SPOUT FOR A CONTAINER AND A CONTAINER INCLUDING THE SAME
A spout for use on a portable liquid container and a container including the same. The spout includes a body having a channel extending between its first and second ends. A valve assembly is provided on the body and is movable between an open position where it allows liquid to flow through the channel and a closed position where it prevents liquid flow therethrough. The valve assembly is moved to the open position by moving the body in a first direction and is moved to the closed position by moving the body in the opposite direction. A locking assembly must be disengaged to move the body in the first direction. The spout may include a vent pipe to sense fuel levels in a second container in which liquid is to be dispensed.
1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to portable containers for liquids. More particularly, the invention relates to a portable fuel container that includes a pour spout. Specifically, the invention relates to a pour spout for a portable container that includes a valve assembly for sealing the spout when the container is not in use and which further includes a locking assembly for securing the valve assembly against being accidentally moved to an open position.
2. Background Information
As of Jan. 1, 2009, all portable fuel containers sold in the United States are required to conform to two new regulations. Firstly, they must meet new federal Mobile Source Air Toxic regulations. These regulations are based on regulations set up by California Air Resources Board (CARB) which have been in place in California and a number of other states for several years. Secondly, the portable fuel containers must meet the requirements of the Children's Gasoline Burn Prevention Action (Public Law 110-278, 122 Stat. 2582-2583), signed into law by President Bush. This Act requires that the containers include certain childproof features.
These new regulations do not apply to OSHA (Occupational Health and Safety Administration) approved metal safety containers that are required on construction sites and on some landscape or tree care company job site. Instead, the new regulations apply to the common red plastic, portable fuel containers that tend to be used by the public at large. The regulations apply only to newly manufactured fuel containers, and there is no requirement on the part of users to discard their existing containers or to upgrade to meet these new regulations.
The CARB regulations were implemented in California in 2000. These regulations mandated that nozzles automatically stop when the container the fuel was being dispensed into was full. Additionally, the nozzles had to be self-venting and self-closing. However, the impact of the regulations was constrained by the poor design of some portable fuel containers produced to meet these regulations, many of which were cumbersome and/or dramatically slowed fill-up times for the containers. Many brands of portable fuel container on the market became unpopular in California. The state discovered that many of the users were so frustrated with some of these new products that they were taking the nozzles off and pouring the gas right out of the containers or they were punching holes in the backs of the containers so that they would fill faster. Obviously, these “fixes” defeated the entire purpose of the regulations.
In 2007, California introduced Phase II of the CARB regulations, which eased some requirements. They did away with the auto-stop requirement and with the requirement to be able to fill to within an inch of the top of the filler neck. These requirements had made the regulations hard to meet. They also reduced the internal pressure requirement without venting into the environment from 10 pounds pressure down to 5 pounds pressure. The state also slightly lowered the allowable level of permeation, i.e., the percentage of VOC molecules that permeate through the plastic.
Fifteen states adopted portable fuel container regulations based on the California model and the second wave of California requirements served as the model on which the EPA has based its new requirements nationwide. There is a sell-through period but any PFC manufactured after Jan. 1, 2009, must be EPA-certified.
While the Federal Government's CARB-based requirements were passed with an eye to saving the environment, they can also save the end-user money in the form of reduced gas spillage. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that there are about 80 million portable fuel containers in use in the United States. Further, it estimates that in 2005 commercial users alone dispensed approximately 2.15 billion gallons of fuel using portable fuel containers. Combined with the 1.12 billion gallons of fuel dispensed by homeowners from such containers, the EPA estimates that an approximate 70,260 gallons of gasoline has been spilled during these combined dispensing operations. The environmental issue with gas spills is primarily with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that escape into the atmosphere every time any gas is dispensed from a container. VOCs can even permeate through the plastic of the container itself and VOC emissions can occur when caps are left off fuel containers. VOCs can be extremely harmful. In addition to acting as greenhouse gases, they can contaminate groundwater and cause a number of health problems, from valve headaches to central nervous system damage to causing cancer. EPA data shows that left uncontrolled, the evaporative emissions from a gas container are up to 58 times the VOCs of a new Tier 2 vehicle evaporative control system. In other words, all of the technology that is put into controlling VOCs in automobile fuel systems is wasted if gas containers don't keep pace.
As indicated above, any portable fuel container manufactured after Jan. 17, 2009, must also be certified as childproof in accordance with the Children's Gasoline Burn Prevention Act and as administered by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. This requires an enormous change for the portable fuel container industry as the Act requires that all portable fuel container spouts must have a standard size cap to fit a standard size opening on the containers.
