CA2495519A1

CA2495519A1 - Conformable pouring spout

Info

Publication number: CA2495519A1
Application number: CA 2495519
Authority: CA
Inventors: Jo-Anne Simard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-02-04
Filing date: 2005-02-04
Publication date: 2006-08-04

Abstract

The present invention is concerned with a conformable pouring spout detachably mountable to a sidewall of a container defining an inner face, an outer face and a top edge,. The pouring spout comprises: a proximal inlet portion connected to a distal outlet portion by a fluid guiding member, and an arcuate resilient mounting portion projecting generally downwardly from said guiding member proximate to said inlet portion. The mounting portion comprises a first arcuate resilient flange for engaging said inner face, a substantially parallel second arcuate flange for engaging said outer face and a bridging wall between said first and second flanges for abutting on said top edge, whereby said mounting portion can be conformed to provide a functional spill preventing mounting of the spout about the sidewall of the container.

Description

TITLE OF THE INVENTION
CONFORMABLE POURING SPOUT
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention generally relates to spouts attachable to a container for pouring a flowable substance therefrom while preventing spillage and splashing. More specifically, the present invention is concerned with a flexible pouring spout which conforms to the size and shape of a container such as a pot, a saucepan, a bowl, a pail or the like to enable operational attachment to a rim thereof. The invention also contemplates a pouring spout provided with a removable strainer or sieve to enable pouring of only the liquid portion of a mixture.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Pouring a liquid or flowable substance from a container is a concern that has deserved a fair level of attention over the past years. The problem is even more acute when the mouth of the container is wide, the substance has a relatively high viscosity and has to be poured into a container with a much smaller mouth, such as a jar or a bottle. The problem is namely emphasized by a number of products and patents aiming toward the problem of pouring paint from cans. US patent No 4,299,340, granted to Hrytzak on November 10, 1981, teaches such a trough shaped pouring spout which snaps to the rim of a paint can.

(0003] An analog problem is also frequently encountered in cooking, where one often has to pour more or less viscous liquids or substances, such as ~s sauces, soups, jams, etc. from a cooking or mixing vessel (pot, pan, saucepan, mi~ang bowl ...) into a smaller container, such as a jar for example. The flow has then to be properly guided while it is poured in order to form a narrow stream which can be easily directed into a container having a relatively small mouth. It also happens frequently that a liquid portion of a mixture has to be poured while solid matters must be retained into the container. This is the case for example when broth is to be separated from a mixture inGuding meat, bones and vegetables or when water has to be drained from boiled vegetables or pasta. In most pouring operations, snugly fitting a pouring spout to the source container will prevent spillage and splashing, including any dripping along the external wall of that container.

(0004] An attachment such as the one described in the Hrytzak patent could not be operationally attached to the rim of a typical container used for cooking purposes. Such containers as pots, pans and bowls are typically provided with substantially thin verticals walls forming a rim at their upper end, which is sometimes provided with an outwardly projecting generally horizontal lip. Moreover, while paint containers are standard in size and shape, cooking vessels although often arcular in general shape, present widely varying wall thicknesses and rim diameters and configurations. US patent No 1,298,031, issued to Fromhagen on March 25, 1919, teaches an attachable pouring spout for vessels comprising a thin wall terminated at its top edge by a rounded lip.
However, the Fromhagen spout in a given size could not be fitted to pans, bowls or like containers with wide varying rim diameters, say from fi to 10 in. In addition, even though it could be successfully attached to containers of slightly different rim diameters and thicknesses thanks to its resilient fingers, a liquid tight fit between the spouts substantially rigid plate and the outer surface of the container's wall could generally not be provided, especially when no outwardly projecting lip is present at the rim, which could help bridging the gap.
~s [0005] Although the above examples show that some solutions have been contemplated in the prior art to address the problem of pouring liquids from containers, these devices are nevertheless presenting major limitations and drawbacks and are lacking important features necessary for them to provide a convenient, efficient and cost effective solution to that concern.

[0006] It would therefore be a significant advance in the art of pouring spouts to provide a conformable pouring spout which can be readily attached and detached to/from containers of different types, sizes and shapes while providing equally functional grip and seal, with a provision for passing a mixture through a mating strainer for separation of the solid matters while pouring the liquid portion thereof.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0007] An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a conformable pouring spout obviating the limitations and drawbacks of the prior art devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] More specifically, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a conformable pouring spout detachably mountable to a sidewall of a container defining an inner face, an outer face and a top edge, said pouring spout comprising: a proximal inlet portion connected to a distal outlet portion by a fluid guiding member, and an arcuate resilient mounting portion projecting generally downwardly from said guiding member proximate to said inlet portion, said mounting portion comprising a first arcuate resilient flange for engaging said inner face, a substantially parallel second arcuate flange for engaging said outer face and a bridging wall between said first and second flanges for abutting on said top edge, whereby said mounting portion can be conformed to provide a functional spill preventing mounting of the spout about the sidewall.

