GB2254840A

GB2254840A - Dispensing container

Info

Publication number: GB2254840A
Application number: GB9107956A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Edward Hemsley
Original assignee: Smurfit Ltd
Current assignee: Smurfit Kappa UK Ltd
Priority date: 1991-04-15
Filing date: 1991-04-15
Publication date: 1992-10-21
Also published as: GB9107956D0

Abstract

A container for dispensing material in powdered or granular form created from a single blank of cardboard or other sheet material has its interior divided into a first storage compartment 13 and a second dispensing compartment 16, there being an opening between the first and second compartments 13, 16 whereby when material is contained in the storage compartment 13 the dispensing compartment 16 can be filled therefrom by inversion and reversion of the box. The dispensing compartment 16 is provided with a dispensing orifice 32 for subsequent delivery of material from the dispensing compartment 16, the dispensing orifice 32 having provided above it a deflector 34 which extends into the dispensing compartment 16 to reduce loss of material through the orifice 32 during filling of the dispensing compartment by inversion and reversion of the box. <IMAGE>

Description

CONTAINER The invention relates to containers and in particular to containers which can be used to dispense powdered or granular material in doses of a predetermined size.

Powdered or granular material such as washing powder or salt is often stored in containers e.g.

boxes, provided with an orifice and/or spout in the side through which the material can be dispensed when required by tilting the container. The amount of material dispensed depends on how full the container is, how far the container is tilted and how long the container is held in the tilted position. It is often difficult for the user to judge how much material is being dispensed. If too much is dispensed it may be wasted or may have an adverse effect, as for example where too much salt is added in cooking. On the other hand, if too little is dispensed it may not be adequate for the required purpose, for example, insufficient washing powder may be dispensed to provide a thorough wash of clothes.

In accordance with the present invention there i.

provided a container for dispensing material in powdered or granular form comprising a floor, sides and a roof and provided with an opening through which the container can be filled the opening being closeable to prevent loss of material after filling, the interior of the container being divided into a first storage compartment and a second dispensing compartment, there being an opening between the first and second compartments whereby when material is contained in the storage compartment the dispensing compartment can be filled therefrom by inversion and reversion of the box, and the dispensing compartment being provided with a dispensing orifice for subsequent delivery of material from the dispensing compartment.

In one preferred embodiment the container is a rectangular box the roof of which is provided by flaps extending from the sides of a box and surrounding the filling opening which flaps can be bent inwardly and sealed to each other to close the box.

In another preferred embodiment the sides of the container comprise a cylinder and the roof is provided by a circular lid which fits removeably into the top of the cylinder and provides the closeable filling opening.

Preferably, the first and second compartments of the container are formed by a partition extending upwardly from the floor of the container to a level below the roof of the container but above the proposed fill level for the material. Normally the partition will also extend above the dispensing orifice.

It is preferred that the dispensing orifice can be closed during storage to prevent undesired loss of material.

Advantageously a deflector will be provided above the orifice and extending into the dispensing compartment to reduce loss of material through the orifice (if open) during filling of the dispensing compartment by inversion and reversion of the box.

One convenient way of forming the orifice and deflector is by pushing a portion of the sides of the container into the dispensing compartment. To assist in this the portion to be pushed may be defined by score and/or cut lines in the sides of the container.

If desired, the orifice may be provided with a retractable spout which serves to close the orifice when retracted.

The invention includes a container as described above which has been filled so that it contains material in powdered or granular form and in which the opening has been closed to prevent loss of material.

Normally during storage the orifice will also be closed.

The invention includes a cardboard blank for the container of the invention.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to one embodiment which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a blank for a container according to the invention which is a box.

Figure 2 is a view of that box seen from the side.

Figure 3 is a view of that box seen from one end.

Figure 4 is a sectional view along line IV-IV shown in figure 3, and Figure 5 is a sectional view along the line V-V shown in figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, the blank shown in figure 1 consists of a shape 1 cut out of thin cardboard. The shape 1 is scored along some vertical lines 2 and partially scored 5 and partially cut 5' along other vertical lines 5, 5' to delineate lateral side panels 12 and 13 and end side panels 14 and 15, interior dividing panels 16 and 17 and construction flaps 18 and 19. The vertical lines 2, 5 and 5' are to facilitate folding along those lines into or out of the plane of the page as appropriate. The shape 1 is also scored along horizontal lines 3 to delineate lateral floor panels 20 and 21 and terminal floor panels 22 and 23 and along horizontal lines 4 which delineate lateral roof panels 24 and 25 and terminal roof panels 26 and 27. The horizontal score lines 3 and4 are also to facilitate folding along those lines into the plane of the page.The score lines 5 which are designed for folding into the page have also been partially cut at points 5' to facilitate the folding.

Score lines 6 and 7 and partially cut lines 8, 9 and 10 define a portion bridging two side panels 12 and 15 of the blank which is to provide an orifice and deflector in the completed box.

The blank is made up into a box by first folding along the vertical score lines 2, 5 and 5. and then glueing one flap 19 to the inside of one lateral side panel 12 and glueing the other flap 18 down the edge of one end side panel 15.

