GB2447991A

GB2447991A - Powder dispensing apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2447991A
Application number: GB0706387A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Anthony West; Mark Digby Teucher; Sang Han Kim
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-03-31
Filing date: 2007-03-31
Publication date: 2008-10-01
Also published as: GB0706387D0

Abstract

The apparatus, which can be used in the preparation of infant formula, has a vibrating unit 3 to aid powder flow from the reservoir 2 to the measuring chamber in carousel 14, and from the measuring chamber to a receptacle. It has a base unit 5 that provides a location for a receptacle to receive a measured powder dose. The carousel is supported on the base unit and incorporates a series of measuring volumes and handle assembly 4 that can be positioned to select a single desired measuring volume (figure 3). The handle 4 is used to rotate the selected carousel measuring chamber to a fill position from the bulk reservoir 2 then to a dispense position into a receptacle. The removable bulk reservoir assembly 2 incorporates the motorised vibration mechanism 3, and locates onto the base unit.

Description

POWDER DISPENSING APPARATUS

The invention relates to a powder dispensing apparatus intended as a mechanical device that will be used to deliver a range of specific volumes of powder from a reservoir into a chosen receptacle. The apparatus is primarily suitable for powder products such as baby milk powder, sports drinks, soup powders, drinking chocolate etc. that are supplied in a bulk form but require individual dosing when consumed. In the case of dispensing baby powder a series of scoops of powder have to be drawn from the bulk product, then the powder levelled off by scraping the top of the scoop with a straight edged implement. Depending on the age of the infant being fed the number of scoops typically ranges from three to twelve per feeding bottle. Dispensing powder in this way is a time consuming process especially when as many as eight feeding bottles are required to be prepared each day.

The overall apparatus assembly is primarily of a vertical cylindrical form incorporating a base unit, a dosing carousel and handle assembly, a bulk powder reservoir incorporating a removable motorised vibration assembly and a lid. All sub assemblies are mounted vertically along the central vertical axis of the overall apparatus assembly.

The base unit is configured such that it can sit on a horizontal work surface with rubber feet and provide a stable non slip platform for the subassemblies mounted to it. The top surface of the base unit is flat and circular with a central tubular cylindrical post feature protruding upwards from its centre. At the front of the base unit in its vertical wall is a recessed location for a receptacle to receive the measured powder dose. Above this recess at a given radial distance from the central vertical axis of the device is an aperture through the flat circular top surface of the base unit where the measured dosing volume exits from the carousel. This aperture incorporates a nozzle to direct the powder into a receptacle. The receptacle may take the form of but is not exclusive to: baby feeding bottles, sports water bottles, mugs, cups and bowls.

Located over the cylindrical post and resting on the top flat face of the base unit is a transparent cylindrical carousel component that is free to rotate about the central cylindrical post. The carousel incorporates a series of truncated hollow conical dosing chambers each located at the same radial distance from the central axis, this radial distance being the same radial distance as the centre of the exit aperture on the base unit. The conical dosing chambers are arranged such that their smaller aperture is on the top surface of the carousel and the larger aperture is located on the bottom surface of the carousel.

Each carousel dosing chamber has the same size of top aperture with each lower aperture varying in size depending on the dosing volume of each chamber. The maximum size of a carousel dosing chamber lower aperture is less than the size of the powder exit aperture through the flat circular top surface of the base unit.

Attached to the top of the carousel is a removable circular handle component that covers over the top apertures of all the carousel dosing chambers apart from one chosen chamber where a single hole is located with the same diameter and radial placement from the central axis as each of the top dosing chamber apertures on the carousel.

The handle and carousel components interlock so that when the handle is rotated about the central axis of the device the carousel turns with it.

Protruding rathaly outwards on the handle is a grip feature that the user operates to rotate the carousel and the single selected carousel dosing chamber between the reservoir exit, where the dosing chamber is filled with powder and the exit position on the base assembly where the powder is released into a receptacle.

