JP2011513151A - Dispensing spout - Google Patents

Abstract

A dispensing spout for dispensing dispenseable contents from the packaging container is described. The spout comprises a shaft having a mouth at the distal end and a flange extending radially around the opening at the proximal end. This spout is characterized in that the flange has an adhesive layer on the bottom surface for retrofitting the spout to the outer surface of the packaging container. After piercing the surface of the dispensable packaging container through the opening, the dispenseable contents can be dispensed in a controlled manner from the packaging container.
[Selection] Figure 4

Description

  The present invention is directed to providing means and related methods for dispensing dispenseable material from a packaging container.

  The problems associated with dispensing dispenseable material from packaging containers are well known. These problems include splashing, which is commonly associated with the dispensing of dispensable materials including various liquid, granular or powdery materials such as sugar, salt, cement, sand, vegetables, beans, etc. . Spattering can be a loss of money due to waste, contamination of the environment, such as when the dispenseable material is hazardous or simply not biodegradable, and perhaps more importantly, unpleasant scatter. May cause outbreaks.

  Many packaging containers are supplied with pouring parts, spouts, or other dispensing aids attached to them to help control the dispensing of the material. Such packaging containers are typically manufactured with an integral dispensing spout. For example, Casale U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0236425 describes a spout that can be attached to a container by screwing into the container wall. Shigeo Japanese Patent No. 11100050 describes a spout that is heat welded to a container during manufacture. Other devices include those that can be attached to the rigid wall of a box container as described in US Pat. No. 6,398,075 to Laciacera et al.

  However, many consumables are supplied in packaging containers that lack any means of facilitating content distribution. A common example of such a packaging container is a heat-sealed plastic bag that is typically opened by cutting or pulling a seam. Such bags usually lack a method of resealing after use. Apart from the possibility of splashing, poor sealing can lead to degradation of the consumer that is no longer isolated from the environment.

  There is a need for means and associated methods for dispensing dispenseable material from a packaging container, and the present invention addresses this need.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for dispensing material that can be dispensed from a packaging container.

  According to a first aspect, the present invention is directed to providing a dispensing spout for dispensing dispenseable contents from a packaging container. The spout comprises a shaft having a mouth at the distal end and a flange extending radially around the opening at the proximal end, the flange attaching the spout to the outer surface of the packaging container on its bottom surface. The outer surface of the packaging container, having an adhesive layer for opening and being surrounded by a flange, allows the dispenseable material to be dispensed in a controlled manner from the packaging container.

  Typically, the spout further comprises a resealable lid for covering the mouth and plugging the spout.

  Optionally, the resealable lid is selected from a cap, a stopper, a cover, eg a hinged element configured to plug the spout.

  As used herein, the term “cap” refers to any resealable lid configured to fit over and around the spout. It should be noted that the cap may further include an element configured to fit inside the spout mouth.

  As used herein, the term “stopper” refers to any resealable lid configured to fit inside the spout mouth.

  As used herein, the term “cover” refers to any resealable lid configured to fit over the mouth of a spout.

  Optionally, the shaft is configured to fit with the lid, eg, if the resealable lid is a threaded cap, the shaft is adapted by forming a thread around it.

  According to a preferred embodiment, the dimensions of the flange and the composition of the adhesive material are suitable for attaching the spout to any variety of packaging container types, in particular cardboard box containers, plastic box containers, paper bags or fabrics.

  In a specific embodiment, it has dimensions and can be made from a specific material for a specific application.

  Typically, the spout further comprises a removable peel that is affixed to the adhesive layer.

  Typically, the removable release comprises paraffin paper.

  In one embodiment, the spout further comprises a cutter for piercing the surface of the dispensable packaging container below the opening.

