Dispensing – With cutter and/or punch – To form dispensing opening in container
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-10
2001-07-10
Morris, Lesley D. (Department: 3752)
Dispensing
With cutter and/or punch
To form dispensing opening in container
C222S461000, C222S544000, C229S204000, C220S267000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06257449
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to containers for liquid, and more particularly relates to closures or fitments for such containers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many goods today are sold in paperboard packages, wherein the paperboard is folded into a box like configuration, and provided with a non-porous lining to prevent leakage of the liquid from the package. A common example is provided in the form of the currently popular juice boxes wherein orange juice and the like can be provided in the package in a portable and easily accessible manner. In addition, many types of condiments and sauces can be provided in such packages and are particularly popular in foreign countries, and restaurant and cafeteria facilities wherein the goods are not sold through retail outlets.
With most such paperboard packages, a closure or fitment, typically plastic, is attached to the package about a scored or perforated area in the paperboard. The fitment is provided to allow a user to easily open the package and allow the contents of the package to be poured therefrom. Commonly, the fitment is provided with a lever arm which is hinged to a base of the closure and which can be downwardly depressed into the package. Such packages can often lead to finger intrusion which can contaminate the contents of the package, and result in an unsanitary mess to the consumer. Recent closure and fitment designs therefore have been directed to providing a mechanism by which the package can be opened, but limits finger intrusion. Currently pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 60/073,897, and 60/074,882, which are now abandoned and are directed to such apparatus, the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated by reference herein.
In addition to providing a mechanism by which the package can be opened, such closures or fitments typically have a built-in pouring spout raised slightly above the surface or edge of the container to direct the liquid as it is being dispensed through the opening created by the fitment. However, such pour spouts are typically provided relatively close to the edge of the container and do not direct the liquid away from the package in a well defined, controllable, manner. Additionally, the tongue of the fitment which opens the package can interfere with the dispensing of liquid as the package is tilted forward and the liquid acts against the underside of the closure tongue.
Simply providing a raised spout on the outer surface of the container is not a viable solution in that it would add additional expense to the package and be susceptible to breakage of the spout from the container during shipping and handling. Furthermore, such packages typically require some form of tamper evidence to ensure that by the time the container is actually purchased and ready for use by the consumer, the consumer is provided with a level of security that the contents of the package have not been altered.
Moreover, with many known fitments, in addition to a base having a lever which is pivotally attached thereto, a cover is also pivotally attached to the base. The cover initially covers the base and lever and must be hinged away from the base to gain access to the lever. The process of opening packages using such a fitment entails at least two steps, wherein as a first step, the cover is hinged away from the base, and as a second step, the user downwardly depresses the lever into the package. After use, the lever remains within the package, and the cover is hinged back to the base for closure purposes. Still further types of closures require three steps wherein the cover and a built-in pour spout are provided in the same plane as the lever when the fitment is initially provided. The cover and built-in pouring spout are initially pivoted about a base which causes the lever to penetrate the package. After approximately 180 degrees of rotation, the pour spout attaches to a front portion of the base to lock it in place. The cover is then pivoted back away from the pour spout to open the fitment.
While such types of fitments are functional, the multiple steps involved are time consuming, and are often viewed as a nuisance or cumbersome to the user. It would therefore be advantageous if a package fitment were to be provided wherein the cover can be pivoted away from the base and the package can be opened in one simple step.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a fitment for paperboard package wherein a cover can be pivoted away from the base of the fitment and the package can be opened in one step.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a fitment for a paperboard package which has rear intrusion and a built-in frontal pour spout.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide such a fitment with improved finger intrusion protection.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a fitment for a paperboard package having a pour spout which is substantially raised above the edge of the container to provide a more natural and directed pouring action.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a fitment for a paperboard package having a mechanism to protect the fitment from contaminate intrusion, as well as serving as tamper evidence.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a mechanism to seal the pour spout against the base of the fitment to avoid dual stream output.
It is yet another object of the present invention to positively maintain the pour spout lever in the open position to prevent the liquid from forcing the fitment into a closed position when acting against an underside of the pour spout lever.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a fitment wherein the user directs an upward force against the fitment, away from the package, to open the package and thereby avoids finger intrusion.
It is a feature of the present invention to provide, in a preferred embodiment, a closure for a container of dispensable fluid including a base and a lever pivotally attached to the base. The base is adapted to be secured adjacent a pouring lip of a container and has an opening adapted to be disposed proximate a scored area of the container. The lever includes a puncturing end and a pour spout end, with the spout end being proximate the container pouring lip, and the lever being adapted to move between a storage position wherein the lever is substantially parallel to the base, and a pouring position wherein the lever is orthogonal to the base. The spout end is displaced away from the container and the puncturing end is displaced into the container through the scored area when the lever is in the pouring position.
It is another feature of the present invention to provide a closure having a base, a lever pivotally attached to the base, and a cover pivotally attached to the base. The cover serves to protect the closure from contaminate intrusion, and automatically open the closure upon pivotal motion of the cover.
It is another feature of the present invention to provide a closure having a base, a lever pivotally attached to the base, and a cover pivotally attached to the base, wherein the lever extends past the front of the cover. The force used by the user to open the package therefore is directed against the bottom side of the lever which in turn separates the cover from the base. The user then continues to direct force against the lever until such time that the lever locks in place to allow the user to continue to apply force against the cover to move it to its fully opened position.
These and other objects and features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4216880 (1980-08-01), Drelichowski
patent: 4915290 (1990-04-01), Robichaud et al.
patent: 4934590 (1990-06-01), Robichaud et al.
patent: 5101999 (1992-04-01), Robichaud et al.
patent: 5799840 (1998-09-01), Mogard
patent: 5806757 (1998-09-01),
Clark J. L.
Leydig , Voit & Mayer, Ltd.
Morris Lesley D.
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