In this way a hollow rectangular shaped box is produced the interior of which is divided by dividing panels 16 and 17 into a large storage compartment of L-shaped cross section and a smaller dispensing compartment of square cross section. The dividing panels 16 and 17 extend upwardly from the bottom of the side panels of the box but do not extend right to the top of the side panels of the box. This is to leave an opening between the storage and dispensing compartments so that when material is contained in the storage compartment the dispensing compartment can be filled by inversion and reversion of the box.

Next, the terminal floor panels 22 and 23 are folded inwardly. A line of glue is provided to the outer side of one lateral floor panel 20 which is folded inwardly and then the other lateral floor panel 21 is folded inwardly on top of it and sealed to it by means of the glue.

Conveniently, the box will then be filled with the-desired material through the roof opening.

Thereafter, terminal roof panels 26 and 27 are folded inwardly and lateral roof panels 24 and 25 are folded down on top of them and sealed together by a layer of glue between them. In this way a sealed box with an orifice closed for storage is produced. The portion 30 which is to provide an orifice and deflector is, at this stage, is still flush with the side panels of the box. When desired, the user can depress the portion 30 which will break free along the partially cut lines 8, 9 and 10 and bend backwardly into the box along the score lines 6 and 7, thus leaving an orifice 32 and a deflector 34 above the orifice and extending into the dispensing compartment.

The completed box with the orifice and deflector formed is illustrated in figures 2 to 5. For clarity, no material has been shown in the box.

The box is supplied to the end user with the orifice closed for storage and the material contained in the storage compartment to a level below the top of the dividing panels 16 and 17. In use, the user first depresses the portion 30 to provide the dispensing orifice 32 and deflector 34. The user then inverts the box once so that corner A rotates downwardly, for example through about 1350 from the vertical. This causes material to flow from the storage compartment into corner A. On reversion of the box to the vertical that powder in corner A runs down over the deflector and trickles into the bottom corner B of the dispensing compartment.

When the user next inverts the box, to an angle of for example 135 to 1800 from the vertical the dose of powder contained in corner B will be dispensed through the orifice. At the same time, powder from the storage compartment will again collect in corner A and on reversion of the box this powder will trickle down to corner B. In this way, the next dose is ready for dispensing when the box is next inverted. The dispensing of doses can be continued in this way until the storage and dispensing compartments are empty.

The arrangement of the present invention means that the amount of powder available in corner B for dispensing through the orifice will be constant for each dispensing action. The magnitude of this dose can be adjusted by the manufacturer by altering the relative dimensions of the box, the cross section of the storage and dispensing compartments and the height of the interior dividing panels.

While the invention has been illustrated with reference to a box made of cardboard it will be appreciated that similar principles can be used to provide containers capable of dispensing repeated doses of the same size which are of other shapes and made of other materials. For example, a cylinder might be employed in which case the roof might conveniently be provided by a circular lid which fits removeably into the top of the cylinder and provides the closeable filling opening. While the container my conveniently be made of cardboard other materials such as plastics could of course be used to form the container.

While the deflector is not essential to the operation of the dispensing container it does help to prevent unwanted loss of material through the orifice while the material trickles form corner A to corner B.

The illustrated embodiment has an orifice provided by pushing in a portion of the side of the container. Another convenient way to make an orifice would be to provide a retractable spout in the side of the container which, when retracted closes the orifice but which can be pulled down by the user to open the orifice and provide the spout.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A container for dispensing material in powdered or granular form comprising a floor, sides and a roof and provided with an opening through which the container can be filled the opening being closeable to prevent loss of material after filling, the interior of the container being divided into a first storage compartment and a second dispensing compartment, there being an opening between the first and second compartments whereby when material is contained in the storage compartment the dispensing compartment can be filled therefrom by inversion and reversion of the box, and the dispensing compartment being provided with a dispensing orifice for subsequent delivery of material from the dispensing compartment.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1 which is a rectangular box the roof of which is provided by flaps extending from the sides of the box and surrounding the filling opening which flaps can be bent inwardly and sealed to each other to close the box.

3. A container as claimed in claim 1 in which the sides comprise a cylinder and the roof is provided by a circular lid which fits removably into the top of the cylinder and provides the closeable filling opening.

4. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 in which the first and second compartments are formed by a partition extending upwardly from the floor of the container to a level below the roof of the container but above the proposed fill level for the material.

5. A container as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4 in which the orifice can be closed during storage.

6. A container as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 in which a deflector is provided above the orifice and extending into the dispensing compartment to reduce loss of material through the orifice during filling of the dispensing compartment by inversion and reversion of the box.

7. A container as claimed in claim 6 in which the orifice and deflector are formed by pushing a portion of the sides of the container into the dispensing compartment.

8. A container as claimed in claim 7 in which the portion to be pushed is defined by score and/or cutlines in the side of the container.

9. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 in which the orifice is provided with a retractable spout which serves to close the orifice when retracted.

10. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 which contains material in powdered or granular form and in which the opening is closed to prevent loss of material.

11. A cardboard blank for a container as claimed in any one of claims 1,2 and 4 to 8.

12. A blank for a container substantially as illustrated in figure 1.

13. A container substantially as illustrated by figures 2, 3 and 4.

14. A container as claimed in claim 13 which contains material in powder or granular form.