AU723243B3

AU723243B3 - Dispenser

Info

Publication number: AU723243B3
Application number: AU42432/99A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Stephen Pemberton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-08-02
Filing date: 1999-08-02
Publication date: 2000-08-24
Anticipated expiration: 2001-08-24

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 P/00/012 Regulation 3.2 Original Complete Specification Petty Patent Invention Title: Dispenser The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing known to me: 7; dr,

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DISPENSER

The present invention relates to a dispenser and, more particularly, to a dispenser adapted and suited for the dispensing in predetermined portions of coffee beans, confectionery and like commodities which comprise of a flowable solids material.

BACKGROUND

With particular reference to coffee bean dispensers it is known to provide storage containers in supermarkets and the like containing coffee beans and which allow a shopper to purchase coffee beans contained therein by the filling of small bags of predetermined volume with coffee beans from the container. Access is typically gained by a slide valvelocated at the base of the container which permits coffee beans to fall under the influence of gravity from the base of the container when the slide valve is open.

Such arrangements suffer a major difficulty in that coffee beans are not retained in a sealed environment from the air. Hence, the quality of the coffee beans can degrade significantly whilst being stored in the container awaiting dispensing.

Yet a further problem relates to the potential for contamination of the coffee beans as a result of the entry of 3 dust, air and the like into the container. There is also a possibility of tampering, which tampering would not necessarily be obvious with the prior art construction of the dispensing arrangement.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate one or more of the abovementioned disadvantages.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION In this specification the valve portion of the "valve and chute assembly" comprises a valve which, in a first position, prevents flow of flowable solids material and, in a second position, permits flow of flowable solids material.

It does not include within its construction arrangements which perform a close open close function automatically upon actuation such as have been found in "Caf6 Bar m units in the past.

Accordingly, in one broad form of the invention there is provided a flowable solids material dispenser;- said dispenser adapted to dispense flowable, solids material such as coffee beans or confectionery by means of a valve and chute assembly; said dispenser comprising a housing; a dispenser pouch seated within said housing and having an interior portion adapted to contain said flowable solids material; -4a valve and chute assembly including a butterfly valve having a valve plate; said dispenser pouch connected to a dispenser pouch connector assembly which, in turn, is connected to said valve and chute assembly; said connector assembly including connector means which removably, sealingly connects an exit portion of said dispenser pouch to an inlet portion of said valve and chute assembly; said dispenser pouch including a vent which permits egress of gases from said interior portion and prevents ingress of gases into said interior portion; said dispenser pouch connector assembly incorporating a foil seal which seals said exit portion of said pouch against ingress of gases and is adapted to be ruptured on first use of said. dispenser pouch in said housing; said foil seal ruptured by an edge of said valve plate.

Preferably said valve and chute assembly includes a connector chute having a substantially conical top portion in communication with a substantially cylindrical lower portion.

5 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Fig. 1 is a perspective, partly cut away view of a dispenser assembly according to a first embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is an exploded, perspective view of the dispenser assembly of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side section view of the valve assembly and dispenser bag connection of the dispenser assembly of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an end section view of the assembly of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the valve assembly of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of an alternative connection arrangement for the connection of a connector assembly to a dispenser pouch.

6 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With particular reference, initially, to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 there is illustrated a dispenser assembly 10 according to a first embodiment of the invention.

With particular reference to Fig. 1 an installed dispenser assembly comprises a housing 11 adapted to support and receive a dispenser pouch 12 in a top support portion 13 of housing 11. Typically the top support portion 13 is defined by side walls extending upwardly from a support platform 14.

Lower portion 15 of the housing 11 defined below the support platform 14 includes a dispenser access volume 16 which provides access to a customer to valve and chute assembly 17 to permit controlled filling of bags.

With particular reference to the exploded view of Fig. 2 the dispenser assembly 10 includes a connector assembly 18 adapted to sealingly connect the contents (not shown) of dispenser pouch 12 to valve and chute assembly 17.

In this instance the connector assembly 18 comprises a broadly conical connector chute 19 in this instance made from a plastics material.

As perhaps best seen in Fig. 3 the top flange 20 of connector chute 19 is housed within and sealed to an exit portion 21 of pouch 12, the exit portion 21 being in 7 communication with the interior of pouch 12 thereby allowing the contents of pouch 12 to flow from the interior of the pouch through the exit portion 21 and into the interior of the connector chute 19.

At time of initial installation of the connector chute 19 to dispenser pouch 12 the exit portion 22 of connector chute 19 is sealed with a disk shaped paper foil seal 23 for example by means of adhesive (not shown) In order to protect the paper foil seal 23 during transit a transit lid 24 can shroud the paper foil seal 23 and exit portion 22.

