Patent Application
20240300798
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The disclosure relates to funnel devices and more particularly pertains to a new funnel device for venting a receptacle while liquid is poured into the receptacle. The device includes a first funnel and a second funnel nested in the first funnel. The second funnel is spaced from the first funnel to define an air passage between the first funnel and the second funnel. In this way the air passage can ventilate air from the receptacle while the liquid is being poured into the receptacle.
The prior art relates to funnel devices including a variety of self closing funnel devices that each at least includes a spring loaded plunger. The prior art discloses a sealed funnel for transferring solvents without atmospheric contamination. The prior art discloses an adapter that includes a female coupling for establishing a friction seal with a male coupling to insert or extract fluid from a container.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a first funnel that is insertable into a neck of a receptacle. A second funnel is nested in the first funnel and a liquid can be poured into the second funnel when the first funnel is inserted into the neck of the receptacle. The second funnel is separated from the first funnel to define an air passage between the first funnel and the second funnel. In this way the air passage can ventilate air within the receptacle when the liquid is poured into the second funnel.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A second funnel 28 is nested in the first funnel 12 to facilitate a liquid 30 to be poured into the second funnel 28 when the first funnel 12 is inserted into the neck 14 of the receptacle 16. The receptacle 16 may be a bottle, a liquid 30 reservoir or any other type of liquid container and the liquid 30 may be any type of liquid that can be poured into the receptacle 16. The second funnel 28 is separated from the first funnel 12 to define an air passage 32 between the first funnel 12 and the second funnel 28. In this way the air passage 32 ventilates air within the receptacle 16 when the liquid 30 is poured into the second funnel 28.
The second funnel 28 has a bottom end 34, a top end 36 and an outside wall 38 extending between the bottom end 34 and the top end 36. The outside wall 38 has a bottom portion 40 extending from the bottom end 34 toward the top end 36 and the outside wall 38 has a top portion 42 extending between the bottom portion 40 and the top end 36. The bottom portion 40 tapers between the top portion 42 and the bottom end 34 and the top portion 42 flares outwardly between the bottom portion 40 and the top end 36. The bottom portion 40 has a length that is greater than a length of the lower portion 24 of the outer wall 22 of the first funnel 12 such that the bottom end 34 is spaced downwardly from the lower end 18 of the first funnel 12. Furthermore, the top portion 42 has a length that is greater than a length of the upper portion 26 of the outer wall 22 of the first funnel 12 such that the top end 36 is spaced upwardly from the upper end 20 of the second funnel 28.
The outside wall 38 has a lip portion 44 which has a first vertical wall 46 extending upwardly from the top end 36. The lip portion 44 includes a horizontal wall 48 which extends laterally away from the first vertical wall 46 at a perpendicular angle. Additionally, the lip portion 44 has a second vertical wall 50 extending downwardly from the horizontal wall 48 at a perpendicular angle. The horizontal wall 48 is positioned over the upper end 20 of the first funnel 12 to inhibit the liquid 30 from spilling into the air passage 32.
A plurality of partitions 52 is included and each of the partitions 52 extends between the outer wall 22 of the first funnel 12 and the outside wall 38 of the second funnel 28. In this way the partitions 52 retain the spacing between the first funnel 12 and the second funnel 28. Each of the partitions 52 extends between the lower end 18 and the upper end 20 of the first funnel 12. Furthermore, the partitions 52 are spaced apart from each other and are evenly distributed around the outside wall 38 of the second funnel 28.
In use, the bottom end 34 of the first funnel 12 is inserted into the neck 14 of the receptacle 16 and the liquid 30 is poured into the second funnel 28. In this way the receptacle 16 can be filled with the liquid 30 without spilling the liquid 30. Furthermore, the air passage 32 facilitates air to be ventilated from the receptacle 16 as the liquid 30 is poured into the receptacle 16. In this way air pressure does not build within the receptacle 16 that can subsequently cause air bubbles to rise through the second funnel 28 while the liquid 30 is being poured into the second funnel 28. Additionally, the lip portion 44 of the outside wall 38 of the second funnel 28 inhibits the liquid 30 from spilling into the air passage 32 while the liquid 30 is being poured into the second funnel 28.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
