FR3095429A1 - Dosing dispenser for pasty food products - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dispenser (1) for doses of pasty food product with a viscosity of at least 250 Pa.s and contained in a cylinder (3) forming a reservoir poru the food product and provided at one end (31) with an orifice (32), the dispenser comprising: - a frame (2); - a piston (4) positionable inside the cylinder to force the food product out of the cylinder through the orifice; - a control (5) for actuating the piston; - a motion transmitter (6) adapted to transmit the movement of the drive to the piston; characterized in that the distributor further comprises a metering device (7) coupled to the drive and configured to indicate the end delivery of the desired dose of food product. Fig. 1

Description

Dosing dispenser for pasty food products

The present invention relates to the technical field of food dispensers. More particularly, the present invention relates to the technical field of metering dispensers for pasty food products to provide precise doses of pasty food products.

According to Unicef, 165 million children under the age of 5 suffer from stunted growth worldwide. One of the causes of this condition is malnutrition. However, food in the first years of a child's life is essential for the good physical development of the child and his health. Children are not the only ones affected. Pregnant and breastfeeding women are also a population at risk and malnutrition can have serious consequences for both the mother and the child she is carrying.

People affected by malnutrition must receive an appropriate diet to allow them to regain a satisfactory nutritional status. To ensure an adequate intake of various nutrients, nutritional supplements are distributed by humanitarian aid actors to vulnerable populations.

There are ready-to-use foods in the form of pasty food products dosed and packaged in sachets. There are different segments of "Ready-to-Use Food" (RUF) used to combat undernutrition and malnutrition, including therapeutic foods (RUTF, an acronym for Ready-to-use therapeutic food ), supplementary foods (RUSF, acronym for Ready-to-use supplementary food ) and healthy growth promoting foods (LNS-SQ, acronym for Lipid Nutrient Supplement – Small Quantity ). These ready-to-use foods have the advantage of being easy to use and requiring no preparation, thus allowing treatment without hospitalization under the simple supervision of a family member.

These RUFs used on a large scale on nutrition programs in the field can also prove advantageous in hospital settings. Indeed, for example, they avoid the mobilization of a medical team for the preparation of nutritional supplements.

A hospital or field program operating in an area with a malnourished population may distribute large quantities of RUF generating a large volume of used packaging. In addition, the doses required for each patient vary according to the patient's nutritional status.

Thus, it would be interesting to be able to distribute doses according to the real needs of the beneficiaries. Furthermore, from an environmental perspective, it would be beneficial to reduce packaging volumes.

Presentation of the invention

The present invention provides a solution to at least one of the problems of the prior art described above.

For this, the present invention proposes a [D1] dispenser for doses of pasty food product contained in a cylinder (3) forming a reservoir for the food product and provided at one end (31) with an orifice (32), the dispenser including:
- a chassis ;
- a piston positionable inside the cylinder to force the food product out of the cylinder through the orifice;
- a control for actuating the piston;
- a movement transmitter adapted to transmit the movement of the control to the piston;
characterized in that the dispenser further comprises a dispenser coupled to the control and configured to indicate the end of the dispensing of the desired dose of food product.

This system is suitable for community distribution (action program, health center, refugee camps, etc.) for the supply of doses of a pasty food product, in particular RUF. It also makes it possible to reduce the quantity of waste by avoiding the use of bagged doses.

In addition, its use does not require a scale, nor electrical energy (because it has no electronics which would be necessary for the distribution of the doses) or thermal energy (because in particular it does not require any heating). However, the vulnerable populations who can benefit from this system are generally located in regions where access to a source of energy, in particular electricity, can be problematic.

Other optional and non-limiting characteristics are presented below.

[D2] Distributor according to [D1], in which the motion transmitter comprises:
- a guide rod at one end of which the piston is fixed; And
- A pinion arranged in gear with the guide rod and actuated in rotation by the control, the pinion transmitting to the rack a translational movement.

[D3] Distributor according to [D2], in which the guide rod is a notched or threaded rod.

[D4] Distributor according to [D2] or [D3], in which the pinion is a spur or helical gear.

[D5] Distributor according to one of [D2] to [D4], in which the control is a disc provided with a handle rotatably mounted on the disc outside the axis of the disc, the disc being fixed to the shaft of the pinion, the driving shaft and the axis of the disc being aligned.

[D6] Dispenser according to one of [D1] to [D5], in which the dispenser is non-visual.

[D7] Dispenser according to [D6], in which the doser is a ratchet wheel coupled to the control, the noise produced by the click wheel indicating the dose dispensed.

[D8] Dispenser according to [D6], in which the doser comprises a container and a support for receiving the container, the indication of the end of the distribution of the desired dose being obtained by the resistance encountered by the control when the container is filled with pasty food product.

[D9] Dispenser according to [D8], wherein the support is further adapted to move the container so that an edge of the latter cuts off the flow of food product.

[D10] Distributor according to [D6], in which the dispenser comprises a supply tube connected by one of its ends to the orifice and having a longitudinal axis, and a molding tube having a longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the supply tube, the molding tube being mounted for translation along the longitudinal axis around the supply tube between an extended position and a retracted position, the outer surface of the supply tube and the inner surface of the molding tube being complementary.