  According to a second aspect, the previously described array of connected dispensing spouts is provided in a two-dimensional array in which individual spouts can be removed when needed.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for dispensing dispenseable contents from a packaging container. This method
a. Providing a spout comprising an axis having a mouth at a distal end and a flange extending radially around an opening at a proximal end, the flange having an adhesive layer on its bottom surface;
b. Optionally removing the removable peel when the adhesive is covered by the removable peel;
c. Attaching the spout to the outer surface of the packaging container via an adhesive layer;
d. Drilling the surface of the packaging container that can be dispensed under the opening;
e. Pouring the contents through the spout.

  For a better understanding of the present invention and how it can be practiced, reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings in which:

  DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Reference will now be made in detail to the drawings, wherein the details illustrated are merely exemplary and are intended to illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention by way of example and not to limit the principles and concepts of the invention. It is emphasized that the description of the specific aspect presents for the purpose of provision what is considered to be the most useful and easy to understand. This is necessary for a basic understanding of the invention, i.e. using drawings to make it obvious to a person skilled in the art how some forms of the invention can actually be implemented. Beyond that, no consideration is given to the structural details of the present invention.

It is a substantially isometric view of the dispensing spout as seen from above. 1b is a schematic isometric view of the dispensing spout of FIG. 1 is a schematic isometric view of a dispensing spout according to a first embodiment, wherein the adhesive layer is an adhesive applied directly to the flange. FIG. 4 is a schematic developed isometric view of a dispensing spout according to a second embodiment, wherein the adhesive layer is a double-sided self-adhesive film. 1 is a schematic illustration of a dispensing spout of the present invention attached to a box container. 1 is a schematic illustration of a dispensing spout of the present invention attached to a bag. Fig. 6 is a schematic illustration of a dispensing spout with a screw cap according to a further embodiment of the invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of a dispensing spout having a hinged element configured to plug the spout, according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a schematic view of a dispensing spout with a removable release layer attached to and protecting the adhesive layer attached to the flange. FIG. 6 is an exploded view of a preferred dispensing spout including a cutter, according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic isometric view of a plurality of connected dispensing spouts that are aggregated together in a two-dimensional array. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for dispensing contents that can be dispensed from a packaging container according to a second aspect of the present invention.

  Referring to FIGS. 1a and 1b, a dispensing spout 10 is shown. The dispensing spout 10 comprises a tube 12 having a mouth 14 at the distal end and a flange 16 extending radially around the opening 15 through the proximal end. In contrast to the prior art spout, the adhesive layer 17 is attached to the bottom surface of the flange 16. The spout 10 is typically injection molded from a raw polymer such as polypropylene or polystyrene, but may be manufactured from other materials by machining, vacuum molding, or other techniques.

  FIG. 2 shows a spout 10 having an adhesive layer 18 applied directly to the surface of the flange 16 by, for example, screen printing or brushing. The composition of the adhesive layer 18 is selected to match the material of the flange 16 and is typically the material of the packaging container to which the polymer and spout are attached, for example, paper, box container or other polymer. .

  FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment, and the adhesive layer includes a double-sided self-adhesive film 19a. If it is difficult to attach the material of the flange 16 to the surface of the container (not shown) and a single binder is not available, two separate adhesives 19b applied to the opposing surfaces of the membrane and A double-sided film 19a with 19c may be used. The composition of the first adhesive 19b is selected to adhere the membrane 19a to the flange 16, and the composition of the second adhesive 19c is selected to attach the membrane 19a to the container.

  Referring to FIG. 4, a dispensing spout 10 attached to a box container 24 that contains the contents 26 that can be dispensed is shown. The spout 10 is attached to the box container 24 by an adhesive layer 25. The dispenseable contents 26 contained in the box container 24 may be liquids, for example, beverages such as milk or wine, or non-food items such as detergents. Alternatively, the dispenseable contents 26 may be solid particles, such as sugar, salt, or powdered detergents. The dispenseable contents 26 are dispensed by drilling the walls of the packaging container 24 in the area 27 surrounded by the flange 29. The dispenseable content 26 can then be dispensed in a controlled flow 28 through the spout 10. FIG. 5 shows a dispensing spout 10 attached to a bag 34, such as a cellophane bag, containing a pourable content 36 such as rice.