Upon installation of dispenser pouch 12 within dispenser assembly 10 the- transit lid 24 is first removed with the installed assembly appearing as, perhaps best seen, in Fig.

3.

In the installed condition exit portion 22 of connector chute 19 is received within upper, substantially conical portion 25 of valve and chute assembly 17. In a particular form recess 26 in the periphery of exit portion 22 resiliently engages with inward protrusion 27 located within upper portion 25 of valve and chute assembly 17.

In this instance the chute portion of valve and chute assembly 17 is made from metal material, typically an alloy.

8 The valve portion of valve and chute assembly 17 comprises a butterfly valve 28, the substantive portions of which are perhaps best seen in Fig. The butterfly valve 28 comprises a substantially circular valve plate mounted on axis 30. The axis 30 is rotatably supported for rotation about its longitudinal axis XX lower cylindrical wall portions 31 of valve and chute assembly 17.

A consumer can rotate axis 30 by rotation of knob 32 mounted on an end of axis 30, thereby to rotate valve plate 29 from a closed, sealing position substantially perpendicular to longitudinal axis YY of valve and chute assembly 17 to an open, dispensing position wherein valve plate 29 becomes substantially aligned with longitudinal axis YY of valve and chute assembly 17.

A spring 33 can be mounted on axis 30 and utilised to urge valve plate 29 towards a closer, sealing position as illustrated in Fig. An indent 35 can be utilised to permit a user to lock the valve plate 29 in an open position. In an alternative version no such lock arrangement is utilised thereby preventing a user from inadvertently leaving the valve plate 29 in an open position.

9 In use a dispenser pouch 12 is supplied in sealed condition with coffee beans, for example inside it complete with paper foil seal 23 in place and transit lid 24 in place.

The dispenser pouch 12 can be of a construction as described in US Patent 5,059,036 and including a vent 34 which permits egress of gases and air from the interior of pouch 12 but prevents ingress of gases and air.

Pouch 12 is then installed in top support portion 13 of dispenser assembly 10 in the manner previously described having first removed transit lid 24.

On a first rotation of axis 30 whereby butterfly valve 28 moves valve plate 29 from a closed position to an open position the paper foil seal 23 is ruptured by an edge of the valve plate 29 as it moves from the closed to the open position.

Thereafter sealing of the coffee beans within pouch 12 is dependent upon the seal effected by valve plate 29 against lower cylindrical wall portion 31.

With this arrangement coffee beans or other like material such as, for example, sweets, nuts or other confectionery of suitable size remain within a sealed or substantially sealed environment until dispensed through valve and chute assembly 17.

10 With reference to Fig. 6 an alternative arrangement is shown for connection of the connector chute 19 to a dispenser pouch 12. In this arrangement the dispenser pouch 12 has affixed to it by means of heat seal or the like a threaded flange 36 adapted for sealed, screwed connection to a corresponding thread 37 within connector chute 19.

With this arrangement an option is to dispense with the paper foil seal 23 and, instead, rely on the rupturing of dispenser pouch 12 at an exit portion zone 38 defined within the interior of the threaded flange 36, such rupturing to be performed at the time of installation of the dispenser pouch 12 into a dispenser at a supermarket or the like immediately preparatory to placing in service for customers.

The above describes only some embodiments of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the art can be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flowable solids material dispenser; said dispenser adapted to dispense flowable, solids material such as coffee beans or confectionery by means of a valve and chute assembly; said dispenser comprising a housing; a dispenser pouch seated within said housing and having an interior portion adapted to contain said flowable solids material; a valve and chute assembly including a butterfly valve having a valve plate; said dispenser pouch connected to a dispenser pouch connector assembly which, in turn, is connected to said valve and chute assembly; said connector assembly including connector means which removably, sealingly connects an exit portion of said dispenser pouch to an inlet portion of said valve and chute assembly; said dispenser pouch including a vent which permits egress of gases from said interior portion and prevents ingress of gases into said interior portion; said dispenser pouch connector assembly incorporating a foil seal which seals said exit portion of said pouch against ingress of gases and is adapted to be ruptured -12 on first use of said dispenser pouch in said housing; said foil seal ruptured by an edge of said valve plate.

2. The dispenser of Claim 1 wherein said valve and chute assembly includes a connector chute having a substantially conical top portion in communication with a substantially cylindrical lower portion.

3. The dispenser of Claim 1 or Claim 2 and as hereinbefore particularly described with reference to what is shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. STEPHEN PEMBERTON By his Patent Attorneys WALLINGTON-DUMMER Dated this 19 th day of June 2000.