EP0343090A1 - Dispenser for flaked or granular food products - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a dispenser composed of a tubular container 2 with an upper closure cover 3 for a removable cartridge 10 containing the food products, a control channel 12 with means for tearing a sealing cover 15 of the cartridge 10, a chute 4 directing the food products towards means 6 for metering the latter and means for sealing the chute which are connected to an opening control mechanism. According to the invention, the means 18a for tearing the cover 15 of the cartridge 10 are carried by means 18 for sealing the control channel 12 and are associated with control means 24 which, reacting to the pressure exerted on them by a bearing face 14 of the cartridge 10, are capable of causing the sealing means 18 to move into an opening position, tearing the sealing cover of the cartridge. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to distributors of food products composed of a container containing the food, of a chute directing the food towards an outlet orifice, metering means, and means for closing this outlet orifice, connected to a control mechanism, possibly associated with a locking coin mechanism.

Such devices are used to distribute peanuts or other peanuts and all food in fragments or grains for consumption as an aperitif or during the day.

Current distributors include a large-capacity container that can receive at least two kilograms of food. Thus, when consumption is insufficient, food products deteriorate in both appearance and taste, which means that they must be discarded and replaced with fresh products, which leads to loss. In addition, if they are not replaced, their consumption decreases since consumers are aware of the deterioration in their quality.

Furthermore, current devices, designed to be placed on a bar, have a large size annoying consumers when they are placed on the consumption tables. This is all the more detrimental to the consumption of food as it takes place impulsively and increases in relation to the proximity of the consumer.

By FR-A-2489266, there is known a distributor of liquid, pulverulent or granular products in which these products are arranged in a cartridge closed by a cover whose opening is ensured, during the introduction upside down of the cartridge in a tubular container, by a fixed perforator arranged in a control channel interposed between the container and the distribution spout.

To avoid re-use of the cartridge, the sealing zone of the cover is arranged at the bottom of a well of height equal to that of the perforator. This protection against fraud is illusory because nothing prevents by reintroducing a filled cartridge, by temporarily sealing it at its end or by turning the dispenser over and inserting it head up, with or without a lid, to supply the device with products of various origins, of uncertain freshness or packaged without hygienic guarantee or in the absence of preservative gas.

The present invention aims to provide a space-saving dispenser, having a limited storage capacity requiring frequent reloads ensuring the freshness of the products distributed, and using a cartridge which cannot be reused whatever the maneuvers envisaged and guaranteeing the taste and hygienic qualities of the products distributed.

To this end, in the dispenser according to the invention, the means for tearing off the cover of the cartridge are carried by means for closing the control channel and are associated with control means which, reacting to the pressure exerted on them by a bearing face of the cartridge, are capable of passing the shutter means from a shutter position to an open position by tearing the shutter seal of the cartridge.

With this arrangement, the food fragments are placed in a removable cartridge, sealed, having a reduced capacity compared to that of a traditional container. When this cartridge is introduced into the container, its bearing face, actuates the means of tearing the cover and, simultaneously, actuates the closure means so that they come into the open position and allow the food to descend. through the control channel.

In one embodiment of the invention, the means for closing the control channel and for tearing the film consist of two flaps which, arranged in this control channel and on either side of its median plane , are each articulated by their base on the transverse axes, are connected to return means tending to bring their upper ends one against the other to form a dihedral blocking the channel and perforating the lid of the cartridge, and are each provided with a lower angled fin, directed opposite the other flap, while that the control means consist of a ring, the base of which bears on the fins of the flaps and the top of which is provided with a flange sliding in the channel and constituting the presence detector of the bearing face of the cartridge .

Thus, at the end of the engagement of the cartridge in the receptacle, its bearing face meets the flange of the ring and causes the downward movement of this ring, displacement causing, by pivoting, the folding of the two flaps against the walls of the canal.

