U.S. patent application number 10/455617 was filed with the patent office on 2004-03-11 for stopper with air intake.
This patent application is currently assigned to THE ZEBRA COMPANY. Invention is credited to Lepage, Francis.
Application Number | 20040045928 10/455617 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 31998532 |
Filed Date | 2004-03-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040045928 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lepage, Francis |
March 11, 2004 |
Stopper with air intake
Abstract
The present invention relates to a stopper intended to be
mounted on a container, of the bottle type, containing a liquid, a
base provided with means for mounting on the container, a
mouthpiece intended to be positioned in the user's mouth to remove
the liquid from the container, an air inlet allowing air into the
container in response to the removal of the liquid, said mouthpiece
comprising at least one duct communicating with the internal volume
of the container and ending toward the outside in the form of an
outlet orifice, wherein the air inlet comprises at least one fluid
passage one of the ends of which opens to the outside and the other
end of which opens near the outlet orifice which, with this other
end, are intended to be introduced into the user's mouth.
Inventors: |
Lepage, Francis; (Dommartin,
FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
OLIFF & BERRIDGE, PLC
P.O. BOX 19928
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22320
US
|
Assignee: |
THE ZEBRA COMPANY
|
Family ID: |
31998532 |
Appl. No.: |
10/455617 |
Filed: |
June 6, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60430354 |
Dec 3, 2002 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
215/388 ;
220/256.1; 220/717 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 47/06 20130101;
B65D 47/32 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
215/388 ;
220/717; 220/256.1 |
International
Class: |
A47G 019/22; B65D
051/18 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 6, 2002 |
FR |
02.06983 |
Claims
1. A stopper intended to be mounted on a container, of the bottle
type, containing a liquid, a base provided with means for mounting
on the container, a mouthpiece intended to be positioned in the
user's mouth to remove the liquid from the container, an air inlet
allowing air into the container in response to the removal of the
liquid, said mouthpiece comprising at least one duct communicating
with the internal volume of the container and ending toward the
outside in the form of an outlet orifice, wherein the air inlet
comprises at least one air passage one of the ends of which opens
to the outside and the other end of which opens near the outlet
orifice which, with this other end, are intended to be introduced
into the user's mouth.
2. The stopper as claimed in claim 1 and which comprises at least
two ducts.
3. The stopper as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the mouthpiece
comprises ducts of approximately semicircular cross section spaced
apart by a slot forming the air passage, said slot extending from
the base up to the level of the outlet orifices.
4. The stopper as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece
comprises a duct provided with an outlet orifice, with a
cylindrical collar, concentric and connected to the duct by bridges
of material, thus delimiting an annular space, which extends from
the outlet orifice with one of its ends as far as a peripheral slot
defined between the base and said collar, said peripheral slot
allowing the annular space to communicate with the outside.
5. The stopper as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, and which
comprises a retractable cap attached to the mouthpiece and allowing
the outlet orifice to be sealed off.
6. A bottle comprising a stopper as claimed in any one of claims 1
to 5.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of
container stoppers, more especially stoppers intended to be mounted
on the necks of bottles.
[0002] Such stoppers generally comprise a mouthpiece intended for
the removal of the liquid contained in the bottle. It is then
desirable to provide an air inlet allowing the generation of a
stream of air entering the internal volume of the bottle in
response to the removal of the liquid, for example sucked out by
the user.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
[0003] There is thus known a stopper intended to be mounted on a
container, of the bottle type, containing a liquid, said stopper
comprising a base provided with means for mounting on the
container, a mouthpiece intended to be positioned in the user's
mouth to remove the liquid from the container, an air inlet
allowing air into the container in response to the removal of the
liquid, said mouthpiece comprising at least one duct communicating
with the internal volume of the container and ending toward the
outside in the form of an outlet orifice.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The object of the present invention is to produce a stopper
for containers of the bottle type, incorporating an air inlet,
which is particularly simple to manufacture.
[0005] Another object of the present invention is to produce a
stopper allowing the liquid contained in the container on which
said stopper is mounted to be removed efficiently.
[0006] The objects assigned to the present invention are achieved
using a stopper in which the air inlet comprises at least one fluid
passage one of the ends of which opens to the outside and the other
end of which opens near the outlet orifice which, with this other
end, are intended to be introduced into the user's mouth.
