Liquid Pourer Assembly

Abstract

A liquid pourer assembly having three main components: an upper cap, a valve ball, and a lower valve seat sleeve. The ball is capable of freely moving within a chamber within the sleeve when liquid is being delivered, but seals the liquid in the container when in the upright position. Very narrow drain channels allow liquid to pass back into the container but precludes contaminants from entering the container.

1 . A liquid pourer assembly comprising:
 an upper cap member having a discharge port at a first end and a ball stop shoulder at a second end;   a plurality of fluid flow guides extending along inner walls of said cap member from said first end to said ball stop shoulder, said inner walls tapering from a first diameter to a second smaller diameter from said shoulder to said discharge port;   a valve ball having a first diameter and movable from a first seated position to a second delivery position within said assembly upon pivoting said pourer assembly, said first ball diameter greater than said first inner wall diameter of said cap member; and   a lower valve seat sleeve engageable with said upper cap member to form a ball retaining chamber, said sleeve having a fluid inlet with a valve seat, said ball retaining chamber having a height and inner wall diameter greater than said diameter of said valve seat and greater than said diameter of said valve ball, said ball stop shoulder extending outwardly into only an upper section of said retaining chamber.   
   
   
       2 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein said inlet has drain channels extending along inner walls of said sleeve from a lowermost end of said sleeve to a valve seat section. 
   
   
       3 . The assembly of  claim 2  wherein said drain channels have a width in the range of about 0.015″ to about 0.035″. 
   
   
       4 . The assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a cushion collar extending circumferentially around said pourer assembly. 
   
   
       5 . The assembly of  claim 4  wherein said cushion collar further comprises an identification panel.