Dispensing – With plural openings or discharge guides – Having flow controllers or closures
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-28
2002-10-08
Yuen, Henry C. (Department: 3752)
Dispensing
With plural openings or discharge guides
Having flow controllers or closures
C222S457000, C222S468000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06460741
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The parent invention of the previous disclosure revealed a spill-resistant bottle design, which has a curved passageway in a curved neck communicating the bottle with the ambient. The curved neck has the basic shape of the number “7”, the letter “Z” or the letter “S”. The partial vacuum created inside the bottle prevents liquid from spilling when the bottle is tilted to less than the start-to-pour angle. When the tilting angle reaches the start-to-pour angle where outside air starts to enter the bottle, liquid inside the bottle will start to flow out. The curved passageway in the curved neck makes the spill-resistant bottle perform as desired. However, this very same curved passageway also adds an undesired effect to an ordinary bottle of an additional flow restriction between the bottle and the ambient. When filling a bottle, the same volume of air must be released from the bottle as the liquid is filling in. The filling of liquid and the releasing of air take place simultaneously in the curved passageway. Any added resistance will make the process more difficult and therefore slow down the filling process. By the same reason, when pouring liquid from the bottle, the same volume of air must enter the bottle to replace the liquid being poured out. A phenomenon call “glugging” appears when liquid is poured too quickly from the bottle. Glugging occurs when too much liquid tries to flow out of the bottle and not enough room is left in the curved passageway for air to enter into the bottle to replace the volume of the out-flowing liquid. When this happens, a partial vacuum is created inside the bottle that momentarily stops liquid from flowing out. Once the liquid flow stops, air starts to enter the bottle and eliminates the partial vacuum, thus resuming the liquid out flow. This intermittent and repeated liquid flowing and stopping is called “glugging” and makes the pouring unstable and undesirable.
On the market there are some bottle designs that have a hollow handle molded near the mouth opening of the bottle. A vent passageway is provided between the mouth opening and the hollow handle so that a separate air vent is provided. This allows the venting air from the mouth opening to travel down the vent passageway, through the hollow handle, and into the bottle to help eliminate or reduce the “glugging” condition.
The present invention places a vent passageway along the curved passageway of the parent invention as an improvement to the spill-resistant bottle of the parent invention. To ensure the improved spill-resistant function, the vent passageway must also have the same shape of the number “7”, the letter “Z” or the letter “S”. This vent passageway serves a dual purpose of venting air out of the bottle while filling and venting air into the bottle during pouring, thus removing the shortcomings of the curved neck design described above.
This invention may be applied to certain existing bottles by making the invented portion of the bottle as an adapter. The adapter will contain the above-described curved neck with the curved passageway and the vent passageway. This adapter can then be threaded to or sealingly attached to the opening of the existing bottle. The combined existing bottle and the adapter will then form the integral part of an improved spill-resistant bottle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved spill-resistant bottle for liquids.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a separate vent passageway to provide air venting during filling so that the filling can be accomplished at a faster rate and during pouring to eliminate or greatly reduce the “glugging” phenomenon.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved spill-resistant container that can be separated into a container and a mating mouthpiece having the improved spill-resistant featured curved neck.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an adapter with all the improved spill-resistant features to be used to convert an ordinary container into an improved spill-resistant container.
The present invention includes an extended curved neck design of the liquid container having a curved passageway with a parallel curved vent passageway on its side. This curved passageway provides a unique feature, which allows the container to be turned side-ways after filling without spilling any liquid, even when the liquid level line inside the container is higher than the liquid level line at the mouth opening. Liquid will start to flow out from the container only when the container is turned further until a start-to-pour angle is reached. The added vent passageway provides a separate air venting during filling and pouring. The undisturbed air venting allows a faster filling time and prevents or reduces “glugging” while pouring.
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Nguyen Dihn Q.
Yuen Henry C.
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