U.S. patent application number 11/996260 was filed with the patent office on 2008-09-04 for liquid container.
Invention is credited to Kyung Hee Jo.
Application Number | 20080210658 11/996260 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37179490 |
Filed Date | 2008-09-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080210658 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Jo; Kyung Hee |
September 4, 2008 |
Liquid Container
Abstract
Disclosed is a liquid container for containing liquid contents.
The liquid container comprises a body with a desired volume for
containing liquid contents; a narrow neck formed at an upper side
of the body; an opening formed at an inside of the neck so as to be
communicated with an inside of the body; and an air path extended
from the upper side of the body to an upper side of the neck so as
to be opened at upper and lower end thereof so that an entrance of
the opening is communicated with an inside of the body, wherein a
lower opening of the air path has an inclined section which is
inclined upward at a desired angle relative to a reference surface
of the liquid contents in the body. Additionally, the air path has
a length so that the lower opening thereof is not contacted with
the reference surface of the contents. When a user tilts the
container after removing the cap so as to pour out the contents,
since the external air can smoothly enter through the air path, a
sudden pressure change in the container is prevented. Thus, the
contents can be smoothly and quietly discharged without sputtering
and splashing about inside.
Inventors: |
Jo; Kyung Hee; (Seoul,
KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ROBERTS, MARDULA & WERTHEIM, LLC
11800 SUNRISE VALLEY DRIVE, SUITE 1000
RESTON
VA
20191
US
|
Family ID: |
37179490 |
Appl. No.: |
11/996260 |
Filed: |
July 18, 2006 |
PCT Filed: |
July 18, 2006 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/KR06/02802 |
371 Date: |
January 22, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
215/379 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 23/04 20130101;
B65D 2205/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
215/379 |
International
Class: |
B65D 1/40 20060101
B65D001/40 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 18, 2005 |
KR |
10-2005-0064725 |
Claims
1. A liquid container, comprising: a body with a desired volume for
containing liquid contents; a narrow neck formed at an upper
portion of the body; an opening formed at an inside of the neck so
as to communicate with an inside of the body; and an air path
extending from the upper portion of the body to an upper portion of
the neck so as to be opened at upper and lower ends thereof so that
an entrance of the opening is communicated with an inside of the
body, wherein a lower opening of the air path has an inclined
section which is inclined upward at a desired angle relative to a
reference surface of the liquid contents in the body.
2. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the inclined
section is directed to an upper side of a center portion of the
container.
3. The liquid container according to claim 2, wherein the air path
has a length so that the lower opening thereof is not contacted
with the reference surface of the contents.
4. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the air path
is integrally formed at the upper portion of the body and the
opening.
5. The liquid container according to claim 4, wherein an inlet part
of the air path is formed in a thickness of a circumferential
surface of the opening.
6. The liquid container according to claim 1, further comprising
markings comprised of a plurality of protrusions formed by
protruding outer surfaces of the opening and the body corresponding
to the air path and peripheral portions thereof.
7. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the opening
is provided with a plurality of air inlets formed at a distal end
thereof, and the air inlets are bored downward along a
circumferential surface of the opening so that the air path is
communicated with the inside of the body.
8. The liquid container according to claim 7, wherein the air
inlets are respectively spaced at regular intervals in a
circumferential direction of a distal end of the opening.
9. The liquid container according to claim 8, wherein a plurality
of air paths are provided so as to correspond to the respective air
inlets.
10. The liquid container according to claim 8, wherein the air path
is integrally provided in the form of an inverted funnel
member.
11. The liquid container according to claim 7, wherein the air path
is removably disposed in the body by forcibly inserting and
removing an air path means through the opening.
12. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the air path
is formed by casting or injection molding.
13. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the air path
is formed by an inner body disposed at an upper side of the body to
be extended to the opening, and the inner body is formed with a
connection opening communicated with the opening and the inside of
the body when being inserted into an inside of the opening, and a
plurality of partitioning projections are formed on an outer
surface of the connection opening in a longitudinal direction
thereof so as to form a plurality of partitioned air paths on the
inner surface of the opening when the inner body and the container
are coupled to each other.
14. The liquid container according to claim 13, wherein the inner
body has a funnel shaped member capable of being inserted through
the opening.
