A spout for a container filled with pourable product includes a collar having a pouring outlet to allow out-pouring of the product and a lid assembly having a coupling ring rotatably arranged around the collar and a lid hinged to the coupling ring and angularly movable around a hinge axis. The lid is controllable between a closing configuration, an open configuration and an intermediate configuration. An interaction device is partially associated to the collar and to the lid, and is configured such that control of the lid from the closing configuration to the intermediate configuration is possible only by rotation of the lid and the coupling ring around a rotation axis and such that control of the lid from the intermediate configuration to the closing configuration is possible by a sole angular movement of the lid around the hinge axis from the intermediate angular position to the closing angular position.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
. A spout for a container filled with a pourable product;
. Spout according to, wherein the spout also comprises rupturable auxiliary coupling bridges coupling the tamper evidence ring and the coupling ring to one another.
. Spout according to, wherein in use, the auxiliary coupling bridges are configured to rupture prior to movement of the cutter from the rest position to the operative position.
. Spout according to, wherein the base frame further comprises a coupling base configured to couple the spout to the package, wherein the coupling base carries the collar, and wherein the tamper evidence ring is arranged between the coupling base and coupling ring.
. Spout according to, wherein at least a portion of the coupling base has substantially a plate-like configuration.
. Spout according to, wherein the tamper evidence ring is parallel to the coupling ring and is axially displaced from the coupling ring.
. Spout according to, wherein the lid is controllable between:
. Spout according to, comprising a plurality of rupturable main coupling bridges connecting the coupling ring and the lid to one another.
. Spout according to, wherein the main coupling bridges connect the coupling ring and the lid to one another prior to the first time the lid is, in use, controlled from the closing angular position to the intermediate angular position, and wherein during the first time of controlling the lid from the closing angular position to the intermediate angular position, the main coupling bridges are configured to irreversibly rupture.
. Spout according to, wherein, in use, the main coupling bridges are configured to rupture after control of the cutter from the rest position to the operative position.
. Spout according to, wherein the spout also comprises a tamper-evidence ring arranged around the collar.
. Spout according to, wherein the spout also comprises rupturable auxiliary coupling bridges coupling the tamper evidence ring and the coupling ring to one another.
. Spout according to, wherein in use, the auxiliary coupling bridges are configured to rupture prior to movement of the cutter from the rest position to the operative position.
. Spout according to, wherein the tamper evidence ring is parallel to the coupling ring and is axially displaced from the coupling ring.
. Spout according to, wherein the base frame further comprises a coupling base configured to couple the spout to the package, wherein the coupling base carries the collar, and wherein the tamper evidence ring is arranged between the coupling base and coupling ring.
. Spout according to, wherein at least a portion of the coupling base has substantially a plate-like configuration.
. Spout according to, wherein the lid is controllable between:
. Spout according to, wherein the main coupling bridges connect the coupling ring and the lid to one another prior to the first time the lid is, in use, controlled from the closing angular position to the intermediate angular position, and wherein during the first time of controlling the lid from the closing angular position to the intermediate angular position, the main coupling bridges are configured to irreversibly rupture.
. Spout according to, wherein, in use, the main coupling bridges are configured to rupture after control of the cutter from the rest position to the operative position.
. A package-spout assembly comprising a sealed package, filled with a pourable product and comprising a designated pour outlet surface area, and a spout according tofitted about the designated pour outlet surface area.
. A package-spout assembly comprising a sealed package, filled with a pourable product and comprising a designated pour outlet surface area, and a spout according tofitted about the designated pour outlet surface area.
Complete technical specification and implementation details from the patent document.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/789,805 filed Jun. 29, 2022, which is a U.S. national stage patent application based on International Application No. PCT/EP2021/053304 filed on Feb. 11, 2021, which claims priority to European Patent Application No. 20158237.6 filed on Feb. 19, 2020, the entire content of all three of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a spout for a container, in particular for a sealed package, filled with a pourable product, even more particular filled with a pourable food product.
The present invention also relates to a package-spout assembly having a sealed package filled with a pourable product, even more particular filled with a pourable food product, and a spout arranged on the sealed package.
As is known, many liquid or pourable food products, such as fruit juice, UHT (ultra-high-temperature treated) milk, wine, tomato sauce, etc., are sold in packages made of sterilized packaging material.
