AU647457B2 - Dispenser on a bulk material container - Google Patents

Abstract

A sliding device (1) for dispensing a quantity of bulk material corresponding to a dispensing volume (11) can slide on a bulk goods container (62) for granular or powdered material so that, in a loading position, the container space (51) communicates via an outlet opening (39) with the dispensing space (11). In an emptying position, on the other hand, the sliding device is pressed upward and the outlet opening (39) is closed, but a dispensing opening (34) in the dispensing space is opened. The sliding device is actuated by an actuating device (38, 54) in, or parallel to, the axis (A) of the container.

Description

Dispenser on a Bulk Material Container The invention relates to a dispenser for metering out a quanLity of bulk material.

Dispensers of this type are known in many embodiments and for the most diverse purposes. For example, dispensers can be found on automatic drink dispensers in which a container for a powder, such as coffee or cocoa, is disposed above a box-like metering container which is displaceable crosswise to the axis of the container (see US-A 3 393 838, 3 744 865 or 3 805 999). The guide of such a metering container is relatively short, so that it often tends to jam, in which case the walls disposed crosswise to the displacement movement are subjected to a certain amount of stress (because of the friction of the metering container walls against them). Furthermore, such structures are not universally usable without great disadvantages. The problem of a lack of stability occurs particularly in the household, and more particularly for dispensing baby food, which requires that the container must be held with one hand while it is attempted to pull the metering container with the other hand. The housewife does not always have both hands 'free while working, so that often a portion of the powder is spilled. This would be the case particularly with baby food.

For the last mentioned use it is also known to empty the container into a measuring cup or like metering container, but essentially the same disadvantages prevail.

e:ee It has finally also been known to provide cell-like metering containers where, although the guide in their cylindrical housing has been improved and the danger of spi.ling is generally removed, the problem .of two-handed operation occurs, at least in the household, since one hand must hold the container while the other hand turns an appropriate operational manipulator, such as a rotating knob, toggle or the like.

2 According to the present invention there is provided a dispenser for granular or pulverulent material comprising a storage chamber, a metering chamber having an inlet leading from the bottom of the storage chamber and an outlet, a closure movable to a first position to open the inlet for filling the metering chamber and to close the outlet, and movable to a second position to close the inlet and open the outlet for emptying the metering chamber, and an operating device which is movable parallel to a central axis of the dispenser to move the closure to either the first or second position and wherein the closure is at least partly rotatabie to move to either the first or second position.

If operation takes place in the direction of the container axis, it is easily possible to brace the latter against an object, such as a table top or the vessel already containing the liquid components and the operating device can be grasped with one hand, or vice versa. In any case, the container is more easily 20 stabilized by the operating movement and in addition it is easy to provide a good and perfectly sliding guide for the metering container, so that it can move easily from one position to the other.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

S:21741 E/700 Fig. 1 an axial longitudinal section of a part located to the right of a symmetrical container, including the dispenser in ok r&=\oL.N.aL QsFect of accordance with the invention, Fig. 2 an axial plan view of a funnel, .Fig. 3 the funnel shown in Fig. 2 in a lateral, partially sectional view, Fig. 4 a slider in a lateral, partially sectional view, i: Fig. 5 a section along the line V-V of Fig. 4, Fig. 6 a lateral view of a metering body in partial section along the line VI-VI of Figs 7, Fig. 7 an axial plan view of the metering body in accordance with Fig. 6 in the direction of the arrow VII, Fig. 8 a further metering body with scale, :Fig. 9 a cap in a lateral view and in partial section, Fig. 10 a bottom view of the cap shown in Fig. 9 in the direction of the arrow X, Fig. 11 an axial cross section of a container, i Fig. 12 an axial plane view of the container in accordance with Fig. 11 in the direction of the arrow XII, shown in a reduced size, -3- Fig. 13 a plan view of the marking body shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 14 a section along the life A-A of Fig. 13, and Figs. 15 to 17 different varied embodimentsA where Figs. and 17 each show longitudinal sections through the lower part of a container each with one embodiment of a dispenser in accordance with the invention, and Fig. 16 is a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment.

