AU2016101668A4 - Fluid dispensing device - Google Patents

Abstract

There is disclosed herein a dispensing device (10) for dispensing olive oil from a substantially air tight environment. The device (10) comprises a receptacle (12) for receiving and maintaining the olive oil in a substantially air-tight 5 environment. A fluid release unit (20) is mountable within an opening (16) of the receptacle (12). The fluid release unit (20) has a flexible film member (27) mounted across a central bore portion (26) for releasing olive oil therethrough. The flexible film member (27) has an opening (29) formed therein and is biased into a first position whereby the opening (29) is closed, and wherein when a 10 positive dispensing force is applied to the receptacle (12), said positive dispensing force causes said flexible film member (27) to move to a second position whereby the opening (29) expands to release olive oil through the flexible film member (27) and from the opening (16) of the receptacle (12).

Description

FLUID DISPENSING DEVICE FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a device for dispensing a fluid in a controlled manner, and in particular, to a device to for dispensing a fluid, such as olive oil, in a controlled manner that minimises spillage and helps to reduce oxidization.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Fluid dispensing devices, in the form of bottles and the like having nozzles or openings for dispensing fluid stored therein, exist in a variety of different forms. The primary purpose of such devices is to store a fluid to be dispensed and to provide a convenient means to dispense the fluid for use.

In the food and beverage industry, fluid dispensers are commonly configured to facilitate controlled delivery of a fluid, depending upon the fluid item being dispensed. For viscous fluids such as ketchup, mustard and other types of sauces or pastes, squeeze-type receptacles are often provided in association with a nozzle such that the fluid can be squeezed from the bottle under pressure, and directly onto the food or plate, for use. For such fluids, the ability to eject the fluid from the receptacle under pressure is a considerable advantage over merely pouring the fluid from the receptacle, which can take considerably more time due to the viscous nature of the fluid and the narrow opening of the receptacle. In such dispensers, the nozzle is typically provided with a twisting feature to seal the receptacle and the fluid therein. This requires the user to perform a separate twisting and closing action after use to seal the receptacle, which may not occur, thereby increasing the spoilage rate of the fluid stored in such a dispensing device.

For fluids with a lower viscosity, such as olive oil, the ability to eject the fluid from the receptacle is not such an issue as the fluids are able to be freely poured from the receptacle. As such, receptacles that store and dispense such fluids as olive oil have typically used a spout, or similar type of opening, to provide a degree of control to the user to dispense the fluid in a desired manner. Typically, the dispensing spout is either separately attached to the opening of the receptacle or is configured as part of the opening of the receptacle and as such, a lid is often provided to seal the receptacle when not in use.

For natural products, such as olive oil, the product does not improve with time and is best consumed within 2-3 months after opening the bottle. However, if stored correctly and not exposed to air, the product can maintain its freshness for up to a year. To improve the storage life of the product and to maintain its freshness, olive oil is best kept in an air-tight container or it will oxidise rapidly. Oxidisation of olive oil can increase the acidity level of the olive oil and alter the odour and taste of the olive oil. As a result, for receptacles that store and dispense olive oil in a traditional manner, it is important that the receptacle has a closable lid that can be readily sealed when not in use.

As olive oil is used a variety of cooking applications it is often placed on a cooking bench with a variety of other ingredients for ready access during food preparation. As olive oil is conventionally poured from a spout and has multiple uses throughout the food preparation cycle, for convenience, the receptacle storing the olive oil is often left open or uncapped so that it can be conveniently and simply accessed when required, without requiring the user to constantly remove and replace the cap of the receptacle. As mentioned above, this can have a detrimental effect on the quality of the olive oil, as the cap can become lost and the receptacle can remain uncapped for a considerable period of time. Further, in many kitchens, particularly cafes and restaurants, the receptacle may be knocked over or left in a non-upright manner, resulting in wastage of the product and significant spillage of the olive oil, require cleaning. This also increases the consumption of the olive oil, which can increase costs.