[0009] There is further provided a conformable pouring spout, wherein said second flange further comprises at least two vertically spaced apart outer face engaging portions projecting in the direction of said first flange, at least one of which is projecting from a lower portion of said second flange.

[0010] There is further provided a conformable pouring spout, wherein said second flange further comprises at least three horizontally spaced apart protruding portions projecting from a lower portion of said second flange in the direction of said first flange, at least one of which is projecting from a center portion of said second flange and two of which are respectively projecting from lateral portions thereof.

[0011] There is further provided a conformable pouring spout, wherein said second flange further comprises at least one resilient ridge on a surface thereof facing said first flange, for engaging said outer face of said sidewall.

(0012] There is further provided a conformable pouring spout, wherein said second flange further comprises a plurality of resilient ridges for engaging the outer face of said sidewall.

[0013] There is further provided a conformable pouring spout, wherein said second flange further comprises a longitudinal groove facing said first flange for nesting at least a portion of a lip projecting outwardly from said outer face at the top edge of said sidewall.

(0014] There is further provided a conformable pouring spout further comprising a pair of laterally spaced apart generally vertical wings projecting generally orthogonally from respective end portions of said first flange, for guiding fluid toward said inlet.

(0015] There is further provided a conformable pouring spout, wherein at least said resilient mounting portion further comprises an elastomer.

(0016] There is further provided a conformable pouring spout, wherein at least said resilient mounting portion further comprises a cooking temperature resistant silicone elastomer.

(0017] There is further provided a conformable pouring spout, wherein said fluid guiding member further comprises a distally tapering portion.

(0018) There is further provided a conformable pouring spout, wherein said fluid guiding member further comprises a generally horizontal fluid guiding base and lateral generally vertical fluid guiding edges extending longitudinally from opposite sides thereof.

(0019] There is further provided a conformable pouring spout, wherein said fluid guiding member further comprises an arch portion connecting at least portions of said lateral generally vertical fluid guiding edges together to form an annular section.

(0020] There is further provided a conformable pouring spout, wherein said lateral generally vertical fluid guiding edges extend laterally beyond said base and upstream thereof, from top portions of said first flange.

[0021] There is further provided a conformable pouring spout wherein said first and second flanges define a gap therebetween comprising an opening at a lower end thereof, whereby said gap can be slightly expanded and conformed for engaging the sidewall through said opening with a retaining friction force.

[0022] There is further provided a conformable pouring spout wherein said gap is tapering from said opening.

[0023] There is further provided a conformable pouring spout wherein said first flange further comprises a lower free end and a aoss section tapering in the direction of said free end.

[0024] There is further provided a conformable pouring spout further comprising a strainer removably mountable into said fluid guiding member.

[0025] There is further provided a conformable pouring spout wherein said strainer comprises a distally tapering frame and a sieve member mounted at an end thereof.

[0026] There is further provided a conformable pouring spout further comprising a pair of laterally spaced apart generally horizontal wall portions projecting substantially orthogonally from top portions of said first flange in a direction opposite to the second flange.

[0027] Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive desa-iption of preferred embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(0028] In the appended drawings:

[0029] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a conformable pouring spout according to the present invention;

(0030] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a conformable pouring spout according to the present invention, attached in a position for use on a rim of a pan;

(0031) Figure 3 is a top plan view of a conformable pouring spout according to the present invention;

(0032] Figure 4 is a side elevational view from the proximal inlet side of the conformable pouring spout according to the present invention;

(0033] Figure 5 is a front view of a conformable pouring spout according to the present invention;

(0034] Figure fi is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the spout taken on line 6-6 of Figure 3;

(0035) Figure 7 is a plan view from beneath a conformable pouring spout according to the present invention;

(0036] Figure 8 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the pouring spout of the present invention mounted on a rim of a pan comprising an outwardly projecting lip;
HIS

[0037) Figure 9 is a assembly perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the pouring spout provided with lateral wings to improve fluid guidance, and shows a removable strainer that can be inserted into the spout to enable fluid separation;

