Claims
- 1. A dispensing closure for directing the contents out of a container comprising:
- a central post having a top surface and a substantially cylindrical imperforate peripheral wall with an opening to said top surface for metering the contents to be dispensed;
- a spout body reciprocally mounted on said central post and having an inner periphery which cooperates with said post peripheral wall to form a variable opening between said spout body inner periphery and said post peripheral wall to provide a closed position and a plurality of dispensing positions for dispensing the contents of said container at a plurality of different rates as said spout body is moved on said post away from said closed position, said spout body being rotatable on said central post in said closed position and said plurality of dispensing positions and including an orifice positioned remote from said top surface of said central post and in operable communication with said opening to said top surface for directing the contents out of the container in a plurality of directions around the periphery of and substantially normal to the central longitudinal axis of said central post; and
- channel means within said spout body for returning to the container at least a portion of the contents that remain between said orifice and said opening to said top surface upon completion of dispensing when said closure is positioned in any of said plurality of dispensing positions.
- 2. The dispensing closure as defined in claim 1 wherein said spout body is reciprocally mounted on said central post by threads and upon rotation between said spout body and said central post said spout body is moved between said closed position through a plurality of dispensing positions to a fully open position where said spout body is rotatable on said central post in said closed position and said fully open position for directing the contents out of said orifice in said plurality of directions.
- 3. The dispensing closure as defined in claim 1 including means for accommodating the contents that remain between said orifice and said opening to said top surface upon completion of dispensing when said closure is in said closed position and said plurality of dispensing positions so that upon movement of said spout body on said post toward said closed position the contents that remain between said orifice and said opening to said top surface are retained within said means for accommodating and are not dispensed from said orifice.
- 4. The dispensing closure as defined in claim 1 including means for inhibiting foreign material from entering said orifice from the exterior of said closure when said closure is positioned in said closed position and said plurality of dispensing positions.
- 5. A dispensing closure for directing the contents out of a container comprising:
- a central upstanding post having a first substantially cylindrical imperforate peripheral wall portion, a second reduced diameter substantially cylindrical imperforate peripheral wall portion positioned on top of said first wall portion and having a top surface, and a peripheral shoulder portion connecting said first and second wall portions together, said shoulder portion including at least one opening to said post top surface for metering the contents to be dispensed; and
- a spout body reciprocally mounted on said central post and having first and second engagement portions which cooperate with said peripheral wall of said second wall portion to provide a closed position and a plurality of dispensing positions for dispensing the contents at a plurality of different rates as said spout body is moved on said post away from said closed position, said spout body being rotatable on said central post in said closed position and said plurality of dispensing positions and including an orifice positioned remote from said top surface of said central post and in operable communication with said opening to said top surface for directing the contents out of the container from said at least one opening in a plurality of directions around the periphery of and substantially normal to the central longitudinal axis of said central post.
- 6. The dispensing closure as defined in claim 5 wherein said spout body is reciprocally mounted on said central post by threads and upon rotation between said spout body and said central post said spout body is moved between said closed position through a plurality of dispensing positions to a fully open position where said spout body is rotatable on said central post in said closed position and said fully open position for directing the contents out of said orifice in said plurality of directions.
- 7. The dispensing closure as defined in claim 5 including a channel positioned between said orifice and said at least one opening, said orifice being positioned above said top surface in a side wall of said spout body and said channel being sloped downwardly toward said top surface of said second wall portion of said central post and said at least one opening for returning to the container at least a portion of the contents that remain between said orifice and said opening to said top surface upon completion of dispensing when said closure is positioned in any of said plurality of dispensing positions.
- 8. The dispensing closure as defined in claim 7 wherein said channel has a predetermined length for accommodating the contents that remain between said orifice and said opening to said top surface upon completion of dispensing when said closure is positioned in said closed position and said plurality of dispensing positions so that upon movement of said closure body on said post toward said closed position the contents that remain between said orifice and said opening to said top surface are retained within said channel and are not dispensed from said orifice.
- 9. The dispensing closure as defined in claim 8 wherein the side wall of said spout body includes at least one outwardly extending lip positioned proximate the top of said orifice for inhibiting foreign material from entering said orifice and said channel from the exterior of said closure.
- 10. The dispensing closure as defined in claim 5 wherein said second wall portion of said central post includes at least one slot formed substantially along the length of an upper portion thereof opening to said post top surface for metering the contents to be dispensed, said first and second engagement portions of said spout body cooperating with said peripheral wall of said second wall portion and said slot to provide a closed position with said slot being above said first and second engagement portions, a fully open position provided by said first and second engagement portions being substantially above said top surface, and said plurality of dispensing positions provided between said first and second engagement members and said slot as well as said first and second engagement members being above said top surface beneath said fully open position.