[D11] Dispenser according to [D10], in which the dispenser further comprises a set of gauges, each gauge serving as a stop for the travel of the molding tube along the longitudinal axis in order to modify the length between the deployed position and the retracted position.

[D12] Distributor according to [D11], in which each gauge is mounted to form a stop for the extended position and/or the retracted position of the molding tube.

[D13] Dispenser according to [D11], in which the dispenser further comprises a gauge holder with a wheel mounted to rotate and on which the gauges are fixed.

[D14] Distributor according to one of [D10] to [D13], in which one or more markings are provided on the supply tube indicating one or more intermediate positions between the deployed position and the retracted position.

[D15] Dispenser according to one of [D10] to [D13], in which at least a portion of the molding tube is transparent over the length of the latter and one or more markings are provided on the molding tube indicating one or more intermediate positions between the extended position and the retracted position.

[D16] Dispenser according to one of [D10] to [D15], in which the dispenser further comprises a blade mounted on the molding tube and the flat of which acts as a shutter.

[D17] Distributor according to [D16], in which the blade is a guillotine blade.

[D18] Distributor according to one of [D1] to [D17], further comprising a blade whose flat is adapted to cover the orifice, the blade being movable between an open position and a closed position of the orifice.

[D19] Distributor according to one of [D1] to [D18], in which the cylinder is fixed to the frame with the end presenting the orifice downwards. The cylinder may also have a window for viewing the degree of filling of the latter.

[D20] Distributor according to one of [D1] to [D18], in which the frame comprises a receptacle for receiving the cylinder, the receptacle comprising a straight or angled through orifice extending the orifice of the cylinder when the cylinder is in place on the receptacle with its end having the orifice downwards.

The present invention also relates to a [K1] kit comprising a dispenser according to one of [D1] to [D20] and a refill.

[K2] Kit according to [K1], in which the refill is the cylinder itself, the cylinder having a fixing on its outer surface and specially adapted to the chassis.

[K3] Kit according to [K2], in which the cylinder has at least one rib, and in which the frame has at least one groove adapted to receive the rib and forming with the latter clip fasteners.

[K4] Kit according to [K2], in which the cylinder has at least one groove, and in which the frame has at least one rib adapted to receive the groove and forming therewith clipping fasteners.

[K5] Kit according to [K1], in which the refill is a bagged refill to be placed in the cylinder fixed to the chassis.

The present invention also relates to a cylinder [C1] comprising a reservoir filled with pasty food product, the reservoir having at one end an orifice for dispensing the pasty food product, and one or more attachments on the outer surface of the reservoir. Other optional and non-limiting characteristics of the cylinder are:

[C2] Cylinder according to [C1], in the fixing is a groove or a rib on the outer surface of the cylinder.

[C3] Cylinder according to [C1] or [C2], in which the reservoir has a circular cylindrical inner surface.

The present invention finally relates to a method [P1] for dispensing doses of pasty food product with a viscosity of at least 250 Pa.s, the method comprising:
- the provision of a cylinder forming a reservoir for the food product and provided at one end with an orifice and adapted to be received in a dispenser comprising a frame, a piston positionable inside the cylinder to force the food product out of the cylinder through the orifice, a control for the actuation of the piston, a motion transmitter adapted to transmit the movement of the control to the piston, and a doser coupled to the control and configured to indicate the end of the dispensing of the desired dose of food product;
- the arrangement of the cylinder in the distributor;
- the positioning of the piston inside the cylinder;
- actuation of the control, the movement of which is transmitted to the piston until the indication of the end of the dispensing of the desired dose; And
- dose recovery.

[P2] Method [P1], wherein the cylinder and the distributor form a kit according to one of [K1] to [K5].

Description of the drawings

Other characteristics, details and advantages will appear on reading the detailed description below, and on analyzing the appended drawings, in which:

Fig. 1

shows a front view of a dose dispenser according to a first embodiment of the invention, the piston being shown by transparency in dotted lines.

Fig. 2

shows a left side view of the dispenser in Figure 1.

Fig. 3

shows a right view of the dispenser in Figure 1.

Fig. 4

shows a top view of the dispenser in Figure 1.

Fig. 5

shows a front view of a dose dispenser according to a second embodiment of the invention with the container (mold) out of its support (housing), the piston and the receiving orifice of the housing being shown by transparency in dotted.

Fig. 6

shows a rear-left three-quarter view of the dispenser in Figure 5.

Fig. 7

shows a left side view of the dispenser in Figure 5.

Fig. 8

shows a right side view of the dispenser in Figure 5.

Fig. 9

shows a top view of the dispenser in Figure 5.

Fig. 10

shows a front view of the dispenser of Figure 5 with the container in its support, the piston and the receiving orifice of the housing being shown by transparency in dotted lines.

Fig. 11

shows a diagram of a rack used as a guide rod.

Fig. 12

shows a threaded rod used as a guide rod.

Fig. 13

shows a spur gear.

Fig. 14

shows a helical gear.

Fig. 15

shows a three-quarter view, front left, of a dose dispenser according to the invention, the piston, the control and the motion transmitter not being shown.

Fig. 16

shows a three-quarter view, rear-right, of the dispenser in Figure 15.

Fig. 17

shows a sectional and side view of the dispenser of Figure 15 with the forming tube in its deployed position.

