US2780396A - Liquid dispensing device - Google Patents

Description

1957 E. w. LARRABEE LIQUID DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Feb. 6, 1956 INVENTOR.

Edward Pl. Lafrabee ,4. JM 411x44, Arroglvcr United States Patent 2,780,396 LIQUID DISPENSING DEVICE Edward W. Larrabee, Corona, N. Y. Application February 6, 1956, Serial No. 563,759

7 Claims. or. 222-639) T The present invention relates to liquid dispensing devices, and more particularly to a disposable pourer and closure which may be mounted in a bottle cap.

In accordance with this invention, 'a substantially cylindrical pourer is provided with a flange member adapted to engage the edge of a bottle top and a disc-like closure member is integrally united with the pourer along a narrow annulus connecting the flange member with the closure member. When the annulus is broken or cut, the closure member is separated from the pourer. The pourer-closure assembly is held in position on the bottle top by means of a bottle cap placed over the flange member of the pourer and screwed onto the bottle'in conventional manner, a circular opening being provided in the cap to accommodate the closure member on the pourer, depending on the position of the assembly in the bottle. A chordal rib is provided in the cylindrical pourer to'enable liquid to be poured out of the bottle when the pourer is turned outwardly into pouring posi* tion.

The invention will be more fully described hereinafter in conjunction with a preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a side View, partially in section, showing the pourer-closure assembly mounted on the bottle, in shipping condition;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the pourer in pouring position;

Fig. 3 is a top view of the assembly;

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the assembly; and

Fig. 5 is a side view, partly in section, of the assembly.

Referring now to the drawing, the pourer-closure asssembly of the invention is shown applied to bottle top 1 provided with end threads 1a. The bottle is closed by bottle cap 2 having threads 2a engaging bottle threads 1a. The assembly includes tubular pourer member 3 provided with an annular flange 4 serving as a gasket between the bottle top edge and the cap. While the tubular pourer member is shown slightly inclined in relation to the annular flange, this is merely a preferred design. If desired, the pourer member could be rectangularly disposed in respect of the flange.

Disc-like closure 5 is integrally connected with the pourer member by means of narrow annulus 4a, the pourer, flange, and closure forming an integral unit. Closure 5 may fit tightly into a cap opening 6, thereby eliminating the need for further sealing means when the assembly is in shipping condition (Fig. 1). 0n the other hand, sealing may be effected by snapping fl'ange 4 into suitably shaped cap 2. The closure 5 has a radially extending notch 5a provided with small bores 5a at each side thereof, for the purpose to be described hereinafter.

As most clearly shown in Figs. 4 and S, the tubular pourer member is provided with arcuate chordal rib 7 which serves as a baflle means to facilitate pouring of a liquid from the bottle. This rib divides the pourer member into a liquid pouring chamber 8 and an air chamber 9. The air chamber of tube 9 ends in a restricted orifice 9a formed by thickened portion 7a of rib 7. The size of this restricted orifice controls both turbulence and rate of flow of the liquid out of the bottle. Without it, satisfactory flow cannot be obtained; When the assembly is in the pouring position (Fig. 2) and the bottle is inclined to pour liquid therefrom, it will flow through chamber 8, a continued flow being assured by atmospheric air entering the interior of the bottle through .air chamber 9 which communicates between the atmosphere and the interior of the bottle.

As shown, a lug 10 is arranged at one end of the pourer member, said lug being provided with small lateral protuberances 10a which are adapted to cooperate with bores 5a of notch 50 in the closure 5. A small stop 11 at the end of the lug will'prevent closure 5 from being pivoted beyond the stop position,

Any suitable material may be used for the pourerclosure assembly and I have found relatively flexible plastics, such as polyethylene, particularly advantageous for the purpose. Such plastics may be molded into the unitary assembly of the present invention very simply and inexpensively, making a disposable pourer for liquor bottles and the like.

Threaded cap 2 may also be formed of plastic, or other suitable rigid material conventionally used for bottle caps.