In accordance with Fig. 1, a bulk material container 62, symmetrical in relation to its longitudinal axis A, has a chamber 51 closed below by a funnel bottom 18, below which a dispenser 1 is disposed. The funnel 18 has an outlet opening 39 through which an axial slide 40 extends, which has an operating section 38 on its underside. A delivery opening 40 is provided above the operating section 38, through which the metered bulk material can be delivered in preset amounts to the interior of the hollow section 38.

As indicated by dashed lines, the slider 40 can be displaced from its filling position, shcwn in solid lines, into a discharge position, indicated by dashed lines. In the latter position a slider section 43, aligned with the operating section 38, together with a cylinder wall 22 enclosing it and located on the underside of-the outlet opening 39, closes off the latter. Simultaneously, the delivery opening 34 then lies at the height of the metering body 28 enclosing a metering chamber 11 of pre-determined volume. This metering body 28 and its metering chamber 11 surround, at least partially, the underside of the downwardly continuing outlet opening 39, i.e. the metering body 28 may, but need not, extend around the entire circumference e surrounding the container axis A.

While not only a safe closure of the openings 34 or 39 is achieved by means of the walls 22 and 34 as well as preferably by another guide wall 32 following on the underside of the metering -4body 28, but also a relatively long and thus jam-proof guide of the slider 40, another guide has been additionally provided above its slider wall It has a stop section 42 on the upper portion of the slider 40 which, together with the cylinder wall 22 in the filling position illustrated, limits the outlet opening 39 through which the container chamber 51 is connected with the metering chamber 11 in this position of the slider For this purpose the cylinder section 22 is provided on its underside with a diverging wall apron 24, which closes off the metering chamber 11 on the top. A connecting wall 29 follows this wall 24 (see Figs. 1, which is displaceably connected with the conical apron 24, as will be described further down.

A plurality of bars 52 extend from the circumference of the outlet opening 39 (which in this case is disposed centered in relation to the axis A but which, if desired, can also be disposed eccentrically) not only radially over the outlet opening 39, but also upwards into the interior of the container chamber 51. The 0* bars 52 (only one of which is shown) have on their upper ends an S: annular guide collar 60, into which the upper end of the holding section 42 is inserted and by which it is guided.

But the guide collar 50 also has another function. To prevent unintentional pulling out of the slider 40 or the holding section 42, in a practical manner the latter has spring latches 46 on its upper end which come to rest with their stop faces 48' on a counter stop face 48 on the front of the collar section 50 and prevent further lowering of the slider 40. However, in order to *"a make possible the disassembly of the slider 40 in spite of this, Sthe stop faces 48' can be slightly upwardly beveled, if desired, so that they act less as a lock than as a removable stop. Another possibility could consist in arranging the bars with the collar part 50 on a cylindrical screw part, which can be screwed into the cylinder wall 22, and which together with the slider wall 43 closes off the outlet opening when the slider 40 is in the discharge position and can be screwed out, if necessary. But the embodiment shown is more advantageous because a gap, also narrow, would be created between the screw apart and the cylinder wall 22, in which powder accumulates which would be hard to remove and in this way could impair cleanliness. It should be understood that alternatively the counter stop face 48 could also be beveled to attain removability.

Finally, the collar part 50 can also be used for a third purpose, in that a pressure spring 44 is supported on it which pushes the slider 40 downward into the filling position shown. On its underside this spring 44 is supported on a shoulder 41' which preferably is followed by a slanted surface 41 which, in the filling position, guides the bulk material into the metering chamber 11, but when being pushed up (dashed lines) eases the sliding off of the bulk material and in this way reduces the resistance to the displacement of the slider It should be pointed out that the embodiment of the spring latches 48 is made easier in that at least the holding section 42 with the latches 50, but preferably the entire container with the dispenser, is made of plastic so that the inherent resilience of the material can be employed without having to use bearing parts which are movable in respect to each other.

