GB2153340A

GB2153340A - A container for dosing pasta of elongated form and other string/stick-shaped products

Info

Publication number: GB2153340A
Application number: GB08415577A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Loris Meliconi
Original assignee: MELICONI Srl
Current assignee: MELICONI Srl
Priority date: 1984-01-27
Filing date: 1984-06-19
Publication date: 1985-08-21
Also published as: GB8415577D0; FR2558800A1; DE3423123A1; IT8404736V0; ES280122Y; ES280122U

Abstract

The container for dispensing pasta in measured quantities comprises body portion 1 closed by a cover 2 provided with an opening 3 disposed in a peripheral region of the cover contiguous to the envelope 1a forming the side wall of the body portion and having a slider element 5 movable with respect to the cover and is adapted to be firmly positioned with respect thereto in order to close said opening completely or to open the same to various selectable degrees. Said cover and slider element are provided with inner small walls 4, 4a, 7 defining the exit mouth of the product from the container as well as a sort of dam retaining the pasta sticks except for those aligned with the mouth. The exit mouth has a variable section depending upon the position of the slider element with respect to the cover, a slide spring tongue detent 8 co-operating with a selectable one of several cover housings 9 to retain the slider element in the desired position. Markings on the cover viewable through a cover window 10 permit setting of the desired quantity of pasta to be dispensed. in another embodiment (Fig. 5), the slider is reciprocable. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Home-use implement for dosing pasta of elongated form and other string/stickshaped products The present invention pertains to a home-use implemewnt for dosing pasta of elongated form and other string/stick-shaped products.

In the food field it is well known the problem concerning the choice of the kinds, quantities and qualities of foodstuffs for a right and balanced contribution of calories and proteins to the uman organism.

As regards the consumption of pasta made from differently treated wheat-flour so as to obtain many kinds of typical Italian pasta, such as cannelloni, macaroni, spaghetti, vermicelli, "cappelletti", "bucatini", etc., the problem concerning the dosing of the product has to be faced by the man put at the head of the kitchen. It is in fact known that the industry furnishes pasta in packages of fixed and considerabie weight and it is therefore necessary, starting from these packages, to define the doses of product depending upon the number of the commensals.

In the particular field of the so-called long pasta, attempts have been made for replacing the tradition al balances or a dosing by guesswork on the part of the cook by implements that, duly structured, allow to withdraw a determined quantity of pasta directly from the packages.

These implements essentially consist of gauges formed by a board provided with differently sectioned holes. The section of these holes is established depending upon the length, which is now standardized in the industry, of the so-called long pasta and the different holes are provided in order to allow the passage of a quantity of pasta corresponding to the dose for one, two or three persons, etc. By positioning the gauge at the opening of a package, so that the pasta can but come out through the desired hole, and by inclining the package in order to cause said pasta to come out, it is possible to automatically dose the desired quantity of pasta with a good approximation.In substance it is possible to obtain a volumetric dosing of the product (section of the gauge hole X length of pasta) where the error, which is on the other hand tolerable, is given by the different sections of pasta and therefore by the gaps existing between one piece of cannelloni and another, one piece of spaghetti and another, etc.

These gauges do not appear very functional. It is in fact necessary to observe that most packages are made from limp materials and that in this case the positioning of the gauge results very unsteady. Furthermore it may happen that after withdrawing the desired dose from a package, further pasta comes out so that the dosing operation appears complicated.

It is therefore a main object of the present invention to provide a home-use implement for dosing pasta of elongated form, the socalled long pasta, and other string/stickshaped products, adapted to act as a productcontainer (so that the product can get rid of the envelope), which is at the same time adapted to allow the volumetric dosing of the quantity of pasta, being sure that only the dosed quantity can come out of the container even if the latter is kept in an inclined position necessary to aid the coming out of pasta from the inside.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a home-use implement of the kind described above where it is not necessary to make use of predetermined gauging holes; according to the present invention a predetermined dose of pasta is ready to be withdrawn from said container.

The above objects are attained by the implement according to the present invention, which is characterized in that it comprises: a box-shaped container closed by a cover provided with an opening disposed in a peripheral region of the cover contiguous to the envelope forming the side wall of the container; a slider element which can be used as a closing gate for said opening, associated with said cover and susceptible of being shifted with respect to the same, and adapted to be firmly positioned, with respect to said cover, so as to close said opening entirely or partially, according to different values;; said cover and said slider element being provided with inner small walls, extending a certain amount towards the bottom of the container, said small walls, together with the portion of the container envelope disposed close and contiguous to the opening exhibited by the cover, defining the exit mouth for the product stored in said container and forming a kind of peripheral limiting dam for said mouth.

The presence of said small walls. in substance, makes up a sort of dam or dike which does not allow the quantity of pasta remaining at the inside of the container during the withdrawing step of the dosed quantity, to occupy the region relative to the exit mouth even when the container is kept slant and in spite of the complete withdrawal of the dosed quantity of pasta.

Only after the container has reached a position in which the quantity of pasta still inside it can slide towards the bottom thereof, and consequently overcome said dam,it wil be possible to have a new availability of pasta in the region of said exit mouth and therefore to withdraw a new dose of pasta from said container.

The characteristics of the implement being the subject of the present invention will be come more apparent from the description of two embodiments given hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a part diagrammatic perspective view of the implement in question, with certain parts in section in order that others may be rendered more prominent; Fig. 2 is a section along line A-A in Fig. 1 of the implement in question; Fig. 3 is a plan view from the top of the implement shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 shows the same implement during the withdrawing step of a dose of pasta; Fig. 5 shows a possible construction variant of the implement in question which is always within the scope of the invention, as seen in Figs. 1 to 4.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to Figs. 1 to 4, the implement in question comprises a container 1 (in this case it is of cylindrical form, has a circular section and is closed at the bottom) provided at its upper part with a cover 2 which can be restrained or fitted into the upper skirt of the container 1.

