Packaging assembly

Abstract

A packaging assembly ( 10 ) having a container ( 100 ) and a transition piece ( 200 ), which comprises a spout ( 201 ) with a circumferentially integral opening ( 204 ) and a vent ( 209 ) located adjacent to the base end ( 202 ) of the spout ( 201 ). The spout ( 201 ) and the vent ( 209 ) have a particular ratio in terms of cross-sectional area. The packaging assembly ( 10 ) provides a controlled dispensing of a liquid detergent composition, particularly viscous liquid detergent compositions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A packaging assembly, comprising:
 a) a container comprising an orifice and an opposing bottom surface, said bottom surface defining a longitudinal axis perpendicular thereto, wherein said longitudinal axis passes through said orifice; and   b) a transition piece engaged to said orifice, comprising:
 i) a spout having a base end proximate to said orifice and an opposing pouring end having a circumferentially integral opening; and 
 ii) a vent located adjacent to said base end, 
   wherein said spout and said vent are in fluid communication with said orifice, and said vent has a cross-sectional area that is about 1/20 to about ⅓ of the cross-sectional area of said spout opening.   
     
     
         2 . The packaging assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said spout opening has a cross-sectional area of about 20 mm 2  to about 400 mm 2 . 
     
     
         3 . The packaging assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said transition piece further comprises an annular channel surrounding said base end and a radially protruding shroud surrounding said channel, wherein said vent is located in said channel. 
     
     
         4 . The packaging assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein said channel is slanted, comprising a second apex and a second nadir circumferentially opposing along said channel, wherein said vent is located at said second nadir, wherein said channel is of an angle from about 5° to about 85° relative to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         5 . The packaging assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein said shroud comprises an exterior surface, an interior surface opposing to said exterior surface, a shoulder therebetween, and a fastener surface on the underside of said exterior surface, wherein said shroud exterior surface has a set of linear indentations, said shroud fastener surface has a first sealing means configured to seal said transition piece with said container, and said shroud interior surface has a second sealing means configured to seal said transition piece with a cap. 
     
     
         6 . The packaging assembly according to  claim 5 , wherein said shroud further comprises a plug seal disposed on the underside of said shroud shoulder. 
     
     
         7 . The packaging assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said container is bilaterally symmetrical along a longitudinal section comprising the longitudinal axis, wherein both said spout and said vent are bilaterally symmetrical along the longitudinal section and oppositely offset from the longitudinal axis within the longitudinal section. 
     
     
         8 . The packaging assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said spout opening has a shape selected from elliptical, round, semi-circled, triangular, rectangular, trapezoidal, pentagonal, or hexagonal. 
     
     
         9 . The packaging assembly according to  claim 1 , said spout opening is slanted, comprising a first apex and a first nadir circumferentially opposing along said spout opening, wherein said spout opening is of an angle from about 15° to about 85° relative to the longitudinal axis, and said spout is tapered towards said spout opening and tilted towards said first apex. 
     
     
         10 . The packaging assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein said vent and said spout opening are aligned such that: said vent and said first nadir are within an angle of about 0.25π radians of each other around the longitudinal axis, and said vent and said first apex are of an angle from about 0.75π to about 1π radians of each other around the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         11 . The packaging assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising: c) a cap removably sealingly engaged to said transition piece, configured to enclose said spout, wherein said cap is in fluid communication with said spout when sealingly engaged to said transition piece. 
     
     
         12 . The packaging assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein said cap is a dispensing cap and has an interval volume of about 10 mL to about 250 mL, and said cap is at least partially transparent and marked with one or more volumetric indicia. 
     
     
         13 . The packaging assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein said cap has a height of about 20 mm to about 100 mm measured along the longitudinal axis when free standing, said spout has a length of about 20 mm to about 80 mm measured from said base end to said spout opening along the longitudinal axis, and the height of said cap is longer than the length of said spout. 
     
     
         14 . The packaging assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein said cap comprises a cap opening, wherein said spout opening has a cross-sectional area that is less than 50% of the cross-sectional area of said cap opening. 
     
     
         15 . The packaging assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein said cap has an obconic shape when sealingly engaged to said transition piece. 
     
     
         16 . The packaging assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising a handle, wherein said handle is aligned with said vent such that said handle and said vent are within an angle of about 0.25π radians of each other around the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         17 . The packaging assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the packaging assembly comprises multiple vents located side-by-side adjacent to said base end, and said multiple vents have a total cross-sectional area that is about 1/20 to about ⅓ of the cross-sectional area of said spout opening. 
     
     
         18 . A liquid detergent product comprising the packaging assembly according to  claim 1 , and a liquid detergent composition contained within the packaging assembly, wherein the liquid detergent composition has a viscosity value of 200 to 3,000 centipoise (“cps”) at a shear rate of 20/sec and a temperature of 21° C., and the liquid detergent composition is able to be flowed out of the packaging assembly at a flow rate of 10 mL/s to about 40 mL/s. 
     
     
         19 . The liquid detergent product according to  claim 18 , wherein the liquid detergent composition comprises a rheology modifier selected from the group consisting of hydroxy-containing crystalline material, polyacrylate, polysaccharide, polycarboxylate, amine oxide, alkali metal salt, alkaline earth metal salt, ammonium salt, alkanolammonium salt, C 12 -C 20  fatty alcohol, di-benzylidene polyol acetal derivative, di-amido gallant, a cationic polymer comprising a first structural unit derived from methacrylamide and a second structural unit derived from diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, and a combination thereof.