Removable Spout Seal Assembly for Pour Spouts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pour spouts lack a reliable means to seal the spout when in place on a vessel, leading to issues like liquid evaporation, contamination, and leakage, and previous solutions have been cumbersome or ineffective in providing an airtight seal.
Innovation Solution
A removable spout seal apparatus that couples to the bottom of the pour spout, covering both the vent tube and pour spout conduit, providing an airtight seal by inserting into the bottle neck and using a cylindrical attachment member with a flange and channel to accommodate the vent tube, ensuring a tight fit and preventing leaks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a pour spout is mounted in place on the vessel for shipping and display, then the product appearance is enhanced and point-of-sale viewing is improved, but the liquid contents leak out of the vessel
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing system is divided into separate components: the pour spout assembly and the removable seal assembly. This allows the spout to remain mounted on the vessel for display purposes while the seal can be independently installed, removed, and replaced without affecting the spout's position or the vessel's appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The removable seal assembly acts as an intermediary component between the pour spout and the vessel contents. It provides the sealing function that the spout alone cannot achieve, allowing the spout to remain in place while preventing leakage through the intermediate seal barrier.
2Reliability
If a sealing cap is placed over the dispensing end of the pour spout nozzle, then liquid leakage is prevented, but the cap can become misplaced, accidentally loosened, or removed
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of placing the seal at the dispensing end (nozzle) of the spout, the invention inverts the approach by positioning the seal assembly at the base of the spout where it couples to the vessel. This relocation makes the seal much harder to accidentally dislodge while still maintaining effective sealing of both the pour spout conduit and vent tube.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal assembly merges multiple sealing functions into a single integrated unit that seals both the pour spout conduit and the vent tube simultaneously. This combined approach eliminates the need for separate caps for each opening and provides a more secure, unified sealing mechanism that is difficult to accidentally compromise.
3Ease of operation
If the pour spout is left unsealed after initial use, then easy access to contents is maintained, but contaminants are introduced into the vessel contents
Solution Approach 1:
The removable seal assembly is designed to be easily installed and removed by the user without requiring tools or complex operations. The user can simply place the seal into position to seal the spout or remove it to access contents, providing a simple self-service mechanism that maintains seal integrity while allowing convenient access when needed.
4Reliability
If the bottle is resealed after initial use by removing the pour spout and recapping, then evaporation and contamination are prevented, but the process is cumbersome and time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The seal assembly is pre-configured to work with the pour spout while remaining in place on the vessel. Instead of requiring removal and reinstallation of the spout itself, the user simply installs the seal assembly once, and it remains in position to prevent evaporation and contamination throughout subsequent use, eliminating the need for repeated removal and recapping operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A removable spout seal and pour spout assembly is presented. The removeable spout seal generally comprises a cylindrical attachment member attached to a flange with a channel extending distally perpendicular therefrom. The removeable spout seal is coupled to a pour spout to form the pour spout assembly. In use, the removeable spout seal attaches to the connection member of a pour spout to provide a seal that prevents leaking of liquids from a vessel. The vent tube of the pour spout is inserted into the channel of the spout seal apparatus and the cylindrical attachment member of the spout seal is inserted into the connection member of the pour spout to form a leakproof seal. Use of the spout seal allows shipping a vessel with the pour spout in place thus preventing leaking during shipping; prevents contamination of contents; preserves freshness of contents; and prevents accidental spills and leaking.