It should be noted that, if the cartridge is introduced into the container without its opening being closed by a seal, part of the content of the cartridge falls by gravity into the control channel and, consequently, is housed between the flaps and the walls of the canal. Under these conditions, when the cartridge, without a closure cap, comes into contact with the ring, and despite the support of the ring on the fins of the flaps, the latter can no longer fall back against the walls, since the fragments of food, interposed between them and these walls, constitute stop means opposing their opening. In other words, the means for closing the control channel cannot clear the opening of this channel, if the cartridge is reused with food products whose freshness is not guaranteed.

Likewise, any cartridge which does not correspond to the exact dimension of the receptacle of the container and which does not have a bearing face cannot cause the closing mechanism to open.

• Figure 1, en est une vue en perspective ; d'une première forme d'exécution,
• Figure 2, est une vue en perspective, par dessous avec coupe partielle de la cartouche coopérant avec ce distributeur ;
• Figure 3, est une vue en perspective éclatée montrant les différents éléments du distributeur coopérant avec la cartouche ;
• Figure 4 et 5 sont des vues en coupe transversale suivant respectivement IV - IV et V - V de figure 1, montrant le distributeur dans la phase de mise en place de la cartouche ;
• Figure 6 et 7 sont des vues en coupe, similaires aux figures 4 et 5, mais lorsque la cartouche est en place et que le couvercle du dispositif est fermé.
• Figures 8 et 9 sont des vues partielles, en coupe longitudinale, montrant, respectivement, au début de l'introduction d'une cartouche et en fin d'introduction de cette cartouche, une autre forme d'exécution du dispositif de désoperculation,
• Figure 10 est une vue partielle, en perspective, éclatée montrant l'extrémité de la cartouche et l'opercule pour le distributeur des figures 8 et 9,
• Figure 11 est une vue partielle, en perspective, montrant à échelle agrandie l'extrémité de l'un des volets du dispositif de figures 8 et 9.

Other characteristics and advantages will emerge from the description which follows with reference to appended schematic drawings representing, by way of nonlimiting example, an embodiment of this dispenser.

• Figure 1 is a perspective view; of a first embodiment,
• Figure 2 is a perspective view from below with partial section of the cartridge cooperating with this distributor;
• Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the various elements of the distributor cooperating with the cartridge;
• Figure 4 and 5 are cross-sectional views along IV - IV and V - V of Figure 1 respectively, showing the dispenser in the phase of placing the cartridge;
• Figure 6 and 7 are sectional views, similar to Figures 4 and 5, but when the cartridge is in place and the device cover is closed.
• FIGS. 8 and 9 are partial views, in longitudinal section, showing, respectively, at the start of the introduction of a cartridge and at the end of introduction of this cartridge, another embodiment of the uncapping device,
• FIG. 10 is a partial, exploded perspective view showing the end of the cartridge and the cover for the dispenser of FIGS. 8 and 9,
• FIG. 11 is a partial perspective view showing on an enlarged scale the end of one of the flaps of the device in FIGS. 8 and 9.

This dispenser comprises, in a known manner, a container 2 with a cover 3, a chute 4 directing the food towards an outlet orifice 5 communicating with metering means 6. The latter are associated with closure means 7 for the orifice outlet 5, means controlled by a mechanism 8 actuated by a control lever 9, visible in Figure 1. In general, the operation of the control lever 9 is dependent on a coin mechanism, not shown.

The tubular container 2 constitutes a receptacle for a removable cartridge 10 and communicates with the chute 4 via a control channel 12 formed in a tubular body 11.

As shown in more detail in Figure 2, the cartridge 10 has a generally square cross section, corresponding to that of the internal tubular container 2. It has an opening 13 surrounded by a bearing face 14 which, in this form d 'execution, is turned towards the inside of the container, but can also be turned towards the outside. The bearing face 14 also constitutes a fixing surface for a cover constituted by a film 15 closing the entire opening 13.

In the embodiment shown, the cartridge has longitudinal grooves 16, of general triangular section, intended to cooperate with longitudinal ribs 17 making projection inside the container 2, and of identical section and arrangement. This rib-groove assembly constitutes a means of closing the cartridge, but also a means of selecting the cartridges.