Note that the size of the spout may be varied to suit the variety of contents that can be dispensed. By way of example, but not limitation, these include:
a. Shaft diameter between about 0.5-10 mm to fit gels or liquids such as toothpaste, adhesive, oil paint or jelly b. Shaft diameter between 5 and 50 mm compatible with liquid or particulate containing contents such as juice, milk, beans, screws or powder paint c. A shaft diameter of between 30 and 100 mm to fit contents containing large solid units, such as frozen vegetables, balls or candy, or cement or the like, generally finely distributed particulates d. Shaft diameters greater than 100 mm that are suitable for contents that are generally distributed in very large quantities, such as gravel, horticultural compost, sand, or the like

  Referring to FIG. 6, a fourth embodiment is shown wherein the dispensing spout 40 comprises a screw cap cap 44 having a male thread 42 around the shaft 43 and an internal thread 46 on the inner surface. The outer surface 48 is generally fluted for easy gripping. The screw cap 44 can be removed and replaced to reseal or close the spout 40, thereby preventing flow through the spout 40.

  Referring to FIG. 7, a dispensing spout 50 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention is shown, which includes a hinged lid element 54 along a seam 56. When closed, the lid element 54 plugs the spout 52.

  Referring now to FIG. 8, a dispensing spout 60 according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention is shown and includes a release layer 62 covering the adhesive layer 64 attached to the flange 66, whereby the release layer 62 is removed. Prevents the spout 60 from sticking to any surface or trapping dust before being done.

  An exploded view of a preferred dispenser 100 according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 9, wherein the dispenser 100 comprises a flanged spout 120, a screw cap 140, a release layer 160, and a cutter 180. Including.

  The screw cap 140 can be screwed into a spout 120 having an internal thread portion 144 around the inner surface 142 and an external thread portion 124 around the outer surface 123. This provides a method of sealing the spout 120 that prevents splashing therefrom when not in use.

  The release layer 160 covers an adhesive layer (not shown) that covers the bottom surface 126 of the flange 121 of the spout 120. To attach the spout 120 to a packaging container (not shown), the release layer 160 is removed and the bottom surface 126 of the flange 121 is pressed against the wall of the packaging container.

  A cutter 180 is provided to pierce a container (not shown) to which the spout 120 is fixed, and the cutter consists of a toothed ring 182 housed in the spout shaft 122. A protrusion 184 around the distal mouth 181D of the toothed ring 182 is configured to engage the interior of the screw cap 140. As the screw cap 140 is screwed onto the spout 120, the toothed ring 182 is rotated and the teeth 186 around the mouth 181P proximal to the toothed ring 182 are thus in the packaging container wall. It is pushed in and this makes a hole. It is noted that the cutter 180 can accommodate both single-use and / or multi-use distributors.

  In some embodiments, a tooth protector 127 is provided around the interior of the flange 121 of the spout 120 so that, prior to use, the teeth 186 protrude from the spout shaft 122 to cause injury to the user or device. Prevent damage.

  Referring to FIG. 10, a schematic isometric view of an array 68 comprising a plurality of connected dispensing spouts 70a, 70b, etc. is shown (but is not limited to a mere example of a 3 × 4 array. ), The spouts 70 are connected to each other. The array 68 may be manufactured by deep drawing from sheet metal or from a thermoplastic material, for example, by injection molding or vacuum shaping. The spout 70 is located between the spouts 70 so that a single spout 70a can be removed from the array 68 and then attached to the packaging container (24, 34 in FIGS. 4 and 5) when necessary. It is also useful to provide such an array 68 with a seam 74 that snaps into place. It is noted that it may be useful to weaken the boundary line 74 between the spouts 70a, 70b, etc. to facilitate separation. Those skilled in the art know how to weaken the boundaries, such as through perforations or cuts.