Fig. 18

is a three-quarter view of the dispenser and receptacle used in the dispenser of Figure 15.

shows a sectional view of the dispenser used in the dispenser of Figure 15 and mounted on the receptacle.

Fig. 20

shows a three-quarter view of a particular embodiment of the dispenser base according to the invention.

Fig. 21

shows a three-quarter view of the dispenser of Figure 15 with an adapter fitted with a gauge holder on the molding tube.

Fig. 22

shows an enlarged, three-quarter view of the adapter with a caliber holder for three calibers.

Fig. 23

shows a top view of the adapter fitted with a gauge holder for four gauges and positioned on the molding tube.

With reference to Figures 1 to 19 is described below a pasty food product dose dispenser according to the present invention. The terms relating to the location and orientation in space will be considered in relation to the normal position of use of the distributor.

By pasty food is meant food in the form of a paste with a viscosity of at least 250 Pa.s, preferably at least 300 Pa.s, always preferably at least 350 Pa.s. Advantageously, the viscosity is not greater than 650 Pa.s, preferably 600 Pa.s, still preferably 550 Pa.s.

The present viscosity values are determined using the TA Instruments DHR3 machine temperature-controlled by a Peltier effect plane, with a plane-plane geometry of 60 mm in diameter Smooth in order to control the deformation applied to the samples. The sample is deposited on the lower plane and then spread using the upper plane. Excess product is removed with a spatula. The air gap is then set at 1 mm and the sample conditioned at a measurement temperature of 25°C. A regime test is carried out on the sample for an increasing shear rate from 0.01 to 100 s ^–1 to obtain flow curves and by applying the so-called “Herschel-Bulkley” model. The viscosity values above correspond to the viscosity measured using the flow curve when the shear rate is 1 s ^–1 .

The dispenser 1 comprises a frame 2 , a piston 4 inside the cylinder 3 , a control 5 for actuating the piston 4 , a motion transmitter 6 and a metering device 7 .

The shape of the frame 2 is not decisive for the present invention, it simply needs to be robust and stable, which the person skilled in the art will be able to achieve from his general knowledge. In particular, frame 2 may include a base 21 and one or more uprights 22 extending from base 21 , preferably at 90°.

The base 21 can be a flat plate so as to be able to rest on a flat surface, for example a table. However, the base 21 can have any suitable shape to ensure its stability according to the shape of the surface of the support on which the dispenser 1 is to be placed, and/or according to aesthetic needs. For example, as shown in Figures 1 to 10, the base 21 is a plate having a shape obtained by adding a half-disc 211 extended on the non-rounded side 2111 corresponding to a diameter of the disc by a rectangle 212 whose side from which it extends the half-disc has the same length as the diameter of the half-disc 211 .

The shape of the plate forming the base 21 can alternatively be more complex, for example, as shown in Figures 15 to 17, it has a plurality of arms extending from a center, each of the arms extending sufficiently to serve as a support to another element of the dispenser such as the upright(s). Such a shape makes it possible both to ensure the stability of the frame and to gain in lightness. An example is illustrated in Figure 20 where we can see five arms: two arms 214 , 215 leaving towards a left side for the support of a left upright; two arms 216 , 217 starting towards a right side for the support of a right upright; and an arm 218 extending forwards for supporting an abutment 213 .

The frame may include a single upright 22 (eg Figures 1 to 10). For example, post 22 may be a second plate attached to base 21 and extending therefrom at right angles. For example, the second plate is a rectangle, in particular a rectangle whose width is in contact with the base. However, the upright 22 can have any shape suited to the stability of the dispenser and/or according to aesthetic needs.

The frame may comprise several uprights 22 , for example a right upright 23 formed of a plate and a left upright 24 also formed of a plate (see FIGS. 15 to 17). The plates 23 , 24 are arranged so as to face each other. They can be connected to one another by one or more crosspieces 25 in the rear part. In the case where there are several crosspieces 25 , these are arranged at a distance from each other. For example, the frame comprises two crosspieces 25 , one in the lower part and the other in the upper part.

In all the embodiments, the plates 22 , 23 , 24 forming the upright or uprights can be perforated in order to lighten the frame and then include openings 231 , 241 .

The cylinder 3 can be provided to form a reservoir for the food product and is fixed to the frame 2 . The tank typically has a capacity of between 1 L and 10 L, in particular 1 L, 2 L, 3 L, 4 L, 5 L, 6 L, 7 L, 8 L, 9 L and 10 L. Alternatively, the numerical values are the same, but the unit is UK or US gallon. The cylinder 3 has at one end 31 a dispensing orifice 32 for the pasty food product. This end 31 is placed downwards.

By cylinder is understood in the present presentation an object whose inner surface 33 forming the reservoir is obtained by a closed curve inscribed in a plane and generatrices perpendicular to the plane along the closed curve. For example, the cylinder may have a circular closed curve. However, the present invention is not limited to this shape of closed curve and the latter can have any shape according to requirements, in particular triangle, quadrilateral (square, rectangle, etc.), pentagon, hexagon, etc. For practical reasons explained below, the circular shape is preferred.

