Container fitment having ellipsoidal opening

Abstract

A fitment for use in the discharge of pourable contents from a container wherein the constancy of uniform flow of contents from the container is minimally, if at all, adversely affected by the need for accommodating inflow of ambient air into the container as the contents are discharged from the container, the fitment including a conduit an exit end having an ellipsoidal cross-sectional geometry including a minor portion and an major portion, the geometry of the conduit exit being oriented uppermost toward (topwise of) the top end of the container. A method is disclosed.

1 . A fitment for a container having a top end and a wall associated with the top end comprising 
 means defining an opening through said wall associated with said top end of said container,    a circumferential flange member,    a wall circumscribing said opening through said container wall associated with said top end of said container and upstanding from said flange member, 
 said wall defining an conduit having entrance and exit ends through which contents of said container may be discharged, 
 at least said exit end of said conduit having a substantially ellipsoidal cross-sectional geometry having at least one major portion and at least one minor portion,  
 
   said minor portion being disposed vertically above said major portion when said fitment is affixed to said container.    
   
   
       2 . The fitment of  claim 1  wherein said cross-sectional geometry of at least said exit end of said conduit has an aspect ratio of less than one.  
   
   
       3 . The fitment of  claim 1  wherein said container and said fitment each includes a longitudinal centerplane and said centerplanes are coincident when said fitment is affixed to the top end of said container.  
   
   
       4 . The fitment of  claim 1  and including a cap member integrally formed in hinged relationship with said wall defining said conduit.  
   
   
       5 . The fitment of  claim 2  wherein said cap member includes first and second annular projections extending from a surface thereof, said projections being spaced apart from one another to define therebetween a void annular space, said annular space having a geometry substantially like said ellipsoidal cross-section geometry of said conduit and adapted to receive therein an outboard rim of said wall to thereby releasably close and seal said conduit against the passage of the contents of said container therethrough.  
   
   
       6 . The fitment of  claim 1  and including a tear away membrane disposed across and closing said conduit.  
   
   
       7 . The fitment of  claim 6  and including pull ring means affixed to said tear away flap at a location within said minor portion of said cross-sectional geometry of said conduit thereby providing for localization of an initial tear away force applied through said pull ring.  
   
   
       8 . In a fitment for attachment to a wall portion of the top end of a container having pourable contents and adapted to circumscribe an opening through the thickness of the wall portion of the top end of the container and including means for attachment of the fitment to the container, and a wall defining a conduit having an inboard open end and an 
 outboard open end having an outboard rim, for the discharge of the contents of the container therethrough, the improvement comprising    a cross sectional geometry for said outboard open end of said conduit which includes at least one major portion of a first size and at least one minor portion of a second and smaller size, said minor portion of said geometry being disposed most topwise of the top end of the container when the fitment is attached to the container, whereby ambient air enters the container through said minor portion of said geometry substantially simultaneously with the discharge of contents from the container through said major portion of said geometry.    
   
   
       9 . The improvement of  claim 8  and including a cap member integrally formed with said wall of said base member, said cap including an perimetral rim and including an annular void space defined adjacent said perimetral rim and adapted to capture therein said outboard rim of said wall of said base portion to releasably close and seal the conduit defined by the wall.  
   
   
       10 . The improvement of  claim 8  wherein said cross sectional geometry is ellipsoidal.  
   
   
       11 . The improvement of  claim 8  wherein said wall of said base member is configured as an open ended conduit.  
   
   
       12 . In a fitment for attachment to a wall portion of the top end of a container having pourable contents, the improvement comprising 
 a conduit defined by said fitment for the discharge of contents from the container, said conduit having an exit opening of a cross-sectional geometry which includes at least one major portion of a first size and at least one minor portion of a second and smaller size, said minor portion of said geometry being disposed most topwise of the container when the fitment is attached to the top end of the container whereby said contents are preferentially discharged from the container through said at least one major portion and ambient air substantially simultaneously enters the container through said at least one minor portion of the geometry.    
   
   
       13 . The fitment of  claim 12  wherein said cross-sectional geometry of said conduit is ellipsoidal.  
   
   
       14 . The fitment of  claim 12  wherein said cross-sectional geometry of at least said exit end of said conduit has an aspect ratio of less than one.  
   
   
       15 . A method for controlling the constancy of discharge of a container fitted with a pour spout associated with a top end wall of the container comprising the steps of 
 establishing a open ended conduit between the interior and the exterior. If the container,    defining a cross-sectional geometry for said conduit, said cross-sectional geometry including a first major portion and a second and smaller minor portion, and    affixing said pour spout to said container with said minor portion of said cross-sectional geometry disposed vertically above said major portion of said cross-sectional geometry, whereby said contents of the container are preferentially discharged from the container through said at least one major portion and ambient air substantially simultaneously enters the container through said at least one minor portion of the geometry in the course of pouring of the contents from the container.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said cross-sectional geometry of said conduit is ellipsoidal.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said cross-sectional geometry of at least said exit end of said conduit has an aspect ratio of less than one.