  Referring now to FIG. 11, which shows a flow chart representing a method for dispensing contents that can be dispensed from a packaging container, a step of preparing a spout as previously described herein (step a), and optionally When the adhesive layer is covered with a removable peeling portion, the step of removing the peeling portion (step b), the step of attaching the spout to the outer surface of the packaging container (step c), and the range surrounded by the flange A step of punching a surface of the inner packaging container (step d), and a step of pouring out the contents that can be poured through the spout (step e).

  Accordingly, the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims, and those skilled in the art will be able to read both the various combinations and subcombinations of features previously described herein, as well as reading the foregoing description. , Including variations and modifications thereto.

  In the claims, the usage forms of this term, such as the words “comprise / include”, and “comprise / include (third-person singular)” and “comprise / include (present progressive)” include the listed components In general, but does not exclude other components.

Claims (17)

A dispensing spout for dispensing dispenseable contents from a packaging container, comprising a shaft having a mouth at a distal end and a flange extending radially around an opening at a proximal end In the mouth
After the flange has an adhesive layer for attaching the dispensing spout to the outer surface of the packaging container on the bottom surface of the flange, and the surface of the packaging container that can be distributed under the opening is punched The dispensing spout is characterized in that the dispensable content can be dispensed in a controlled manner from the packaging container.   The dispensing of claim 1, further comprising a removable lid for covering the mouth and sealing the shaft, thereby preventing the dispenseable contents from flowing out through the dispensing spout. Spout.   The dispensing spout of claim 2, wherein the lid is selected from the group comprising a screw cap, a stopper, and a hinged element configured to close the dispensing spout.   3. The dispensing spout of claim 2, wherein the shaft comprises a male thread around the shaft and the lid comprises a screw cap having a female thread around the inner surface of the lid.   The dispensing spout according to claim 1, wherein the dimensions of the flange and the composition of the adhesive layer are suitable for attaching the dispensing spout to a cardboard surface of a box container.   The dispensing spout of claim 1, wherein the flange dimensions and the adhesive layer composition are suitable for attaching the dispensing spout to a plastic surface of a box container.   The dispensing spout according to claim 1, wherein the dimensions of the flange and the composition of the adhesive material are suitable for attaching the dispensing spout to a polyethylene bag.   The dispensing spout according to claim 1, wherein the dimensions of the flange and the composition of the adhesive material are suitable for attaching the dispensing spout to a paper bag.   The dispensing spout of claim 1, wherein the flange dimensions and the composition of the adhesive material are suitable for attaching the dispensing spout to a fabric.   The dispensing spout of claim 1, wherein the adhesive layer is protected by a release layer that is removed prior to attachment to the packaging container.   11. The dispensing spout of claim 10, wherein the release layer comprises paraffin paper.   The dispensing spout according to claim 1, further comprising a cutter for punching a surface of the packaging container that can be dispensed under the opening.   The dispensing spout of claim 12, wherein the cutter is configured to pierce a surface by rotation.   An arrangement in which a plurality of dispensing spouts according to claim 1 are connected, provided that the dispensing spouts are individually removable when needed. A method for dispensing contents that can be dispensed from a packaging container, comprising:
a. Providing a dispensing spout according to claim 1, comprising a shaft having a mouth at a distal end and a flange extending radially around an opening at a proximal end and having an adhesive layer on a bottom surface;
c. Attaching the dispensing spout to the outer surface of the packaging container via the adhesive layer;
d. Drilling a surface of the dispensable packaging container within the area enclosed by the flange;
e. Pouring contents through the opening. The adhesive layer is covered with a removable peeling part, and between the step a and the step c,
b. 16. The method for dispensing contents that can be dispensed from a packaging container according to claim 15, further comprising an optional step of peeling the removable peel portion.   The spout further comprises a lid configured to cover the mouth and seal the shaft, thereby preventing the material from flowing out through the dispensing spout and the contents of the packaging container. 16. A method for dispensing contents that can be dispensed from a packaging container according to claim 15 that is isolated from the environment.

Images