Retractable turnspout closure

Claim 2

A retractable turnspout closure for closing the neck of a container and permitting selective discharge of the container contents, comprising in combination: a plug adapted to extend across the opening defined by the neck of the container, said plug including a base having a first vertically extending axis, an opening in said base having a second vertically extending axis, a valve seat forming part of a valve disposed about said opening; a rotatable spout having a passage therethrough for cooperating in directing the container contents during discharge therefrom, and a valve member also forming part of the valve adapted to assume a lower first position at which it engages with the valve seat of the plug in closing said opening and prevent the container contents from discharging from the spout passage and a raised second position at which it is spaced from the valve seat to permit the container contents to travel through the opening into the passage and be discharged therefrom; a rotatable cap extending over the plug and having an opening through which the spout is adapted to project when said valve is in said raised second position and from which the spout is adapted to be retracted when said valve is in said lower first position; contact means in the path of rotation of the spout for contacting the spout and move it from its retracted to its projecting position upon rotation of the cap in one direction; and cam and cam follower means for moving the valve member from the lower first position to the raised second position to open the valve when the cap is rotated in said one direction and for moving the valve member from the raised second position to the lower first position to close the valve when the cap is rotated in said other direction the cam and cam follower means including mating ramps on the spout and plug for raising the valve member to open the valve when the spout is rotated from its retracted position to its projected position upon rotation of the cap in one direction, the cam and cam follower means including a ramp projecting downwardly from the interior of the cap for engagement with surfaces of the spout for lowering the valve member to close the valve when the spout is rotated from its projected position to its retracted position upon rotation of the cap in the other direction.

Claim 3

The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the plug includes means for securing the plug to the neck of the container.

Claim 4

The invention in accordance with claim 2 wherein the securing means is a downwardly depending annular apron for engaging with the inner surfaces of the container neck.

Claim 5

The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the plug includes a radially extending flange for seating on the top of the container neck in cooperating to seal the plug to the neck.

Claim 6

The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein a shield extends upwardly from the base of the plug and interiorly of the cap to cover the cap opening when the spout is retracted.

Claim 7

The invention in accordance with claim 5 wherein the shield is biased radially outwardly to project the upper end of the shield into the cap opening to serve as a safety lock requiring deliberate radially inward movement of the shield to free the cap for rotation in said one direction.

Claim 8

The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the spout includes a downwardly depending annular apron and an annular type extending upwardly from the plug base defining said plug opening, the tube being telescoped inwardly Of the spout apron, the spout having a laterally extending tubular portion the interior of which communicates with the interior of the spout apron defining the spout passage, a downwardly depending plug portion on the interior of the spout adapted to be lowered in the plug tube in said first lowered position of the valve and cooperates with adjacent surfaces of the spout in defining the valve member, and the upper end of the plug tube defining the valve seat.

Claim 9

The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the ramp includes stop means for determining the fully retracted position of the spout.

Claim 10

The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the contact means includes a vertical surface on the interior of the cap for engaging the spout when the cap is rotated in said one direction to move the spout from its retracted position to its projected position, and a vertical surface on the cap defining part of the cap opening for engaging the spout when the cap is rotated in said other direction to move the spout from its projected position to its retracted position.

Claim 11

The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the closure includes venting means for permitting introduction of air into container as the container contents are discharged.

Claim 12

The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the axis of the plug hole is eccentrically located on the plug base.

Claim 13

A closure for closing the neck of a container and permitting selective discharge of the container contents, comprising in combination: plug means adapted to extend across the opening defined by the container, an opening defined by the plug through which the container contents are adapted to travel; nozzle means adapted to direct the container contents from the plug opening to the selected discharge location; cap means defining an opening through which the nozzle means is adapted to project when discharging the container contents, such nozzle means being adapted to be retracted from the cap opening; and shield means extending between the cap and the plug to cover the cap opening when the nozzle means is retracted, the shield means being biased radially outwardly to project the upper end of the shield into the cap opening to serve as a safety lock to require radially inward movement of the shield to free the cap and thereby permit the nozzle means to project through the cap opening.