The shape of the outer surface 34 of the cylinder 3 forming the reservoir is not critical. However, for practical and weight reasons, the outer surface 34 preferably has the same geometry as the inner surface 33 ; it is advantageously a homothetic shape of that of the inner surface 33 with the barycenter of the inner surface 33 as its center.

The cylinder 3 may typically comprise at its lower end 31 a lower plate closing the bottom of the cylinder with the exception of the through hole 32 which is made there. Preferably, the orifice 32 is made in the center of the lower plate. Alternatively, orifice 32 can be off-center.

The cylinder 3 may have a window 35 for viewing the degree of filling thereof. Thus, the user can easily know if there is a need to refill the cylinder 3 by looking at the quantity of food product through the window 35 . The window 35 preferably extends from one end of the cylinder to the other. The window 35 preferably has an oblong shape, the length of which is collinear with the generatrices of the cylinder 3 . The roundings of the oblong shape are, more preferably, formed by semicircles.

The cylinder 3 can be fixed to the frame 2 and thus form an integral part of the distributor 1 , for example, the cylinder 3 is fixed to the frame 2 by bolting, riveting, welding, brazing or a combination of these (see figures 1 to 10 ).

Alternatively (see FIGS. 15 to 17), cylinder 3 is a consumable and is adapted to be removably mounted on frame 2 . For this, the frame 2 may include removable fixings of the cylinder, for example the cylinder 3 includes one or more annular ribs 36 on its outer surface and the frame includes corresponding grooves 251 , for example either on the single upright 22 , or on the crosspieces 25 connecting the uprights 23 , 24 doubles together. Of course, it is also possible to provide the grooves on the outer surface of the cylinder 3 and the ribs on the frame 2 . The ribs and grooves form clip fasteners.

Furthermore, the distributor 1 may further comprise a receptacle 8 to receive the end 31 of the cylinder 3 having the orifice; the receptacle 8 being preferably supported by the base 21 . Receptacle 8 has a straight or angled through hole 81 extending the cylinder hole when cylinder 3 is in place on receptacle 8 . For example, the receptacle 8 has the shape of a circular puck whose diameter is greater than that of the cylinder 3 . Furthermore, the receptacle 8 may have a circular depression 83 on its upper face 82 corresponding to the shape and dimensions of the end 31 of the cylinder 3 having the orifice; the orifice 81 passing through the receptacle beginning in the circular depression 83 .

The piston4serves to force the food product out of the cylinder3through the hole32in moving inside it. Thus, it is typically formed of a plate whose contour corresponds to the contour of the closed curve of the cylinder3.

The movement transmitter 6 is adapted to transmit the movement of the control 5 to the piston 4 . The motion transmitter 6 may include a guide rod 61 and a pinion 62 arranged in mesh with the guide rod 61 .

Piston 4 is attached to one end of guide rod 61 . The attachment is preferably made at the center of the piston 4 , but this is not essential and an offset relative to the center of the piston 4 is acceptable. For example the distance between the center of the piston and the fixing point can be up to 20% (preferably up to 10%) of the distance between the center of the piston and its circumference taken on a line crossing the fixing point .

The pinion 62 is actuated in rotation by the control 5 , the pinion 62 transmitting to the guide rod 61 a translation movement. The guide rod 61 is typically arranged so that its longitudinal axis is vertical (for example perpendicular to the base), but another arrangement can be provided, it suffices that the longitudinal axis of the guide rod 61 is collinear with the generators of cylinder 3 .

The guide rod 61 can be a notched rod 611 (FIG. 11), also called a rack. Thus, the piston 4 is driven in a translation movement from bottom to top. In this case, the shape of the closed curve of the cylinder 3 is not limited.

The guide rod 61 can alternatively be a threaded rod 612 (FIG. 12). In the latter case, the guide rod 61 is a right circular cylinder having one or more helical splines. The shape of the closed curve of the cylinder 3 is then limited to a circular shape.

The pinion 62 can be a straight toothed wheel 621 (FIG. 13) or a helical toothed wheel 622 (FIG. 14).

The combinations of guide rod 61 and pinion 62 are known to those skilled in the art and can be: (i) a rack and a spur gear; (ii) a helical rack and pinion; (iii) a threaded rod and a spur gear; (iv) a threaded rod and a helical gear.

The ratio between the pinion 62 and the guide rod 61 determines the dose of pasty food product dispensed. Thus, this ratio can be adapted as needed to provide the desired dose.

The motion transmitter 6 can comprise several pinions, typically assembled in a gearbox 63 making it possible to vary the torque supplied to the guide rod 61 . This ultimately makes it possible to adapt the dose to be dispensed. Indeed, it may be necessary to adapt the dose to the age and/or the weight and/or the activity of the person.

The control 5 may be a disk 51 provided with a handle 52 rotatably mounted on the disk 51 outside the axis 511 of the disk, the disk 51 being fixed to the driving shaft 623 of the pinion, the driving shaft 623 and the axis 511 of the disc being aligned. Thus, rotation of disk 51 causes rotation of drive shaft 623 of the pinion which drives guide rod 61 .

The doser 7 is a non-visual doser, in particular it is differentiated by a graduation. The doser 7 is coupled to the control 5 and is configured to indicate the end of the dispensing of the desired dose of food product. Two types of dispensers 7 are particularly envisaged and are described below with the characteristics specific to these embodiments.