Thus, there is a need to provide a receptacle for storing olive oil or a similar fluid, that provides an improved sealing means for maintaining the fluid in a sealed state even when the lid of the receptacle is removed and which prevents spillage of the fluid when the receptacle is knocked over.

The above references to and descriptions of prior proposals or products are not intended to be, and are not to be construed as, statements or admissions of common general knowledge in the art. In particular, the above prior art discussion does not relate to what is commonly or well known by the person skilled in the art, but assists in the understanding of the inventive step of the present invention of which the identification of pertinent prior art proposals is but one part.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION

The invention according to one or more aspects is as defined in the independent claims. Some optional and/or preferred features of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

Accordingly, in one aspect of the invention there is provided a dispensing device for dispensing olive oil from a substantially air tight environment, comprising: a receptacle for receiving and maintaining the olive oil in said substantially airtight environment; a fluid release unit, mountable within an opening of the receptacle, the fluid release unit having a flexible film member mounted across a central bore portion for releasing olive oil therethrough, wherein the flexible film member has an opening formed therein and is biased into a first position whereby the opening is closed, and wherein when a positive dispensing force is applied to the receptacle, said positive dispensing force causes said flexible film member to move to a second position whereby the opening expands to release olive oil through the flexible film member and from the opening of the receptacle.

In one embodiment, the fluid release unit may comprise a disc member mounted within a neck portion of the receptacle.

The opening formed in the flexible film member may comprise a slit or cut formed in a central region of the flexible file member. When the flexible film member is in the first position, the flexible film member may be in a convex configuration that extends towards the olive oil present in the receptacle.

Upon application of the positive dispensing force to the receptacle, the flexible film member may be caused to expand and move into a concave configuration such that the slit or cut opens to allow the olive oil to pass therethrough.

Accordingly, in another aspect of the invention there is provided an olive oil dispensing receptacle comprising: a body configured to maintain said olive oil in a substantially sealed environment at a substantially constant pressure; and a release unit mountable to said body and configured such that in the event of an increase in pressure within the body, said release unit opens to facilitate release of olive oil therefrom and upon return of said body to the substantially constant pressure the release unit closes to maintain the olive oil in said substantially sealed environment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be better understood from the following non-limiting description of preferred embodiments, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a dispensing device 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the receptacle of the dispensing device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an underside view of the cap of the dispensing device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the fluid release unit 20 of the dispensing device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of the fluid release unit 20 of the dispensing device of Fig. 1 in a dispensing mode;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of the fluid release unit 20 of the dispensing device of Fig. 1 in a sealed mode; and

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional side view of the fluid release unit 20 of the dispensing device of Fig. 1 in engagement with the sealing insert of the cap of the dispensing device of Fig. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred features of the present invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it is to be understood that the features illustrated in and described with reference to the drawings are not to be construed as limiting on the scope of the invention.

The present invention will be described below in relation to its use in storing and dispensing olive oil. However, it will be appreciated that the present invention may be used to store and dispense a variety of different types of fluids for use in the food and beverage industry, whilst maintaining the spirit of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 1, a dispensing device 10 in accordance with the present invention is depicted. The dispensing device 10 comprises a receptacle 12, configured to assume the form of a bottle or the like. The receptacle 12 comprises a hollow body 14 for storing fluid, namely olive oil, which can be carried and used by a user. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the body 14 is configured to be squeezable, such that the side walls of the body 14 are able to be collapsed towards each other to reduce the available storage space within the body and to generate a positive pressure within the fluid stored therein. This may be achieved through the use of a flexible material, such as a plastic material, for the body 14 or by way of shaping the body 14 so that the walls move together under pressure, or any combination of these means. In the present embodiment this is achieved by the body 14 being formed from a flexible and resilient thermoplastic polymeric material, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). However, other materials are also envisaged. The material forming the body 14 may be treated to include a UV barrier to reduce light passing through the walls of the body 14 together with an oxidisation barrier that reduces the likelihood of oxygen permeating through the walls of the body 14, to reduce the likelihood of the fluid undergoing a chemical reaction that may be brought on by the presence of light and oxygen. Similarly, films and other cover members (not shown) may be applied to the outer surface of the body 14 to achieve this.