In this connection it can be seen in Fig. 4 that wedgeshaped cuts 45 have been formed between the spring latches 46, which allow a yielding movement of the latches 46 in the direction towards the container axis A. Figs. 4 and 5 further illustrate o,,e that connecting ribs 35 are provided in the area of the delivery opening 34, which connect the slider section 43 with the operating section 38 and leave the delivery opening 34 therebetween free.

In an advantageous manner the operating section 38 has on its underside an operating flange 54 to increase, on the one -6hand, the operating surface without the necessity of having to touch the edge of the operating section 38 itself and, on the other hand, in order to let a folded bellows 36, shown in Fig. 1, be supported on a circular bar 56. Two functions can also be combined in the folded bellows 36, namely on the one hand to cover the interior chamber and to prevent assuredly the discharge of bulk material and, on the other, it can be embodied as a resilient pressure member to assist the spzing 44 or even replace it.

Towards the top this folded bellows 36 is practically supported on the metering body 28.

It can be seen from Figs. 1 to 3 that the funnel 18 is screwed to the container 52 via a threaded flange 8, so that it can be removed for cleaning purposes as required. A catch would also be conceivable, of course. Fig. 2 also shows that the funnel 18 has an annular locking groove 14 with a following locking nose on the exterior of its funnel bottom surface, so that a covering cap 12, shown in Figs. 9 and 10, with an annular collar 20' engaging the groove can be placed on it. This cap 12 is S used for two purposes: for one, it covers the operating parts and slider parts and in this way prevents unintended operation. On Sthe other hand, together with the bottom 58 (Fig. 1) and advantageously with three feet disposed on it, for example made of an adhering material such as rubber (three feet 16 can be seen in Fig. 10), it provides a secure and broadened support surface for the container 62. If required, it can also be used as a container, filling vessel or the like.

As already mentioned, the metering chamber 11 is limited on the top side by a wall apron 24. Advantageously the latter has on e its exterior a thread 26 on which a female thread 25, shown in detail in Fig. 6, can be screwed. The female thread 25 is embodied on the said connecting wall 29 which is approximately cylinder-shaped and towards the bottom goes over into a funnel -7wall 24'. By uniting the two threads 25, 26 it is possible to adjust the distance between the two walls 24 and 24' in order to adapt the volume of the metering chamber enclosed inbetwecn to various metering values; instead of the continuously adjustable thread, however, an adjustment in steps by means of a plurality of bayonet fasteners, disposed one on top of the other, is also possible.

In a practical manner a resilient locking nose 27 is provided on the top of the connecting wall 29 or, as shown in Fig.

7, two of these, which prevents the unintentional removal of the metering body. If needed, an annular groove extends around the funnel wall 24', which receives the upper end of the folded bellows 36 (Fig. As shown in Fig. 8, the connecting wall 29 may have a scale 29', which is upwardly displaced together with the connecting wall 29 when the apron 24 is screwed into the thread 26, while the apron 24 has a marker, for example a horizontal line, which indicates the size of the set volume on the scale 29'. For this purpose the connecting wall would have to be made of a transparent material. Alternately it is possible that the scale 29' extends all the way around the connecting wall 19 and perhaps an indicator needle on the funnel-shaped bottom surface 18 would extend outwardly and downwardly and indicate the corresponding volume on the scale. Finally, however, it is also possible that the scale 29' shown is visible through a transparent connecting wall 29 and is fastened on the apron 24, while the connecting wall 29 has a marking or an indicator mark 29".

To make the changing of metering easier (particularly in ee connection with baby food), a locking bar with a dove-tailed cross section, for example, and having a marking body 70, can be embodied in the cover area of the container 62, as shown in Figs.

11 to 13. ,The locking bar 72 extends in an arc, so that the -8marking body 70 can be displaced along this bar 72. The bar crn be provided with a time division (for determining the metering chamber 11 required for a certain portion of the life of a child) or with a volume scale. For example, in this way 'the user can mark the daily consumption. The marking body has two oppositely located locking teeth 76 and 78 which define a locking groove 74 (see Fig. 14).

