GB2228474A

GB2228474A - Bottle pourer

Info

Publication number: GB2228474A
Application number: GB8904466A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael John Leigh Chapman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-02-28
Filing date: 1989-02-28
Publication date: 1990-08-29
Also published as: GB8904466D0

Abstract

An easy-flow bottle pourer comprises a cylindrical body 1 fitting over a bottle neck 12 and with an upper flange 3, 10 through which passes a hollow vent tube 11 extending to a location close to the bottom of the bottle neck. Preferably the body 1 includes a lower internal sealing ring 2 to prevent leakage between the bottle and body 1 and a lower stiffening flange 4, and a semi-flexible cap 6 is attached to the body by a flexible straps. When the bottle is tipped towards opening 13, air will enter through tube 11 equalising pressure in the bottle and allowing liquid to flow smoothly from opening 13. Sliding plates (16, 17 Fig. 2) may be provided below flange 3 to allow adjustment of the pourer aperture. <IMAGE>

Description

EASY FLOW INTERNAL TUBE BOTTLE POURER This invention relates to an easy-flow internal tube bottle pourer.

Bottle pourers are commonly used in pharmaceutical and beverage industries and in hotels, restaurants, hospitals and private households for controlling the direction and rate of outflow of liquid when the bottle's contents are poured. Avail- able types include the simple spout or lip which is sometimes combined with a cap and directs the flow of liquid after leaving the bottle neck: this type projects beyond the bottle top laterally or vertically and is difficult to seal when not in use. Another type is the twin tube type which has one tube submerged in the liquid at its bottom end and the other above the liquid, allowing air to enter the upper area and thus permitting the liquid to be released easily through the submerged tube: this type is commonly used in laboratories.A variation of this type has both tubes normally above the liquid except during pouring, when one tube releases water while the other admits air. Finally there are the more sophisticated metering pourers which usually contain floats or valves and are used for measurement of alcoholic drinks in bars.

The easy flow internal tube bottle pourer has the advantage of being relatively simple and cheap to manufacture compared with most of the above as it has only one tube. It can be made in a full range of sizes and allows a more rapid rate of outflow than other types. It can be capped when not in use as the pourer does not significantly project outside the bottle and is therefore most suited to hotel bar and restaurant trade where rapid service and easy storage would reduce costs.

Besides allowing a more rapid pouring rate than other pourers or than the plain bottle itself, flow from the easy flow pourer is less turbulant than from other non-tube types, allowing more gassy liquids such as beer to be poured quickly without developing a large frothy head. This leads to a reduction in waste due to spillage and a reduction in cleaning time of the bar or table.

According to the present invention there is provided an easy flow bottle pourer comprising an annular body of inverted inward facing L-shaped cross-section with internal diameter of the upper horizontal part sized to match the inside diameter of the bottle neck and with the internal diameter of the lower vertical cylinder sized to fit the outside of the bottle neck and with an inner sealing ring located on the lower part of the cylinder which extends just below the rim of the bottle neck, the horizontal upper part of the annular body extends inwards over part of one half of the body's circular orifice forming an inner 'C' shaped half cap, through which passes a hollow tube of approximately one quarter the diameter of the bottle with the lower part of the tube extending down to a point close to the base of the bottle neck and bending towards the nearest side of the bottle wall, such that when the bottle is tipped in the direction away from the tube, air could easily enter the bottle and equalise the pressure while the liquid is poured out through the full width of the bottle opening in a direction away from the tube, the smooth pouring being aided by an external spout extension if desired.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of an example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Sheet 1/2, Figure 1 shows a 3-dimensional sketch of the bottle pourer fitted on a bottle; Sheet 2/2, Figure 2 shows an expanded view of an optional aperture adjuster for the bottle pourer.

Referring to sheet 1/2, Figure 1, the pourer comprises a cylindrical body 1 typically of about 20 mm diameter, being sized to fit closely the outside of the bottle neck, made from semi-flexible plastic or polythene material and normally about 6 mm deep by 1 mm thick, on the lower inside part of which is located a sealing ring 2 which can be integral with the cylinder, while from the top of the cylinder a flange 3 of about 2 mm width extends inwards and is also integral with the cylinder around its full circumference. From the bottom of the cylinder an integral reinforcing flange 4 of about 2 mm width extends outwards at right angles to the cylinder around its whole circumference and to this ring is fixed or releasably secured a narrow flexible strap 5 of about 4 mm width, 1 mm thickness and 50 mm length to the other end of which is fixed a cap 6.The cap 6 is made of semi-flexible material and has an internal diameter to fit closely over the outside of the pourer cylinder 1 and is provided with a sealing ring 7 about 1 mm thick on its lower inside part running for the full internal circumference and integral with the main cap body 6. R lifting tab 8 about 10 mm wide is fitted to the cap on the opposite side to the strap -5. The pourer cylinder 1 has a groove 9 around its whole outer circumference at a level directly opposite the sealing ring 2 and to a depth of about 0.5 mm.The upper flange 3 has a flat extension 10 which is similarly of about 1 mm thickness and extends inwards on the same side of the cylinder as the cap strap 5 and integrally flush with the flange to cover about one third of the bottle neck opening having a 'C' shaped circular or elliptical inner edge. R semiflexible hollow tube 11 of relatively small diameter, about 5 mm, and of length suited to reach the bottom of the bottle neck, typically about 50 mm, is rigidly fixed at its upper end to the flange extension 10 through which it passes centrally, the tube being bent near its lower end in a direction away from the center of the bottle so that it follows the curve of the bottle shoulder when the pourer is installed.