The new Federal regulations cover the CARB regulations, the childproof safety features and the generation of VOCs through spills and leakage from containers. There is therefore a need in the art for a spout and portable fuel container that is able to meet all of the new United States environmental and child safety regulations while still providing a full and steady flow of liquid from the container for the end user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is directed to a spout for use on a portable liquid container, a container including the same, and a method of using the spout on the container. While the spout and container are specifically designed to meet the regulations relating to portable fuel containers, it will be understood that the portable container can be used for transporting other liquids beside fuel.
The spout of the present invention includes a body having a channel extending between its first and second ends. A valve assembly is provided on the body and is movable between an open position where it allows liquid to flow through the channel and a closed position where it prevents liquid flow therethrough. The valve assembly is moved to the open position by moving the body in a first direction and is moved to the closed position by moving the body in the opposite direction. A locking assembly must be disengaged to move the body in the first direction. The spout may include a vent pipe to sense fuel levels in a second container in which liquid is to be dispensed.
To provide several times the fuel flow, a new high flow valving system fits within the standard size opening on the container. To actuate the high flow valve, a completely different pouring actuation was employed that does not require the container to be inverted as do most containers on the market today. As the auto-stop feature is highly desirable, especially for filling small fuel tanks where there is little direction vision, the spout of the present invention may include a separate vent pipe and separate vent valve from the end of the pour spout to the top of the inside of the container to sense the liquid level. This second vent passage and its valve all compete for the area limited by the standard size of the container's opening. Therefore, the device of the present invention includes two embodiments of a spout for a portable fuel container, one without the fuel-sensing vent pipe that vents on the rear of the spout adjacent the cap, and one where the vent pipe goes all of the way from the first end to the second end of the spout.
The preferred embodiments of the invention, illustrative of the best mode in which applicant has contemplated applying the principles, are set forth in the following description and are shown in the drawings and are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims.
Referring to
In accordance with a specific feature of the present invention, container 12 includes only a single opening 20 into chamber 14. Opening 20 is defined by an annular flange 22 that extends upwardly and outwardly away from top wall 12c. It will, of course, be understood that flange 22 may instead extend outwardly away from any of the other walls without departing from the scope of the present invention. Flange 22 preferably is provided with threads 24 on its exterior surface. Opening 20 permits liquid communication between interior chamber 14 and the exterior environment surrounding container 12. It should be noted that container 12 contains no other openings in its walls that would permit liquid communication between chamber 14 and the exterior environment surrounding container 12. It will further be understood opening 20 is of a standard size in accordance with the new US regulations in this regard.
As stated previously, first member 26 comprises a first region 28 and second region 30. Second region 30 is disposed at an angle “X” relative to first region 28. Preferably angle “X” is between 25 degrees and 90 degrees. First member 26 is generally tubular and defines a bore 32 (
In accordance with a specific feature of the present invention, a first arm 42 and a second arm 44 extend outwardly and downwardly away from first region 28 and toward second end 26b. First arm 42 has a first end 42a that is secured to a rear surface 28a of first region 28. First arm 42 has a leg 42b that extends outwardly away from rear surface 28a of first region 28 and at an acute angle relative thereto. First leg 42b terminates in a pair of laterally spaced apart feet 42c that are also secured to first annular flange 36. Preferably, feet 42c are secured to an inner edge 36a of first annular flange 36 as is shown in
Second arm 44 extends outwardly away from a front surface 28b of first region 28. Second arm 44 includes a wing region 44a that is disposed generally at right angles to front surface 28b and which extends generally longitudinally along front surface 28a toward second end 26b. Wing region 44a originates closer to second region 30 than does first end 42a of first arm 42. Second arm 44 includes a first leg 44b that extends outwardly from wing region 44a and is disposed generally at right angles thereto. First leg 44b is disposed at an acute angle relative to front surface 28b and flares outwardly away therefrom in the opposite direction to first leg 42b of first arm 42. First leg 44b terminates in a plurality of feet 44c that are also secured to first annular flange 36 in much the same manner as feet 42c. Feet 42c are spaced laterally apart from each other and a separated by gaps 50 (
Still referring to
First portion 58a of first leg 58 preferably is configured as a number of ribs 64 that are separated from each other by gaps 66. It may, however, be formed as a substantially solid unit. Second portion 58b of first leg 58 terminates in a plurality of toes 68 that extend longitudinally outwardly and forwardly therefrom. Adjacent toes 68 are separated from each other by a gap 70 (
First portion 60a of second leg 60 of locking assembly 54 preferably comprises two wings 76, 78 (
Referring to
Spout 10 further includes a flexible member 100 that extends between flange 36 on first member 26 and annular ring 56 on locking assembly 54. As is best seen in
In addition to the flexible member 100, spout 10 further includes a coil spring 102 that is disposed between first member 26 and locking assembly 54. Spring 102 biases spout 10 into the closed position. Each coil of spring 102 is generally retained within one of folds 100c of flexible member 100. If flexible member 100 is compressed even partially and then released, spring 102 returns flexible member 100 to its original position.