The carousel and handle components are made of transparent or semi transparent materials so the user can observe when a dosing chamber has completely filled and then completely emptied of powder.

By using dosing chambers equal to a set number of scoops the user only has to fill and dispense a single chamber for each feeding bottle.

Located above the handle is the bulk reservoir component that incorporates a funnel shaped volume for the bulk powder to be stored in. The reservoir component incorporates a cylindrical central post feature that is centred about the main axis of the device and locates inside the central tubular post feature on top of the base component. The bulk reservoir and base unit are mechanically restrained such that they cannot rotate relative to one another.

The size of the reservoir is such that its internal volume is greater than the typical volume of bulk product being dispensed by the apparatus. For example the reservoir can hold a whole tin of baby powder.

The funnel shaped volume of the reservoir has its larger aperture above the lower smaller powder exit aperture. The smaller aperture is located at a given radial distance from the central device axis to match up with the positions of the dosing chambers in the carousel. The smaller aperture rests on the surface of the handle component located below the bulk reservoir and forms a seal preventing powder from exiting the bulk reservoir.

The smaller powder exit aperture is positioned to one side of the overall unit, so that when any given carousel chamber is rotated to become positioned under for filling, the underside of the given carousel chamber is in contact with the flat top surface of the base unit and does not overlap the exit hole in the base unit top surface. This ensures that the underside of the carousel chamber being filled forms a seal to the top of the base unit preventing powder from escaping from the carousel measuring chamber.

The reservoir component also contains features to provide attachment of a lid to provide an air tight seal to the bulk powder.

The reservoir component also houses a vibration mechanism to aid powder transportation from the reservoir into a chosen carousel dosing chamber and from the chosen carousel dosing chamber into the receptacle. The vibration mechanism may be created by either purely mechanical means or via electromechanical means using either or a combination of one or more motors, stepper motors, solenoids or piezoelectric components. In this embodiment the invention uses an electric motor to rotate an out of balance mass to achieve desired vibrations to aid powder flow throughout the device.

The vibration mechanism is normally electrically disconnected and inactive but operates via a switch activated by the handle when the handle is in either the carousel filling position or the carousel dispense position.

The apparatus may contain one or more vibrators to provide assistance to powder flow from the reservoir into the carousel and from the carousel into a chosen receptacle.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the powder dispensing apparatus as described in the present invention; Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the vibration assembly as described in FIgure 1; Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the carousel assembly as described in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the powder dispensing apparatus with the handle and carousel shown in the fill position.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the powder dispensing apparatus with the handle and carousel shown in the dispense position.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the powder dispensing apparatus as described in the present invention.

The powder dispensing apparatus shown in Figure 1 comprises of a lid 1, a powder reservoir 2, a motorised vibration mechanism assembly 2, a carousel assembly 4, a base unit 5 and feet components 6 suitably moulded from a plastics or rubber materials. The powder reservoir is suitably moulded from a transparent or semitransparent plastics material so the user can visually observe how much powder is remaining in the reservoir without removing the lid. The base component 5 can incorporate rubber feet 6 on its underside to provide grip and vibration isolation to the surface the unit is placed upon, preventing the unit from slipping especially when the vibration mechanism is active.

Figure 2 shows the vibration unit assembly described in figure 1, comprising a left case 7, right case 8 suitably moulded from a plastics material. The vibration unit includes motor 10, motor mass 9, electrical connection to DC power supply 12 and metallic switch components 11.

The motor vibration assembly 3 is clipped tightly into the powder reservoir moulding 2 to maximise the vibration transmission into the powder reservoir and subsequently to the powder contained within it. The vibration assembly incorporates all electrical components and is removable from the reservoir component so that periodically the reservoir can be washed using water or in a dishwasher.