All of the embodiments of the dispenser described below can be used with the distributor with integrated cylinder or the distributor without integrated cylinder even though the figures do not show them in combination.

Ratchet Wheel Proportioner (Figures 1-4)

In a first embodiment, the doser 7 is a ratchet wheel coupled to the control 5 , the noise produced by the ratchet wheel indicating the dose dispensed. Ratchet wheels are devices known to those skilled in the art who will know how to determine the most suitable one according to the needs.

Preferably, the ratchet wheel is adapted to emit a noise, a click , each time it is moved through a determined angle. For example, each time it is moved through an angle of 90°, 180°, 270°, 360° 720°, etc. In other words when it makes a quarter turn, a half turn, three quarter turns, a full turn, two full turns. In general, all angle values in steps of 90° starting from 90° are considered. Preferably, the wheel emits a noise each time it completes a revolution.

In this embodiment, the cylinder 3 may further comprise a sleeve 36 typically extending from the lower end 31 of the cylinder and in particular from the lower plate. In this case, the orifice 32 of the cylinder is the orifice of the sleeve.

The dispenser 1 may further comprise a blade 8 whose flat is adapted to cover the orifice, the blade 8 being movable between an open position and a closed position of the orifice. By its arrangement, the blade 8 also serves to cut the thread of pasty food product which comes out of the cylinder 3 through the orifice 32 when it passes from the open position to the closed position. Preferably, in the closed position, the blade 8 covers the orifice in a sealed manner. The movement of the blade 8 can be a translation or a rotation on the plane thereof. The displacement of the blade 8 can be carried out manually by the operator (for example using a handle 81 ) or be coupled to the ratchet wheel. In the latter case, the blade 8 can be moved from the closed position to the open position during the first half of the movement of the ratchet wheel necessary for dispensing a dose, and from the open position to the closed position during of the second half of the ratchet wheel travel. Alternatively, the displacement from the closed position to the open position, respectively from the open position to the closed position, can be obtained more quickly at the start, respectively at the end, of the movement of the ratchet wheel. In the latter case, during most of the movement of the ratchet wheel, the blade 8 is in its closed position.

Pressure dispenser (figure 5 to 10)

In this embodiment, the doser 7 comprises a container 71 and the end of the dose is indicated by the filling of the container and the resistance encountered when the control 5 is further actuated. Below is first described a first variant and then a second variant.

In a first variant of this embodiment (not shown in the drawings), the dispenser comprises a container and a support adapted to hold the container against the orifice of the cylinder, the indication of the end of the distribution of the desired dose being obtained by the resistance encountered by the control when the container is filled with pasty food product. When the container is held against the orifice of the cylinder, although sealing is not necessary given the viscosity of the pasty food product, it is essential that the space contained by the container be closed. Otherwise, the resistance may not be sufficiently felt.

The dispenser can then include a pressure sensor on the support and coupled to the control so as to stop the dispensing of pasty food product when a pressure threshold value is detected.

Optionally, the support can be adapted to move the container so that an edge of the latter cuts the flow of food product. In which case, the support is adapted to move the container between two positions, a dispensing position in which the container is against the orifice and a non-dispensing position in which the container is no longer against the orifice; the container being loaded onto the support and recovered in its non-dispensing position. Thus, when the container is moved from its dispensing position to its non-dispensing position, the rear edge (considered with respect to the direction of movement) cuts the thread of pasty food product.

Further, the dispenser may also include a blade as described in the embodiment of the ratchet wheel dispenser. In this case, the movement of the blade and that of the container can be synchronized so that the blade is moved towards its open position when the container is moved towards its dispensing position and that the blade is moved towards its closed position when the container is moved to its non-dispensing position.

In a second variant of this embodiment, the dispenser 7 comprises a mold 71 and a housing 72 for receiving the mold. The housing 72 has an insertion opening 721 by translation of the mold 71 . Housing 72 also has a receiving port 722 fluidly connected to port 32 of the cylinder. The fluidic connection is made by a tube 9 extending between the orifice 32 of the cylinder and the receiving orifice 722 .

The mold 71 has a space 712 for receiving the pasty food product. The volume of the mold space determines the dispensed dose. The housing 72 is adapted so that when the mold 71 is loaded therein, the receiving orifice 722 opens into the space 712 of the mold. The mold space 712 may be provided by a through hole. It can have various shapes, in particular geometric shapes, such as a right cylinder with a circular base, square, rectangle, hexagonal, etc. It can also have a more playful shape such as that of an animal, especially for children.

The mold 71 can be moved inside the housing 72 in translation to a dispensing position inside the housing and in the opposite direction to remove the mold 71 from the housing 72 . Thus, the mold having a rear edge 711 (considered relative to the direction of movement from the dispensing position) cutting off the flow of pasty food product when it is moved from the dispensing position out of the housing.

Preferably, mold 71 includes a handle 713 extending outside of housing 72 when mold 71 is in its dispensing position.

The housing 72 can advantageously have a generally parallelepipedic shape and have a front face 723 , a rear face 724 , an upper face 725 , a lower face 726 , a left face 727 and a right face 728 ; the left 727 and right 728 faces preferably being the faces of smaller area, the front 723 and rear 724 faces the faces of larger area. Preferably, the insertion orifice 721 is produced by the absence of material on one of the faces with the smallest area, the direction of insertion being collinear with the other faces. The front 723 , rear 724 , upper 725 and lower 726 faces can act as a guide for the translation of the mold 72 . The right face 728 can act as a stop to stop the movement of the mold 71 inside the housing 72 .