15. The liquid container according to claim 8, wherein the air path
is formed by casting or injection molding.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid container in which
liquid contents are contained, and more particularly to a liquid
container which can smoothly discharge the liquid contents without
sputtering or making a noise regardless of a direction of the
liquid container.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] Generally, a glass bottle or a plastic container like a PET
(polyethylene terephthalate) bottle have been widely used as a
container for containing liquid contents such as spring water,
various beverages and so on. These liquid containers typically
comprises a body with various volumes, a narrow neck formed at an
upper side of the body, an opening formed at an upper side of the
neck and a cap screwed on the opening. The contents in the
container can be discharged outside by an opening/closing operation
of the cap.
[0003] When the liquid container is tilted to one side in order to
pour out the contents, the opening is momentarily choked up with
the contents. Thus, external air can not be entered into the
container, and the inside of the container is momentarily held in a
vacuum state. However, the external air can be immediately entered
into the container through a gap formed at the opening while the
contents are continuously discharged outside. At this time, a
momentary discharged amount of the contents is remarkably reduced
and then increased again since the entered air pushes the contents
from the inside of the liquid container to the outside.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
Technical Problem
[0004] In other words, the vacuum state in the container is
released by a small amount of air entered through the opening, and
thus expansion of the air is instantaneously occurred. In this
situation, since the expanded air forcibly presses out the
contents, the contents are sputtered and splashed about inside when
being discharged from the container. At the same time, the air
which is being discharged from the container is flowed back into
the container, thereby generating a noise. Furthermore, since it is
very difficult to predict a direction of the contents which are
discharged from the container while being splashed about inside,
the liquid contents may be sputtered to the outside of a cup, or
the cup may be fallen down by a discharging pressure of the
contents, thereby staining around the cup. Therefore, there is
problem that it is difficult to use the container safely and
sanitarily.
Technical Solution
[0005] Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve
the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art, and an
object of the present invention is to provide a liquid container
which has a path for an inflow of air at one side thereof, so that
external air can be smoothly entered into the container and thus
liquid contents in the container can be quietly discharged without
sputtering and splashing about inside.
[0006] In order to achieve above-mentioned objects, there is
provided a liquid container comprising a body with a desired volume
for containing liquid contents; a narrow neck formed at an upper
side of the body; an opening formed at an inside of the neck so as
to be communicated with an inside of the body; and an air path
extended from the upper side of the body to an upper side of the
neck so as to be opened at upper and lower end thereof so that an
entrance of the opening is communicated with an inside of the body,
wherein a lower opening of the air path has an inclined section
which is inclined upward at a desired angle relative to a reference
surface of the liquid contents in the body, and the inclined
section is directed to an upper side of a center portion of the
container, and the air path has a length so that the lower opening
thereof is not contacted with the reference surface of the
contents.
[0007] Preferably, the container further comprises a marking
portion which is comprised of a plurality of protrusions formed by
protruding outer surfaces of the opening and the body corresponding
to the air path and peripheral portions thereof.
[0008] Preferably, the opening is provided with a plurality of air
inlets formed at a distal end thereof, and the air inlets are bored
downward along a circumferential surface of the opening so that the
air path is communicated with the inside of the body, and the air
inlets are respectively distant at regular intervals in a
circumferential direction of a distal end of the opening.
[0009] Preferably, the air path is integrally provided in an inner
wall of the container, or disposed in the body by forcibly
inserting and removing through the opening.
[0010] Preferably, the air path is formed by casting or injection
molding.
[0011] Preferably, the air path is formed by an inner body disposed
at an upper side of the body to be extended to the opening, and the
inner body is formed with a connection opening communicated with
the opening and the inside of the body when being inserted into an
inside of the opening, and a plurality of partitioning projections
are formed on an outer surface of the connection opening in a
length direction thereof so as to form a plurality of partitioned
air paths on the inner surface of the opening when the inner body
and the container are coupled to each other.
ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS
[0012] According to the present invention, when a user tilts the
container after removing the cap so as to pour out the contents,
since the external air can be smoothly entered through the air path
extended, a sudden pressure change in the container is
prevented.
[0013] Thus, the contents can be smoothly and quietly discharged
without sputtering and splashing about inside.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the
present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed
description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in
which:
[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing principle parts of a
liquid container according to one embodiment of the present
invention;
[0016] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1;
[0017] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a using state of
the liquid container shown in FIG. 1;
[0018] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing principle parts of a
liquid container according to another embodiment of the present
invention;
[0019] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line I-I of
FIG. 4;
[0020] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a using state of
the liquid container shown in FIG. 4;
[0021] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing principle parts of a
liquid container according to yet another embodiment of the present
invention; and
[0022] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line II-II of
FIG. 7.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0023] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention
will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In
the following description and drawings, the same reference numerals
are used to designate the same or similar components, so that
repeated description on the same or similar components will be
omitted.
