CLOSURE UNIT WITH CAP AND POUR SPOUT FOR CONTAINER NECK FINISH
A package includes a pour spout and a closure cap. The pour spout is adapted to fit into a neck finish associated with a container.
1 . A package comprising
a container neck finish formed to include a wide-mouth opening and adapted to mate with a container formed to include an interior region to place the wide-mouth opening in communication with the interior region, and
a preassembled closure unit configured to mate with the container neck finish to close the wide-mouth opening into the interior region of the container, the preassembled closure unit including a pour spout having a fluid-discharge outlet and a closure cap configured to mate with the pour spout to cover the fluid-discharge outlet and separate from the pour spout while the pour spout is mated with the container neck finish to expose the fluid-discharge outlet, the pour spout including a finish mount and a discharge tube coupled to the finish mount, the discharge tube having an inner portion formed to include a fluid-admission inlet arranged to open into the interior region of a container mated with the container neck finish and an outer portion formed to include the fluid-discharge outlet, the finish mount providing means for retaining the pour spout in a stationary, anchored position on the container neck finish to place the fluid-admission inlet formed in the discharge tube in communication with the interior region of a container mated to the container neck finish when the preassembled closure unit is first mated with the container neck finish to close the wide-mouth opening into the interior region of the container and during later movement of the closure cap between a capped position covering the fluid-discharge outlet of the discharge tube and an uncapped position uncovering the fluid-discharge outlet of the discharge tube,
wherein the container neck finish includes a spout catch retainer and the finish mount of the pour spout includes a rim formed to include an opening receiving the container neck finish therein and a spout catch coupled to the rim and configured to mate with the spout catch retainer included in the container neck finish to fasten the pour spout to the container neck finish so as to place the fluid-admission inlet formed in the discharge tube in communication with the interior region of a container mated to the container neck finish and to allow separation of the closure cap from the pour spout while the pour spout is fastened to the container neck finish,
wherein the finish mount of the pour spout further includes a product drainback cup having an outer edge coupled to the rim and an inner edge coupled to the discharge tube, the product drainback cup cooperates with the discharge tube to form a product-drainback reservoir arranged to surround the discharge tube and to receive fluid material exiting the fluid-discharge outlet of the discharge tube, the product drainback cup is formed to include a product-drainback aperture to allow any fluid material extant in the product-drainback reservoir to flow therethrough into the interior region of a container mated with the container neck finish when the pour spout is fastened to the container neck finish, and the rim of the finish mount includes an outer surface arranged to face outwardly toward a portion of the closure cap when the closure cap is mated with the container neck finish and an inner surface arranged to face inwardly toward the container neck finish when the pour spout is fastened to the container neck finish,
wherein the spout catch is coupled to the inner surface of the rim of the finish mount, and
wherein the spout catch of the pour spout includes an anti-rotation lug-receiving slot formed in the rim and the spout catch retainer of the container neck finish includes an anti-rotation lug arranged to extend into the anti-rotation lug-receiving slot to mate with the rim to establish a stationary, anchored position of the pour spout on the container neck finish.
2 . (canceled)
3 . The package of claim 1 , wherein the rim has an annular shape, an interior facing inwardly toward and surrounding the container neck finish when the pour spout is retained in the stationary, anchored position, and an exterior facing outwardly away from the container neck finish, and the spout catch is coupled to the interior of the rim.
4 - 15 . (canceled)
16 . The package of claim 15 , wherein the spout catch of the pour spout further includes several multi-lead threads arranged to wind around portions of an interior surface of the rim and the spout catch retainer of the container neck finish includes a companion multi-lead threads arranged to wind around portions of an annular outer surface of the container neck finish and configured to mate with the thread of the spout catch during rotational movement of the pour spout relative to the container neck finish to assume the stationary, anchored position.
17 . The package of claim 16 , wherein the anti-rotation lug includes an inclined ramp terminating at a vertical stop wall and a first portion of the rim associated with the anti-rotation lug is arranged to ride on the inclined ramp until the anti-rotation lug fits into the anti-rotation lug-receiving slot to cause the vertical stop wall to mate with a second portion of the rim to block further rotation of the closure unit relative to the container neck finish about an axis of rotation.