A typical example is the parallelepiped-shaped package for pourable food products known as Tetra Brik Aseptic (registered trademark), which is made by sealing and folding a laminated strip packaging material. The packaging material has a multilayer structure comprising a carton and/or paper base layer, covered on both sides with layers of heat-seal plastic material, e.g. polyethylene. In the case of aseptic packages for long-storage products, the packaging material also comprises a layer of oxygen-barrier material, e.g. an aluminum foil, which is superimposed on a layer of heat-seal plastic material, and is in turn covered with another layer of heat-seal plastic material forming the inner face of the package eventually contacting the food product.
Some of the known packages, in particular a respective sealed main body of the packages formed from the packaging material, comprises a designated pour opening surface area, which allows the outpouring of the pourable product from the package. Typically, the designated pour opening surface area is covered by a separation membrane, which isolates the inside of the package from the outer environment and which is to be opened or to be removed or to be ruptured or to be cut or to be pierced prior to the first outpouring of the pourable product so as to allow for the outpouring of the pourable product. It is also known to arrange a spout having a collar and a lid on the main body about the designated pour opening surface area so as to control the outpouring of the pourable product. The collar has a pouring outlet so as to allow for a controlled outpouring of the pourable product from the package and the lid allows to selectively close and open the pouring outlet.
Some of the known spouts comprise an opening assembly so as to pierce and/or open the pour opening surface area in a controlled manner.
A drawback of these kind of spouts is seen in that the decoupling of the lid from the collar means a complete detachment of the lid from the collar, which may possibly lead to an unwanted losing of the lid or to a littering of the lid by an irresponsible user.
Thus, there is a need felt in the sector to further improve the spouts and/or the package-spout assemblies.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide in a straightforward and low-cost manner an improved spout for a container, in particular a sealed package, filled with a pourable product, even more particular filled with a pourable food product.
In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide in a straightforward and low-cost manner an improved spout for a container, in particular a sealed package, filled with a pourable product, even more particular filled with a pourable food product, which improves the user experience by coming along with an easy and intuitive use.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide in a straightforward and low-cost manner a package-spout assembly having a sealed package filled with a pourable product, in particular filled with a pourable food product, and a spout.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide in a straightforward and low-cost manner a package-spout assembly having a sealed package filled with a pourable product, in particular filled with a pourable food product, and a spout, which improves the user experience by coming along with an easy and intuitive use.
According to the present invention, there is provided a spout according to the independent claim.
Further advantageous embodiments of the spout are specified in the respective dependent claims.
According to the present invention, there is also provided a package-spout assembly.
Numberindicates as a whole a container-spout assembly, in particular a package-spout assembly, comprising:
Packageis obtained from a packaging material, in particular being in the form of a web, and having a multilayer structure (not shown). The packaging material comprises at least a layer of fibrous material, such as e.g. a paper or cardboard, and at least two layers of heat-seal plastic material, e.g. polyethylene, interposing the layer of fibrous material in between one another. One of these two layers of heat-seal plastic material defining the inner face of packagecontacting the pourable product.
Preferably but not necessarily, the packaging material also comprises a layer of gas- and light-barrier material, e.g. aluminum foil or ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) film, in particular being arranged between one of the layers of the heat-seal plastic material and the layer of fibrous material. Preferentially but not necessarily, the packaging material also comprises a further layer of heat-seal plastic material being interposed between the layer of gas- and light-barrier material and the layer of fibrous material.
According to a preferred non-limiting embodiment, spout(s)is (are) applied to package(s)prior, during or after the formation, filling and sealing of package(s)by means of a molding process and/or adhesive bonding and/or ultrasonic bonding.
Alternatively, spout(s)can be applied onto the packaging material prior to arranging the packaging material within or during advancement of the packaging material within a packaging machine for forming, filling and sealing packagesfrom the packaging material.
With particular reference to, packageextends along a longitudinal axis A.
Preferentially but not necessarily, packageis parallelepiped-shaped.
In particular, the designated pour opening surface area of packageis configured to be at least partially (non-reversibly) opened and/or ruptured and/or cut and/or pierced so as to allow the out-pouring of the pourable product from package, in particular through spout. Even more particular, the pour opening surface area is configured to allow the out-pouring of the pourable product after its loss of integrity and to protect the pourable product from the outer environment prior to its cutting and/or opening and/or rupturing and/or piercing.
According to a preferred non-limiting embodiment, the pour opening surface area comprises a separation membrane (not shown and known as such) configured to be ruptured and/or opened and/or cut and/or pierced. In particular, the separation membrane separates in the area of, in particular at, the designated pour opening surface area the inside of packagefrom the outside of package. Preferentially but not necessarily, the separation membrane comprises a gas- and light-barrier material, e.g. aluminum foil or ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) film.
