LIQUID DISPENSER

DEBITEUR DE LIQUIDES

English Abstract

ABSTRACT
The invention from one aspect comprises a container
including a neck portion leading to an outlet from the
neck located outwardly thereof, the cross sectional area
of said outlet being greater than the cross sectional
area, said neck portion thereby providing a shoulder in
said neck which in a pouring operation causes liquid
flowing from said container to separate from an upper
portion of said outlet and a duct communicating between
said neck and the interior of the container whereby as
liquid empties from the container in a pouring operation
the resulting pressure differential arising between the
interior of the container adjacent the inlet of the duct
and the atmosphere draws air in an unimpeded manner into
said container.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
?ROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A container including a conical shaped neck portion
leading to a circular peripheral channel located outwardly of
said neck and an outlet from said channel located outwardly
thereof, the cross sectional area of said outlet being greater
than the cross sectional area of said neck portion thereby
providing a shoulder in said neck which in a pouring operation
causes liquid flowing from said container to separate from an
upper portion of said outlet and a duct communicating between
said channel and the interior of the container whereby as
liquid empties from the container in a pouring operation the
resulting pressure differential arising between the interior of
the container adjacent the inlet of said duct and the
atmosphere draws air in an unimpeded manner into said container.
2. A container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said duct passes
through a carrying handle for said container.
3. A container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the container
bottom has a finger recess therein.
4. A container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the neck of the
container is provided with a pouring nozzle positioned in the
container neck, said nozzle having a flared bottom which seals
against the inner wall of the neck, the nozzle having abutment
means thereon to limit the movement of the nozzle into and out
of said container, the shoulder, the wall of said outlet and
the wall of the nozzle forming a well for the collection of
liquid remaining on the outside of the nozzle after a pouring
operation.
5. A container as claimed in claim 1 or 4 including a cap to

- 7 -

close the container outlet.
6. A container including a short neck portion leading to an out-
let from the neck located outwardly thereof, the cross sectional
area of said outlet being greater than the cross sectional area
of said neck portion thereby providing a shoulder in said neck
which in a pouring operation causes liquid flowing from said con-
tainer to separate from an upper portion of said outlet and a
duct communicating between said neck and the interior of the con-
tainer whereby as liquid empties from the container in a pouring
operation the resulting pressure differential arising between the
interior of the container adjacent the inlet of the duct and the
atmosphere draws air in an unimpeded manner into said container,
the arrangement being such that in a pouring operation an equal
volume of air is simultaneously admitted into the container as
fluid is dispensed therefrom.

- 8 -

Description

5~
\


This invention relates to liquid containers and in
particular to a liquid container having an improved pouring
neck and outlet which does not interfere with the rapid filling
of the container and permits the contents of the container to
be dispensed in an even stream without the gulping phenomena
which occurs in the dispensing of liquids from many containers
currently in use.
The gulping phenomena is caused by the ingress of air into
the container as the contents are dispensed therefrom. As the
contents are dispensed from a container tilted to a pouring
position there is a tendency to create a vacuum above the
liquid level in the container, air is drawn into the container
to progressively fill the vacuum. This ingress of air is
opposite to the flow of the contents from the container and
causes a gurgling or gupling effect resulting in an uneven flow
of the contents from the container.
In an attempt to overcome this problem it has been
proposed to include a duct in the container which permits air
to flow into the vacuum in the container as the contents are
dispensed therefrom without passing through the liquid stream
flowing from the container. Such arrangements have prooved
only partly successful and even with the provision of the
mentioned duct, the fluid flow sometimes acludes the inlet in
the~container and so gulping does occur.
The object of the present invention is to provide a
container of the general type referred to, which includes an
air inlet duct and which permits and even flow of liquid from
the container in a liquid dispensing operation.
- 2 -
,~

