Abstract:
A container has a body with a body opening. A spout fitment is mounted within the body opening. A cap has a removed condition disengaged from the body and spout fitment. The cap has an installed condition threadingly mounted to at least one of the body and spout fitment. The spout fitment and body have first interfitting features positioned to resist an extraction of the spout fitment from the body. The spout fitment and body have second interfitting features positioned to angularly orient the spout fitment about an axis of the body opening.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    Benefit is claimed of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/691,185, filed Jun. 15, 2005, and entitled “Dispensing Systems” and U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/771,091, filed Feb. 6, 2006, and entitled “Pour Spout”, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein as if set forth at length. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates to containers. More particularly, the invention relates to pour spouts for containers for liquid laundry detergent and the like. 
         [0003]    There has been an evolution in the configuration of containers for liquid laundry detergent, fabric softener, and the like. The dominant form of container is a wide mouth bottle having an attached spout with a drain-back trough and aperture. In a typical group of container configurations and their methods of assembly, a bottle, spout fitment, and cap are individually molded (e.g., of high density polyethylene (HDPE)). Exemplary bottle molding is via roto-molding whereas exemplary spout fitment and cap molding are by injection molding. An exemplary spout fitment includes the spout and a continuation of the spout defining the base and outboard wall of the trough. The fitment further typically includes a flange (e.g., extending outward at an upper end of the outboard extremity of the trough). 
         [0004]    The spout fitment may be inserted through a mouth of the bottle (e.g., so that an outer surface of the outboard trough wall whereof another wall outboard thereof engages the inner surface of the bottle neck). The spout fitment may be secured and sealed to the bottle such as by spin welding. The bottle may be filled and the cap may be installed. Exemplary caps typically have either an externally threaded skirt for engaging an internally threaded portion of the fitment or an internally threaded skirt for engaging an externally threaded portion of the fitment or bottle neck. With a typical externally threaded skirt, the cap includes an outwardly projecting flange above the skirt. Upon installation of the cap to the fitment, the flange underside contacts and seals with the fitment flange upper surface to seal the bottle. 
         [0005]    Various examples of bottles are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,923,341, 5,941,422, 5,566,862, and 5,603,787. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    One aspect of the invention involves a container having a body with a body opening. A spout fitment is mounted within the body opening. A cap has a removed condition disengaged from the body and spout fitment. The cap has an installed condition threadingly mounted to at least one of the body and spout fitment. The spout fitment and body have first interfitting features positioned to resist an extraction of the spout fitment from the body. The spout fitment and body have second interfitting features positioned to angularly orient the spout fitment about an axis of the body opening. 
         [0007]    The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a view of a bottle. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a side view of a cap, spout fitment, and body neck of the bottle of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a sectional view of the bottle of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of inter-engaged portions of the cap, spout fitment, and neck of the bottle of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a rear view of the neck of the bottle of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a view of the neck of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a top view of the neck of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a top view of the spout fitment of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  is a view of the spout fitment of  FIG. 8 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 10  is a vertical sectional view of the spout fitment of  FIG. 8 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 11  is a side view of the cap of the bottle of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 12  is a sectional view of a first alternate bottle. 
           [0020]      FIG. 13  is a sectional view of a second alternate bottle. 
           [0021]      FIG. 14  is a sectional view of a third alternate bottle. 
           [0022]      FIG. 15  is a view of a neck of a body of the bottle of  FIG. 14 . 
       
    
    
       [0023]    Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0024]      FIG. 1  shows a container  20  comprising the assembly of a bottle body  22 , a spout fitment  24 , and a cap  26  (which may serve as a measuring/dispensing cup). Each may be made as a unitary plastic molding. Exemplary bottle body material is high density polyethylene (HDPE). Exemplary spout fitment and cap material is polypropylene. 
         [0025]    The body  22  comprises a unitary combination of a base  30 , a sidewall  32  extending upward from the base, a shoulder  34  at an upper end of the sidewall, and a neck  36  extending upward from the shoulder. The neck  36  extends to a rim  38  ( FIGS. 5-7 ) and defines an opening  40  having a central longitudinal axis  500 . The bottle body has an interior surface  42  and an exterior surface  44 . A handle  46  ( FIG. 1 ) may extend from the sidewall and the body interior may extend through the handle. 