Referring to
Plunger 108 includes a valve head 122 (
As indicated previously, valve assembly 104 also includes an actuator 112. Actuator 112 is an elongate member having a first end 112a (
Finally, spout 10 includes a lock ring 140 and a cap 142. Cap 142 includes an external wall 142a (
Referring to
It should be noted from
The rearward movement of spout 10 in the direction of arrow “An” also causes valve assembly 104 to move from the closed position to the open position. This is seen by comparing
When sufficient liquid 16 has been dispensed, the user closes valve assembly 104 once again. The user depresses locking member arm 88b in the direction of arrow “B” (
The user may alternatively close valve assembly 104 by pushing spout 10 in a direction different to the first direction. Specifically, the user may alternatively close valve assembly 104 by pushing spout 10 in the opposite direction to the direction indicated by arrow “A”. This physical movement causes pivot pin 86 to slide along slot 84 moving feet 42c out from under locking member 88. Spring 90 causes locking member 88 to rotate about pivot pin 92 back to it original position where wall 88d of first arm 88b abuts walls 42d of feet 42c. Thus, the safety lock is reengaged. The safety lock is engaged in this same way if the user first depresses locking member 88 to break the interlocking engagement of locking member 88 and feet 42c.
It should also be noted that the user can set the valve position by not fully pushing the spout rearwardly in the direction of arrow “A”. Locking member 88 will hold feet 42c in any number of positions between the valve assembly being fully opened and fully closed. This is illustrated in
First region 228 of spout 210 differs from first region 28 in the configuration of first arm 242. Instead of a pair of feet 42c, the terminal end of first arm 242 is provided with a hook region 269 that extends outwardly beyond an exterior surface 242d thereof. Hook region 269 is disposed generally at right angles to exterior surface 242d.
Locking assembly 254 also differs from locking assembly 54 in a few ways. Essentially, first leg 258 is substantially identical in structure and function to first leg 58. Second leg 260 and locking member 288, however, differ from second leg 60 and locking member 88 in a number of ways. Second leg 260 includes a first wing (not shown) and a second wing 278 that are similar in structure and function to wings 76, 78. A base member 271 is fixedly secured to the first wing and second wing 278. Base member 271 includes a first upstanding wall 271a and a second upstanding wall 271b. Locking member arm 88 is pivotally secured to the first wing and second wing 278 by a pivot pin 292. A spring 290 is wrapped around pivot pin 292 and biases locking member 288 into a safety position as will be hereinafter described. Locking member 288 includes a body 288a, a first arm 288b and a second arm 288c. Locking member 288 further defines a gap 280 therein. A first and second wall 288e and 288f extend downwardly from a bottom surface 288g of second arm 288c. First wall 288e extends outwardly from bottom surface 288g for a shorter distance than second wall 288f. The region 288h between first and second walls 288e, 288f is substantially complementary in width and length to hook region 269 of first arm 242.
Cap 342 differs from cap 142 in that it is designed to snap on to a container such as container 12. The interior surface of cap 342 is therefore free of threads and a pull tab 273 is provided thereon to aid in removing cap 342 from the container.
Additionally, it should be noted that flexible member 300 slips over flange 236 and annular ring 256 instead of being captured in an annular groove between two concentric annular flanges, as is the case with the first embodiment.
Although not illustrated herein, spout 210 may also optionally be provided with an end cap for closing off access to opening 234 in second region 230 of spout 210. The end cap could be secured to a front surface of first region 228 by a tether that is molded as part of first region 228, or it may be secured thereto by a fastener, heat welded or otherwise adhesively secured thereto. Alternatively, the cap could be completely removable from region 230 and container.
All of the other components of spout 210, such as the O-ring 309, lock ring 340, spring 310, washer 326 and clevis pin 328, and actuator 312 are substantially identical in structure and function to the O-ring 109, lock ring 140, spring 110, washer 125, clevis pin 128 and actuator 112 used in spout 10.
