Patent Document

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/192,636 entitled “VENTED SPOUT”, filed Jul. 28, 2011, which is a non-provisional application based upon U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/451,429, entitled “VENTED SPOUT”, filed Mar. 10, 2011, both of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a liquid container having a spout, and, more particularly, to a vented spout that is connectable to a liquid container. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Liquid containers generally include a spout or a pouring protrusion to facilitate the directing of the liquid to an intended receiving vessel. It is known in U.S. Pat. No. 1,436,708 to provide a pouring nozzle for bottles including a stopper having a pouring orifice therethrough. U.S. Pat. No. 1,454,803 discloses a dispensing vessel including a can body having a closed top and a pouring spout secured to the top of the can. A vent tube extends parallel to the spout and extends slightly beyond the outer end of the spout. The inner side of the vent tube extends into a box-like valve casing having an opening or port in its lower side. When the can is tilted to pour its contents out through the spout, the valve rolls out of a seat toward the end of the vent tube. A pin is arranged in the valve casing immediately in front of the end of the tube. 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 3,338,482 discloses a dispensing bottle having a pouring spout. A channel of the spout narrows rapidly as it proceeds upwardly and makes an angular turn having an opening through which the liquid being poured passes. A small, hollow air bleeder is positioned within the spout. 
         [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 3,901,417 discloses a device for venting of jerry cans having a tube that is not quite horizontal. A free end of the tube terminates close before a rear wall of the can. By way of the dimensioning, the free end is practically always within an air bubble when the can is discharged by pouring in the usual manner, so that air streaming through the end does not have to bubble through the liquid in order to reach the large air bubble. 
         [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,111 discloses a vented pouring spout having a venting tube provided within the pouring spout. The venting tube is positioned so as to extend from an outlet end that projects slightly from the outlet end of the spout member, to an inlet end that extends from an inlet end and is directed generally upwardly so that a free end thereof will be located within the air space formed in the container above the fluid level. The vent tube is attached within the pouring passage by way of a clip. 
         [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,513 discloses a pourer pipe having venting passages that lie opposite to each other. The vent passages are arranged symmetrically in relation to a plane. 
         [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,355 discloses a portable liquid transfer container and dispensing nozzle with a non-movable part free flow, vapor recovery and overfill prevention system including an airtight rigid container. A dispensing nozzle is fastened to the container. A flexible internal conduit is attached to the dispensing nozzle at its top end with fillets extending to about one-half of the dispensing nozzle opening. An internal conduit extends from the top tip of the dispensing nozzle, through the nozzle, and into the top and back of the container. 
         [0011]    DES. 399,048 is a design patent that discloses what appears to be a bite valve shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6  connected to a supply tube as shown in  FIG. 4 . In  FIGS. 1-3 , there is illustrated a vent plug that is in an extended position in  FIGS. 1 and 3  and in a closed position in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0012]    D491,664 discloses a vented contrast media reservoir cap assembly ( FIGS. 1-13 ) and is a design patent that illustrates a sealable opening and a vented hole having offset air passageways to interior of the container. 
         [0013]    Patent Application Publication No. U.S. 2010/0230447 discloses a pour spout with a drip suppressing feature including a first circular aperture that is smaller than the second circular aperture and is aligned with a bore of a vent tube. The vent tube has a first end adjacent an interior surface of a disk portion and extends through the interior of the hollow cylindrical portion and the hollow intermediary portion to a second end located outside the hollow cylindrical portion. As liquid is dispensed from the bottle through the second circular aperture, the vent tube allows air to enter the bottle, equalizing the pressure within the bottle and preventing the contents of the bottle from backing up and pouring out in an uneven manner. 
         [0014]    What is needed in the art is a flexible vent tubing that is part of the cap and provides for quick efficient transfer of the liquid from a container and allows for self-nesting of the spout apart from the container. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    The present invention is directed to a vented spout with a vent tube that is substantially covered by the liquid during dispersal of the liquid from the container and is self-storing when not connected to the fluid container. 