~2~

The invention from one aspect comprises a container
including a neck portion leading to an outlet from the neck
located outwardly thereof, the cross sectional area of said
outlet being greater than the cross sectional area, said neck
portion thereby providing a shoulder in said neck which in a
pouring operation causes liquid flowing from said container to
separate from an upper portion of said outlet and a duct
communicating between said neck and the interior of the
container whereby as liquid empties from the container in a
pouring operation the resulting pressure differential arising
between the interior of the container adjacent the inlet of the
duct and the atmosphere draws air in an unimpeded manner into
said container.
The invention from a Eurther aspect comprises a container
including a conical shaped neck portion leading to a circular
peripheral channel located outwardly of said neck and an outlet
from said channel located outwardly thereofl the cross
sectional area of said outlet being greater than the cross
sectional area of said neck portion thereby providing a
shoulder in said neck which in a pouring operation causes
liquid flowing from said container to separate from an upper
portion of said outlet and a duct communicating between said
channel and the interior of the container whereby as liquid
empties from the container in a pouring operation the resulting
pressure differential arising between the interior of the
container adjacent the inlet of said duct and the atmosphere
draws air in an unimpeded manner into said container.
In a modification the neck of the container is provided

-- 3 --

l~:S~817

with a pouring nozzle positioned in the container neck, said
nozzle having abutment means thereon to limit the movement of
the nozzle into and out of said container, the shoulder and the
wall of the nozzle forming a well for the collection of liquid
remaining on the outside of the nozzle after a pouring
operation.
A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be
described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the container;
Fig. 2 is a side elevation;
Fig. 3 is a view of the container in a partially tilted
position;
Fig. 4 is a view of the container in a fully tilted
position; and
Fig. 5 is a view of the container showing a modification.
Referring now to the drawings, the container 1 is
rectangular shape, it has a bottom 2, top 3, side walls 4 and
end walls 6 and 7.
End walls 6 and 7 are angled inwardly towards the centre
of the container and are so shaped as to form a neck portion 8
defined by inwardly directed walls 9 and 10, an outlet 11 leads
from the neck spaced to one side of the neck is a hollow carry
handle 12 having a duct 13 passing therethrough which
communicates with the neck 8 above the liquid level in the
container and with the interior of the container.
The neck is formed with a circular peripheral channel 14
above the walls 9 and 10 which communicate with the inlet end
15 of the duct 13 and positioned above the channel is the
-- 4


\

circular shaped outlet 11, however the channel 14 is not
essential to the performance of the invention.
The bottom of the container is provided with a finger
recess 16 to facilitate the tilting of the container in a
liquid dispensing operation as will be explained hereafter.
In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 5, a pouring nozzle
17 is positioned within the neck 8. The nozzle has a flared
bottom 18 which seals against the inner wall of the neck when
the nozzle is in the dispensing position.
The nozzle is circular in shape and is provided with a
circular abutment 19 intermediate its ends which limits the
downward movement of the nozzle into the container and the free
end of the nozzle is provided with a sealing bead 20 which is
adapted to seal against an end cap 21. In the embodiment
illustrated the side wall 22 of the end cap is threaded as at
23 and is engageable with a corresponding thread 24 on the
container surrounding the outlet 11.
The length of the nozzle is such and the abutment 19 is so
located that when the nozzle is pushed into the non-dispensing
position it is located wholly within the container.
The nozzle 17 and the wall of the neck adjacent the outlet
forms a well 25 which collects any liquid remaining on the
outside surface of the nozzle after a dispensins operation and
the dimension of the nozzle is such that this liquid can flow
from the well into the body of the container through the duct
13 when the container is in a non-dispensing position.
As the liquid empties from the container in a pouring
operation in the manner illustrated in Figs. 1, 3 and 4 the

- 5 -

resulting pressure diEferential arising between the interior of
the container 1 adjacent the entrance 15 of the duct 13 and the
atmosphere draws air back into the container as illustrated by
the arrows in Figs. 3 and 4 and into the container. The air
displaces the liquid flowing from the container also in the
direction of the arrows illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. The wall
10 causes the out flowing liquid to separate from the wall of
the outlet 11 adjacent the inlet 15 of the duct 13 and the
peripheral channel 14 provides an enlarged opening leading into
the inlet 15 of the duct 13 thereby permitting a free
uninterrupted flow of air into the container in a pouring
operation and thereby avoiding the gulping phenomena. This is
particularly important in those cases where the container is to
accommodate petroleum products or toxic liquids.




-- 6 --