Assembly of spout and plug element; plug element for connection to a spout; pouch comprising plug element

Abstract

An assembly of a spout and a plug element is provided. The spout includes a sealboat for closing a pouch thereto, and an outlet tube extending with respect to the sealboat, the sealboat and the outlet tube are integral with each other. The plug element includes a valve for closing the inlet of the outlet tube in a neutral coupled position, resilient arms and a plunger rod for connecting the resilient arms to the valve. The resilient arms are unreleasably coupled to the spout. In a neutral coupled position, the plug element extends away from the outlet tube and the resilient arms are pre-tensioned to exert a force on the valve, to close the inlet of the outlet tube with the valve. The resilient arms move the valve away from the inlet upon compression of the resilient arms to release the inlet.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An assembly of a spout and a plug element,
 the spout comprising:
 a sealboat for sealing a pouch thereto, and 
 an outlet tube extending with respect to the sealboat, the outlet tube having an outlet end through which in use a liquid or other substance exits the outlet tube as well as an inlet end opposite the outlet end; 
 the sealboat and the outlet tube integral with each other, so that the outlet tube extends through the sealboat, 
   the plug element comprising:
 a valve for closing the inlet of the outlet tube in a neutral coupled position of the plug element; 
 a pair of resilient arms; and 
 a plunger rod for connecting the resilient arms to the valve, 
   wherein the resilient arms of the plug element are formed to be unreleasably coupled to the sealboat of the spout,   wherein in the neutral coupled position the plug element extends in a direction away from the outlet tube and the resilient arms are pre-tensioned to exert a force on the valve, to close the inlet of the outlet tube with said valve; and   wherein the resilient arms are formed to move the valve away from the inlet upon compression of the resilient arms, to release the inlet.   
     
     
         2 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the sealboat comprises a pair of recesses adapted to receive the resilient arms of the plug element, and wherein the resilient arms of the plug element each comprise a clickfinger configured to unreleasably fit into the recesses of the sealboat. 
     
     
         3 . The assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein in the neutral coupled position the clickfingers of the resilient arms extend radially outwards with respect to an outer surface of the sealboat. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein in an axial direction of the outlet tube, the recesses in the sealboat are bordered by a transverse rib at the outer surface thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the resilient arms are adapted to be welded to the sealboat by an ultrasonic welding method. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the valve, at the side that in the neutral coupled position closes the tube inlet, has a slanted end face, a slanting angle of the slanted end face being in between ±30° and ±60° with respect to the axial direction of the outlet tube. 
     
     
         7 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein, when projected on a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the outlet tube, the widest point of the resilient arms extends with respect to the sealboat in the neutral coupled position, wherein an extension is at most 25% compared to a width of the sealboat in the same direction. 
     
     
         8 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the force exerted on the inlet of the outlet tube by the valve is in between 6 and 14 N in the neutral coupled position. 
     
     
         9 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein a total stroke of the plunger rod, in between a non-assembled position and a maximally extended position, is in between 4.5 and 12.5% of the total plunger rod length. 
     
     
         10 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein a stroke of the plunger rod, in the neutral coupled position with respect to a non-assembled position, is in between 1.5 and 6.0% of a total plunger rod length. 
     
     
         11 . The assembly according  claim 1 , wherein the plunger rod has a non-uniform diameter, and wherein a thickest part of the plunger rod acts as a stop to limit compression of the resilient arms. 
     
     
         12 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the sealboat, at the side comprising the inlet of the outlet tube, has a substantially flat and substantially solid end face. 
     
     
         13 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein a flow channel of the outlet tube has a substantially constant diameter over an entire length from the inlet to outlet. 
     
     
         14 . A pouch comprising a flexible sheet defining an inner volume, the flexible sheet sealed to the sealboat of an assembly according to  claim 1 , the plug element extending in the inner volume defined by the flexible sheet. 
     
     
         15 . The assembly according to  claim 7 , wherein the extension is in between 5% and 25% compared to the width of the sealboat in the same direction. 
     
     
         16 . The assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein the extension in between 12% and 18% compared to the width of the sealboat in the same direction. 
     
     
         17 . The assembly according  claim 8 , wherein the force exerted on the inlet of the outlet tube by the valve is in between 7 and 12 N in the neutral coupled position. 
     
     
         18 . The assembly according  claim 17 , wherein the force exerted on the inlet of the outlet tube by the valve is in between 8 and 10 N in the neutral coupled position. 
     
     
         19 . The assembly according  claim 9 , wherein the total stroke of the plunger rod, in between the non-assembled position and the maximally extended position, is in between 6.0 and 10.0% of the total plunger rod length. 
     
     
         20 . The assembly according  claim 19 , wherein the total stroke of the plunger rod, in between the non-assembled position and the maximally extended position, is in between 8.0 and 9.0% of the total plunger rod length.