         [0026]    The neck  36  ( FIGS. 5-7 ) has an outwardly-projecting annular flange  48  at the rim  38 . The flange  48  has an underside  49 . A narrow region  50  extends downward below the flange  48  to a shoulder junction  51  with a wider region  52 . A lug  53  extends upward from the junction  51  partially along the region  50  and has first and second circumferential ends/faces/surfaces  54  and  55 . As is discussed below, the flange  48  helps retain the spout fitment to the neck while the lug  53  helps angularly orient the spout fitment about the axis  500 . 
         [0027]    The spout fitment  24  ( FIGS. 8-10 ) includes an inner wall  60  and an inner sidewall  62  joined by a lower wall  64  so as to define a trough  66 . One or more drain-back apertures  68  along the trough base and/or vents  70  thereabove are open to the trough (e.g., through the wall  64  and sidewall  62 , respectively). The inner wall  60  has an upper end  72  defining a spout opening  74 . The upper end  72  peaks along a forward portion and dips along a rearward portion so that the opening  72  is asymmetric and defines a preferential direction for pouring. 
         [0028]      FIG. 10  shows the spout fitment sidewall  62  as having an inboard surface  80  bearing an internal thread  82 . As is discussed further below, the internal thread helps engage the cap to the spout fitment. The sidewall has an external/outboard surface  84 . The sidewall has an upper end  86  and a lower end  88 . A flange  90  extends outward from the upper end  86 . The flange  90  has an upper surface  92 . A bevel/chamfer surface  93  above the thread  82  joins the flange upper surface  90  to a portion of the surface  80  therebelow. As is discussed further below, the surface  93  helps seal between the spout fitment and cap. 
         [0029]    An outer sidewall  94  depends from an upper edge at an outboard periphery of the flange  90  to a lower end/rim  96 . The outer sidewall  94  has an inboard surface  98  and an outboard surface  100 . A recess  102  extends upward from the rim  96  and has first and second sides  104  and  106  ( FIG. 8 ). As is discussed further below, the recess  102  captures the neck lug  53  so that adjacent surfaces of the recess and neck lug angularly retain the spout fitment relative to the neck. 
         [0030]    The inboard surface  98  bears an annular projection  110 . As is discussed below, whereas the recess  100  functions to orient the spout fitment on the body, the projection  110  cooperates with the projection  48  to provide a snap fit engagement retaining the spout fitment to the body. 
         [0031]    The cap  26  ( FIG. 11 ) includes a sidewall  120 , a transverse web  122  at the upper end of the sidewall, and an outwardly projecting flange  124  spaced above a lower end  126  of the sidewall. A lower portion  130  of the cap sidewall  120  depends below the flange  124  and bears an external thread  132  positioned for engaging the internal thread  82 . The flange  124  has an underside  140 . Spaced slightly below the flange  144  is an upper sealing flange  142  having an upper surface  144  and a lower surface/underside  146 . Adjacent the lower end  126  of the sidewall, a lower sealing flange  150  is of relatively small radial extent and has a chamfer  152  merging an underside and a periphery. 
         [0032]    In an exemplary method of assembly, the cap is fully or partially screwed onto the spout fitment. The spout fitment is then installed to the bottle neck. In the cross-sectional views of  FIGS. 3 and 4 , parts are shown generated from a solid model and not reflecting strain. Accordingly, interference is shown which would produce strains described below. As the cap is screwed into place, the underside  146  of the flange  142  ( FIG. 4 ) will come into engagement with the surface  93 . Further screwing of the cap onto the spout fitment will flex the flange  142  upward, increasing stress and strain and providing a sealing bias. 
         [0033]    The flange  124  may be positioned to protect the flange  142  in one or more ways. First engagement between an outboard portion of the underside  140  of the relatively robust flange  124  and the rim surface  90  may act as a stop restricting further relative screwing rotation of the cap relative to the spout fitment. Additionally, the underside  140  may be positioned in sufficiently close proximity to the upper surface  144  that flexing of the flange  142  brings its upper surface  144  into engagement with the underside  140  so that the flange  124  also acts as a backing flange. 