Claim 14

A closure for closing the neck of a container and permitting selective discharge of the container contents, comprising in combination: plug means adapted to extend across the opening defined by the container, an opening defined by the plug through which the container contents are adapted to travel; nozzle means adapted to direct the container contents from the plug opening to the selected discharge location; cap means defining an opening through which the nozzle means is adapted to project when discharging the container contents, such nozzle means being adapted to be retracted from the cap opening; and shield means extending between the cap and the plug to cover the cap opening when the nozzle means is retracted, the shield means being biased radially outwardly to project the upper end of the shield into the cap opening to serve as a safety lock to require radially inward movement of the shield to free the cap and thereby permit the nozzle means to project through the cap opening.

Claim 15

A retractable turnspout closure for closing the neck of a container and permitting selective discharge of the container contents, comprising in combination: a plug adapted to extend across the opening defined by the neck of the container, said plug including a base having a first vertically extending axis, an opening in said base having a second vertically extending axis, a valve seat forming part of a valve disposed about said opening; a rotatable spout having a passage therethrough for cooperating in directing the container contents during discharge therefrom, and a valve member also forming part of the valve adapted to assume a lower first position at which it engages with the valve seat of the plug in closing said opening and prevent the container contents from discharging from the spout passage and a raised second position at which it is spaced from the valve seat to permit the container contents to travel through the opening into the passage and be discharged therefrom; a rotatable cap extending over the plug and having an opening through which the spout is adapted to project when said valve is in said raised second position and from which the spout is adapted to be retracted when said valve is in said lower first position; contact means in the path of rotation of the spout for contacting the spout and move it from its retracted to its projecting position upon rotation of the cap in one direction; cam and cam follower means for moving the valve member from the lower first position to the raised second position to open the valve when the cap is rotated In said one direction and for moving the valve member from the raised second position to the lower first position to close the valve when the cap is rotated in said other direction; and a shield extending upwardly from the base of the plug and interiorly of the cap to cover the cap opening when the spout is retracted, the shield being biased radially outwardly to project the upper end of the shield into the cap opening to serve as a safety lock requiring deliberate radially inward movement of the shield to free the cap for rotation in said one direction.

Claim 16

A retractable turnspout closure for closing the neck of a container and permitting selective discharge of the container contents, comprising in combination: a plug adapted to extend across the opening defined by the neck of the container, said plug including a base having a first vertically extending axis, an opening in said base having a second vertically extending axis, a valve seat forming part of a valve disposed about said opening; a rotatable spout having a passage therethrough for cooperating in directing the container contents during discharge therefrom, and a valve member also forming part of the valve adapted to assume a lower first position at which it engages with the valve seat of the plug in closing said opening and prevent the container contents from discharging from the spout passage and a raised second position at which it is spaced from the valve seat to permit the container contents to travel through the opening into the passage and be discharged therefrom; a rotatable cap extending over the plug and having an opening through which the spout is adapted to project when said valve is in said raised second position and from which the spout is adapted to be retracted when said valve is in said lower first position; contact means in the path of rotation of the spout for contacting the spout and move it from its retracted to its projecting position upon rotation of the cap in one direction; cam and cam follower means for moving the valve member from the lower first position to the raised second position to open the valve when the cap is rotated In said one direction and for moving the valve member from the raised second position to the lower first position to close the valve when the cap is rotated in said other direction; and a shield extending upwardly from the base of the plug and interiorly of the cap to cover the cap opening when the spout is retracted, the shield being biased radially outwardly to project the upper end of the shield into the cap opening to serve as a safety lock requiring deliberate radially inward movement of the shield to free the cap for rotation in said one direction.

