Spout for a container and package-spout assembly

Abstract

A spout for a container filled with pourable product includes a collar having a pouring outlet to allow out-pouring of the product and a lid assembly having a coupling ring rotatably arranged around the collar and a lid hinged to the coupling ring and angularly movable around a hinge axis. The lid is controllable between a closing configuration, an open configuration and an intermediate configuration. An interaction device is partially associated to the collar and to the lid, and is configured such that control of the lid from the closing configuration to the intermediate configuration is possible only by rotation of the lid and the coupling ring around a rotation axis and such that control of the lid from the intermediate configuration to the closing configuration is possible by a sole angular movement of the lid around the hinge axis from the intermediate angular position to the closing angular position.

1 . A spout for a container filled with a pourable product;
 the spout comprising:
 a base frame configured to be fitted about a designated pour opening surface area of package and having a collar being provided with a pouring outlet, configured to allow for an outflow of the pourable product from the package; 
 a lid assembly coupled to the collar, and being configured to at least selectively close or open the pouring outlet; wherein the collar extends along a longitudinal axis; 
 a ring-shaped cutter moveably coupled to the collar, and being configured to at least partially cut the designated pour opening surface area; 
 a control device configured to interact with and to control the cutter between a rest position, in which cutter is configured to be retracted from the designated pour opening surface area, and an operative position in which the cutter is configured to at least partially cut the designated pour opening surface area; 
   the lid assembly comprising:
 a coupling ring rotatably arranged around the collar; 
 a lid hinged to the coupling ring and angularly movable around a respective hinge axis, being orthogonal to longitudinal axis; 
 a coupling element configured to hinge the lid to the coupling ring and defining said hinge axis; 
   the spout also comprising a tamper-evidence ring arranged around the collar.   
     
     
         2 . Spout according to  claim 1 , wherein the spout also comprises rupturable auxiliary coupling bridges coupling the tamper evidence ring and the coupling ring to one another. 
     
     
         3 . Spout according to  claim 2 , wherein in use, the auxiliary coupling bridges are configured to rupture prior to movement of the cutter from the rest position to the operative position. 
     
     
         4 . Spout according to  claim 1 , wherein the base frame further comprises a coupling base configured to couple the spout to the package, wherein the coupling base carries the collar, and wherein the tamper evidence ring is arranged between the coupling base and coupling ring. 
     
     
         5 . Spout according to  claim 4 , wherein at least a portion of the coupling base has substantially a plate-like configuration. 
     
     
         6 . Spout according to  claim 1 , wherein the tamper evidence ring is parallel to the coupling ring and is axially displaced from the coupling ring. 
     
     
         7 . Spout according to  claim 1 , wherein the lid is controllable between:
 a closing configuration in which the lid is in a closing angular position with respect to the hinge axis and in which the lid is configured to cover the pouring outlet;   an open configuration in which the lid is in an open angular position with respect to the hinge axis and in which the lid is configured to be detached from the pouring outlet; and   an intermediate configuration in which the lid is in an intermediate angular position with respect to the hinge axis, the intermediate angular position being interposed between the closing angular position and the open angular position.   
     
     
         8 . Spout according to  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of rupturable main coupling bridges connecting the coupling ring and the lid to one another. 
     
     
         9 . Spout according to  claim 7 , wherein the main coupling bridges connect the coupling ring and the lid to one another prior to the first time the lid is, in use, controlled from the closing angular position to the intermediate angular position, and wherein during the first time of controlling the lid from the closing angular position to the intermediate angular position, the main coupling bridges are configured to irreversibly rupture. 
     
     
         10 . Spout according to  claim 9 , wherein, in use, the main coupling bridges are configured to rupture after control of the cutter from the rest position to the operative position. 
     
     
         11 . A spout for a container, in particular a sealed package, filled with a pourable product;
 wherein the spout comprises:
 a base frame configured to be fitted about a designated pour opening surface area of package and having a collar being provided with a pouring outlet, configured to allow for an outflow of the pourable product from the package; 
 a lid assembly coupled to the collar, and being configured to at least selectively close or open the pouring outlet; wherein the collar extends along a longitudinal axis; 
 a ring-shaped cutter moveably coupled to the collar, and being configured to at least partially cut the designated pour opening surface area; 
 a control device configured to interact with and to control the cutter between a rest position, in which cutter is configured to be retracted from the designated pour opening surface area, and an operative position in which the cutter is configured to at least partially cut the designated pour opening surface area; 
   wherein the lid assembly comprises:
 a coupling ring rotatably arranged around the collar; 
 a lid hinged to the coupling ring and angularly movable around a respective hinge axis, being orthogonal to longitudinal axis; 
 a coupling element configured to hinge the lid to the coupling ring and defining said hinge axis; 
   
       wherein the spout also comprises a plurality of rupturable main coupling bridges connecting the coupling ring and the lid to one another. 
     
     
         12 . Spout according to  claim 11 , wherein the spout also comprises a tamper-evidence ring arranged around the collar. 
     
     
         13 . Spout according to  claim 12 , wherein the spout also comprises rupturable auxiliary coupling bridges coupling the tamper evidence ring and the coupling ring to one another. 
     
     
         14 . Spout according to  claim 13 , wherein in use, the auxiliary coupling bridges are configured to rupture prior to movement of the cutter from the rest position to the operative position. 
     
     
         15 . Spout according to  claim 12 , wherein the tamper evidence ring is parallel to the coupling ring and is axially displaced from the coupling ring. 
     
     
         16 . Spout according to  claim 11 , wherein the base frame further comprises a coupling base configured to couple the spout to the package, wherein the coupling base carries the collar, and wherein the tamper evidence ring is arranged between the coupling base and coupling ring. 
     
     
         17 . Spout according to  claim 16 , wherein at least a portion of the coupling base has substantially a plate-like configuration. 
     
     
         18 . Spout according to  claim 11 , wherein the lid is controllable between:
 a closing configuration in which the lid is in a closing angular position with respect to the hinge axis and in which the lid is configured to cover the pouring outlet;   an open configuration in which the lid is in an open angular position with respect to the hinge axis and in which the lid is configured to be detached from the pouring outlet; and   an intermediate configuration in which the lid is in an intermediate angular position with respect to the hinge axis, the intermediate angular position being interposed between the closing angular position and the open angular position.   
     
     
         19 . Spout according to  claim 18 , wherein the main coupling bridges connect the coupling ring and the lid to one another prior to the first time the lid is, in use, controlled from the closing angular position to the intermediate angular position, and wherein during the first time of controlling the lid from the closing angular position to the intermediate angular position, the main coupling bridges are configured to irreversibly rupture. 
     
     
         20 . Spout according to  claim 11 , wherein, in use, the main coupling bridges are configured to rupture after control of the cutter from the rest position to the operative position. 
     
     
         21 . A package-spout assembly comprising a sealed package, filled with a pourable product and comprising a designated pour outlet surface area, and a spout according to  claim 1  fitted about the designated pour outlet surface area. 
     
     
         22 . A package-spout assembly comprising a sealed package, filled with a pourable product and comprising a designated pour outlet surface area, and a spout according to  claim 11  fitted about the designated pour outlet surface area.