Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7753233?dq=%22melissa+white%22
Timestamp: 2014-03-14 04:36:17
Document Index: 90057089

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 15', 'art 15', 'art 16', 'art 15', 'arts 15', 'art 15', 'art 15', 'art 16', 'art 16', 'arts 15', 'arts 15', 'art 8', 'art 8', 'art 8', 'art 28', 'art 27', 'art 28', 'art 28', 'art 28', 'art 28', 'art 28', 'art 28', 'art 28', 'art 28', 'art 27', 'art 28', 'art 27', 'art 27', 'art 15', 'art 16', 'art 27', 'art 28']

Patent US7753233 - Spout unit and bag using the same - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsA spout unit having a tamper-evident function so that it is easy to determine visually that a sealed cap is opened when the cap is unsealed, wherein strong force is not needed to open while modification of moderate curve in convex from an easy-to-break portion of a tamper-proof ring is corrected when...http://www.google.com/patents/US7753233?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7753233 - Spout unit and bag using the sameAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS7753233 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 11/950,590Publication dateJul 13, 2010Filing dateDec 5, 2007Priority dateDec 7, 2006Fee statusPaidAlso published asCN101195427A, CN101195427B, EP1930248A1, EP1930248B1, US20080135513Publication number11950590, 950590, US 7753233 B2, US 7753233B2, US-B2-7753233, US7753233 B2, US7753233B2InventorsKazuhiro UmenakaOriginal AssigneeHosokawa Yoko Co., Ltd.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (13), Non-Patent Citations (1), Referenced by (1), Classifications (8), Legal Events (1) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetSpout unit and bag using the sameUS 7753233 B2Abstract A spout unit having a tamper-evident function so that it is easy to determine visually that a sealed cap is opened when the cap is unsealed, wherein strong force is not needed to open while modification of moderate curve in convex from an easy-to-break portion of a tamper-proof ring is corrected when the spout is sealed with the cap, is provided. A spout unit comprising a spout 20 having a cylindrical opening 21 and a cap 2 which seals the opening of the spout, wherein the cap 2 has a tamper-proof ring 10 connected to a lower end portion of the cap 2 via an easy-to-break linking piece; wherein the tamper-proof ring has an easy-to-break portion 14, which breaks by tension applied in the circumferential direction of the ring, and a claw part engageable with a ratchet provided at the spout side; and wherein a tamper-proof ring support 45 is provided at least at two points around the opening of the spout, in which the tamper-proof ring support is in partial contact with undersurface of the tamper-proof ring upon screwing the cap and has a height to maintain a position of the tamper-proof ring in horizontal direction at a constant level.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A spout unit according to the present invention comprises a spout having a cylindrical opening and a cap which screws into the opening of the spout to seal the opening,
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A spout unit of the present invention comprises a spout having a cylindrical opening and a cap which screws into the opening of the spout to seal the opening,
As shown in FIG. 1, a spout unit 1 of the present invention comprises a spout 20 and a cap 2, which screws together with a cylindrical opening 21 formed on the top of the spout 20 to open and close the opening 21. In the spout unit 1, viewing from above the cap 2, the cap 2 is screwed in the opening 21 to close the opening 21 when the cap 2 is rotated clockwise �Y�, while the cap 2 is removed from the spout 20 when the cap 2 screwed together with the opening 21 is rotated counterclockwise �X�.
FIG. 3 shows one example of a constitution of the tamper-proof ring 10. In the example, the tamper-proof ring 10 has an annular structure in which two arc-shaped ring pieces 11 are connected at each end with an easy-to-break portion 14. These two easy-to-break portions 14 are arranged with an interval of 180� with respect to the central axis of the cap 2. Also, in the example, tapered approximate trapezoidal claw parts 15 and 16 are projected slightly inclining to the unsealing direction �X� at an inner circumference surface of each ring piece 11.
In the example shown in FIG. 3, a position of one claw part 15 to be formed in the ring piece 11 is a position which is a backside of the easy-to-break portion 14 (�Y� direction side) upon rotating the cap sealing the spout in the unsealing direction (�X� direction) and is relatively near the easy-to-break portion 14. A position of the other claw part 16 to be formed in the ring piece 11 is a position which is a backside of the easy-to-break portion 14 (�Y� direction side) upon rotating the cap sealing the spout in the unseating direction (�X� direction) and is slightly behind the claw part 15. The claw parts 15 and 16 of two ring pieces 11 are arranged so that the claw part 15 formed on one ring piece 11 and the claw part 15 formed on the other ring piece 11, and the claw part 16 formed on one ring piece 11 and the claw part 16 formed on the other ring piece 11 are respectively symmetry with respect to the central axis of the cap 2.
When the cap 2 sealing the spout is rotated in the unsealing direction �X�, the claw parts 15 and 16 in the inner circumference surface of the tamper-proof ring 10 engage with ratchets 41 and 43 provided to the spout (see FIG. 1) respectively, and tension occurs in the circumferential direction of the tamper-proof ring 10. As the result, the tamper-proof ring 10 breaks at the easy-to-break portion 14 so as to exhibit the unseal-warning function of the cap.
The claw parts 15 and 16 at the inner circumference surface of the tamper-proof ring 10 (see FIG. 3) and the ratchets 41 and 43 provided at the spout (see FIG. 1) may be arranged so that all claw parts and all ratchets engage simultaneously when the cap 2 in the sealed condition is rotated in the unsealing direction �X� (see FIG. 11B).