[0038] Figure 10 is a perspective view of a further alternate embodiment of the pouring spout of the present invention provided with extended side spillage stopping walls;

[0039) Figure 11 is a perspective view of a still further alternate embodiment of the pouring spout of the present invention provided with extended side spillage stopping walls;

[0040) Identical numerals in the drawings represent similar parts throughout the description.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] Generally stated, the present invention relates to a conformable pouring spout 1, as illustrated in Figure 1, for removable attachment to a generally vertical wall 101 such as a rim of a pan 100, as exemplified in Figure 2. It is contemplated however that the conformable pouring spout of the present invention can be mounted on almost any top edge of a substantially thin generally vertically extending sidewall of an open mouth container such as a pail, a bowl or the like, with equal benefits and without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0042] The pouring spout 1 comprises a pro~amal inlet portion 2, a distal outlet portion 3 and an intermediate fluid guiding channel portion 4. Fluid guiding channel 4 preferably has a distally tapering form, as best shown in Figure 4, in order to enable guiding of the fluid from a wide container mouth to a container with a narrower mouth such as a smaller pan, a bowl or a jar. It should be mentioned that the term "fluid" is used herein to represent any flowable substance, of any level of viscosity or heterogeneity and potentially induding liquid, solid, semi-liquid or semi-solid matters, which can be guided into a channel, from a source to a destination. Guiding channel 4 is bordered by distally converging side edges 15, 16, and may comprise an upper arch 17 to provide connecting said side edges to form a closed (annular) cross-section funnel-like fluid guiding channel, which helps preventing side spill when pouring, especially into narrow mouth containers such as bottles and small jars.
Arch 17 is therefore preferably distally converging with the base 18 of channel 4. Generally vertical fluid guiding side edges 15, 16 may be extending widely sidewise, along with inner flange 5 (to be described below), away from the channel 4, to ensure that no fluid will be inclined to spill besides the spout, being rather guided toward the base 18. The span (width} of the spout is so dimensioned to ensure that in a wide mouth container, a thick fluid stream can be built at inlet 2 without causing the width of the stream to exceed the overall width of the spout.

[0043] The spout 1 further comprises a mounting portion 10 comprising a first flange 5 for engaging the inner face of wall 101, a second generally parallel flange 6 for engaging the outer face of wall 101, and a bridging member 7 for abutting against the top edge 102 of wall 101 of the container 100. Generally parallel flanges 5 and 6 are laterally spaced apart to form an intermediate gap 8 extending from an inlet 11 to the bridging member 7 across the width of the spout 1. The flanges are preferably slightly arcuate as viewed from the top, to fit the shape of a rim of a circular container such as pan 101 and the inner surface of the second flange 6 is provided with a longitudinal groove 9 to Gear an outwardly extending lip 103 (see Figure 8) that can be present at the top c~5 edge of wall 101. The groove 103 ensures that the inner surface of second flange 6 of mounting portion 10 always engages wall 101 over an extended area of outer face thereof. In order to facilitate engagement of the mounting portion 10 on a rim of variable shape and wall thickness, flanges 5, 6 are preferably slightly diverging in the direction of the inlet 11. Thereby, inlet 11 has a sufficient width to be easily engaged on a thick wall or on a rim provided with a lip 103 without having to spread the flanges apart and the inwardly tapering gap 8 ensures that flanges will properly engage with the inner and outer faces of even a very thin wall 101.

[0044] The mounting portion 10, and preferably the whole spout 1, is preferably made from a molded elastomer material providing a good balance of stiffness and resilience, such as a silicone, which is compatible with food handling may resist to relatively high temperatures encountered in the cooking operations. Therefore, the form of the mounting portion 10, and more particularly the curvature of the flanges can be modified by manual banding to conform to the shape of the wall 101, so that a spout of a given size can be fitted onto rims of different diameters and even on a straight edge. The curvature of flanges 5 and 6 is therefore set to an intermediate value between a straight form and the curvature of a small pan, say 6 inches in diameter.
Accordingly, the spout 1 can be slightly bent inwardly (in the proximal direction) to fit a small container and outwardly (in the distal direction) to fit a arcular container with a larger mouth or having a parallelepiped shape and straight walls.