MODE FOR THE INVENTION
First Embodiment
[0024] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing principle parts of a
liquid container according to one embodiment of the present
invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 is
a cross-sectional view showing a using state of the liquid
container shown in FIG. 1.
[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, a liquid container A for containing
liquid contents according to the present invention has a basic
structure which comprises a body 2, a narrow neck 4 formed at an
upper side of the body 2, an opening 6 formed at the neck 4 so as
to discharge liquid contents, and a cap (not shown) coupled with
the opening 6.
[0026] Further, the liquid container A of the present invention is
formed with an air path 8 formed from an upper portion of the body
2 toward the opening 6. The air path 8 is divided into a first
region (L.sub.1) formed from an upper portion to a lower portion of
the neck 4 and a second region (L.sub.2) formed by an upper portion
of the body 2. However, the air path 8 is integrally formed at the
upper portion of the body and the opening 6 to be opened toward an
inside of the body 2.
[0027] Preferably, a lower opening 82 of the air path 8 is inclined
upward at a desired angle relative to a reference surface of the
liquid contents in the body 2. By this structure, when pouring out
the contents, external air can be facilely entered through the air
path 8, however the contents are prevented from entering into the
air path 8. More preferably, the inclined section of the lower
opening 82 of the air path 8 is directed to an upper side of a
center portion of the container, and the air path 8 has a proper
length so that the lower opening 82 is not contacted with the
surface of the contents, thereby preventing the contents from
approaching the lower opening 82.
[0028] According to the present invention, the first region
(L.sub.1) of the air path 8 may be formed in a thickness of a
circumferential surface of the opening 6. Such a structure of the
air path 8 can be facilely obtained by casting or injection
molding.
[0029] In the liquid container A of the first embodiment, the
surface of the contents is held in a desired height so that the
contents is not contacted with the lower opening 82 of the air path
8, and then the cap (not shown) is coupled to the opening 6.
Therefore, in order to pour out the contents from the container A,
a user tilts the container A after removing the cap so that a
marking portion 9 is directed upward, and then pours out the
contents in a cup (not shown) or a vessel. In this process, the
contents is discharged from the container A, and at the same time,
the external air is smoothly entered through the air path in the
container A due to a sucking force generated by a pressure change
in the container A.
[0030] As describe above, since the air path 8 is extended to the
inside of the body 2 through the first region (L.sub.1) and the
second region (L.sub.2), the external air can be deeply entered
through the air path 8 in the container A. Thus, the inside of the
container A is maintained in an atmospheric pressure state which is
the same as the outside of the container A, and the contents can be
smoothly discharged through the opening 6 by the atmospheric
pressure formed in the container A. Furthermore, since a proper
amount of air corresponding to an amount of the discharged contents
is always flowed through the air path 8 in the container A, the
contents can be smoothly and quietly discharged without sputtering
and splashing about inside.
[0031] In the meanwhile, according to the present invention, the
marking portion 9 which is comprised of the protrusions 92 as shown
in FIG. 1 is provided on the body 2 of the container A. The marking
portion 9 is formed by protruding outer surfaces corresponding to
the air path 8 and peripheral portions thereof. In this case, the
marking portion 9 allows the user to recognize easily a position of
the air path 8 formed in the container A, so that the user can
facilely and conveniently use the container A.
Second Embodiment
[0032] FIGS. 4 to 6 show a structure and a using state of a liquid
container according to another embodiment of the present
invention.
[0033] A liquid container B according to the embodiment comprises a
body 10, a narrow neck 14 extended to an upper side of the body 10,
and an opening 12 formed at the neck 14 so as to discharge liquid
contents contained in the body 10. Further, the liquid container B
is formed with an air path 13 formed in a wall of the container B
from an upper portion of the body 10 toward the opening 12. The air
path 13 is communicated to the inside of the container B through
the opening 12 and an inner surface of the body 10. The air path 13
may be integrally formed in an inner wall of the container B or
removably disposed in the container B.