         [0016]    The present invention consists in one form thereof as a fluid container including a container having an opening and a spout assembly connected to the opening. The spout assembly is connectable to the opening. The spout assembly includes a cap, first and second tubular portions, and at least one corrugated portion. The cap is securable so as to substantially cover the opening. The first tubular portion is connected to the cap. The at least one corrugated portion is fluidically coupled between the first tubular portion and the second tubular portion. The second tubular portion being insertable into the first tubular portion. 
         [0017]    The present invention consists in another form thereof as a spout assembly having a cap, first and second tubular portions, and at least one corrugated portion. The cap is securable so as to substantially cover the opening of a fluid container. The first tubular portion is connected to the cap. The at least one corrugated portion is fluidically coupled between the first tubular portion and the second tubular portion. The second tubular portion being insertable into the first tubular portion. 
         [0018]    The present invention consists in yet another form thereof as a method of nesting ends of a spout assembly including the steps of substantially inserting a second tubular portion of a spout into a first tubular portion of the spout; and interfering a portion of the spout assembly with another portion of the spout assembly to thereby retain the second tubular portion inside of the first tubular portion. 
         [0019]    An advantage of the present invention is that the vent allows for only ingress of air into the fluid. 
         [0020]    Another advantage of the present invention is that the vent is connected to the spout assembly. 
         [0021]    Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the air inlet tube does not reduce the pouring orifice cross section which would result in a reduced flow rate. 
         [0022]    Still yet another advantage is that the present invention is configured to allow one end of the spout assembly to nest inside of an opposite end, thereby enhancing the storage, packaging and keeping the distal end of the spout clean. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0023]    The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following descriptions of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0024]      FIG. 1  is a partially sectioned side view of a liquid container with an embodiment of a vented spout of the present invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the vented spout of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0026]      FIG. 3  is a partially sectioned close-up view of the vented spout of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
           [0027]      FIG. 4  is a side view of another embodiment of a pouring spout used with the container of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0028]      FIG. 5  is an end view of the pouting spout of  FIG. 4 ; and 
           [0029]      FIG. 6  is a view of the pouring spout of  FIGS. 4 and 5  in a nested configuration. 
           [0030]    Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate embodiments of the invention, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0031]    Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to  FIG. 1  there is illustrated a fluid distribution system  10  including a container  12  with a spout assembly  14 . Spout assembly  14  allows for the ingress of air into container  12  while fluid in the container passes therefrom. 
         [0032]    Now additionally referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , spout assembly  14  has a discharge passage  16 , an air ingress tube  18 , a one-way valve  20  and a cap  22 . Discharge passageway  16  includes a corrugated portion  24 , non-corrugated portions  26  and  28 , a retaining feature  30  and a retained end  32 . Discharge passage  16  allows fluid from container  12  to egress to a desired location chosen by the user. While the fluid is escaping a slight vacuum occurs within the container thereby causing air to flow through air ingress tube  18 , through one-way valve  20  and into the fluid. The air of course rises and joins the air already in container  12 . 
         [0033]    Spout assembly  14  is configured to be attached to a jug or other pour container such as container  12 . It has been discovered that the length of air ingress tube  18  needs to be sufficiently long enough to allow the air passing therethrough to not enter the fluid flow stream going through portions discharge passage  16 . 
         [0034]    Cap  22  covers the opening of container  12  with portion  28  and air ingress tube  18  connected to cap  22 . In the embodiment shown cap  22  is threaded to accommodate a threaded portion of container  12 . Although other connection configurations are also contemplated. 
         [0035]    Corrugated portion  24  allows for a robust flexibility of spout assembly  14 , while portions  26  and  28  are smooth and retain a certain resilient rigidity. Cap  22  is configured such that portion  28  may be offset from the center of cap  22 , thereby allowing room for air ingress tube  18  to be part of spout assembly  14 . Check valve  20  may be a simple check valve, such as a rubber duckbill valve effectively preventing the escape of fluid therethrough yet allowing air to pass therein. 
