The present invention is directed to providing a means and associated method for dispensing pourable materials from a package.
The problems associated with the dispensing of pourable materials from their packaging are well known. These include spillage which is commonly associated with the dispensing of pourable materials including various liquids, granulated or powdered materials for example, sugar, salt, cement, sand, vegetables, pulses and the like. Spillage can result in financial loss due to wastage, in contamination of the environment, such as where the pourable material is of a hazardous nature or simply non-biodegradable, and, perhaps even more significantly, the generation of an undesirable mess.
Many packages are supplied with lips, spouts or other pouring aids attached to them to facilitate the controlled dispensing of the materials from there within. Such packages are typically manufactured with integral dispensing spouts. For example, in US 2005/0236425 to Casale, a spout is described which can be attached to a container by being screwed onto the container wall. In JP 11100050 to Shigeo a spout is described that is heat welded to the container during manufacture. Other devices include that described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,075 to Laciacera et al. which can be attached to the rigid wall of a carton.
Nevertheless many consumerables are supplied in a package lacking any means for facilitating the dispensing of contents from within. A common example of such a package is a heat sealed plastic bag which is typically opened by cutting or by pulling the seam open. Such bags usually lack a method of resealing after use. Apart from the risk of spillage, poor sealing may result in deterioration of the consumerable which is no longer isolated from the environment.
There is a need for a means and associated method for dispensing pourable materials from packaging and the present invention addresses this need.
It is an aim of the invention to provide a device and method for dispensing pourable materials from packages.
In accordance with a first aspect, the present invention is directed to providing a dispensing spout for dispensing, pourable contents from a package. The spout comprises a shaft having a mouth at its distal end and a flange extending radially around an aperture at its proximal end, the flange has an adhesive layer upon its underside for attaching the spout to an outer surface of a package such that a pourable material is dispensable from the package in a controlled manner by puncturing the surface of the package encompassed by the flange.
Typically the spout further comprises a resealable lid for covering the mouth and stoppering the spout.
Optionally the resealable lid is selected from the list of caps, bungs, covers and hinged elements for example adapted to stopper the spout.
The term “cap” as used herein refers to any resealable lid adapted to fit over and around a spout. It is noted that a cap may additionally include an element adapted to fit inside the mouth of the spout.
The term “bung” as used herein refers to any resealable lid adapted to fit inside the mouth of a spout.
The term “cover” as used herein refers to any resealable lid adapted to fit over the mouth of a spout.
Optionally the shaft is adapted to be compatible with the lid, for example where the resealable lid is a screw cap, the shaft is adapted by providing a thread there-around.
According to preferred embodiments, the dimensions of the flange and composition of the adhesive material are suitable for attaching the spout to any of a variety of package types such as inter alia, a cardboard carton, a plastic carton, a paper bag or a woven fabric.
Particular embodiments may have dimensions and may be fabricated from specific materials for specific applications.
Typically the spout further comprises a removable release adhered to the adhesive layer.
Typically the removable release comprises waxed paper.
In one embodiment, the spout further comprises a cutter for puncturing the surface of the dispensable package under said aperture.
According to a second aspect, an array of connected dispensing spouts as described above are provided in a two dimensional array from which individual spouts are detachable as required.
In accordance with a third aspect of the invention a method for dispensing pourable contents from a package is provided. The method comprises the steps of:
For a better understanding of the invention and to show how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, purely by way of example, to the accompanying drawings.
With specific reference now to the drawings in detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the preferred embodiments of the present invention only, and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the invention in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention; the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice. In the accompanying drawings:
a is a schematic isometric projection of a dispensing spout as viewed from above;
b is a schematic isometric projection of the dispensing spout of
With reference now to
A second embodiment is shown in
With reference to
It is noted that the dimensions of the spout may be varied so as to be compatible with a variety of pourable contents. By way of non-limiting examples, these include:
With reference to
With reference to
Referring now to
An exploded view of a preferred dispenser 100 according to a seventh embodiment of the invention is shown in
The screw-cap 140, which has a female thread 144 around its inner surface 142, may be screwed onto the spout 120 which has a male thread 124 about its outer surface 123. This provides a way to seal the spout 120 when not in use so as to prevent spillage therefrom.
The release layer 160 covers an adhesive layer (not shown) coating the underside 126 of the flange 121 of the spout 120. To attach the spout 120 to a package (not shown), the release layer 160 is removed and the underside 126 of the flange 121 is pressed against the package wall.
The cutter 180 is provided to puncture a container (not shown) to which the spout 120 is fixed and consists of a toothed annulus 182 housed within the spout shaft 122. Protrusions 184 around the distal mouth 181D of the toothed annulus 182 are configured to engage with the inside of the screw-cap 140. When the screw-cap 140 is screwed onto the spout 120 the toothed annulus 182 is rotated and the teeth 186 around proximal mouth 181P of the toothed annulus 182 are thus forced into the wall of the package thereby puncturing it. It is noted that cutters 180 may be provided for both single use and/or multiple use dispensers.
In some embodiments, teeth guards 127 are provided around the inside of the flange 121 of the spout 120 to prevent the teeth 186 from projecting from the spout shaft 122 prematurely and causing injury to users or damage to equipment.
With reference to
Reference is now made to
Thus the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and includes both combinations and sub combinations of the various features described hereinabove as well as variations and modifications thereof, which would occur to persons skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description.
In the claims, the word “comprise”, and variations thereof such as “comprises”, “comprising” and the like indicate that the components listed are included, but not generally to the exclusion of other components.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
181657 | Mar 2007 | IL | national |
This U.S. Utility Application claims priority to Israeli Patent Application No. 181657, filed Mar. 1, 2007.