In the example shown in FIG. 3, in each ring piece 11, four easy-to-break linking pieces 12 are provided with an even interval starting from the position which is a backside of the easy-to-break portion 14 (�Y� direction side) upon rotating the cap sealing the spout in the unsealing direction (�X� direction) and is relatively near the easy-to-break portion 14. The noncleavable linking piece 13 is provided at the fifth position most backward of the above four easy-to-break linking pieces 12 with the same interval. The fifth position where the noncleavable linking piece 13 is provided is also a position near a frontward of the following easy-to-break portion. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the island-shaped easy-to-break linking pieces 12 are arranged with even interval, however, the form of the easy-to-break linking piece may be long and consecutive in the circumferential direction of the ring if the easy-to-break linking piece can be broken upon unsealing.
If the noncleavable linking piece 13 is provided to connect the tamper-proof ring 10 and the lower end portion of the skirt part 8 of the cap 2, the noncleavable linking piece 13 needs to be provided at a position which does not prevent breakage (ring opening) of the tamper-proof ring 10 upon unsealing. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, in each ring piece 11, the tamper-proof ring 10 is connected to the lower end portion of the skirt part 8 of the cap 2 with the easy-to-break linking piece 12 at the position which is a backside of the easy-to-break portion 14 (�Y� direction side) upon rotating the cap sealing the spout in the unsealing direction (�X� direction) and is relatively near the easy-to-break portion 14. The tamper-proof ring 10 is connected to the lower end portion of the skirt part 8 of the cap 2 with the noncleavable linking piece 13 at the position which is a backside of the easy-to-break portion 14 (�Y� direction side) upon rotating the cap sealing the spout in the unsealing direction (�X� direction) and is father from the easy-to-break portion 14 than the easy-to-break linking piece 12 in each ring piece 11.
Further, the spout 20 may have a thin, long and cylindrical straw part 28 disposed below the opening 21. The spout 20 may have a mounting part 27, which is attached to the upper end of a bag body �A�, between the opening 21 and the straw part 28 right below the lowest base flange 26 of the opening 21. The straw part 28 is in thin, long and cylindrical form and is inserted inside of the bag body �A� in a form of bag (see FIG. 1). An aperture 29 is formed at the bottom end of the straw part 28. A side surface of the straw part 28 has one or more long holes 30 which are in communication with inside and outside of the straw part 28.
Also, in the straw part 28, plate members 31, which stretch horizontally at both sides of the straw part 28, are provided at positions corresponding to the long holes 30 in the axial direction. The plate members 31 function to secure a path to the aperture 29 and the long hole 30 when the bag body �A� is squeezed and to have the inner content enter into the straw part 28. The mounting part 27 is formed so that the length in the cross direction with respect to the surface of the bag body �A� includes the diameter of the straw part 28 and to stretch out right and left (see FIG. 1). The outer surface of the mounting part 27 and the upper end of the bag body �A� are stuck together so that no gap is formed between the outer surface of the mounting part 27 and the upper end of the bag body �A� and a hermetically-sealing function is provided.
The base flanges 24, 25 and 26 are arranged so as to form a vertically three-layered structure. Each of the base flanges 24, 25 and 26 is formed in an octagon shape which is horizontally long right and left as shown in FIG. 6 and has a structure that stretches horizontally from the outer circumference surface of the opening 21 around the opening 21. Since the bottom surface of the bottom base flange 26 contacts with the upper end of the bag body �A�, such a base flange 26 prevents the spout 20 for the cap from dropping inside of the bag body �A� in the production process.
The ratchets 41 and 43 are formed in approximate trapezoid tapered to the tip when viewed in a cross section, projected outer side from the outer edge of the stopper 23, disposed at a position wherein the ratchets 41 and 43 of one stopper 23 and the ratchets 41 and 43 of another stopper 23 are rotationally symmetric with respect to the opening 21 as the central axis, and have a slightly inclined form to the reverse side of the unsealing direction �X� of the cap 2. Due to the above-mentioned form of the ratchets 41 and 43, the claw part of the inner circumference surface of the tamper-proof ring can go over the ratchet when rotating the cap in the sealing direction �Y�, and the claw part and the ratchet can engage when the cap is rotated in the unsealing direction �X�.
It is preferable that an interval of the plural tamper-proof ring supports 45 is equiangularly provided so that the interval is even, but may be slightly uneven in the range of 15 to 60�. A width of the tamper-proof ring support 45 is preferably 0.5 to 2.0 mm but may also be a width wherein a contacting area of the bottom portion 17 of the tamper-proof ring 10 is not too large and friction in the unsealing direction �X� does not increase excessively.
As shown in FIG. 11B, when the cap 2 is rotated in the unsealing direction �X� (counterclockwise) with respect to the spout 20, the claw part 15 engages with the ratchet 41 and, at the same time, the claw part 16 engages with the ratchet 43. From this condition, as shown in FIG. 11C, when the cap 2 is further rotated in the unsealing direction �X�, tension occurs in the circumferential direction of the tamper-proof ring 10 so that the tamper-proof ring 10 breaks at the easy-to-break portion 14 as shown in FIG. 11D.
The spout unit of the present invention can be used by connecting the spout unit to a container body with various form or structure. A material of the container body may be paper, resin, metal or combination thereof. A form of the container body may be tubular, bottle-shaped, bag-shape or the like and may not be particularly limited. For instance, in the spout unit 1 of the present invention as shown in FIG. 1, the aperture on the top of the bag body �A� comprising a gusset bag formed with a flexible layered film and the mounting part 27 of the spout 20 constituting the spout unit can be joined to use. Upon taking out the inner content from the container, the screw between the cap 2 and the opening 21 is unfastened to open and the opening 21 is used as a pouring opening. As shown in FIG. 12, when a tip of a straw part 28 reaches near the bottom of the bag body �A�, the spout unit 1 can be used as a straw so that the inner content can be sucked up by a mouth applied to the cylindrical opening 21.
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