US20080210658A1

US20080210658A1 - Liquid Container

Info

Publication number: US20080210658A1
Application number: US11/996,260
Authority: US
Inventors: Kyung Hee Jo
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-07-18
Filing date: 2006-07-18
Publication date: 2008-09-04
Also published as: CN101238036B; CN101238036A; WO2007011146A1; KR100558766B1

Abstract

Disclosed is a liquid container for containing liquid contents. The liquid container comprises a body with a desired volume for containing liquid contents; a narrow neck formed at an upper side of the body; an opening formed at an inside of the neck so as to be communicated with an inside of the body; and an air path extended from the upper side of the body to an upper side of the neck so as to be opened at upper and lower end thereof so that an entrance of the opening is communicated with an inside of the body, wherein a lower opening of the air path has an inclined section which is inclined upward at a desired angle relative to a reference surface of the liquid contents in the body. Additionally, the air path has a length so that the lower opening thereof is not contacted with the reference surface of the contents. When a user tilts the container after removing the cap so as to pour out the contents, since the external air can smoothly enter through the air path, a sudden pressure change in the container is prevented. Thus, the contents can be smoothly and quietly discharged without sputtering and splashing about inside.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a liquid container in which liquid contents are contained, and more particularly to a liquid container which can smoothly discharge the liquid contents without sputtering or making a noise regardless of a direction of the liquid container.

BACKGROUND ART

Generally, a glass bottle or a plastic container like a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottle have been widely used as a container for containing liquid contents such as spring water, various beverages and so on. These liquid containers typically comprises a body with various volumes, a narrow neck formed at an upper side of the body, an opening formed at an upper side of the neck and a cap screwed on the opening. The contents in the container can be discharged outside by an opening/closing operation of the cap.
When the liquid container is tilted to one side in order to pour out the contents, the opening is momentarily choked up with the contents. Thus, external air can not be entered into the container, and the inside of the container is momentarily held in a vacuum state. However, the external air can be immediately entered into the container through a gap formed at the opening while the contents are continuously discharged outside. At this time, a momentary discharged amount of the contents is remarkably reduced and then increased again since the entered air pushes the contents from the inside of the liquid container to the outside.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Technical Problem

In other words, the vacuum state in the container is released by a small amount of air entered through the opening, and thus expansion of the air is instantaneously occurred. In this situation, since the expanded air forcibly presses out the contents, the contents are sputtered and splashed about inside when being discharged from the container. At the same time, the air which is being discharged from the container is flowed back into the container, thereby generating a noise. Furthermore, since it is very difficult to predict a direction of the contents which are discharged from the container while being splashed about inside, the liquid contents may be sputtered to the outside of a cup, or the cup may be fallen down by a discharging pressure of the contents, thereby staining around the cup. Therefore, there is problem that it is difficult to use the container safely and sanitarily.

Technical Solution

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid container which has a path for an inflow of air at one side thereof, so that external air can be smoothly entered into the container and thus liquid contents in the container can be quietly discharged without sputtering and splashing about inside.
In order to achieve above-mentioned objects, there is provided a liquid container comprising a body with a desired volume for containing liquid contents; a narrow neck formed at an upper side of the body; an opening formed at an inside of the neck so as to be communicated with an inside of the body; and an air path extended from the upper side of the body to an upper side of the neck so as to be opened at upper and lower end thereof so that an entrance of the opening is communicated with an inside of the body, wherein a lower opening of the air path has an inclined section which is inclined upward at a desired angle relative to a reference surface of the liquid contents in the body, and the inclined section is directed to an upper side of a center portion of the container, and the air path has a length so that the lower opening thereof is not contacted with the reference surface of the contents.
Preferably, the container further comprises a marking portion which is comprised of a plurality of protrusions formed by protruding outer surfaces of the opening and the body corresponding to the air path and peripheral portions thereof.
Preferably, the opening is provided with a plurality of air inlets formed at a distal end thereof, and the air inlets are bored downward along a circumferential surface of the opening so that the air path is communicated with the inside of the body, and the air inlets are respectively distant at regular intervals in a circumferential direction of a distal end of the opening.
Preferably, the air path is integrally provided in an inner wall of the container, or disposed in the body by forcibly inserting and removing through the opening.
Preferably, the air path is formed by casting or injection molding.
Preferably, the air path is formed by an inner body disposed at an upper side of the body to be extended to the opening, and the inner body is formed with a connection opening communicated with the opening and the inside of the body when being inserted into an inside of the opening, and a plurality of partitioning projections are formed on an outer surface of the connection opening in a length direction thereof so as to form a plurality of partitioned air paths on the inner surface of the opening when the inner body and the container are coupled to each other.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS

According to the present invention, when a user tilts the container after removing the cap so as to pour out the contents, since the external air can be smoothly entered through the air path extended, a sudden pressure change in the container is prevented.
Thus, the contents can be smoothly and quietly discharged without sputtering and splashing about inside.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing principle parts of a liquid container according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a using state of the liquid container shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing principle parts of a liquid container according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line I-I of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a using state of the liquid container shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing principle parts of a liquid container according to yet another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line II-II of FIG. 7.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description and drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components, so that repeated description on the same or similar components will be omitted.