         [0034]    In the  FIG. 4  example, the cap and spout fitment subassembly may be installed to the body neck by a linear insertion. During the insertion, the lug  53  is aligned with the recess  102 . An initial stage of the insertion may produce a camming action between the projections  48  and  110 . Further insertion causes the recess to receive the lug and the projection  110  to snap over the projection  48  and at least partially relax. Advantageously, the relaxation is only partial, sufficient to provide a mechanical backlocking to resist spout fitment extraction yet leaving stress/strain sufficient to maintain a sealing engagement between the spout fitment and neck. Advantageously, this sealing engagement remains when the cap is unscrewed. However, the engagement of the cap (in particular the flange  142 ) with the spout fitment may provide a sandwiching engagement further strengthening the seal between the spout fitment and neck. Thus, the dimensions of the spout fitment and neck are advantageously such that, in the absence of the cap, their interference contact is sufficient to provide sealing under normal loads associated with pouring. The addition of the cap may further augment sealing to higher levels to address loads associated with transport and handling. 
         [0035]      FIG. 12  shows an alternate embodiment  300  having a neck  302 , a spout fitment  304 , and a cap  306 . The neck-to-spout fitment engagement may be similar to that described above. The cap-to-spout fitment engagement differs. The cap has a main sidewall  310  which defines the cup of the cap. A bell flange  312  depends from a central location of the sidewall  310 . An externally threaded intermediate wall  314  depends from a relatively inboard portion of the bell flange spaced slightly apart from the sidewall  310 . The external thread engages the internal thread of the spout fitment. Outboard of the intermediate sidewall  314 , a v-bead land seal  316  depends from the bell flange  312 . The rim of the seal  316  maintains sealing contact with the rim of the spout fitment when the cap is installed. A terminal skirt  318  of the flange  312  may extend to a rim  320  and surround at least an upper portion of the outer/outboard sidewall of the spout fitment. 
         [0036]      FIG. 13  shows a second alternate embodiment  330  having a neck  332 , a spout fitment  334 , and a cap  336 . Snap-fit engagement between the spout fitment and neck may be as described above. Relative to the embodiment  300 , the cap-to-spout fitment threading is shifted outward with an external thread on the spout fitment outer sidewall and an internal thread on the cap bell flange outboard of the v-bead land seal. 
         [0037]      FIGS. 14 and 15  show a third alternate embodiment  350  having a neck  352 , a spout fitment  354 , and a cap  356 . The cap-to-spout fitment engagement may be similar to that of the first embodiment shown in section in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The neck-to-spout fitment engagement differs in that the snap fit of non-thread projections is replaced with a threaded engagement between an external thread  360  of the neck and an internal thread  362  of the spout fitment outer sidewall. The neck lug  370  is modified to have a camming surface  372  and a locking surface  374 . These cooperate with an otherwise similar recess  376  in the spout fitment outer sidewall. To install the spout fitment to the neck, the threads  362  are screwed on to the threads  360 . During the rotation of this screwing, the camming surface may allow the recess to pass over the lug. However, the recess and lug are positioned so that the lug will be within the recess when the spout fitment is in a desired fully installed condition. At this point, unscrewing is prevented by backlocked interaction of the locking surface  374  with the adjacent surface of the recess  376 . 
         [0038]    Various implementations may have one or more of various advantages. One group of advantages relate to elimination of welding or adhering of the spout fitment to the bottle body. In addition to the economy of a saved step, this may facilitate delivery of the liquid before attaching the spout fitment to the bottle body which may allow more efficient processing (e.g., including higher flow delivery or less precisely aimed delivery through an opening in the bottle body larger than the spout opening). The spout fitments and caps may be delivered to the bottler as units and installed in units, thereby easing installation. Other potential advantages include weight reduction and reduced intrusion of the spout fitment into the bottle body (thereby permitting higher fill levels). Other potential advantages include improved sealing. Finally, there may be greater flexibility in aesthetics by permitting relatively easy use of differently-styled spout fitments with a given bottle body or differently styled bottle bodies with a given spout fitment. 
         [0039]    One or more embodiments of the present invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, when implemented in the reengineering of an existing container configuration, details of the existing configuration may influence or dictate details of any particular implementation. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.