         [0036]    Discharge passage  16  has a cross-sectional area that is larger than the cross-sectional area of air ingress tube  18 . This is in recognition that the fluid passing through discharge passage  16  is less compressible than air and that the air passing through air ingress tube  18  can move with less restriction in the flow. Air ingress tube  18  as well as valve  20  are not connected to nor are they in contact with the container, except of course indirectly by way of cap  22 . Rather air ingress tube  18  and valve  20  resiliently flexibly extend from cap  22  inside of container  12  and are generally substantially submerged in the fluid as it is poured from container  12 . Of course as the level of the fluid drops portions of air ingress tube  18  and valve  20  may be exposed to air inside of container  12 . Air inside of air ingress tube  18  provides some degree of buoyancy to tube  18  causing it to flex somewhat toward the surface of the fluid, which advantageously reduces the pressure difference needed for air to pass through valve  20 . Air ingress tube  18  has a length that is greater than the diameter of discharge passage  16 . Discharge passage  16  may be longer than air ingress tube  18 , with each extending on opposite sides of cap  22 . There is no limit on the length of ingress tube  18 , but generally a length that allows valve  20  to extend substantially into the fluid of a full normally positioned container is preferred. 
         [0037]      FIG. 3  shows an expanded view of cap  22 . The present invention advantageously allows for the venting of an unvented container, such as a fuel container so that it can be easily retrofit to unvented containers and can be stored separately when not in use. Retained end  32  can be routed back around and enter into a portion of portion  28  being secured by an indentation thereon shown as retaining feature  30 . This helps keep the interior of discharge passage  16  from being contaminated. 
         [0038]    If check valve  20  were to be located on or adjacent to cap  22 , since vent tube  18  only directs the flow of air away from the flow of fluid as it moves toward the spout, it would not vent very well. It has been found that the best venting occurs the farther into the container that check valve  20  is located. For example, consider the fluid in the container, at the very start of the pouring cycle. Nothing has yet come out of the spout and there is no vacuum built up in the container. At this moment, the fluid head pressure helps seal check valve  20  closed. As fluid comes out the spout, the vacuum in the container increases to such a point that the ambient air pressure overcomes the fluid head pressure, opening check valve  20 , and allowing air to enter the container and lessen the vacuum. The less fluid head pressure on check valve  20 , the sooner the air in valve  20  overcomes the head pressure and allows the air into the container. 
         [0039]    Now, additionally referring to  FIGS. 4-6  there is shown another embodiment of a spout assembly, here for purposes of understanding, similar elements are numbered with  100  added to the reference numbers for similar parts introduced above. Spout assembly  114  further includes tubular portions  150 ,  152  and  154  with corrugate portions  156  and  158  connected therebetween. 
         [0040]    Tubular portions  150 ,  152  and  154  are substantially cylindrical in shape and each have a diameter with the diameter of tubular portion  150  being the largest and the diameter of tubular portion  154  being smaller that the diameter of tubular portion  150  to thereby allow tubular portion  154  to be inserted into tubular portion  150 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . Further, tubular portion  152  has a diameter that is between that of tubular portions  150  and  154 . More specifically, the inner diameter of tubular portion  150  is larger than the outer diameter of tubular portion  154 . 
         [0041]    Cap  122  has internal threads  160  which allow cap  122  to be secured to container  12  When tubular portion  154  is inserted into tubular portion  150  at least one of the corrugations of corrugated portion  158  contacts threads  160 , and even flexibly interferes with threads  160 . This interfering contact serves to help retain tubular portion  154  in tubular portion  150 . Tubular portion  154  may additionally be longer that the length of tubular portion  150  allowing a distal end of tubular portion  154  to contact the inner portions of at least one corrugation of corrugated portion  156 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . This arrangement may additionally help retain tubular portion  154  in the position shown in  FIG. 6 . Still further, the resiliency of spout assembly  114  is such that an angular force is applied between tubular portions  150  and  154  and this angular force coupled with the coefficient of friction therebetween also aids in the retention of tubular portion  154  inside of tubular portion  150 . 
         [0042]    While this invention has been described with respect to at least one embodiment, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.

Technology Category: 7