AU1635899A - Dispensing implement - Google Patents

Description

P/00/01i1 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of Invention Title: Applicant: DISPENSING IMPLEMENT SHANE MAREE HICKEY performing it known to me: SP C:\WINWORD\STACY\NODELETE\SPECIE.DOC DISPENSING IMPLEMENT The present invention relates generally to dispensing of materials, and more particularly to an implement for dispensing a material from a container. The implement is especially suited for use in serving a food product, such as canned pet food, from a can in which the product is sold. It will therefore be convenient to hereinafter describe the implement in relation to that application but it should be understood that the invention is not limited to that application.

Pet food is often sold in metal cans. The lid is removed from the can with a can opener and the contents served into a bowl with a spoon. Because pet foods are not generally considered fit for human consumption, most pet owners reserve a particular spoon for use in serving pet food. The problem is that the spoon always appears to go missing when it is needed.

Many pets do not require a whole can of food in one sitting. The portion of 15 food remaining in the can must therefore be kept, usually refrigerated, for the following or subsequent feeding(s). The problem that arises is that the food left in the can may dry out and its odour permeate other foodstuffs in the refrigerator.

Plastic film can be used to reseal metal cans. However, it is generally inconvenient and inefficient to remove the covering film, find the correct spoon, serve the food product into the feeding bowl, replace the covering film on the can and clean the spoon, each time the pet is fed. If the spoon is not cleaned, food left on the spoon may dry out and cause the spread of bacteria and odour.

A further problem that may arise with respect to metal cans is that once the top of the can is removed a jagged edge may remain on the can. Direct contact with this jagged edge when dispensing food from the can may cause serious injury.

Therefore there remains a need for an implement which can be used for dispensing a material (such as pet food) from a container (such as a can) and which can be used to re-close the container after the material is dispensed.

Accordingly in one aspect the present invention provides an implement for dispensing a material from a container having an opening, the implement including: operative means for separating a portion of the material from material located in said container; and a closure for closing the opening of the container, said operative means and closure forming an integral unit, *e°wherein said operative means and closure are configured so that in use, when the closure is located in relation to the container to close the opening, the closure locates said operative means in the interior of the container.

*t In an alternative embodiment the operative means and closure means are not ~integral. In this embodiment there is provided an implement for dispensing material from a container having an opening, the implement including; an operative means for separating a portion of the material from material located in said container; and a closure for closing the opening of the container, said operative means being releasably securable to said closure, wherein when said operative means is secured to said closure and said closure is located in relation to the container to close the opening, said closure locates said operative means in the interior of the container.

It is preferred that the implement is suitable for use with a typical can type container having a circular opening.

Such an implement may conveniently be used for serving a food product from a can and for re-closing the can after the food is served. The dual functions of serving the food and re-closing the can are thus facilitated by a single implement. The closure also facilitates the function of the operative means in a number of ways. For example: 10 1. The closure can be gripped and function as a handle for the operative means. Typically the closure will have a broad cross section to close an opening and this provides a convenient location for a user to grip to operate the implement. Indeed, for users who suffer from conditions such as arthritis, the enlarged area of the closure is easier to grip than the elongate handle typically found on cutlery.

S-o 2. Often when a spoon or fork is used to dispense food from a container, the user gripping the utensil can place their hand in the container if it is large enough and so inadvertently contact the food. Furthermore when the container is metal and the edge of the container is jagged, the user may accidentally contact the jagged edge which can cause injury. When the user of the implement of this invention is gripping the closure as a handle, the closure prevents the user inserting their hand in the container or contacting the edge of the container. Accordingly these problems are overcome.

3. When the operative means is attached to the closure, the closure

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functions to locate the operative means inside the can when it closes the opening of the container. This eliminates the need to locate a spoon or fork to dispense food every time the closure is removed from the container. Furthermore, as the operative means is always returned to the container when the container is closed, it need not be washed after each use. If the food is a product such as dog food which has an unpleasant odour, this is particularly advantageous.

In a preferred embodiment, the implement includes a handle located adjacent to the closure means, so that in use, when the closure closes the opening, the closure locates the container exterior to the container. Thus when the closure closes the opening of the container, the closure supports the handle in a location where it is easily accessible. Further, the closure may also act as a 0guard to prevent the user who is gripping the handle from inserting their hand into the interior of the container and thereby contacting food in the container or contacting a jagged edge that may be located at the opening of the container.

Thus the closure also assists in the functioning of the handle.

The handle may be integral with the closure or it may be releasably securable to the closure.

The operative means may be shaped similarly to a section of an item of cutlery. For example it may have a shape similar to that of a blade of a knife.

Alternatively, it may have an elongate body and one or more prongs located at one end so that the operative means resembles a fork. Alternatively or in addition the end of the elongate body could include a bowl shaped element similar to the end of a spoon.

As noted above, in one embodiment the operative means is releasably securable to the closure. Fastening of one part to the other can be achieved in a number of ways. For example, each part may carry matching screw threads to allow the parts to be screwed together. In a particularly preferred embodiment where the operative means has an elongate shape, the operative means has screw threads at one end and this end may be screwed into a recess located in the closure also carrying matching screw threads. Alternatively, the parts may be fitted together via an interference fit, where one component has an aperture into which a portion of another component may be pushed into, or the parts may carry a push-and-twist coupling such as a bayonet cap light bulb. Other forms of 10 releasable connections will be apparent to those skilled in the art and are considered to fall within the scope of the invention. Where the handle is releasably securable to the closure, similar arrangements may be employed.