[0045] The inner surtace (facing flange 5) of second flange 6 is further provided with a plurality of linear parallel ridges or protrusions such as 12 substantially parallel to the bridging member 7 and the groove 9 extending preferably longitudinally on said surface. Ridges 12 are made from the same resilient elastomer as the flanges 5, 6, and properly dimensioned to be subject to sidewise deflection upon application of a pressure perpendicular to said inner surface of said flange 6. Thereby, a spout 1 of a given size can be operationally mounted on walls of different thicknesses, said flexible ridges or protrusions 12 helping the gap 8 between flanges to automatically expand to conform to the thickness of wall 101, while applying a biasing pressure and a resulting friction force of friction of the faces thereof. Gap expansion, snug fit and firm retention are then resulting from the combined behavior of the resilient flanges 5, 6, tapering gap 8, and resilient ridges or protrusions 12. Lateral tabs such as 14 and preferably also a center tab 19 (see Figure 9} are provided at the lower end of flange 6 to abut against the outer face of sidewall 101 so to increase the vertical stability of spout 1, especially when a downwardly tapering gap 8 is contemplated.

[0046] The first flange 5 does not need protrusions on its wall engaging surface to perform properly. It preferably has a thin flexible structure with a downwardly tapering cross-section to terminate into a thin lower edge 13 enabling the fluid to flow easily form the inner surface of sidewall 101 onto flange 5 to enter the inlet portion 2 of the pouring spout 1. It can be easily observed that the mounting portion 10 comprising such an inner flange 5 engaging the inner face of sidewall 101 over the full width of the spout and bridging with outer flange 6 provides a fluid tight mounting preventing any spill from occurring between sidewall 101 and outer flange 6.

[0047] Pouring spout 1, in an embodiment thereof illustrated in Figure 9 is preferably provided with generally vertically extending lateral wings 20, 21, projecting from the ends of inner flange 5. Said wings are therefore extending downwardly along the inner face of sidewall 101 into pan 100. When pan 100 is tilted forwardly for pouring its content, wings 20 and 21 then become generally vertically extending thus providing an extension of side edges 15, 16 for better guiding of the stream and prevention of side spilling.

[0048 Figure 9 further shows that pouring spout 1 can be provided with a removable strainer 30. Such a strainer 30 may comprise a sieve member mounted on a Gosed tapering frame 32, shaped to snugly fit into a closed-top channel 4. Strainer 30 can be easily mounted to enable separation of solid or semi-solid matters from the fluid so that only a liquid portion of a mixture can be poured, leaving solids into the container. This is particularly useful for draining excess water from bowled vegetables. The strainer 30 can also be easily removed by manually pulling out frame 32 or pushing on sieve 31 from outlet 3 when a separation function is not required.
[0049 Figures 10 and 11 show further alternate embodiments of the invention in which more extended side spillage stopping walls are provided. In the embodiment of figure 10, flanges 5 and 6 are laterally extending much beyond side edges 15 and 16 which are also extended to form generally vertical edges 22 and 23 respectively, extending vertically substantially beyond the level of base 18 of channel 4. To further improve guiding of the fluid toward inlet 2 when the container 100 is tilted severely, edges 15, 16, may be inclined downwardly in the direction of inner flange 5. Ultimately, as shown in the embodiment of Figure 11, side spillage stopping walls such as 24 and 25 may be formed, extending generally horizontally at the top edge and more particularly at the lateral portions of inner flange 5, which provides a superior barrier to side spilling when the container is tilted very severely for pouring or when relatively thick (high viscosity) fluids are handled. Indeed, in use with walls 24 and 25 are extending perpendicular to sidewall 101 and to the fluid advancing thereon, thus providing a very efficient deflecting ban-ier. It should be noted that in these latter embodiments, vertical wings 20, 21 (Figure 9) projecting from flange 5 may be omitted without significantly impairing spout's performance.

[0050] One can thus easily appreciate that the above described embodiments according to the present invention provide an effective easily mountable/removable conformable spout for facilitating pouring of miscellaneous substances contained in thin rim containers of different wall thicknesses and diameters, with the possibility of operating fluid separation using the removable strainer. Therefore, it can be seen that the present conformable pouring spout obviates the limitations and drawbacks of the prior art devices and can be advantageously used in miscellaneous applications.
(0051] Although the present invention has been described hereinabove by way of preferred embodiments thereof, it can be modified, without departing from the spirit and nature of the subject invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A conformable pouring spout detachably mountable to a sidewall of a container defining an inner face, an outer face and a top edge, said pouring spout comprising: a proximal inlet portion connected to a distal outlet portion by a fluid guiding member, and an arcuate resilient mounting portion projecting generally downwardly from said guiding member proximate to said inlet portion, said mounting portion comprising a first arcuate resilient flange for engaging said inner face, a substantially parallel second arcuate flange for engaging said outer face and a bridging wall between said first and second flanges for abutting on said top edge, whereby said mounting portion can be conformed to provide a functional mounting of the spout on the sidewall.