Spout 210 is used in much the same manner as spout 10. Initially, locking assembly 254 is engaged so that first arm 242 and locking member 288 are locked together. This is illustrated in
When sufficient liquid has been dispensed therefrom, the user depresses locking member 288 in the direction of arrow “D” so that hook region 269 can clear second wall 288g. First region 228 is pushed in a direction different to the direction indicated by arrow “F”. Specifically, first region 228 is pushed in the opposite direction to that indicated by arrow “F”. Locking member 288 is then released. Hook region 269 then becomes engaged in region 288h, thereby locking spout 210 against further back and forth motion. At the same time, the downward force on actuator 312 is stopped and a spring (not shown) in flexible member 300 returns to its original condition. These movements causes plunger 308 to be drawn upwardly in the opposite direction to arrow “G”. Valve head 322 of plunger 308 becomes re-seated in the opening to bore 307 of valve body 306, thereby sealing the same. As an added precaution, end cap 275 is engaged on second region 230 of body 326, thereby closing off access to opening 234.
It will be understood that while it has been disclosed that the spout is moved in a first direction and a second direction at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis, the spout may be moved in a first direction and a second direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis without departing from the scope of the present invention. When the spout is moved in the first direction parallel to the longitudinal axis, the actuator will be moved in a direction that will cause the head of the plunger to be one of seated in the opening to the valve body or removed from being seated in the opening, and when the spout is moved in the second direction parallel to the longitudinal axis, the actuator will be moved in a direction that will cause the head of the plunger to be the other of seated in the opening or removed from the opening. Thus, the movement of the spout in the first direction will cause the valve to be one of opened and closed and movement of the spout in a different direction to the first direction will cause the valve to be the other of opened or closed.
The spouts 10, 210 of the present invention are better equipped to meet the new Federal regulations in that they include a child safety lock in locking assembly 54, are self-venting either through vent openings 120 or vent pipe 263 and are configured to be sealed when not in use through the presence of valve assembly 104. Furthermore cap 142 is configured to be a standard size cap that is engageable with a standard size opening on a portable gas container.
In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed.
Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is an example and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described.
Claims
1. A spout for use on a portable liquid container, said spout comprising:
- a body having a first end, a second end and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween,
- a channel defined in the body and extending between the first and second ends thereof;
- a cap provided at the second end of the body and being adapted to engage a flange surrounding an opening on the container; and
- a valve assembly provided on the body, said valve assembly being movable between an open position where it allows liquid flow through the channel and a closed position where it prevents liquid flow through the channel, and wherein said valve assembly is moved to the open position by moving the body in a first direction, and is moved to the closed position by moving the body in a direction different from the first direction.
2. The spout as defined in claim 1, wherein the valve assembly is progressively opened by applying a force in the first direction to the first end of the body.
3. The spout as defined in claim 1, further comprising a locking assembly operationally engaged with the body, and wherein the locking assembly is released in order to move the body in the first direction.
4. The spout as defined in claim 3, wherein the valve assembly is moved to the closed position by moving the body in a direction opposite to the first direction, and wherein the locking assembly resists movement of the body in both of the first direction and the opposite direction, and wherein the locking assembly must be released prior to applying a force to move the body in either of the first direction and the opposite direction.
5. The spout as defined in claim 1, wherein when the body is moved in the first direction, the first direction is disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the body.
6. The spout as defined in claim 1, wherein the body comprises a first member and a second member that are operationally engaged with each other, and the first member is movable in the first direction and out of alignment with the second member to move the valve assembly from the closed position to the open position, and the first member is movable in an opposite direction to the first direction and thereby back into alignment with the second member to move the valve assembly from the open position to the closed position.
7. The container as defined in claim 6, wherein the first member pivots relative to the second member about a pivot point and the pivot point is on a front side of the body, and wherein the body further includes a locking member disposed on a rear side of the body, and the locking member must be depressed before the first member is able to pivot relative to the second member.
8. The spout as defined in claim 6, wherein the body further comprises a flexible member disposed between the first and second members, and wherein a portion of the flexible member is compressed when the first member is moved in the first direction, and the portion of the flexible member returns to its original shape when the first member is moved in the direction opposite to the first direction.
9. The spout as defined in claim 6, further comprising a spring member operationally engaged with the body, said spring member being disposed to resist movement of the first member in the first direction and to thereby biase the valve assembly into the closed position.
10. The spout as defined in claim 9, wherein the spring member is positioned between the first and the second members.
11. The spout as defined in claim 1, wherein the valve assembly includes:
- an actuator secured at a first end to the body;
- a plunger disposed within the channel and being operationally engaged with the actuator, said plunger including a head; and, when the body is moved in the first direction, the actuator moves the plunger linearly within the channel in a second direction and opens a gap between the head and one of the first and second ends of the channel, and when the body is moved in the different direction to the first direction, the actuator moves the plunger linearly within the channel in a direction opposite to the second direction and causes the head to seal the one of the first and second ends of the channel.