The control channel 12 contains sealing means and means for tearing the film 15 of the cartridge 10, means which in this embodiment consist of two flaps 18. The channel 12 having a quadrangular section, and in particular square, each of the flaps 18 has a generally planar shape and is arranged parallel to one of the walls of this channel. The two flaps are each provided with an external bent fin 19, that is to say turned opposite the other flap. They are articulated on transverse axes 20. Each of them is associated with return means constituted, in this embodiment, by elastic tongues 22 tending to bring their upper ends one against the other to form, in the control channel, a dihedral blocking this channel and tearing the film of the cartridge. The upper ends 18a of each of the flaps are bevelled, as shown in Figure 4, and are serrated as shown in Figure 6. The two flaps are arranged symmetrically on either side of the vertical median plane of the container and the dispenser. In the rest and closing position, shown in Figure 4, they oppose any flow of food products in the chute 4, while in the working and opening position, shown in Figure 5, position in which they are folded against the walls of the channel 12, they constitute a funnel guiding the food in the direction of the underlying chute 4.

The control means for these flaps consist of a ring 24, the base 24a of which rests on the end of the fins 19 of the flaps 18 and the top of which is provided with a flange 24b. This ring is slidably mounted in a socket 25, interposed between the body 11 and the container 2.

FIGS. 3 and 4 clearly show that the bush 25 has an internal collar 25a limiting the downward movement of the collar 24b of the ring 24.

When a cartridge 10 is introduced into the container 2 with its film 15 facing downwards, it descends freely in the receptacle until its film comes into abutment, as shown in FIG. 4 on the upper ends 18a of the two flaps 18, then at the face of upper support of the flange 24b, on which the support face 14 of the cartridge rests. To put the dispenser into service, it suffices to cause the ring 24 to slide in the direction of arrow 27 in FIG. 4. This operation can be carried out by manual pressure on the cartridge 10, but also by folding the cover 3 articulated at 28 on the distributor. Of course, at the end of folding, a lock or any other means locks the cover in the closed position.

Under the effect of this movement, the cartridge 10 descends further into the container and, by its bearing face 14, displaces the ring 24 which causes the separation of the two flaps 18, then coming into the position shown in FIG. 6 Simultaneously, this movement causes the film 15 of the cartridge to be torn by the ends 18a of the two flaps, then the widening of this tear by the pivoting of these flaps. At the end of the cartridge engagement movement, the opening is completely clear of the film 15 and the two flaps form a funnel which promotes the descent of the food 21 towards the chute 4 and towards the outlet orifice 5.

To obtain a dose of food 21, it suffices, in a known manner, to actuate the control lever 9, so that it brings the metering device 6 to a pouring station.

When the cartridge is empty, its extraction from the container 2 releases the ring 24 which, on the action of the return springs 22 of the flaps or under the action of independent springs, returns to its initial position shown in FIG. 4, while the flaps return to their closed position, shown in this same figure.

This device makes it possible to use special containers, of small dimensions, containing the equivalent of ten doses of food fragments. These are kept in excellent conditions as long as the cartridge is not uncapped and keep thus their original taste until the cartridge is opened, which promotes their consumption. It is obvious that food products can be packaged in the cartridge in the absence of air or in the presence of a gas promoting their conservation. It appears from the above that the dispenser according to the invention allows, by the quality of the products packaged in the cartridge and by the short duration of use of such a cartridge, to deliver fresh food products having a greater appeal for consumption. It also makes it possible to oppose any distribution not using a cartridge of conforming shape and size and the opening of which is not blocked by a film 15.

Indeed, if the user of the dispenser wishes to reuse the cartridge by filling it again with food products and that he introduces this cartridge into the dispenser, the absence of film allows the food contained in the cartridge to descend by gravity into the control channel 12. The food fragments are thus distributed between the ring 24 and the flaps 18, to constitute, as shown in phantom in Figure 4, stops opposing any tilting of the flaps. As a result, these flaps cannot come into the open position, shown in FIG. 6, and that the food fragments cannot be dispensed.