18 . (canceled)
19 . A package comprising
a preassembled closure unit comprising a pour spout formed to include a discharge tube having a fluid-discharge outlet and a closure cap mated to the pour spout to cover the fluid-discharge outlet and
a container neck finish formed to include anchor means for mating with the preassembled closure unit to the container neck finish to establish a stationary, anchored position of the pour spout on the container neck finish and free the closure cover for separation from the pour spout to expose the fluid-discharge outlet so that a consumer can remove the closure cap from the pour spout without disrupting placement of the pour spout on the container neck finish,
wherein the anchor means comprises a spout catch included in the pour spout and a spout catch retainer included in the neck finish, the pour spout further includes an annular rim and a product drainback cup coupled to the rim and to the discharge tube, the spout catch includes an internal thread coupled to an interior surface of the annular rim and an anti-rotation lug-receiving slot formed in the annular rim and arranged to interrupt the interior surface, and the spout catch retainer includes an external thread configured to mate with the internal thread in response to rotation of the pour spout about an axis of rotation relative to the neck finish and an anti-rotation lug sized to extend into the anti-rotation lug-receiving slot upon arrival of the pour spout at the stationary, anchored position on the container neck finish.
20 - 26 . (canceled)
27 . The package of claim 1 , wherein the rim is annular and includes an annular radially inwardly facing edge and an annular radially outwardly facing edge and the anti-rotation lug-receiving slot formed in the rim interrupts the annular radially inwardly facing edge to provide an opening for the anti-rotation lug through which the anti-rotation lug passes to enter into the anti-rotation lug-receiving slot.
28 . The package of claim 27 , wherein the rim is formed to include several anti-rotation lug-receiving slots arranged to interrupt the annular radially inwardly facing edge of the rim.
29 . The package of claim 27 , wherein the rim is formed to include four circumferentially spaced-apart anti-rotation lug-receiving slots arranged to interrupt the annular radially inwardly facing edge of the rim.
30 . The package of claim 1 , wherein the rim is formed to include four circumferentially spaced-apart anti-rotation lug-receiving slots and each lug-receiving slot is configured to receive the anti-rotation lug therein upon arrival of the pour spout at the stationary, anchored position on the container neck finish.
31 . The package of claim 1 , wherein the container neck finish includes an annular outer surface, the anti-rotation lug is coupled to the annular outer surface and arranged to extend in a radially outward direction therefrom, the rim is formed to include a radially inwardly facing edge facing toward the annular outer surface of the container neck finish, and the anti-rotation lug-receiving slot formed in the rim interrupts the annular radially inwardly facing edge to provide an opening for the anti-rotation lug through which the anti-rotation lug passes to enter into the anti-rotation lug-receiving slot.
32 . The package of claim 31 , wherein the spout catch retainer further includes external threads coupled to the annular outer surface of the container neck finish and arranged to mate with companion internal threads provided on an interior wall of the closure cap.
33 . The package of claim 31 , wherein the anti-rotation lug includes a radially outwardly facing inclined ramp, a vertical stop wall arranged to mate with a wall included in the rim when the anti-rotation lug is positioned to lie in the anti-rotation lug-receiving slot, and a guide wall extending between the inclined ramp and the vertical stop wall.
34 . The package of claim 1 , wherein the anti-rotation lug includes a radially outwardly facing inclined ramp, a vertical stop wall arranged to mate with a wall included in the rim when the anti-rotation lug is positioned to lie in the anti-rotation lug-receiving slot, and a guide wall extending between the inclined ramp and the vertical stop wall.
35 . The package of claim 1 , wherein the rim is formed to include a downwardly opening annular channel receiving the container neck finish therein when the pour spout is mated with the container neck finish and the anti-rotation lug is arranged to extend through the downwardly opening annular channel and into the anti-rotation lug-receiving slot upon arrival of the pour spout at the stationary, anchored position on the container neck finish.
36 . The package of claim 35 , wherein the anti-rotation lug is positioned to lie in the downwardly opening annular channel during rotation of the pour spot about an axis of rotation relative to the container neck finish before arrival of the pour spout at the stationary, anchored position on the container neck finish.