[0007] According to an exemplary embodiment, the mouthpiece
comprises at least two ducts.
[0008] According to an exemplary embodiment, the mouthpiece
comprises ducts of approximately semicircular cross section spaced
apart by a slot forming the air passage, said slot extending from
the base up to the level of the outlet orifices.
[0009] According to an exemplary embodiment, the mouthpiece
comprises a duct provided with an outlet orifice, with a
cylindrical collar, concentric and connected to the duct by bridges
of material, thus delimiting an annular space, which extends from
the outlet orifice with one of its ends as far as a peripheral slot
defined between the base and said collar, said peripheral slot
allowing the annular space to communicate with the outside.
[0010] According to an exemplary embodiment, the stopper comprises
a retractable cap attached to the mouthpiece and allowing the
outlet orifice to be sealed off.
[0011] According to an exemplary embodiment, the stopper according
to the invention is mounted on a bottle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] other features and advantages will also become apparent from
reading the detailed description given hereinafter, with reference
to the illustrative by way of examples, in which:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one exemplary embodiment of
a stopper according to the invention.
[0014] FIG. 2 is a view in cross section of the stopper of FIG. 1,
mounted on a bottle.
[0015] FIG. 3 is another exemplary embodiment of the stopper
according to the invention
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0016] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a stopper according
to the invention. The stopper comprises a base 1, for example
cylindrical, intended for example to be mounted by screw-fastening
or by any other removable or nonremovable mounting means on the
neck of a container 6 as shown partially in FIG. 2.
[0017] The stopper according to the invention also comprises a
mouthpiece 2 intended to be positioned in the mouth of the user who
wishes to ingest beverages contained in the container 6.
[0018] The mouthpiece 2 comprises, according to one exemplary
embodiment, at least two ducts 3 communicating with the internal
volume of the container 6.
[0019] The mouthpiece 2 consists, for example, of two ducts 3
communicating with the internal volume of the container 6, and
arranged side by side. The two ducts are also separated or spaced
apart by a slot 5, extending from the base 1 up to the other end of
the mouthpiece 2, where there is an outlet orifice 4 for each duct
3. The slot 5 in this scenario is closed at its other end by the
base 1.
[0020] The means of mounting the base 1 on the neck of a bottle
consist, for example, of an internal screw thread la, as shown in
FIG. 2.
[0021] Thus, when the user wishes to ingest the beverage contained
in the container 6, the mouthpiece 2 is partially introduced into
the mouth of said user. The slot 5 extends over at least the entire
length of the mouthpiece 2. The sizing of this mouthpiece is such
that the end of the slot 5 located near the base 1 opens to the
outside, rather than into the mouth of said user. The slot 5
therefore forms a fluid passage between the outside and the
interior volume of the container 6, via the user's mouth.
[0022] Such a design is particularly advantageous and, contrary to
all expectation, causes no dribbling or accidental emptying of the
liquid from the mouth of said user.
[0023] The ducts 3 each have a semicircular shape in cross section.
Other shapes may of course be envisioned without departing from the
scope of the present invention, according to another exemplary
embodiment. it is thus conceivable to produce three, four or more
ducts 3, of identical or different shapes, arranged side by
side.
[0024] In the exemplary embodiment of the stopper according to the
invention in FIG. 3, the mouthpiece 2 has just one duct 3 and
therefore one outlet orifice 4 located at its end distal from the
base 1. The cylindrical duct 3 in surrounded by a peripheral
collar, concentric with said duct 3, and separated from the latter
by bridges of material 8.
[0025] Annular spaces 9 stretching from the outlet orifice 4 toward
a peripheral slot located near the base 1 are thus obtained between
the collar 7 and the duct 3. The annular spaces 9 thus form fluid
passages allowing external air to enter via the periphial slot 10
and reach the internal volume of the container 6, passing
respectively through at least one annular space 9, the user's
mouth, and the duct 3, in the opposite direction to the direction
in which the removed liquid travels. The collar 7 depicted in FIG.
2 has been partially cut away, for the purpose of clarity.
[0026] The present invention finds an application especially in the
field of bottles of the cyclist's or sportsman's bottle type.
[0027] One appreciable advantage of the stopper according to the
invention lies in its relatively simple and inexpensive
manufacture. Indeed such a stopper can be obtained in a single
molding or injection-molding operation.
* * * * *