Likewise, if the user uses a cartridge having a cross section different from that shown in FIG. 10, in order to be able to penetrate the container, this must have a cross section which fits inside the ribs 17 of this container and is at most equal to the section shown in phantom at 31 in Figure 3. However, specifically, the ribs 17 form a projection S which is equal to the width of the flange 24b of the ring 24, so that any container non-compliant cannot activate this ring and cause the opening of the two flaps.

To further avoid that with a non-conforming container it is possible to cause the opening of the flaps 18, for example by pressing on the ring 24 with a rod engaged in the container, the dispenser is provided with a shutter locking device shown in more detail in FIGS. 5 and 7. This locking device is composed of two fingers 32, transverse to the channel 12, arranged parallel to the axes of articulation 20 of the flaps, mounted to slide through the wall of this channel and arranged so as to come into locking position under the wings 19 of the flaps, as shown in FIG. 4. These two fingers are connected between them by a crossbar 33 cooperating with a leaf spring 34, constantly tending to return the fingers in the locked position. This connecting bar also cooperates with a conical bearing 35 formed at the lower end of a control rod 36 slidingly mounted along the wall of the container 2 in bearings 37 and 38. The upper end of this bar is provided a roller 39 in contact against a cam 40, formed on the cover 3 of the distributor. A return spring 42, interposed between the bearing 37 and a fulcrum 43 of the control rod 36, constantly tends to return this rod upwards so that its roller 39 is in contact against the ramp 40.

When the cover is raised, as shown in Figure 5, to allow the extraction of the cartridge 10, the control rod 36 is moved in the direction of arrow 44. As a result, the conical bearing 35 of the rod descends below the connecting bar 33 of the two locking fingers 32 and that, under the action of the return spring 34, these two fingers come into the locking position under the fins of the flaps, opposing any tilting of those -this. Conversely, when the cover 3 is folded down the control rod rises upwards under the action of its return spring 42 and, by its conical bearing 35, causes the withdrawal of the locking fingers.

It is obvious that this device is designed so that the fingers are removed just before the cartridge pushes the ring 24 to cause tearing of the film 15 and the separation of the two flaps 18.

In an alternative embodiment, the conical part 35 is replaced by a roller articulated at the lower end of the rod 36 and coming into contact only with the transverse bar 33 of the fingers 32.

Finally, and to avoid that a cartridge without sealing film 15 can be introduced into the container 2 while the dispenser is turned vertically by 180 °, which would have effect of allowing the actuation of the flaps 18 by the absence of food fragments opposing their tilting, the aforementioned locking means are associated with means for blocking the control rod 36. These means consist of a ball 45 placed in a frustoconical housing 46 formed in the bearing 38. This frustoconical housing is arranged so that, when the dispenser is in its normal position, the small diameter of the housing is at the top. Thus when the distributor is turned over, the ball contained in the housing 46 naturally tends, with the help of the conical face of this housing, to descend while coming to bear on a portion of the housing of smaller diameter and thus ensuring, by pressing on the cylindrical part of the rod 36, the wedging of this rod. Of course, the rod is provided, below the cylindrical part able to cooperate with the ball 45 to wedge the container in the open position, of a frustoconical bearing 36a, which, as shown in Figure 7 and when the cover 3 is closed, coincides with the frustoconical housing 46 and prevents any jamming of this rod, following a reversal of the dispenser. Such a device therefore opposes any pirating of the dispenser, without however hindering its transport and its handling when its cover is in the closed position.

In the variant shown in FIGS. 8 to 11, the flange 24b, which is disposed substantially at the level of the upper end 18a of the flaps 18, is extended upwards, in the direction of the removable cartridge 10, by a wall 50, which can be tubular or formed from independent projecting elements of the flange 24b, but the upper face 50a of which is capable of coming into abutment with the bearing face 14 of the cartridge 10.