The body 14 has a base 13 for supporting the receptacle 12 on a flat surface, such as a table or the like. A neck portion 15 is formed at an opposite end to the base 13 with an opening 16 formed at a distal end thereof. The opening 16 provides a means for dispensing the fluid stored within the body 14 therefrom and will be configured in the manner to be described in more detail below. A thread 17 is formed on an outer surface of the neck portion 15 for receiving a cap 18 for sealing the receptacle 12 when the receptacle is not in use. The inner surface of the cap 18 has an internal thread (not shown) to engage with the thread 17 to securely retain the cap 18 in position. As will be discussed in more detail below, the cap may house a sealing member that facilities sealing of the receptacle 12.

The opening 16 of the receptacle 12 can be seen more clearly in Fig. 2. In the embodiment as shown, the neck portion 15 has a substantially circular cross section to define a substantially circular opening 16. However, it will be appreciated that the opening 16 may assume any variety of shapes depending upon the configuration of the receptacle 14. A fluid release unit 20 is mounted within the opening 16 so as to extend across the opening 16 to control the release of fluid from the body 14 of the receptacle 12. In the embodiment as shown the fluid release unit 20 is mounted totally within the opening 16 so as to engage with the internal walls of the neck portion 15 of the receptacle 12. However, it will be appreciated that the manner in which the fluid release unit 20 engages with the opening 16 may vary and still fall within the spirit of the present invention.

As will be discussed in more detail below, the fluid release unit 20 has a central recess 30 formed therein that defines the point at which the fluid is dispensed from the receptacle 12. As is shown in Fig. 3, the cap 18 has a sealing insert 40 mounted therein. The sealing insert 40 has a centrally located plug member 42 that extends from the undersurface of the cap 18 such that when the cap 18 is engaged with the neck portion 15 of the receptacle 12, the plug member 42 extends into the central recess 30 of the fluid release unit 20 to seal the central recess 30 in an air tight manner. A cross-section of the fluid release unit 20 is shown in isolation in Fig. 4. The fluid release unit 20 has a rigid main body 22 in the form of a substantially circular disc member that is configured to extend across the opening 16. The upper surface 22a of the main body 22 is substantially flat and terminates at an end wall 21 that extends in a downward manner around the periphery of the main body 22. When located for use, the end wall 21 extends along the inner surface of the neck portion 15 of the receptacle 12 and is secured in position by way of an adhesive, or an interference fit, to remain in position within the neck portion 15. In this regard, the corresponding surfaces of the neck portion 15 and the end walls 21 may be surface treated to facilitate engagement therebetween. The main body 22 may have an external diameter that substantially matches the internal diameter of the neck portion 15, and in a preferred embodiment, the external diameter of the main body 22 may be around 25 mm. It will be appreciated that other outer diameter sizes are also envisaged. A retaining ring 23 extends from an undersurface of the main body 21 and has an internal diameter of around 14mm. A rib 23a is provided adjacent the lower region of the retaining ring 23. The rib 23 a extends around an internal surface of the retaining ring 23 and functions to engage with a mounting member 25 that is inserted into the retaining ring 23 in the manner as shown in Fig. 4. The mounting member 25 also has a substantial disc shape and has a projecting lug member 25a located at an upper periphery thereof to engage with the rib 23 a to securely retain the mounting member 25 in position within the retaining ring 23.