The housing 72 may also have on its front face 723 or its upper face 725 a slot 729 extending collinearly with the direction of translation of the mold 71 and from one of the edges perpendicular to this same direction of translation. The slot 729 being sized to allow the handle 713 of the mold to pass when the latter is provided.

The housing 72 is typically fixed to the frame 2 and particularly to the base 21 , for example by its lower face 726 .

In this variant, a disc actuated in rotation acts as a control, this can include a clutch which disengages when the pressure inside the mold space reaches a threshold value marking the end of the distribution.

Pressure feeder (figures 18 and 19)

In this embodiment, the metering device 7 comprises a supply tube 73 and a molding tube 74 . The supply tube 73 is connected by one of its ends to the orifice of the cylinder 3 (possibly via the receptacle 8 or a tube 9 extending between the orifice 32 of the cylinder and the supply tube 73 ). The supplier tube 73 and the molding tube 74 each has a longitudinal axis. The longitudinal axes of the tubes are coaxial. The molding tube 74 is mounted in translation along the longitudinal axis around the supply tube 73 between an extended position and a retracted position. Thus, the outer surface 731 of the supply tube 73 and the inner surface 741 of the molding tube 74 are complementary, thus producing a slide connection to allow translation.

In the extended position, the greater part of the molding tube 74 does not surround the supply tube 73 whereas in the retracted position, the greater part of the molding tube 74 surrounds the supply tube 73 . In other words, the supply tube 73 is fitted into the molding tube 74 when the latter is in its retracted position.

The extended and retracted positions are preferably defined by stops 734 , 213 , 742 , 743 . For example, a default stop 734 is provided on the supply tube 73 at its end fixed to the receptacle 8 (above, below or on the side of the supply tube) to mark the retracted position (called "default") and a default stop 213 is provided on the base 21 to mark the deployed position (called “default”); the molding tube 74 having at its distal end (end furthest from the operator when using the dispenser) a counterstop 742 (on its lower face or a side surface). Alternatively, the default retracted position can also be defined by a counterstop 743 placed at the proximal end of the molding tube 74 which comes against the default stopper 213 of the base 21 (which can therefore serve both as a default stopper for retracted position by default and abutment position by default for the deployed position).

The stops or counterstops acting with the stops 734 , 213 , 742 , 743 can be provided on the single upright 22 or one of the two uprights 23 , 24 .

The inner surface 741 of the molding tube 74 delimits a molding space when the molding tube 74 is in its deployed position and is intended to give its shape to the dispensed dose. This dispensed dose is formed by loading this molding space with food product by pressure as in the embodiment of the dispenser described above. For this, the proximal end of the molding tube 74 has a shutter which is placed in its closed position when loading the molding space. In order to release the dispensed dose, the shutter is moved to its open position and the molding tube 74 is moved to its retracted position. In doing so, the molding tube 74 uncovers the dispensed dose.

The shape of the straight cross section of the inner surface 741 of the molding tube 74 can be diverse: for example and in a non-limiting manner, circular, square (possibly with rounded corners), rectangular (possibly with rounded corners), oblong, etc

An anti-friction ring 75 can be provided. This anti-friction ring 75 matches the external shape of the supply tube 73 .

The doser 7 can also comprise a set of gauges 76 . Each gauge 76 serves as a stop for the stroke of the molding tube 74 along the longitudinal axis in order to modify the length between the extended position and the retracted position. The 76 calibers in particular have different lengths. Each gauge 76 is mounted to form a stop for the extended position and/or the retracted position of the molding tube. For example, each 76 gauge is a rod having a fixing at one of its ends (for example a thread).

A receiving hole 781-785 having a fixing (for example a thread) can be provided on the distributor 1 in order to receive the fixing of the gauge 76 .

For example, receiving hole 781-783 may be provided at several different locations.

To define a new retracted position, the receiving hole 781 can be provided on the distal end of the supply tube 73 (above, below or beside the supply tube), for example on the default stop 734 . Thus, when the gauge is put in place, it extends parallel to the longitudinal axes of the supplier 73 and molder 74 tubes forward beyond the default stop of the default retracted position, thus defining a new retracted position. The reception hole 782 can be provided on the default stop 213 of the base 21 at the front thereof. Thus, when the gauge 76 is put in place, it extends from the default abutment 213 of the base 21 parallel to the longitudinal axes of the supplier 73 and molder 74 tubes forwards. The receiving hole 783 may still be provided on the proximal end of the molding tube 74 . Thus, when the gauge 76 is in place, it extends parallel to the longitudinal axes of the supplier 73 and molder 74 tubes from the proximal end of the molder tube 74 towards the rear. Of course, several reception holes can be provided at the same time.

It is also possible to provide two or more reception holes, with at least one for defining a new retracted position and at least one for defining a new extended position and the other on the default stop of the deployed position allowing, by the use of two identical or different calibres, to define both a new retracted position and a new deployed position.