As shown in FIG. 8, this wall forms an internal cavity constituting a housing for the shutter 52 of the cartridge 10, a seal having, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, a projection in the form of a truncated pyramid. As shown in more detail in Figure 10, two of the opposite side walls of this projection are accordion shaped as shown in 53, that is to say are composed of a succession of ribs and grooves parallel to each other and parallel to one transverse groove 54 formed at the top of the pyramid. The groove 54 has a width L which is at least equal to the thickness E of the upper ends 18a of the two flaps 18 when they are in the closed position. In practice, the width L is greater than the thickness E.

In its bottom, the transverse groove 54 has a knockout 55 which is in the extension, but without communication, with grooves 56 formed at the ends of the bottom of this groove and in the non-accordion faces.

The cover is integral with a belt 57 with a notch 58 capable of snapping into a groove 59 surrounding the neck 60 of the cartridge 10.

Finally, FIG. 11 shows that at least one of the flaps is provided, on the edge of its upper end 18a, with a perforation point 62 projecting from the middle of this edge.

It should be remembered that the longitudinal grooves 16 formed in the sides of the cartridge 10 are distributed so as to allow the introduction of this cartridge into the tubular container 2 only by orienting the cartridge so that the groove 55 of its cover 52 either parallel to the ends 18a of the flaps.

When the bearing face 14 of the cartridge comes into contact with the detection face 50a of the extension 50 of the ring 24, and as shown in FIG. 8, the tip 62 of one of the flaps enters the knockout 55 and punctures the bottom of this knockout. As in the previous embodiment, the force exerted by the operator in the direction of arrow 61 on the cartridge 10 is transmitted, by the wall 50 and by the control ring 24, on the fins 19 which thus tend to rotate the flaps in the direction of the arrows 63. Thus, simultaneously with the insertion of the cartridge 10 into the container 2, the flaps pivot and cause tearing of the cover 52 so that, at the end of movement and as shown in Figure 9, the food contained in the cartridge can pass through the opening cleared thereof and through the funnel formed by the two flaps, to lead to the chute 4 bringing them to metered distribution means.

The tearing of the cover 52 is facilitated by the presence of the knockout 55 which, upon the introduction of the tip 62 creates a starting point of rupture joining the ribs 56 and promoting separation into two of the protruding cover. Under the action of the pivoting of the flaps 18, of this cutting in two of the projecting cover 52 and of the presence of accordion folds 53 in each of these parts, it develops laterally under the pressure of the flaps, and fully releases, at the end of movement, the opening of the cartridge, as shown in Figure 9.

If the user wishes to reuse the cartridge and, for this, closes his neck 60 with a traditional flat film, during the reintroduction of the cartridge 10 into the tubular container 2, this cover occupies the vertical position represented by the dashed line 63 to FIG. 1, that is to say occupies a position which can only come into contact with the upper ends of the flaps 18 when these are in the position of maximum separation, a position in which they absolutely cannot tear this cover, as shown in Figure 9. Under these conditions, it is not possible to access the contents of the cartridge, which prevents it from being reused for dispensing food products of doubtful taste or hygienic quality.

The cover is of course made of a molded or blown synthetic material and has a thickness which, depending on the characteristics of the material chosen, is sufficient to ensure the obturation of the cartridge while allowing the tearing of this cover.

The various types of security which have just been described above all have the function of preventing the normal operation of the dispenser when it is not used with the cartridges according to the invention and closed by a seal, that is ie when it is not used in conditions which guarantee the quality of the food fragments distributed. Thanks to these safety features, but also thanks to the small quantity of product stored in each cartridge, the consumer is guaranteed to consume fresh and pleasant products.

Such a dispenser can be used to dispense any food product such as peanuts, peanuts, raisins, salted cakes, dried fruit fragments ...

