desirable to limit the area of the drainback hole  28 . However, the drainback hole must not be so small as to prevent the flow of liquid from the well, through the drainback hole and into the container. Applicant has discovered that for liquid products with a viscosity typical of most liquid detergents, a drainback hole with an area of from about 10 mm 2  to about 20 mm 2  in combination with a shortened slot length will minimize double pour and allow the liquid present in the well to drain back into the container. In the most preferred embodiment of the invention, drainback hole  28  has an area of about 15 mm 2 . 
     The present invention is intended to function with a product dispensing and drainback fitting having a pour spout  23  of with a height of about 49 mm to 59 mm up from base  25 . However, the invention will function with pour spouts with a height up to about 109 mm. Although there is no minimum height for pour spout  23 , the pour spout should extend beyond outer wall portion  21  so that a liquid can be poured through the spout and into a measuring cup or onto a stain. 
     As shown in FIG. 2, numeral  40  represents the distance between base  25  and slot  13 . According to the present invention, where drainback hole  28  is reduced to an area of about 20 mm 2 , double pour is minimized by extending distance  40  such that it is about 35 to 48 mm. Where the drainback hole  28  is reduced to an area of about 15 mm 2 , double pour is minimized by extending distance  40  such that it is about 30 to 48 mm. Where drainback hole  28  is even further reduced to an area of about 10 mm 2 , double pour is minimized by extending distance  40  such that it is also about 30 to 48 mm. In Applicant&#39;s preferred embodiment drainback hole  28  has an area of about 15 mm 2  and distance  40  is about 35 mm. 
     As in conventional fitting  10 , the product dispensing and drainback fitting  20  of the present invention is provided with side hole  29 . Side hole  29  allows product which would otherwise be trapped between wall  21  and the container to be poured from the container. 
     As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the product dispensing and drainback fitting of the present invention is sized so as to be frictionally held within neck  31  of container  30 . Annular flange  22  and wall  21  engage with neck  31  so as to form a gasket which seals the container. Fitting should be sized so that it is firmly held within the inner diameter of neck  31  and so that liquid cannot escape by flowing between wall  21  and container  30 . Threads  32  are provided on the outer surface of neck  31  for engagement with cap  40 , which seals the container. Cap  40  is preferably provided with liquid measurement indicators to facilitate appropriate dispensing of the liquid held by container  30 . 
     In an alternate embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, fitting wall  21  is adapted to threadedly engage with threads  32  on neck  31 . In this embodiment of the invention, wall  21  is continuous with a lip  60  which extends over neck  31  of container  30 . The interior surface of lip  60  is provided with threads  61  adapted for engagement with threads  32  of neck  31 . The exterior surface of lip  60  is provided with threads  62  adapted for engagement with cap  40 .