The operation of the device is very simple. After the bottle is filled with the desired liquid, such as an alcoholic beverage, the pourer-closure assembly is placed on the bottle top with its flange engaging the edge of the bottle, the closure disc 5 having been snapped or fitted into the central opening of the bottle cap (see Fig. 1). Upon screwing the cap onto the bottle, a tight closure is formed without the need for any cement, the closure disc forming a seal with the cap and the pourer flange serving as a gasket between the bottle top and the cap. The bottle is now in shipping condition.

When it is desired to use the pourer, the cap is unscrewed, the closure is removed from the cap opening and is separated from the pourer member along narrow annulus 4a connecting it thereto, for instance, by cutting through the annulus with any sharp instrument. The pourer is turned outwardly (Fig. 2) and is held in position by screwing the cap back onto the bottle with the pourer flange being engaged between the cap and the bottle top. The closure disc 5 is snapped onto lug 10, with bores 5a of disc notch 5a engaging protuberances 10a. of the lug, thus forming a hinge connection between the lug and the closure disc. The closure can be opened by pivoting it about this hinge connection into a position limited by stop 11, Fig. 2 showing the closure slightly opened. The bottle is stored in a position ready for pouring by closing lid 5 into tight engagement with the end of the pourer. When liquid is to be poured out of the bottle, the lid is pivoted upwardly into engagement with stop 11, the bottle is tilted and liquid will pour out of chamber 8, air entering into the bottle from the outside by air chamber 9.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described hereinabove to illustrate the practice of the invention, it should be clearly understood that various modifications may occur to those skilled in the art, particularly after benefittng from the present teaching, without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

This is an improvement over my co-pending application Serial No. 465,293, filed October 28, 1954.

What I claim is:

l. A unitary liquid dispensing device Comprising, in combination, a substantially tubular dispensing unit with an integral annular flange member, a disc-like 'closure member, a narrow frangible annulus along the inner circumference of the annular flange member, said annulus forming a connection between the disc-like closure and the dispensing unit, a substantially chordal longitudinal rib intersecting the tubular dispensing unit into a pouring chamber and an air chamber with a restricted orifice, and male and female hinge means arranged in the disc-like closure member and at the other end of the tubular dispensing unit for cooperation with each other, the entire device forming an integral unit and the disc-like closure member being separable from the dispensing unit along said narrow annulus and being pivotally connectable to the other end of the unit by said hinge means.

2. The unitary liquid dispensing device of claim 1, wherein said chordal rib is an arcuate wall.

3. The unitary liquid dispensing device of claim 1, wherein a lug with two small protuberances is arranged at the other end of the tubular dispensing unit to form said male-hinge means and the disc-like closure member has a small radial notch with two lateral bores adapted to be engaged by said protuberances to form said female hinge means.

4. The unitary liquid dispensing device of claim 3, wherein said lug is provided with a protruding stop member to limit the pivoting movement of the disc-like closure on the hinge means.

5. A liquid dispensing device adapted to be mounted in the neck of a bottle comprising, in combination, an integral assembly of a substantially tubular pouring member, an annular flange at one end of said member and Cir adapted to engage the rim of the bottle neck, a substantially chordal longitudinal rib in said pouring member to form an air passage therethrough, a frangible thickened portion in said rib in the plane of said flange to form a restricted orifice for said air passage, a disclike closure member, a narrow frangible annulus along the inner circumference of the annular flange, said annulus and thickened portion forming a connection between the disc-like closure and the pouring member, male and female hinge means arranged at the other end of the tubular pouring member and the disc-like closure member, respectively, for cooperation with each other; and a screw cap having a central circular aperture, the flange of said integral assembly being held between the bottle rim and the screw cap to maintain the assembly in position and the cap aperture providing a clearance for the disc-like closure member when it is united with the pouring member and for the tubular member when the closure member is separated from the pouring member along the narrow annulus and the position of the assembly is reversed, so that the pouring member projects outwardly from the bottle neck.

6. The-liquid dispensing device of claim 6, wherein said integral assembly is molded in one piece from a plastic material.

7. The unitary liquid dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the chordal rib extends to and is frangibly connected with the closure, the annulus and the frangible chordal rib extending to the closure forming the sole connections between the dispensing unit and the closure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 162,223 Doe Apr. 20, 1875

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