12. The spout as defined in claim 11, further comprising valve body disposed in the second member, said valve body defining a bore which is in liquid communication with the channel, and wherein the plunger is disposed at least partially in the valve body and is movable to seal an opening at one end of the valve body and thereby prevent liquid communication to the channel, and wherein the valve body includes a plurality of vent openings therein that are adapted to provide liquid communication between an environment surrounding the spout and the bore of the valve body when the plunger is not in a sealing arrangement with the opening at the one end of the valve body.
13. The spout as defined in claim 1, further comprising a vent pipe provided on the body and adapted to permit air to flow into an interior of the container when liquid is dispensed through the channel.
14. The spout as defined in claim 13, wherein the vent pipe has a first end that is disposed proximate the first end of the channel and a second end that is disposed a distance inwardly from the second end of the channel; wherein the valve assembly includes a head disposed to seal off the second end of the channel, and wherein the second end of the vent pipe is disposed a distance inwardly from the second end of the channel.
15. The container as defined in claim 1, wherein the body includes a first region including the first end and a second region including the second end, and wherein the first region is set at an angle relative to the second region, and wherein that angle is between 25 degrees and 90 degrees.
16. A spout for use on a portable liquid container, said spout comprising:
- a body having a first end and a second end;
- a channel defined in the body and extending between the first and second ends,
- a cap provided on the second end and adapted to engage a flange surrounding an opening on the container;
- a valve provided on the body and being movable between an open position where liquid is able to flow through the channel and a closed position where liquid is unable to flow through the channel, and wherein movement of the body in a first direction causes movement of the valve in a second direction.
17. The spout as defined in claim 16, wherein movement of the body in a direction different to the first direction causes the valve to move in a direction opposite the second direction.
18. The spout as defined in claim 17, wherein the movement of the valve in either one of the second direction and the direction opposite the second direction is movement that is substantially parallel to a linear axis of the channel.
19. A container for holding a liquid, said container comprising:
- a housing having a bottom wall, a top wall and a perimeter wall extending between the bottom and top walls;
- a chamber defined and bounded by the bottom, top and perimeter walls;
- a single opening defined in one of the bottom, top and perimeter walls, wherein said single opening is surrounded by a flange and provides liquid communication between the chamber and an exterior environment surrounding the container; and
- a pour spout engageable with the flange, said spout defining a channel therein extending between a first end and a second end thereof,
- a valve assembly engaged with the spout, said valve assembly being moved to an open position to permit liquid to flow through the channel when the spout is moved in a first direction, and being moved to a closed position to prevent liquid to flow through the channel when the spout is moved in a direction different to the first direction.
20. The container as defined in claim 19, wherein the spout has a linear axis extending between the first and second ends thereof, and the movement of the spout is at an angle relative to the linear axis, and the valve assembly includes a valve head that moves linearly within the channel in response to the movements of the spout.
21. The container as defined in claim 19, further comprising a locking assembly engaged with the spout, and wherein the locking assembly includes a locking member that resists movement of the spout in the first direction, and the locking member must be depressed inwardly toward the spout to permit movement of the body in the first direction.
22. A method of pouring liquid from a first container into a second container comprising the steps of:
- moving a spout on the first container in a first direction to move a valve within a channel of the spout from a closed position to an open position;
- pouring liquid from the container through the channel; and
- moving the spout in a direction different to the first direction to move the valve within the channel from the open position to the closed position once a desired quantity of liquid has been dispensed from the first container.
23. The method as defined in claim 22, further comprising the step of:
- unlocking a locking assembly in order to permit the spout to be moved in the first direction.
24. The method as defined in claim 23, wherein the step of unlocking the locking assembly includes the step of depressing a locking member to pivot a stop on the locking member out of abutting contact with a region of the spout.
25. The method as defined in claim 24, further comprising the step of holding the locking member in the depressed position while moving the spout in the first direction.
26. The method as defined in claim 25, further comprising the step of releasing the locking member as soon as the spout begins to move in the first direction.
27. The method as defined in claim 24, further comprising the steps of depressing the locking member immediately prior to the step of moving the spout in a direction different to the first direction.
28. The method as defined in claim 27, further comprising the steps of:
- holding the locking member in the depressed position until the spout begins to move in the direction different to the first direction; and then releasing the locking member.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 12, 2010
Publication Date: May 17, 2012
Inventor: Robert G. Dickie (King City)
Application Number: 12/945,508
International Classification: B65B 1/04 (20060101);