GB2271759A

GB2271759A - Containers.

Info

Publication number: GB2271759A
Application number: GB9321443A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ronald William Driver
Original assignee: FELCEY PHILIP CHARLES; HARGREAVES JAMES HORNER
Current assignee: FELCEY PHILIP CHARLES; HARGREAVES JAMES HORNER
Priority date: 1992-10-17
Filing date: 1993-10-18
Publication date: 1994-04-27
Also published as: GB9321443D0

Abstract

A container 10 for dispensing a measured volume of flowable material has a reservoir chamber 30 and a measuring chamber 31 with an outlet 20 on spout 21. Turning the container in direction A dispenses the measured volume in chamber 31. With outlet covered by cap 33, the chamber 31 can be re-filled by further movement in direction A and reverse movement in direction B to the datum position shown. A container may have two spouts and two measuring chambers having different volumes (see fig 4). <IMAGE>

Description

CONTAINERS This invention relates to containers and in particular containers for measuring and dispensing flowable materials.

According to this invention a container has an outlet, and provides a measuring chamber and a reservoir chamber, angular movement in a direction from a first position to a second position transferring material from the measuring chamber through the outlet, and, with the outlet closed, angular movement from an initial position in the direction to a third position beyond the second position followed by reverse movement to the first position transfers a predetermined volume of material from the reservoir chamber to the measuring chamber There may be two measuring chambers, possibly of different volumes,and the angular directions being opposite for the two measuring chambers.

The container may have a wall providing a lip over which material passes between the reservoir and measuring chambers, the wall extending in an upwardly inclined direction in the initial position.

The measuring chamber may be defined in part by walls defining a V in the first position.

The invention may be performed in various ways and some specific embodiments with possible modifications will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a side view of a container; Fig. 2 is a view from the right of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side view of another container; and Pig. 4 is a side view of a further container.

A container 10 Figs. 1, 2 has a flat base 11 for resting on a support in a first position of orientation, vertical parallel side walls 12, 13 and end walls 14, 15. The end wall 14 at its upper end is inclined upwards and towards the wall 15 as at 16, is curved at 19 and returns at 18 parallel to wall 16 and is then curved at 17 and continues to an outlet 20 at the outer end of spout 21. Side walls 12, 13 extend to wall 16 and further side walls 22, 23 depend from a top wall 24.

The interior of the container 10 thus provides a reservoir chamber 30 and a measuring chamber 31 which communicate via permanently open region 32.

The outlet 20 is closable by a sealing cover 33 which may be a plug such as a cork stopper or a cap e.g. a screw cap. In some cases the cover 33 may not act as a seal.

The curved portion 17 acts as a lip.

The container 10 is formed from transparent material.

In use, material to be dispensed is admitted through outlet 20. The material may for example be a liquid or powder or granules or other particulate material which can flo into and out of the container.

The material flows into the container which is in the orientation shown in Fig. 1, and fills chamber 31 until this flows over the lip 19 and continues until the reservoir chamber 30 is full. A measured amount of material can be put into the container1 in which case the levels of material in chambers 30, 31 would be at 40, 41 respectively. If the orientation of the container 10 is now angularly changed in the direction of arrow A, to a suitable position1 the known volume of material in chamber 31 flows out through the outlet 20; material does not pass from chamber 30 to chamber 31.If the cover 33 is now replaced on the outlet 20, the container can be turned further in the direction of arrow A to transfer material from chamber 30 to the region 42 above chamber 31, and on reversing the angular movement back to the Fig. 1 position, the material will again fill the chamber 31, ready for the next dispensing, any excess flowing over lip 19 back into chamber 30, where the level of material will be below level 40. This can be repeated until there is not enough material to fill chamber 31.

If the container is simply filled with material rather th with a predetermined volume of material, the container is tilted in the direction of arrow A until the level 43 of material is horizontal; excess material will have passed out of the outlet. The cap is replaced and the container tilted further, and then reverse tilted (arrow B) to fill the chamber 31, as above. The container is then ready for dispensing.

In some cases the container is not transparent.

The walls 12, 13; 14, 15 need not be vertical or parallel.

The lip 19 could be at the end of a solid internal wall 50. The walls 12, 22 and 13, 23 could be integral.

Fig. 3 shows a container similar to Fig. 1 but with a different upper portion.

The container of Fig. 4 is similar but has two measuring chambers 31a, 31b of different volumes; clearly dispensing is obtained by angular movement in opposite directions.

In the various containers, dispensing is obtained without squeezing the container.

The containers provide a simple, reliable and accurate measurement and dispensing of material.

Material can be held (Fig. 1) in the measuring chamber ready for a dispensing movement.

In some cases the volume dispensed may be less than the full volume of the measuring chamber. For example the transparent container may have markings indicating portions of the measured volume and by careful handling of the container the measuring chamber can be filled up to a selected mark e.g. half full, and then this volume can subsequently be dispensed.

Claims

1. A container having an outlet and providing a measuring chamber and a reservoir chamber, angular movement in a direction from a first position to a second position transferring material from the measuring chamber through the outlet, and, with the outlet closed, angular movement in the direction from an initial position to a third position beyond the second position followed by reverse movement to the first position transfers a predetermined volume of material from the reservoir chamber to the measuring chamber.

2. A container as claimed in Claim 1, including a wall providing a lip over which material passes between the reservoir and measuring chambers, the wall extending in an upwardly inclined direction in the initial position.

3. A container as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the measuring chamber is defined in part by walls defining a V in the first position.

4. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, including a flat base on which the container may rest in the first position, and the outlet being on a spout which extends upwards and outwards in the first position.

5. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, including two such measuring chambers, the angular directions being opposite to the two measuring chambers.

6. A container as claimed in Claim 5, in which the measuring chambers are of different volumes.

7. A container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or Fig. 3, or Fig. 4, of the accompanying drawings.