Claims (10)

1. Distributor of food products in fragments or grains, of the type consisting of a tubular container 2 with upper closing cover 3 for a removable cartridge 10 containing the food, of a control channel 12 with means for tearing a cover 15 for closing the cartridge 10, a chute 4 directing the food towards metering means 6 of the latter and means for closing the chute connected to an opening control mechanism, characterized in that the tearing means 18a of the cover 15 of the cartridge 10 are carried by closure means 18 of the control channel 12 and are associated with control means 24 which, reacting to the pressure exerted on them by a face d 'support 14 of the cartridge 10, are capable of passing the shutter means 18 from a shutter position to an open position by tearing the shutter seal of the cartridge. 2. Distributor according to claim 1 characterized in that the means for closing the control channel 12 and for tearing the cover 15 are constituted by two flaps 18 which, arranged in this control channel 12 and on the one hand and other of its median plane, are each articulated by their base on transverse axes 20, are connected to biasing means 22, tending to bring their upper ends one against the other to form a dihedral blocking the channel and for perforating the cover of the cartridge 10, and are each provided with a lower bent fin 19, directed away from the other flap, while the control means consist of a ring 24 whose base 24a is supported on the fins 19 of the flaps and the top of which is provided with a flange 24b sliding in the channel 12 and constituting the presence detector of the bearing face 14 of the cartridge 10. 3. Distributor according to all of claims 1 and 2 characterized in that the flange 24b of the control ring 24, disposed substantially at the vertical level of the upper ends 18a, is extended upwards by a wall 50 whose upper face 50a constitutes a detector of the presence of the bearing face 14 of the cartridge and the internal cavity of which, between this bearing face and the ends of the flaps, forms a receptacle for the cover 52 for closing the cartridge, this cover having , protruding, a truncated pyramid shape with two opposite side walls shaped as an accordion at 53 and separated by a transverse groove 54, a groove which, parallel to the folds 53 and to the upper ends 18a of the flaps 18, has a width at least equal to the thickness of these two ends of shutters. 4. Dispenser according to claim 3, characterized in that at least one of the flaps 18 is provided, at its upper end 18a, with a perforation tip 62 projecting from the middle of this end and able to penetrate into the bottom of the transverse groove 54 of the cover. 5. Distributor according to all of claims 3 and 4, characterized in that the tip of the flap 62 cooperates with the bottom of a knockout 55 formed for it in the bottom of the groove 54 of the cover 52, in alignment with grooves 56 formed in the side walls not in accordion. 6. Dispenser according to all of claims 1 and 2 and any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the lid 3 of the container is pivotally mounted on it and has a ramp 40 cooperating with the upper end d 'A rod 36 whose lower end controls the actuation of locking means 32 of the flaps 19 in the closed position. 7. Distributor according to claim 6 characterized in that the control rod 36, slidably mounted in at least one vertical bearing 38 of the distributor, is associated with a spring 42 applying its upper end against the ramp of the cover 3, is provided, at its lower end, of an unlocking means 35 capable of coming to bear, at the end of closing of the cover, against the bar 33 for connecting two locking fingers 32, transverse, passing through the wall of the control channel 12, and of which the free ends are held resiliently, by spring means 34, below the fins 19 of the flaps 18. 8. Device according to claim 7 characterized in that the control rod 36 is associated with means blocking its sliding when the distributor is turned over. 9. A dispenser according to claim 8 characterized in that the bearing 38 for guiding the rod comprises a frustoconical internal housing 46, the small diameter of which faces upwards, and whose frustoconical face cooperates with a wedge ball 45 bearing on a cylindrical bearing surface of the rod only when the distributor is turned over with its cover 3 in the open position. 10. Device according to claim 1 and any one of claims 2 to 9 characterized in that the internal faces of the wall of the container 2 are provided with projecting ribs 17, capable of cooperating with grooves 16, of arrangement and identical section, formed in each cartridge 10 and whose value of the projection S is substantially equal to the width of the bearing face 24b of the flange of the control ring 24.

Images