Patent ID: 8302824

Claim:
A one-piece dispensing closure for a viscous food condiment comprising: a closure body; a closure lid; and a living hinge structure hingeably connecting said closure lid to said closure body, said closure body including an upper deck, a skirt depending from the upper deck, said skirt being configured and arranged to mount to a product container; and a flow conduit extending through said upper deck, said flow conduit having a sidewall and a bottom wall, said flow conduit including an entrance orifice in the bottom wall having an entrance axis and an exit orifice having an exit axis, said bottom wall being configured and arranged to prevent the flow of product into the flow conduit along the exit axis, said bottom wall having a surface area proportionally sized to the surface area of the exit orifice to prevent direct flow of product out of exit orifice, said entrance axis being stepped from said exit axis whereby said flow conduit provides a non-linear flow path from an interior of said closure to an exterior of said closure, said entrance axis being parallel to said exit axis, said entrance orifice being larger than said exit orifice, said bottom wall and said sidewall of said flow conduit defining an interior volume when viewed in a cross-section extending perpendicular to the entrance and exit axes, said cross-sectional area of said interior volume being larger than the cross sectional area of said entrance orifice wherein a flow of viscous food condiment through said entrance orifice decelerates into said interior volume of said flow conduit to prevent direct spurting through said exit orifice upon dispensing, said food condiment being dispensed without spurting through said exit orifice upon filling of the interior volume and the application of additional pressure to said food condiment.