2. A conformable pouring spout according to claim 1, wherein said second flange further comprises at least two vertically spaced apart outer face engaging portions projecting in the direction of said first flange, at least one of which is projecting from a lower portion of said second flange.

3. A conformable pouring spout according to claim 1, wherein said second flange further comprises at least three horizontally spaced apart protruding portions projecting from a lower portion of said second flange in the direction of said first flange, at least one of which is projecting from a center portion of said second flange and two of which are respectively projecting from lateral portions thereof.

4. A conformable pouring spout according to claim 1, wherein said second flange further comprises at least one resilient ridge on a surface thereof facing said first flange, for engaging said outer face of said sidewall.

5. A conformable pouring spout according to claim 1, wherein said second flange further comprises a plurality of resilient ridges for engaging the outer face of said sidewall.

6. A conformable pouring spout according to claim 1, wherein said second flange further comprises a longitudinal groove facing said first flange for nesting at least a portion of a lip projecting outwardly from said outer face at the top edge of said sidewall.

7. A conformable pouring spout according to claim 1, further comprising a pair of laterally spaced apart generally vertical wings projecting generally orthogonally from respective end portions of said first flange, for guiding fluid toward said inlet.

8. A conformable pouring spout according to claim 1, wherein at least said resilient mounting portion further comprises an elastomer.

9. A conformable pouring spout according to claim 1, wherein at least said resilient mounting portion further comprises a cooking temperature resistant silicone elastomer.

10. A conformable pouring spout according to claim 1, wherein said fluid guiding member further comprises a distally tapering portion.

11. A conformable pouring spout according to claim 1, wherein said fluid guiding member further comprises a generally horizontal fluid guiding base and lateral generally vertical fluid guiding edges extending longitudinally from opposite sides thereof.

12. A conformable pouring spout according to claim 11, wherein said fluid guiding member further comprises an arch portion connecting at least portions of said lateral generally vertical fluid guiding edges together to form an annular section.

13. A conformable pouring spout according to claim 11, wherein said lateral generally vertical fluid guiding edges extend laterally beyond said base and upstream thereof, from top portions of said first flange.

14. A conformable pouring spout according to claim 1, wherein said first and second flanges define a gap therebetween comprising an opening at a lower end thereof, whereby said gap can be slightly expanded and conformed for engaging the sidewall through said opening with a retaining friction force.

15. A conformable pouring spout according to claim 14, wherein said gap is tapering from said opening.

16. A conformable pouring spout according to claim 1, wherein said first flange further comprises a lower free end and a cross section tapering in the direction of said free end.

17. A conformable pouring spout according to claim 1, further comprising a strainer removably mountable into said fluid guiding member.

18. A conformable pouring spout according to claim 17, wherein said strainer comprises a distally tapering frame and a sieve member mounted at an end thereof.

19. A conformable pouring spout according to claim 1, further comprising a pair of laterally spaced apart generally horizontal wall portions projecting substantially orthogonally from top portions of said first flange in a direction opposite to the second flange.

20. A conformable pouring spout detachably mountable to a sidewall of a container defining an inner face, an outer face and a top edge, said pouring spout comprising:
a proximal inlet portion connected to a distal outlet portion by a fluid guiding member, and an arcuate resilient mounting portion projecting generally downwardly from said guiding member proximate to said inlet portion, said mounting portion comprising i) a first arcuate resilient flange for engaging said inner face, said flange comprising vertically extending wings projecting form said first flange at lateral ends thereof to form a generally U shaped member opening in the proximal direction, ii) a second arcuate resilient flange distal from said first flange and substantially parallel thereto, said second flange comprising on a proximal face thereof a generally horizontal groove and a plurality of vertically spaced apart resilient ribs extending downward from said groove and projecting in the direction of said first flange for engaging said outer face, said second flange further comprising horizontally spaced apart tabs projecting from a lower end thereof in the direction of said first flange for engaging said outer face, and iii) a continuous generally horizontal bridging wall extending adjacent to a top portion of said groove between said first and second flanges substantially from side to side thereof for abutting on said top edge.

whereby, in operation, said mounting portion can be conformed to and mounted on the sidewall of the container in an operational position to enable guiding of a flowable substance from the container to the outlet portion of the spout.