- 11. A side orifice dispensing closure for directing the contents out of a container in a plurality of directions around the periphery of the container normal to a central axis of an aperture of the container comprising:
- a central upstanding post having a first substantially cylindrical imperforate peripheral wall portion, a second reduced diameter substantially cylindrical imperforate peripheral wall portion positioned on top of said first wall portion and having a top surface, and a peripheral shoulder portion connecting said first and second wall portions together, said shoulder portion including at least one opening to said post top surface for metering the contents to be dispensed;
- a spout body reciprocally and rotatably mounted on said central post and having a substantially cylindrical imperforate peripheral wall portion for operable communication with said first wall portion of said central post and a substantially circular top surface, said wall portion of said spout body including an exit orifice proximate said top surface, an interior surface of said top surface including a first semi-circular engagement member extending downwardly therefrom for communication with a substantial portion of said second wall portion of said central post, said wall portion of said spout body including a second engagement member extending inwardly therefrom having a semi-circular shaped distal end for communication with a portion of said second wall portion of said central post opposite said first engagement member and positioned slightly below said first engagement member, said first and second engagement members completely encircling and cooperating with said second wall portion of said central post to provide a closed position and a plurality of dispensing positions for dispensing the contents at a plurality of different rates as said spout body is moved on said post away from said closed position so that upon rotation of said spout body on said central post in any of said plurality of dispensing positions said orifice can direct the contents out of said dispenser in a plurality of directions normal to the central longitudinal axis of said central post.
- 12. The dispensing closure as defined in claim 11 wherein said spout body is reciprocally mounted on said central post by threads and upon rotation between said spout body and said central post said spout body is moved between said closed position through a plurality of dispensing positions to a fully open position where said spout body is rotatable on said central post in said closed position and said fully open position for directing the contents out of said orifice in said plurality of directions.
- 13. The dispensing closure as defined in claim 11 including a channel positioned between said orifice and said at least one opening, said orifice being positioned above said top surface in a side wall of said spout body and said channel being sloped downwardly toward said top surface of said second wall portion of said central post and said at least one opening and being defined by the interior surface of said top surface and said first and second engagement members for returning to the container at least a portion of the contents that remain between said orifice and said opening to said top surface upon completion of dispensing when said closure is positioned in any of said plurality of dispensing positions.
- 14. The dispensing closure as defined in claim 13 wherein said channel has a predetermined length for accommodating the contents that remain between said orifice and said opening to said top surface upon completion of dispensing when said spout is positioned in said closed position and said plurality of dispensing positions so that upon movement of said spout body on said post toward said closed position the contents that remain between said orifice and said opening to said top surface are retained within said channel and are not dispensed from said orifice.
- 15. The dispensing closure as defined in claim 13 wherein the side wall of said spout body includes at least one outwardly extending lip positioned proximate the top of said orifice for inhibiting foreign material from entering said orifice and said channel from the exterior of said closure.
- 16. The dispensing closure as defined in claim 11 wherein said second wall portion of said central post includes at least one slot formed substantially along the length of an upper portion thereof opening to said post top surface for metering the contents to be dispensed, said first and second engagement portions of said spout body cooperating with said peripheral wall of said second wall portion and said slot to provide a closed position with said slot being above said first and second engagement portions, a fully open positioned provided by said first and second engagement portions being substantially above said top surface, and said plurality of dispensing positions provided between said first and second engagement members and said slot as well as said first and second engagement members being above said top surface beneath said fully open position.
- 17. A dispensing closure for directing the contents out of a container comprising:
- a central body portion having a top surface and a substantially cylindrical imperforate peripheral wall;
- a spout body mounted to said central body portion and having an inner periphery which cooperates with said peripheral wall of said body portion to form a variable opening between said spout body inner periphery and said peripheral wall to provide a closed position and a plurality of dispensing positions for dispensing the contents of said container at a plurality of different rates as said spout body is moved on said body portion away from said closed position, said spout body being rotatable with respect to said body portion in said closed position and said plurality of dispensing positions and including an orifice positioned remote from said top surface of said central body portion and in operable communication with said top surface for directing the contents out of the container in a plurality of directions around the periphery of and substantially normal to the central longitudinal axis of said body portion; and
- channel means within said spout body for returning to the container at least a portion of the contents that remain between said orifice and said opening to said top surface upon completion of dispensing when said closure is positioned in any of said plurality of dispensing positions.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 07/349,158, filed May 9, 1989 now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
349158 |
May 1989 |
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