According to a preferred non-limiting embodiment, the separation membrane is defined by a portion of the packaging material, in particular a portion of the layers of the packaging material being different from the layer of fibrous material.
With particular reference to, spoutcomprises at least:
In particular, collarextends along a longitudinal axis B (and away from package), preferentially but not necessarily parallel to longitudinal axis A.
In particular, longitudinal axis B defines (is equal to) a central axis of collarand/or pouring outlet.
Preferentially, collarand pouring outletpresent a (substantially) circular cross-sectional profile, in particular with respect to a cross-sectional plane perpendicular to longitudinal axis B.
Advantageously, lid assemblycomprises:
In particular, lid assemblycomprises a coupling elementconfigured to hinge lidto coupling ringand defining hinge axis C.
Advantageously, lidis controllable between at least:
In particular, in use, control of lidfrom the closing configuration to the open configuration requires at first control from the closing configuration to the intermediate configuration and then from the intermediate configuration to the open configuration. In other words, in use, control of lidfrom the closing angular position to the open angular position requires at first control of lidfrom the closing angular position to the intermediate angular position and then to the open angular position.
Preferentially, lidcomprises:
In particular, and with lidbeing in the closing angular position, top portionis transversal, in particular perpendicular, to longitudinal axis B and side wallis (substantially) parallel to longitudinal axis B.
According to some possible non-limiting embodiments, lidis, in particular top portionand/or side wallare, coupled to collarwhen lidis, in use, in the closing angular position (and in the intermediate angular position).
Preferentially, lidcomprises an inner surface, in particular inner surfacefaces collarwith lidbeing in the closing angular position (and intermediate angular position). In particular, top portionand side wallcarry inner surface.
Advantageously, spoutcomprises an interaction devicepartially associated to (and/or connect to and/or carried by) collarand partially associated to (and/or connect to and/or carried by) lidand being configured such that control of lidfrom the closing configuration to the intermediate configuration (in other words from the closing angular position to the intermediate angular position) is possible only by rotation of lidand coupling ringaround a (common) rotation axis E, in particular parallel, even more particular coaxial, to longitudinal axis B, and such that control of lidfrom the intermediate configuration to the closing angular configuration (in other words, from the intermediate angular position to the closing angular position) is at least possible by a sole angular movement of lidaround hinge axis C from the intermediate angular position to the closing angular position.
Preferentially, control of lidfrom the intermediate angular position to the closing angular position is selectively possible by a sole angular movement of lidaround hinge axis C from the intermediate angular position to the closing angular position and by rotation of lidand coupling ringaround rotation axis E.
It should be noted that according to such a non-limiting embodiment a user can freely choose whether to control lidby the sole angular movement around hinge axis C or whether to induce the control of lidfrom the intermediate angular position to the closing angular position by rotation of lidaround rotation axis E. It should be further noted that also a combination of both means of controlling lidfrom the intermediate angular position to the closing angular position is possible.
According to some preferred non-limiting embodiments, spoutalso comprises:
In particular, control deviceis configured to control cutterfrom the rest position to the operative position upon rotation of lidand coupling ringaround rotation axis E. Even more particular, control deviceis configured to control cutterfrom the rest position to the operative position the first time lidand coupling ringare, in use, rotated around rotation axis E for moving lidfor the first time from the closing angular position to the intermediate angular position.
With particular reference to, collardelimits an inner spacewithin which cutteris at least partially placed.
Preferentially, collarhas a circular cross-sectional shape with respect to a sectional plane being orthogonal to longitudinal axis B.
According to a preferred non-limiting embodiment, collarcomprises an inner surfacefacing inner spaceand an outer surfacebeing opposite to inner surface(and inner space).
In particular, with lidbeing in the closing angular position (or in the intermediate angular position) inner surfacefaces outer surface.
According to some preferred non-limiting embodiments, cutteris configured to at least translate, in particular to rotate and translate, during its movement from the rest position to the operative position.
Preferentially, cuttercomprises a cutting section(arranged at and/or defining an axial end portion of cutter) configured to open and/or cut and/or rupture and/or pierce the designated pour opening surface area, in particular the separation membrane. Preferentially, cutting sectionhas (comprises) a serrated profile.
According to a preferred non-limiting embodiment, control devicecomprises a cam group configured to guide movement of cutterfrom the rest position to the operative position.
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October 2, 2025
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