MODE FOR THE INVENTION

First Embodiment

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing principle parts of a liquid container according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a using state of the liquid container shown in FIG. 1.
As shown in FIG. 1, a liquid container A for containing liquid contents according to the present invention has a basic structure which comprises a body 2, a narrow neck 4 formed at an upper side of the body 2, an opening 6 formed at the neck 4 so as to discharge liquid contents, and a cap (not shown) coupled with the opening 6.
Further, the liquid container A of the present invention is formed with an air path 8 formed from an upper portion of the body 2 toward the opening 6. The air path 8 is divided into a first region (L₁) formed from an upper portion to a lower portion of the neck 4 and a second region (L₂) formed by an upper portion of the body 2. However, the air path 8 is integrally formed at the upper portion of the body and the opening 6 to be opened toward an inside of the body 2.
Preferably, a lower opening 82 of the air path 8 is inclined upward at a desired angle relative to a reference surface of the liquid contents in the body 2. By this structure, when pouring out the contents, external air can be facilely entered through the air path 8, however the contents are prevented from entering into the air path 8. More preferably, the inclined section of the lower opening 82 of the air path 8 is directed to an upper side of a center portion of the container, and the air path 8 has a proper length so that the lower opening 82 is not contacted with the surface of the contents, thereby preventing the contents from approaching the lower opening 82.
According to the present invention, the first region (L₁) of the air path 8 may be formed in a thickness of a circumferential surface of the opening 6. Such a structure of the air path 8 can be facilely obtained by casting or injection molding.
In the liquid container A of the first embodiment, the surface of the contents is held in a desired height so that the contents is not contacted with the lower opening 82 of the air path 8, and then the cap (not shown) is coupled to the opening 6. Therefore, in order to pour out the contents from the container A, a user tilts the container A after removing the cap so that a marking portion 9 is directed upward, and then pours out the contents in a cup (not shown) or a vessel. In this process, the contents is discharged from the container A, and at the same time, the external air is smoothly entered through the air path in the container A due to a sucking force generated by a pressure change in the container A.
As describe above, since the air path 8 is extended to the inside of the body 2 through the first region (L₁) and the second region (L₂), the external air can be deeply entered through the air path 8 in the container A. Thus, the inside of the container A is maintained in an atmospheric pressure state which is the same as the outside of the container A, and the contents can be smoothly discharged through the opening 6 by the atmospheric pressure formed in the container A. Furthermore, since a proper amount of air corresponding to an amount of the discharged contents is always flowed through the air path 8 in the container A, the contents can be smoothly and quietly discharged without sputtering and splashing about inside.
In the meanwhile, according to the present invention, the marking portion 9 which is comprised of the protrusions 92 as shown in FIG. 1 is provided on the body 2 of the container A. The marking portion 9 is formed by protruding outer surfaces corresponding to the air path 8 and peripheral portions thereof. In this case, the marking portion 9 allows the user to recognize easily a position of the air path 8 formed in the container A, so that the user can facilely and conveniently use the container A.

Second Embodiment

FIGS. 4 to 6 show a structure and a using state of a liquid container according to another embodiment of the present invention.
A liquid container B according to the embodiment comprises a body 10, a narrow neck 14 extended to an upper side of the body 10, and an opening 12 formed at the neck 14 so as to discharge liquid contents contained in the body 10. Further, the liquid container B is formed with an air path 13 formed in a wall of the container B from an upper portion of the body 10 toward the opening 12. The air path 13 is communicated to the inside of the container B through the opening 12 and an inner surface of the body 10. The air path 13 may be integrally formed in an inner wall of the container B or removably disposed in the container B.
For example, in case that the air path 13 is integrally formed in the inner wall of the container B, the air path 13 can be simultaneously formed in a casting or injection molding process for forming the container B. In case that the air path 13 is removably disposed in the container B, the air path 13 can be inserted through the opening 12 into the container B.
In the embodiment, the air path 13 is communicated with an air inlet 13 a formed at a distal end of the opening 12. The air inlet 13 a is provided in plural along a circumferential surface of the distal end of the opening 12. The air inlets 13 a are respectively distant at regular intervals. Furthermore, the air path 13 may be provided in plural corresponding to the respective air inlets 13 a or integrally provided in the form of a funnel.
In the liquid container B as described above, since the air path 13 communicated with the plurality of air inlets 13 a is formed along the inner circumferential surfaces of the body 10 and the opening 12, the liquid contents 100 in the container B can be facilely and conveniently discharged regardless of a tilting direction of the container B.
Meanwhile, it is preferred that the air path 13 has a proper length which is extended from the distal end of the opening 12, so that a lower opening thereof is not contacted with the contents 100 contained in the container B.
In addition, likewise in FIG. 1, it is preferred that the lower opening of the air path 13 is inclined at a desired angle relative to a reference surface of the liquid contents in the body 10. By this structure, when pouring out the contents 100, the contents 100 are prevented from entering into the air path 13 and choking up the air path 13. More preferably, the inclined section of the lower opening of the air path 13 is directed to an upper side of a center portion of the container,