Alternatively, the doser 7 can comprise a gauge holder 79 (see FIGS. 21 and 22). The caliber holder 79 , as its name suggests, is configured to carry one or more calibers 76 , for example 2, 3 (as in figure 22), 4 (as in figure 23), 5 or 6 calibers, making it possible to define different retracted positions of the molding tube 74 . For example, the gauge holder 79 comprises a wheel 791 rotatably mounted on the outer surface of the molding tube 74 , either directly or through an intermediate piece. Calibers 76 are arranged around the axis of rotation of wheel 791 . The gauges 76 are preferably angularly distributed in a regular manner around the axis of rotation of the wheel 791 . The term wheel here refers to the ability of it to turn around an axis of rotation and does not refer to the shape of it although the circular shape is the most intuitive, another shape can also be provided, for example triangular, square, rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal, octagonal, etc.

Each of the gauges 76 can comprise a rod 761 fixed by one of its ends to the wheel 791 and having a tapping at the other of its ends which is free. Each of the gauges 76 also comprises a rod 762 threaded at one of its ends and comprising at the other of its ends an adjustment head 763 . Alternatively, the rod 761 fixed to the wheel has a thread and the rod 762 comprising the adjustment head 763 has an internal thread. The combination of the two rods 761 , 762 makes it possible to adjust the total length of the gauge 76 and thus the retracted position of the molding tube 74 . The lengths of the rods 761 attached to the gauge wheel can be different. Preferably, the gauges are distributed around the axis of rotation of the wheel in the order of the length of their rod 761 fixed to the wheel 791 . This is always the case when there are 2 or 3 calibres. Thus, it is possible to cut several identical doses by successively using the plurality of gauges 76 , from the shortest to the longest. Preferably, if the number of gauges 76 is n , the length of each of the rods of each gauge is chosen so as to allow the gauge to have a total length equal to k × L / n , with L a constant and k a integer between 1 and n . The length L / n then defines a dose.

Thus, during use, the user will first turn the wheel 791 so as to place the longest gauge 76 in front of the corresponding stop and move the molding tube 74 in a distal direction as far as the stop. He can then cut a first dose using, for example, the blade 77 . Then, the wheel will be turned to place the gauge 76 having the second longest length in front of the stop and move the molding tube 74 in a distal direction until it stops. The user can then cut off a second dose; and so on up to the shortest 76 caliber.

The gauge holder 79 can be fixed on one side, in particular lateral, of the molding tube 74 by an arm, or alternatively the gauge holder is fixed by an arm 792 to a lateral side of an adapter 790 configured to be slid to the like a sleeve around the molding tube 74 .

As shown in Figure 21, in the case where the dispenser comprises a gauge holder 79 , the single upright 22 or one of the uprights 22 , 23 of the frame 2 may have a surface 232 serving as an abutment for the gauges 76 of the holder. 79 caliber. Thus, during the rotation of the wheel 791 in particular, each of the gauges will be positioned in turn in front of the surface 232 of the upright.

Since the prescribed dose is determined by the molding space, it is understood that modifying the length between the retracted position and the extended position of the molding tube 74 makes it possible to modify the dose.

One or more markings can be provided on the supply tube 73 thus making it possible to indicate one or more intermediate positions between the deployed position and the retracted position. Alternatively or in addition, at least a portion of the molding tube 74 may be transparent over the length of the latter and one or more markings may be provided on the molding tube indicating one or more intermediate positions between the extended position and the retracted position. The markings can be provided on the transparent portion or just next to it.

Thus, it is possible to define a sub-dose without the dose formed by the molding space, to move the molding tube 74 towards its retracted position and to stop at the marking corresponding to the desired dose. The rear end of the molding tube 74 , the front end of the supply tube 73 or a pointer provided either at the rear end of the molding tube 74 or at the front end of the supply tube 73 can be used in combination with the markings to determine the dose.

Furthermore, the use of a plurality of markings makes it possible to successively and quickly cut out several sub-doses by moving the molding tube 74 in stages towards its retracted position and by cutting out a sub-dose each time.

Preferably, the markings indicate the amount of the sub-dose by weight of the sub-dose. Thus, no conversion is necessary. Several sets of markings can be provided to take into account the possibility of dispensing several types of food product with the same dispenser.

The doser 7 may further comprise a blade 77 mounted on the molding tube 74 and the flat of which acts as a shutter. In which case, the blade 77 then replaces the shutter mentioned above. The blade 77 is preferably a guillotine blade, that is to say it is mounted in vertical translation. For example, the blade 77 has a generally rectangular shape with the lower side 771 sharp enough to allow the food product to be cut, and the lateral sides inserted into rails formed in a frame 78 for housing the blade 77 arranged at the end proximal to molding tube 74 . A handle 772 can be provided on the upper side thus extending the rectangular shape on this side.

The doser 7 can further comprise a blade cover 773 allowing the food product to be kept in the supply tube 73 and/or the molding tube 74 out of contact with the ambient air (see FIGS. 21). The blade cover 773 can be a sliding over-frame, for example laterally, to cover the blade 77 or even the blade housing frame 78 in a hermetic manner.

The distributor 1 according to all the embodiments and their variants can be loaded with pasty food product by raising the piston 4 using the control 5 and pouring the pasty food product into the cylinder 3 .