The mounting member 25 is substantially hollow and has a central bore 26 defining a passage therethrough. When the mounting member 25 is inserted into the retaining ring 23 of the main body 22, the upper surface of the mounting member 25 engages with an inner ring member 24 extending from an undersurface of the main body 22. The inner ring member 24 functions to define the central recess 30 of the fluid release unit 20 and abuts with the upper surface of the mounting member 25 to provide a sealed engagement therebetween. A flexible film member 27 is mounted to the mounting member 25 so as to extend across the central bore 26 thereof. The flexible film member 27 has a peripheral rim portion 27a that is securely engaged with the mounting member 25 to retain the flexible film member 27 in position. An adhesive or mechanical fastening means may be employed to secure the peripheral rim portion 27a to the mounting member 25. The flexible film member 27 has body portion 28 that spans the central bore 26 of the mounting member 25, such that the body portion 28 is oriented towards the underside of the fluid release unit 20 and towards the fluid contained in the receptacle 12. As the vertical walls of the flexible film member 27 are secured to the vertical walls of the mounting member 25 defining the central bore 26, the body portion 28 of the flexible film member 27 is biased into the convex position as shown in Fig. 4. The flexible film member 27 is made from a flexible polymerised siloxane material, such as silicone or the like, and is able to flex between the lower surface thereof having a convex position as shown in Fig. 4, and the lower surface thereof having a concave position as shown in Fig. 5, when pressure is applied from the fluid side of the fluid release unit 20. A slit 29 is formed in the central region of the body portion 28 of the flexible film member 27. The slit 29 may comprise a pair of slits that cross each other in an X-configuration as depicted in Fig. 2. The slit 29 is formed when the body portion 28 of the flexible film member 27 is in the convex or biased position of Fig. 4. In this position the natural structural shape of the flexible film member 27 is biased in a convex position and has a natural structural force sufficient to maintain such a shape even in the presence of any pressure within the receptacle 12. Such pressure may result from the presence of the olive oil, such as the weight of the olive oil acting against the flexible film member 27 or the increased pressure due to the confined space within the receptacle reducing, of the receptacle was dropped or tipped over. Thus, when the flexible film member 27 is in is biased position, the slit 29 is closed as the flexible nature of the material of the flexible film member 27 is sufficient to retain the walls of the flexible film member of slit 29 together. However, if the pressure applied to the flexible film member 27 from within the receptacle 12 continues to rise, this will cause the body portion 28 of the member 27 to flex away from the convex position into the concave position of Fig. 5. Thus, the material of the body portion 28 expands and stretches, thereby opening the slit 29 against its natural bias, to provide a passage for fluid to travel through the flexible film member 27 and central bore 26 and out of the receptacle through the central recess 30 of the fluid release unit 20.

Referring to Fig. 5, the manner in which the fluid release unit 20 of the present invention can be controlled to facilitate release of fluid therefrom is shown. In this depiction, a pressure Pi is generated within the receptacle 12 by the user squeezing the body 14. This rise in pressure causes the fluid present within the receptacle to move towards the central bore 26 of the mounting member 25 thereby causing the flexible film member 27 to flex and expand to the concave position as shown. In doing so, the slit 29 formed in the flexible film member 27 expands to part or open and facilitate release of fluid (F) therethrough in a stream that can pass from the opening 16 of the receptacle 12. Due to the natural convex structure of the body portion 28 of the flexible film member 27, upon release of squeezing pressure applied by the user to the receptacle 12, the body portion is caused to return to its biased convex position, thereby sealing the slit 19 and preventing further fluid from passing through the flexible film member 27. This is shown in Fig. 6 where, even when the receptacle is upturned, the pressure P2 of the fluid present in the receptacle 12 acting against the flexible film member 27 is insufficient to cause the body portion 28 of the flexible film member 27 to move to the unbiased concave position of Fig. 5.

It will be appreciated that the fluid release unit 20 of the present invention provides a simple and effective means for sealing the fluid when delivery of the fluid is not required, even if the cap is not present. This ensures that the fluid stored in the receptacle 12 is not over exposed to oxygen and is less likely to undergo oxidisation. Further, should the receptacle 12 be located on a bench and knocked over or otherwise become upended, in the absence of a squeezing pressure being applied to the receptacle 12, the fluid will not spill from the receptacle. This ensures that work spaces remain clean from the fluid and reduces wastage of the fluid due to accidental spillage.

Referring to Fig. 7, when the cap 18 is used with the receptacle 12, the sealing insert 40 of the cap 18 seals the fluid release unit 20. This arrangement shows the sealing that occurs when the cap 18 is applied to the bottle such that the plug member 42 of the sealing insert 40 is received within the central recess 30 of the fluid release unit 20 to further seal the receptacle 12.