In operation, the pourer cylinder 1 is fitted over the bottle neck 12 until the underside of the flange 3 is in contact with the upper rim of the bottle. With the cap off, the bottle is then tipped in the direction of the opening 13 opposite to the tube end 14 until the liquid flows out of the opening 13. t this moment, if the bottle is full, it is quite likely that the liquid will completely fill the lower part of the bottle neck 15, however with the easy pourer, air is able to enter the tube 11 through its upper end and exit through the lower end 14 relieving the negative pressure in the bottle thus allowing the liquid to flow freely. As both cap and pourer cylinder are fitted with an inner seal, the bottle will not leak with the cap secured. Typically, the whole pourer,tube and cap assembly would be integrally moulded of polythene or plastic.

Referring to sheet 2/2, Figure 2, an optional feature of the pourer is an adjustable aperture device which is comprised of two interlinked sliding flat covers 16 and 17 of irregularpartly helical plan shape such as that shown in figure 2. One cover 16 is fitted with a small 1 mm high upward protrusion 18 at a point farthest from its central indentation 19 ahd with a hole 20 of about 1 mm diameter located centrally on the inner leg. The other cover 17 has a small 1 mm high upward protrusion 21 located centrally on its inner leg and of diameter slightly less than 1 mm which passes freely through hole 20.The cover 16 is located on top of the cover 17 and immediately below the flange extension 10, each being on opposite sides of and free to rotate about the tube 11 horizontally with the indentations 19 and 22 acting as sliding pivots, while the outer circular edge of each cover 16 and 17 is free to run in parallel grooves 23 about 0.5 mm deep cut around the inner circumference of the cylinder 1 just below the level of flange 3. A retaining flange 24 of about 10 mm external diameter is fitted on the outside of the tube 11 just below the lower cover 17 In operation, the covers are opened or closed by the operator who can use a finger or thumb to slide the protrusion 18 on one cover 16 around the perimeter of the bottle opening to obtain the desired aperture. The second cover 17 is rotated indirectly in the opposite direction by movement of cover 16 acting through hole 20 and protrusion 21.

Claims

1. An easy flow internal tube bottle pourer comprising a cylindrical body of internal diameter slightly larger than the bottle neck over which it is fitted and with an inward pointing flange at the top end which extends over less than one half of the circular bottle opening and through which passes a hollow tube of small diameter, less than one third of the internal bottle neck diameter,the tube extending down to a point slightly below or close to the bottom of the bottle neck so that, when the bottle is tipped in the direction of the clear opening, air enters the top of the tube and exits through the bottom of the tube relieving any air lock or negative pressure in the bottle and allowing the liquid to be poured smoothly.

2. An easy flow bottle pourer as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the cylindrical body is provided with a sealing ring to prevent leakage of liquid between it and the bottle neck.

3. An easy flow bottle pourer as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the top of the air tube is flush with or nearly flush with the upper flange of the body allowing use of a cap.

4. An easy flow bottle pourer as claimed in Claim 3, wherein a cap is provided with an internal diameter slightly larger than the external diameter of the pourer cylinder and with an internal sealing ring.

5. An easy flow bottle pourer as claimed in Claim 1, wherein a narrow flange is added to the outside of the bottom of the cylinder body to allow easy removal of the pourer from the bottle neck and provide rigidity for the body.

6. An easy flow bottle pourer as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the air tube is bent towards the wall of the bottle and away from the bottle opening to allow more rapid release of air.

7. An easy flow bottle pourer as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the cap is provided with a lifting flange to permit its easy removal from the pourer body.

8. An easy flow bottle pourer as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the cap is attached to a narrow strap on the opposite side to the lifting flange, the other end of the strap being attached to the cylinder body or its lower flange on the opposite side to the main opening to allow retention of the cap when not in use yet not interfere with pouring.

9. An easy flow bottle pourer as claimed in Claim 1, wherein a sliding cover or covers are provided to allow variation of the pourer aperture.

10. An easy flow bottle pourer as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the upper flange is shaped on its inner edge to form a semielliptical, circular or other beneficial planform to promote easy flow of the liquid through the aperture and increase the discharge coefficient.

11. An easy flow bottle pourer substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.