The motor 10 has an out of balance mass 9 attached to its output shaft. The out of balance mass can be of a plastics material moulded such that its geometry produces a centre of gravity outside the axis of rotation. The out of balance mass can also incorporate a metallic insert positioned radially outwards from the motor drive axis providing a centre of gravity of the part to be outside the motor drive axis. The motor is mounted by being trapped between the left case 7 and right case 8 where it is restrained by rib features to prevent the motor body rotating. The void the motor locates into is large enough to accommodate the out of balance mass and acts as a shield so no rotating parts can be touched by a user even when the vibration assembly is separated from the powder reservoir.

The metallic switch components 11 are assembled into the right case moulding and held in place by the left case moulding 7, soldered to each switch component are electrical wires (not shown) that connect to the DC power supply socket 12 and the motor 10. The switch components are configured such that they are normally apart and don't make an electrical connection between the DC power supply and the motor.

The carousel assembly shown in Figure 3 comprises of a handle 13 and carousel 14 suitably moulded from transparent or semitransparent materials. The carousel incorporates a central tube feature to enable the carousel to rotate around its central axis on the base units post feature. Placed radically around the central axis are six but not limited to six powder measurement chambers of differing volumes. In the case of a baby milk powder dispenser each measurement chamber represents the volume of a given number of standard baby powder scoops. Located close to each measuring chamber is a protruding tab with moulded information telling the user about the number of scoops or weight or volume of powder the measuring chamber in question holds. This measuring chamber information could also be displayed via printing or decals. It is desired that the carousel is moulded from a transparent or semi transparent plastics material so the user can see when a dosing chamber is full of powder and completely emptied of powder.

The carousel component is an interchangeable component within the overall assembly and can incorporate different dosing volumes specific to geographic regions and bulk product being dispensed.

The handle locates vertically onto the carousel such that the handle grip feature is positioned radially outwards from the chosen dosing chamber. When the two parts are assembled together rib features between the parts interlock preventing them rotating relative to one another. The circular flat top feature of the handle serves to block all the carousel measurement volumes apart from the chosen one in use. The handle also has a crescent rib feature moulded into its top surface that acts upon the exit nozzle of the bulk reservoir 2 to limit its rotational freedom to between the carousel fill position beneath the exit hole on the bulk reservoir and the dispense position over the exit aperture on the top surface of the base component.

The handle incorporates radial ramp features in its central boss that activate the vibration motor switch when the handle is in either the fill or dispense positions.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the device assembly with the handle located in the carousel fill position. The Bulk reservoir is shown in wire frame and the vibration assembly and lid removed for clarity.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the device assembly with the handle rotated to the carousel dispense position, where the filled measurement chamber is now positioned above the exit hole in the base component to release powder into a receptacle. The Bulk reservoir is shown in wire frame and the vibration assembly and lid removed for clarity.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the overall device.

Claims

CLA I MS

1. A powder dispensing apparatus comprising of a vibrating unit to aid powder flow between a bulk reservoir and measuring chamber and between the measuring chamber and chosen receptacle.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 where the vibrating unit comprises of one or more electric motors rotating an out of balance mass to provide vibration.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claims 1 and 2 where the rotating out of balance mass is shielded to prevent it being touched.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claims 1, 2 and 3 where the vibrating unit is removable from the overall assembly to allow washing of the other components.

5. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim that incorporates a measuring component with a series of selectable measuring chambers.

6. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim where all the openings to the measuring chambers that are of the same shape and have the same surface area as the exit of the bulk reservoir component.

7. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim where the measuring component is interchangeable in the apparatus to suit different dispensing volumes of a given product for different geographic regions.

8. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim where the measuring component is interchangeable in the apparatus to suit dispensing of different bulk products.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claims 5, 6, 7 and 8 where the measuring component has its measuring chambers placed at the same radial distance from a central axis.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claims 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 where a handle component is assembled to the measuring component covering up all but one of the measuring chambers on the measuring component.

11. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim where the exit aperture from the largest measuring component chamber is smaller than exit aperture into the receptacle.