In this embodiment, the sealing insert 40 has flexible peripheral walls 41 to facilitate insertion into the cap 18. The plug member 42 is centrally located within the cap 18 such that by simply screwing the cap 18 into position over the neck portion 15 of the receptacle 12, the plug member 42 penetrates the central recess of the fluid release unit 20, as shown. It will be appreciated that in this arrangement, even if squeezing pressure is applied to the receptacle 12, the fluid pressure generated will be prevented from causing the body portion 28 of the flexible film member 27 to move as the cap 18 provides an air tight seal to the device 10.

It will be appreciated that the dispensing device of the present invention provides a simple and effective means for handling a fluid, such as olive oil, which has traditionally been dispensed by way of a pouring or drizzle action. The dispensing device provides a means for dispensing olive oil under pressure in a controlled “squirting” action which can be achieved by simply squeezing the receptacle. The device employs a fluid release unit 20 that, when not activated, retains an air tight seal maintaining the olive oil in a fresh environment less likely to oxidise. Further, the fluid release unit 20 has a biased flexible film member 27 that, in the absence of a suitable positive pressure being applied to the receptacle prevents leakage of oil from the device. This ensures that even if the receptacle has been tipped over, no leakage of olive oil will occur, ensuring a clean work environment and reducing costs associated with unnecessary wastage of olive oil.

Throughout the specification and claims the word “comprise” and its derivatives are intended to have an inclusive rather than exclusive meaning unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise. That is, the word “comprise” and its derivatives will be taken to indicate the inclusion of not only the listed components, steps or features that it directly references, but also other components, steps or features not specifically listed, unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations may be made to the methods of the invention described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention can be described in terms of provisional claims that can assist the skilled reader in understanding the various aspects and preferments of the invention. However, these provisional claims are not to be construed as defining statements of the invention. It will be appreciated that other forms, aspects and preferred features of the invention and its embodiments described herein may ultimately be included in the claims defining the invention in the specifications of complete, international or national applications (or their subsequent corresponding patent grants) that may claim priority from the provisional application accompanying this specification. In this context, the following nonlimiting claims assist to better describe the invention:

Claims (7)

1. The claims defining the invention are as follows:

   1. A dispensing device for dispensing olive oil from a substantially air tight environment, comprising: a receptacle for receiving and maintaining the olive oil in said substantially air-tight environment; a fluid release unit, mountable within an opening of the receptacle, the fluid release unit having a flexible film member mounted across a central bore portion for releasing olive oil therethrough, wherein the flexible film member has an opening formed therein and is biased into a first position whereby the opening is closed, and wherein when a positive dispensing force is applied to the receptacle, said positive dispensing force causes said flexible film member to move to a second position whereby the opening expands to release olive oil through the flexible film member and from the opening of the receptacle.
2. 2. A dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the fluid release unit comprises a disc member mounted within a neck portion of the receptacle.
3. 3. A dispensing device according to claim 2, wherein the disc member may have a central recess formed therein, across which the flexible film member is mounted.
4. 4. A dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the opening formed in the flexible film member comprises at least one slit or cut formed through the flexible film member.
5. 5. A dispensing device according to claim 4, wherein when the flexible film member is in the first position the flexible film member is maintained in a convex configuration extending towards the olive oil present in the receptacle.
6. 6. A dispensing device according to claim 5, wherein upon application of the positive dispensing force to the receptacle, the flexible film member is caused to expand and move into a concave configuration such that the at least one slit or cut opens to allow the olive oil to pass therethrough.
7. 7. An olive oil dispensing receptacle comprising: a body configured to maintain said olive oil in a substantially sealed environment at a substantially constant pressure; and a release unit mountable to said body and configured such that in the event of an increase in pressure within the body, said release unit opens to facilitate release of olive oil therefrom and upon return of said body to the substantially constant pressure the release unit closes to maintain the olive oil in said substantially sealed environment.