Claim 17

A retractable turnspout closure for closing the neck of a container and permitting selective discharge of the container contents, comprising in combination: a plug adapted to extend across the opening defined by the neck of the container, said plug including a base having a first vertically extending axis, an opening in said base having a second vertically extending axis, a valve seat forming part of a valve disposed about said opening; a rotatable spout having a passage therethrough for cooperating in directing the container contents during discharge therefrom, and a valve member also forming part of the valve adapted to assume a lower first position at which it engages with the valve seat of the plug in closing said opening and prevent the container contents from discharging from the spout passage and a raised second position at which it is spaced from the valve seat to permit the container contents to travel through the opening into the passage and be discharged therefrom, the spout including a downwardly depending annular apron and an annular tube extending upwardly from the plug base defining said plug opening, the tube being telescoped inwardly of the spout apron, the spout having a laterally extending tubular portion the interior of which communicates with the interior of the spout apron defining the spout passage, a downwardly depending plug portion on the interior of the spout adapted to be lowered in the plug tube in said first lowered position of the valve and cooperates with adjacent surfaces of the spout in defining the valve member, and the upper end of the plug tube defining the valve seat; a rotatable cap extending over the plug and having an opening through which the spout is adapted to project when said valve is in said raised second position and from which the spout is adapted to be retracted when said valve is in said lower first position; contact means in the path of rotation of the spout for contacting the spout and move it from its retracted to its projecting position upon rotation of the cap in one direction; and cam and cam follower means for moving the valve member from the lower first position to the raised second position to open the valve when the cap is rotated in said one direction and for moving the valve member from the raised second position to the lower first position to close the valve when the cap is rotated in said other direction, said cap cooperating with adjacent surfaces for defining ramp means of the cam and cam follower means for raising the valve member to open the valve when the spout is rotated from its retracted position to its projected position upon rotation of the cap in one direction and for lowering the valve member to close the valve when the spout is rotated from its projected position to its retracted position upon rotation of the cap in the other direction.

Claim 18

A retractable turnspout closure for closing the neck of a container and permitting selective discharge of the container contents, comprising in combination: a plug adapted to extend across the opening defined by the neck of the container, said plug including a base having a first vertically extending axis, an opening in said base having a second vertically extending axis, a valve seat forming part of a valve disposed about said opening; a rotatable spout having a passage therethrough for cooperating in directing the container contents during discharge therefrom, and a valve member also forming part of the valve adapted to assume a lower first position at which it engages with the valve seat of the plug in closing said opening and prevent the container contents from discharging from the spout passage and a raised second position at which it is spaced from the valve seat to permit the container contents to travel through the opening into the passage and be discharged therefrom, the spout including a downwardly depending annular apron and an annular tube extending upwardly from the plug base defining said plug opening, the tube being telescoped inwardly of the spout apron, the spout having a laterally extending tubular portion the interior of which communicates with the interior of the spout apron defining the spout passage, a downwardly depending plug portion on the interior of the spout adapted to be lowered in the plug tube in said first lowered position of the valve and cooperates with adjacent surfaces of the spout in defining the valve member, and the upper end of the plug tube defining the valve seat; a rotatable cap extending over the plug and having an opening through which the spout is adapted to project when said valve is in said raised second position and from which the spout is adapted to be retracted when said valve is in said lower first position; contact means in the path of rotation of the spout for contacting the spout and move it from its retracted to its projecting position upon rotation of the cap in one direction; and cam and cam follower means for moving the valve member from the lower first position to the raised second position to open the valve when the cap is rotated in said one direction and for moving the valve member from the raised second position to the lower first position to close the valve when the cap is rotated in said other direction, said cap cooperating with adjacent surfaces for defining ramp means of the cam and cam follower means for raising the valve member to open the valve when the spout is rotated from its retracted position to its projected position upon rotation of the cap in one direction and for lowering the valve member to close the valve when the spout is rotated from its projected position to its retracted position upon rotation of the cap in the other direction.