Third Embodiment

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing principle parts of a liquid container according to yet another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line II-II of FIG. 7.
As shown in figures, a liquid container C has a basic structure comprising a body 20 and an opening 22, likewise in FIGS. 1 and 4. Further, in the embodiment, the liquid container C further comprises an inner body 30 coupled to inner surfaces of the body 20 and the opening 22.
The inner body 30 is disposed at an upper side of the body 20 to be extended to the opening 22. The inner body 30 generally has a funnel shape. Preferably, the inner body 30 is forcibly inserted into the body 20. The inner body 30 is formed with a connection opening 32 communicated with the opening 22 and the inside of the body 20 when being inserted into an inside of the opening 22. Furthermore, a plurality of partitioning projections 34 are formed on an outer surface of the connection opening 32 in a length direction thereof. The partitioning projections 34 forms a plurality of partitioned air paths 23 on the inner surface of the opening 22 when the inner body 30 and the container C are coupled to each other.
In this structure, the external air can be deeply entered through the air path 23 in the container C. Thus, the inside of the container C is maintained in an atmospheric pressure state which is the same as the outside of the container C, and the contents can be smoothly discharged through the opening 22 by the atmospheric pressure formed in the container C. Furthermore, since a proper amount of air corresponding to an amount of the discharged contents is always flowed through the air path 23 in the container C, the contents can be smoothly and quietly discharged without sputtering and splashing about inside.
Meanwhile, it is preferred that the air path 23 has a proper length which is extended from the distal end of the opening 22, so that a lower opening thereof is not contacted with the contents (not shown) contained in the container C.
In addition, likewise in FIGS. 1 and 4, it is preferred that the lower opening of the air path 23 is inclined at a desired angle relative to a reference surface of the liquid contents in the body 20. By this structure, when pouring out the contents, the contents are prevented from entering into the air path 23 and choking up the air path 23. More preferably, the inclined section of the lower opening of the air path 23 is directed to an upper side of a center portion of the container,

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

According to the present invention as described above, when a user tilts the container after removing the cap so as to pour out the contents, the contents is discharged from the container, and at the same time, a sucking force is generated by a pressure change in the container. Therefore, the external air is entered through the air path extended from the end of the opening to the inside of the container, and the inside of the container is maintained in an atmospheric pressure state which is the same as the outside of the container, and the contents can be smoothly discharged through the opening by the atmospheric pressure formed in the container. Furthermore, since a proper amount of air corresponding to an amount of the discharged contents is always flowed through the air path in the container, the contents can be smoothly and quietly discharged without sputtering and splashing about inside.
Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. A liquid container, comprising:

a body with a desired volume for containing liquid contents;

a narrow neck formed at an upper portion of the body;

an opening formed at an inside of the neck so as to communicate with an inside of the body; and

an air path extending from the upper portion of the body to an upper portion of the neck so as to be opened at upper and lower ends thereof so that an entrance of the opening is communicated with an inside of the body,

wherein a lower opening of the air path has an inclined section which is inclined upward at a desired angle relative to a reference surface of the liquid contents in the body.

2. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the inclined section is directed to an upper side of a center portion of the container.

3. The liquid container according to claim 2, wherein the air path has a length so that the lower opening thereof is not contacted with the reference surface of the contents.

4. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the air path is integrally formed at the upper portion of the body and the opening.

5. The liquid container according to claim 4, wherein an inlet part of the air path is formed in a thickness of a circumferential surface of the opening.

6. The liquid container according to claim 1, further comprising markings comprised of a plurality of protrusions formed by protruding outer surfaces of the opening and the body corresponding to the air path and peripheral portions thereof.

7. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the opening is provided with a plurality of air inlets formed at a distal end thereof, and the air inlets are bored downward along a circumferential surface of the opening so that the air path is communicated with the inside of the body.

8. The liquid container according to claim 7, wherein the air inlets are respectively spaced at regular intervals in a circumferential direction of a distal end of the opening.

9. The liquid container according to claim 8, wherein a plurality of air paths are provided so as to correspond to the respective air inlets.

10. The liquid container according to claim 8, wherein the air path is integrally provided in the form of an inverted funnel member.

11. The liquid container according to claim 7, wherein the air path is removably disposed in the body by forcibly inserting and removing an air path means through the opening.

12. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the air path is formed by casting or injection molding.

13. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the air path is formed by an inner body disposed at an upper side of the body to be extended to the opening, and the inner body is formed with a connection opening communicated with the opening and the inside of the body when being inserted into an inside of the opening, and a plurality of partitioning projections are formed on an outer surface of the connection opening in a longitudinal direction thereof so as to form a plurality of partitioned air paths on the inner surface of the opening when the inner body and the container are coupled to each other.

14. The liquid container according to claim 13, wherein the inner body has a funnel shaped member capable of being inserted through the opening.

15. The liquid container according to claim 8, wherein the air path is formed by casting or injection molding.