Cover 2 is provided along its circumference with an opening 3 which is contiguous to the envelope 1 a of container 1. Cover 2 is also provided, in the region of at least two contiguous sides of opening 3, with small walls 4 and 4a which extend towards the inside of container 1 and about which more will be said later.

At 5 it is indicated a slider element connected to cover 2 and adapted to be used as a closing gate for the opening 3. Element 5 is essentially disc-shaped, appears superposed on cover 2 and is devoid of a region 5a corresponding to the section of opening 3 and shaped so as to copy the latter.

Element 5 is centrally pivoted on cover 2 by means of a small pivot pin 6 (see Fig. 2) so that it can rotate with respect to the same cover 2 and partially or entirely close opening 3. Element 5 is provided, in correspondence of the skirt 5b in region 5a, with a small wall 7 that appears inserted into the opening 3 between the small wall 4 of cover 2 and the envelope 1 a of container 1, facing the small wall 4a of cover 2. Substantially, walls 4, 4a and 7 form, together with the portion of envelope 1 a facing the wall 4, the "exit mouth" of the product from the container 1.

This mouth has a variable section depending upon the position of element 5 with respect to cover 2 (and therefore upon the position of the small wall 7 with respect to the opposite small wall 4a); it is also defined by a kind of small dam or dike formed by the small walls 4, 4a and 7 which, as seen in Fig. 4, during the withdrawing step of a dose of product from the container 1, prevents the remaining product from falling into the exit mouth formed by the small walls 4, 4a and 7 and the considered portion of envelope 1 a being part of container 1.

In order to allow a choice of the dose of product that one wishes to withdraw from container 1. element 5 is provided with a tongue 8 (see Figs. 1 and 3) adapted to be snap-fitted, in successive stages. into single housings g disposed on cover 2 along the trajectory followed by said tongue due to the rotation of element 5 with respect to cover 2.

These housings are obtained in positions directly bound to the established dose of product that one wishes to fix (for example for one, two or three persons. etc.) and the snapfitting of tongue 8 into one of said housings 9 stabilizes the position of element 5 with respect to cover 2.

In a spaced apart angular position with respect to tongue 8 (this however being only a construction choice) element 5 is provided with an elongated opening or hole 10 through which, depending upon the engagement of housing g with tongue 8, it is possible to read the value of the dose chosen indicated by means of figures. letters or any other reference sign placed on cover 2.

Referring to Fig. 4 it is possible to remark that, according to the purpose aimed at by the present invention. once the position of element 5 with respect to cover 2 depending upon the desired dose of product has been chosen, when the container is sloped in order to cause the product to come out. the dam formed by the small walls 4. 4a and 7 prevents the product which is not in correspondence of the exit mouth from coming out of the container even if the desired dose has been completely withdrawn from said container 1. Only when the implement has been brought back to its normal position (that is when the cover is directed upwards) the product, sliding towards the bottom of the container 1, can overcome the dam formed by said small walls 4, 4a and 7 and therefore reach the exit mouth of container 1.

Practically, by positioning the element 5 with respect to cover 2 it is possible to obtain variations of any kind concerning the section of said exit mouth (of course within the limits of opening 3) between a position of complete closure and a position of complete or gradual showing of opening 3.

A construction variant of the implement according to the invention is shown in Fig. 5 where the same reference numerals as in Figs.

1 to 4 have been allocated to corresponding elements. In the embodiment shown the container 1 is in the form of a polygonal box. The element 5 is slidable with respect to cover 2 along guides 11.

Practically other construction variants are possible; for example the rotation coupling between the cover 2 and the slider element 5 could be obtained not only by means of said central pivot pin 6; in fact a mutual coupling of the same elements along their outer circumferential edge could also be envisaged.

It should be observed that the geometrical forms and the materials used can be whatever and that the geometrical forms shown are not claimed by this invention.

Claims

1. A home-use implement for dosing pasta of elongated form and other string/stickshaped products, characterized in that it comprises: a box-shaped container closed by a cover provided with an opening disposed in a peripheral region of the cover contiguous to the envelope forming the side wall of the container; a slider element which can be used as a closing gate for said opening, associated with said cover and susceptible of being shifted with respect to the same, and adapted to be firmly positioned, with respect to said cover, so as to close said opening entirely or partially, according to different values;; said cover and said slider element being provided with inner small walls, extending a certain amount towards the bottom of the container, said small walls, together with the portion of the container envelope disposed close and contiguous to the opening exhibited by the cover, defining the exit mouth for the product stored in said container and forming a kind of peripheral limiting dam for said mouth.

2. An implement according to claim 1, wherein said slider element is provided with a flexible tongue adapted to be snap-fitted into single housings obtained on the cover along the trajectory followed by said tongue during the shifting of the slider element with respect to the cover; the snap-fitting of said tongue into said housings causing the firm positioning of the slider element with respect to the cover under a condition of complete or partial closure of the opening exhibited by the same cover.

3. An implement according to claim 2, wherein said slider element is provided with at least an elongated opening or hole through which, depending upon the firm position of the same slider element with respect to the cover. it is possible to read the dosing values of the product indicated on the cover along the trajectory followed by said hole during the shifting of the slider element with respect to the cover.