As a variant, the dispenser 1 can be loaded with pasty food product through the orifice 32 of the cylinder when the piston 4 is in the low position. For this, a container containing pasty food product to be loaded is arranged under the cylinder 3 so that the orifice 32 of the cylinder is in contact with the pasty food product then the control 5 is actuated in refill mode (typically by moving the control in the opposite direction to that used for distribution). Going up, the piston 4 causes the suction of the pasty food product inside the cylinder 3 .

In another variant, the pasty food product is available in the form of a bagged refill of at most the capacity of the cylinder 3 , preferably equal to the latter or at the very least close to the latter. The bagged refill comprises a dispensing orifice for the pasty food product which can be provided with a socket. When recharging, the piston is raised using the control as in the other variants. Then, the previous bagged refill, now empty, is removed from the cylinder 3 to be replaced by a new one, taking care to make the orifices coincide with each other or to pass the socket through the orifice of the cylinder. Then the piston 4 is put back in place.

The dispenser described above can be used in a process for dispensing doses of pasty food product with a viscosity of at least 250 Pa.s. The method includes the provision of a cylinder forming a reservoir for the food product and provided at one end with an orifice and adapted to be received in the distributor, the arrangement of the cylinder in the distributor, the positioning of the piston inside of the cylinder, actuation of the control whose movement is transmitted to the piston until the indication of the end of the dispensing of the desired dose, and recovery of the dose.

The dose recovery step may include separating the dose from the rest of the pasty food product. This separation can be carried out for example by a blade. The dose recovery step may include the separation of several successive doses from the rest of the pasty food product, in particular using the device of Figures 15 to 23.

The present invention, although described with reference to RUF products, is not limited to the distribution of such products, but can be used for any pasty food.

Claims (13)

Distributor (1) of doses of pasty food product with a viscosity of at least 250 Pa.s and contained in a cylinder (3) forming a reservoir for the food product and provided at one end (31) with an orifice (32) , the distributor comprising:
- a frame (2);
- a piston (4) positionable inside the cylinder to force the food product out of the cylinder through the orifice;
- a control (5) for actuating the piston;
- a movement transmitter (6) adapted to transmit the movement of the control to the piston;
characterized in that the dispenser further comprises a doser (7) coupled to the control and configured to indicate the end of the dispensing of the desired dose of food product. Dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the doser is non-visual. Dispenser according to Claim 2, in which the dispenser comprises a supply tube (73) connected by one of its ends to the orifice and having a longitudinal axis, and a molding tube (74) having a longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the supply tube, the molding tube being mounted for translation along the longitudinal axis around the supply tube between an extended position and a retracted position, the outer surface (731) of the supply tube and the inner surface (741) of the molding tube being complementary. Dispenser according to Claim 3, in which the dispenser further comprises a set of gauges (76), each gauge serving as a stop for the travel of the molding tube along the longitudinal axis in order to modify the length between the deployed position and the retracted position. A dispenser according to claim 4, wherein the meter further comprises a gauge carrier with a rotatably mounted wheel to which the gauges are attached. Dispenser according to one of Claims 3 to 5, in which the dispenser further comprises a blade (77) mounted on the molding tube and the flat of which acts as a shutter, preferably a guillotine blade. Dispenser according to Claim 2, in which the doser is a ratchet wheel coupled to the control, the noise produced by the ratchet wheel indicating the dose dispensed; or wherein the dispenser comprises a container and a support for containing the container, the indication of the end of the distribution of the desired dose being obtained by the resistance encountered by the control when the container is filled with pasty food product, the support being preferably adapted to move the container so that an edge (711) of the latter intersects the flow of food product. Dispenser according to one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a blade (8) whose flat is adapted to cover the orifice, the blade being movable between an open position and a closed position of the orifice. Kit comprising a dispenser according to one of claims 1 to 8 and a pasty food product refill with a viscosity of at least 250 Pa.s. Kit according to Claim 9, in which the refill is the cylinder itself, the cylinder having an attachment on its outer surface and specially adapted to the chassis, preferably the cylinder having at least one rib or a groove, and in which the chassis has at least one groove or a rib adapted to receive the rib or the groove and forming with the latter clip fasteners. Cylinder comprising a reservoir filled with pasty food product, the reservoir having at one end (31) a dispensing orifice (32) for the pasty food product, and one or more attachments on the outer surface of the reservoir, preferably the attachment is a groove or a rib on the outer surface of the cylinder. A method of dispensing doses of pasty food product with a viscosity of at least 250 Pa.s, the method comprising:
- the provision of a cylinder forming a reservoir for the food product and provided at one end with an orifice and adapted to be received in a dispenser comprising a frame, a piston positionable inside the cylinder to force the food product out of the cylinder through the orifice, a control for the actuation of the piston, a motion transmitter adapted to transmit the movement of the control to the piston, and a doser (7) coupled to the control and configured to indicate the end of the dispensing the desired dose of food product;
- the arrangement of the cylinder in the distributor;
- the positioning of the piston inside the cylinder;
- actuation of the control, the movement of which is transmitted to the piston until the indication of the end of the dispensing of the desired dose; And
- dose recovery. Method according to claim 12, in which the cylinder and the distributor form a kit according to one of claims 9 and 10.