In an advantageous manner the closure can consist of extruded plastic parts.

In using the closure the following steps are taken: The container 62 shown in Fig. 11 is filled with a flowable material, for example a powder. Then the closure 1 (Fig. 1) is connected with the container, for example by screwing or locking. Following the removal of the cap 12, the section 38 can be connected with the input opening of a baby bottle. In this case the exterior diameter of the section 38 is of such a size that its end piece fits into the inlet opening a bottle. Then a force is exerted on the container 62, namely in a perpendicular direction downwards, because of which the delivery opening 34 is opened and the medium can flow from the hollow chamber 11 into the bottle.

Because the volume of the hollow chamber 11 can be set with extreme accuracy, the user knows how much medium has been delivered into the bottle after operation. Then the cap 12 is connected with the funnel 18. Because the cap 12 encloses the funnel on all sides, it is assured that the slider 40 does not become soiled. The bottom 58 of the cap 52 is flat, so that the container can be stored vertically.

It had already been mentioned at the start that the guide of a rotary slider would per se fulfill the requirements, but generally simplicity and stability of operating are not provided.

Fig. 15 shows how a rotary slider 140 can be operated within the scope of the invention. In this case parts with the same -9function have the same reference numerals as in the previously discussed drawing figures, parts with similar functicn have the same-reference numerals increased by one hundred.

The rotary slider 140 is rotatable in a slider housing 132 under a container 162. A toothed wheel 80 (or one toothed wheel on each of the two sides), only suggested, is fixed on the same shaft. A toothed rack 81, hinged on an operating lever 32, is in engagement with this toothed wheel 80. The operating lever 82 can be actuated in the direction of th-i arrow P in a direction parallel to the container axis A against the force of a spring 144, where the length of the toothed rack and the -^.ameter of the toothed wheel 80 are of such size, that when pressing down, the rotary slider 140 is rotated by exactly 180", so that the container opening 139 is closed in the course of this rotation, but the delivery opening 134 is opened.

The operating lever 82 can be embodied in different ways.

In this case it is hinged on a bearing rib 83 and pivotable around *e e a bearing neck 84; however, it could also be downwardly Of displaceable in a straight guide. Furthermore it is supplied with fel a funnel 85 here, which guides the bulk material into a delivery opening 86. Alternatively it would be possible to use its inclined position during operation in the direction of the arrow P to guide the bulk material over it towards the left.

It can be seen from Fig. 16 that for one it is not

S

o absolutely necessary for a container 262 to have a funnel, a fe slanted surface 218 would suffice. In some cases an upwardly extending cone could be practical. As in the case of Fig. 15, a metering body 228 is provided here which is displaceable in relation to the container 262. For this purpose the metering container 228 is connected with a guide slider 240 displaceable, for example, in a dove-tailed guide of the container 262.

In the filling position illustrated, an outlet opening 238, shown by dashed lines, is located at the lower end of the slanted surface 218 opposite the metering chamber of the metering body 228, so that bulk material can flow from the container chamber over the inclined surface 218 and the outlet opening 239 into the metering body 228. The container 262 car be grasped with one hand at a handle 87 and an operating pin 238 can be downwardly displaced in the direction of the arrow P until the metering body 228 rests against a slanted stop face 88. Tn this position the metering chamber of the body 228 lies opposite a delivery opening 234, so that the bulk material contained in it is guided downwards along a slanted conduit 89. A particularly simplified embodiment is shown here, where a restoring spring 44 or 144 was omitted and where the metering body 228 must be displaced upwardly by hand.

It is also possible in principle to embody a container of the type shown in Fig. 1 in such a way that instead of the mere closing slider 40 the metering body is displaced, although the former is preferred. Such an example is illustrated in Fig. 17.