[0034] For example, in case that the air path 13 is integrally
formed in the inner wall of the container B, the air path 13 can be
simultaneously formed in a casting or injection molding process for
forming the container B. In case that the air path 13 is removably
disposed in the container B, the air path 13 can be inserted
through the opening 12 into the container B.
[0035] In the embodiment, the air path 13 is communicated with an
air inlet 13a formed at a distal end of the opening 12. The air
inlet 13a is provided in plural along a circumferential surface of
the distal end of the opening 12. The air inlets 13a are
respectively distant at regular intervals. Furthermore, the air
path 13 may be provided in plural corresponding to the respective
air inlets 13a or integrally provided in the form of a funnel.
[0036] In the liquid container B as described above, since the air
path 13 communicated with the plurality of air inlets 13a is formed
along the inner circumferential surfaces of the body 10 and the
opening 12, the liquid contents 100 in the container B can be
facilely and conveniently discharged regardless of a tilting
direction of the container B.
[0037] Meanwhile, it is preferred that the air path 13 has a proper
length which is extended from the distal end of the opening 12, so
that a lower opening thereof is not contacted with the contents 100
contained in the container B.
[0038] In addition, likewise in FIG. 1, it is preferred that the
lower opening of the air path 13 is inclined at a desired angle
relative to a reference surface of the liquid contents in the body
10. By this structure, when pouring out the contents 100, the
contents 100 are prevented from entering into the air path 13 and
choking up the air path 13. More preferably, the inclined section
of the lower opening of the air path 13 is directed to an upper
side of a center portion of the container,
Third Embodiment
[0039] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing principle parts of a
liquid container according to yet another embodiment of the present
invention, and FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line
II-II of FIG. 7.
[0040] As shown in figures, a liquid container C has a basic
structure comprising a body 20 and an opening 22, likewise in FIGS.
1 and 4. Further, in the embodiment, the liquid container C further
comprises an inner body 30 coupled to inner surfaces of the body 20
and the opening 22.
[0041] The inner body 30 is disposed at an upper side of the body
20 to be extended to the opening 22. The inner body 30 generally
has a funnel shape. Preferably, the inner body 30 is forcibly
inserted into the body 20. The inner body 30 is formed with a
connection opening 32 communicated with the opening 22 and the
inside of the body 20 when being inserted into an inside of the
opening 22. Furthermore, a plurality of partitioning projections 34
are formed on an outer surface of the connection opening 32 in a
length direction thereof. The partitioning projections 34 forms a
plurality of partitioned air paths 23 on the inner surface of the
opening 22 when the inner body 30 and the container C are coupled
to each other.
[0042] In this structure, the external air can be deeply entered
through the air path 23 in the container C. Thus, the inside of the
container C is maintained in an atmospheric pressure state which is
the same as the outside of the container C, and the contents can be
smoothly discharged through the opening 22 by the atmospheric
pressure formed in the container C. Furthermore, since a proper
amount of air corresponding to an amount of the discharged contents
is always flowed through the air path 23 in the container C, the
contents can be smoothly and quietly discharged without sputtering
and splashing about inside.
[0043] Meanwhile, it is preferred that the air path 23 has a proper
length which is extended from the distal end of the opening 22, so
that a lower opening thereof is not contacted with the contents
(not shown) contained in the container C.
[0044] In addition, likewise in FIGS. 1 and 4, it is preferred that
the lower opening of the air path 23 is inclined at a desired angle
relative to a reference surface of the liquid contents in the body
20. By this structure, when pouring out the contents, the contents
are prevented from entering into the air path 23 and choking up the
air path 23. More preferably, the inclined section of the lower
opening of the air path 23 is directed to an upper side of a center
portion of the container,
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0045] According to the present invention as described above, when
a user tilts the container after removing the cap so as to pour out
the contents, the contents is discharged from the container, and at
the same time, a sucking force is generated by a pressure change in
the container. Therefore, the external air is entered through the
air path extended from the end of the opening to the inside of the
container, and the inside of the container is maintained in an
atmospheric pressure state which is the same as the outside of the
container, and the contents can be smoothly discharged through the
opening by the atmospheric pressure formed in the container.
Furthermore, since a proper amount of air corresponding to an
amount of the discharged contents is always flowed through the air
path in the container, the contents can be smoothly and quietly
discharged without sputtering and splashing about inside.
[0046] Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has
been described for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art
will appreciate that various modifications, additions and
substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and
spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying
claims.
* * * * *