°°el° In a preferred embodiment the handle in addition to the operative means is elongate and both the handle and operative means are aligned along a common axis when attached to the closure. The closure may be formed by a substantially flat disk which is orientated substantially laterally to this axis and is located along the axis at a position intermediate the handle and operative means.

Advantageously, the closure may include a sealing means to provide an air tight or substantially air tight seal around a rim of the container. In one embodiment the sealing means may be an annular flange located on the closure.

It is also preferred that the closure be capable of fitting containers having different diameters (assuming the container is round) and sealing such containers. In one form, the sealing means is a plurality of radially stepped edges which may in use engage rims of containers having different diameters.

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Preferably the closure and sealing means is made of a resilient material such as rubber or plastic. In one embodiment the sealing means may be configured to be slightly expanded to allow the sealing means to fit over the rim of a metal can of the type in which pet food is typically sold.

In the embodiment of this invention where the operative means is separate to the closure, the implement may include more than one operative means each separately attachable to the closure. For example, different operative means of different lengths may be provided to suit containers of different depths.

Alternatively, operative means having different shaped ends may be provided.

In a further preferred embodiment, written and/or pictorial instructions explaining how the parts are fitted together to form the assembled implement U :0:0 and/or explain the use of the implement are supplied with the parts.

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It will be convenient to hereinafter describe the invention by reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the *I U* invention. Other embodiments are possible, and consequently the particularity of

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the accompanying drawing is not to be understood as superseding the generality o*oo of the preceding description of the invention.

Figure 1 drawing shows an implement in separate parts for dispensing a material from a container.

Figure 2 is an illustration of the implement of figure 1 mounted to a container.

Referring to figure 1, there is illustrated a handle 1, a set of interchangeable operative means 2-4 and a closure 5. The handle I and closure are integrally formed from moulded plastic for example PVC or HDPE.

However, other suitable materials may be used. Separating means 2-4 are releasably securable to the closure/handle 5/1.

The closure 5 includes a disk 6 disposed laterally to the handle portion 1.

The disk 6 forms a lid for the container (not shown) and acts as a guard to keep the user's hand clean and prevent the user's hand from contacting a jagged edge which may be present on the opened container. At the outer edge of the disk 6 is a sealing means 7 which is radially stepped so as to fit containers having several different diameters. The sealing means 7 is resiliently deformable, being made of moulded plastic for example PVC, so as to seal around the rim of the container.

Located in handle 1 and opening at the underside of disk 6 is recess 8 which carries a screw thread (not shown).

Three operative means 2-4 of different lengths are provided so as to cater for different heights of containers. Each operative means 2-4 includes an elongate body portion 2a, 3a and 4a and ends 2b, 3b and 4b respectively.

oO Located at each end 2b-4b is an external screw thread 9. The opposite ends 2c- 4c are spoon-shaped and each end has a cutting edge, in a manner similar to that of utensils sold under the trade mark Splayd. The operative means 2-4 are made of a suitable rigid material such as metal alloy or moulded plastic.

Each operative means 2-4 may be releasably secured to the handle and closure, 1 and 5 respectively, by screwing ends 2b-4b into recess 8.

The handle 1, set of interchangeable operative means 2-4 and closure forms an implement 10 of the invention.

By way of example only, the handle portion 1 may be 9cm long and the operative means 2-4 may be 10.5, 14.5 and 17.5cm long respectively. Alternative dimensions may however be chosen.

Figure 2 shows the implement 10 fitted to a container 11 shown in part cutout view. The container 11 has opening 12. Closure 5 is placed over opening 12 and sealing means 7 seals the container 11 by fitting over the rim of the container 11. In this location handle 1 is held outside container 11 and operative means 3 is held inside container 11.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications can be made to the implement described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that 10 the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.

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Claims (5)

1. An implement for dispensing material from a container having an opening, the implement including: an operative means for separating a portion of the material from material located in said container; and a closure for closing the opening of the container, said operative means and closure forming an integral unit, wherein said operative means and closure are configured so that in use, when the closure is located in relation to the container to close the opening, the closure a. cc 15 locates said operative means in the interior of the container. S& 2. An implement for dispensing material from a container having an opening, 'GOV the implement including: C. an operative means for separating a portion of the material from material located in said container; and a closure for closing the opening of the container, C said operative means being releasably securable to said closure, wherein when said operative means is secured to said closure and said closure is located in relation to the container to close the opening, said closure locates said operative means in the interior of the container.

3. The implement according to claim 2 wherein said operative means has an elongate shape having opposite ends, and a bowl and/or prong arrangement located at one end for contacting material in the container.

4. The implement according to claim 3 wherein said operative means has a screw thread located at the opposite end, said closure having a recess having a screw thread for receiving said threaded end so as to permit said operative means to be releasably secured to said closure. The implement according to claim 4 including two or more operative means, each operative means being separately securable to said closure and having a different length.

6. The implement according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the implement has a handle adjacent the closure and integral with said closure, said closure and handle being arranged so that in use when said closure is located in :relation to a container to close the opening, the closure locates said handle 15 exterior to the container. *So7. The implement according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein said closure includes a flat disk portion and a plurality of stepped edges located at the periphery of said disk portion to permit said closure to be fitted to circular containers of different diameters to substantially seal said containers. gS

8. An implement substantially as hereinbefore described as illustrated in any one of the figures. -OS.. DATED: 9 February 1999 PHILLIPS ORMONDE FITZPATRICK Attorneys for: Shane Maree Hickey