In this case the cylinder wall 322 is relatively long, the slider wall 343 relatively short and supports on its underside the metering body 328. The entire slider arrangement is downwardly slideable against a pressure spring 344 via an operating button 338 into the discharge position shown, where the interior of the metering body 328 is located opposite the delivery openings 334, while in the upper filling position (not shown) a similar slitlike connection opening is provided as the outlet opening of the container chamber 51 at the end of the funnel 18, as has been explained by means of Fig. 1. The bulk material exiting via the delivery opening 334 then again reaches a funnel 90 and is discharged from there via a funnel opening 91.

Many changes are possible within the scope of the invention;, for instance the toothed rack 81 (Fig. 15) can be kept -11in contact with the toothed wheel 80 either by only its own weight or by means of a load spring.

Fig. 15 further discloses that the metering chamber is embodied to be cylindrical, extends crosswise to the container axis A and can be connected on its circumference with the container opening 139 or the oppositely located delivery opening 134, and that the cylinder-shaped rotary slider is seated with an opening on its periphery in the metering chamber. The rotary slider 140 can be pivoted between two operational positions, where it communicates with the container opening in the first operational position and with the delivery opening in the second operational position. On its periphery the rotary slider is embodied complementary to the metering chamber.

The metering chamber has an axial opening adapted to the exterior diameter of the rotary slider and through which the rotary slider can be inserted into the metering chamber. Here the rotary slider is pivotable around a shaft fixed in place.

The rotary slider has two oppositely oriented cylindershaped tangs (not shown), extending parallel to its axis of rotation and laterally offset, which extend outward from the metering chamber. These tangs are guided in control curves of the operating device when the operating device performs linear backand-forth movement in the direction of the container axis A. The S: control curves are embodied in the oppositel-' located interior walls of the hollow-body-like operating d',ice.

The length of the control curves approximately corresponds to the path which the corresponding tang travels when the rotary s slider is moved from its one operational position into its other ne. The curves are adapted to the course of motion of the tangs.

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Claims (14)

1. A dispenser for granular or pulverulent material comprising a storage chamber, a metering chamber having an inlet leading from the bottom of the storage chamber and an outlet, a closure movable to a first position to open the inlet for filling the metering chamber and to close the outlet, and movable to a second position to close the inlet and open the outlet for emptying the metering chamber, and an operating device which is movable parallel to a central axis of the dispenser to move the closure to either the first or second position and wherein the closure is at least partly rotatable to move to either the first or second position.

2. A dispenser according to claim 1 'wherein the closure is movable to an intermediate position where the inlet and outlet are closed.

3. A dispenser according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the operating device is arranged coaxially with the central axis. 20

4. A dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to i. 3 wherein the metering chamber is cylindrical and extends .perpendicular to the central axis.

A dispenser according to claim 4 wherein the closure is cylindrical and comprises an opening in its 25 circumferential wall which is arranged to be alignable with the inlet and outlet.

6. A dispenser according to claim 5 wherein the closure is located inside the metering chamber.

7. A dispenser according to claim 6 wherein the 30 operating device comprises a guide means which is connectable with the closure to move it about its cylindrical axis.

8. A dispenser according to claim 7 wherein the closure comprises guide members engageable with the guide means to enable operation of the operating device to move the closure about its cylindrical axis.

9. A dispenser according to claim 8 wherein the y guide means comprises curvilinear tracks movable parallel S:21741 E/700 14 to the central axis.

A dispenser according to claim 9 wherein the curvilinea tracks engage the guide members to convert linear me r ion of the operating device to circular motion of the closure.

11. A dispenser according to claim 10 wherein the guide members are located on opposite ends of the closure.

12. A dispenser according to claim 11 wherein the operating device is a hollow cylinder with the curvilinear tracks being located on opposite inside surfaces thereof.

13. A dispenser according to claim 12 wherein the length of the curvilinear tracks corresponds to the path the guide members travel ;long from the first to the second position.

14. A dispenser according to claim 13 wherein the metering chamber comprises an end cap. A dispenser substantially as hereinbefore 20 described with reference to Figures 15 to 17 of the accompanying drawings. DATED this 12th day of January 1994 FORM ORANGE PRODUKTENTWICKLUNG By their Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK CO. o• g og S:21741E/700