NZ211520A - Measuring container: allows measurement of contents while pouring - Google Patents

Description

211520 PATENTS FORM NO: 5 Fee No. 4:$115.00 THE PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION After Provisional No: 211520 Dated: 21st March 1985 TITLE: "A DISPENSING CONTAINER" I Donald Raymond Peter Bethune, of 18 Mara ma Street, Hamilton, New Zealand a British subject and New Zealand citizen hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: fflpW' ''V >. 211520 rs This invention concerns dispensing containers.

It is known in the art for containers such as jugs and bottles to have graduations marked one above the other vertically with respect to the body of a jug. The graduations ^-sindicate the volume of the container below a particular graduation mark thus the -amount of liquid inside a jug can be ascertained by comparing the level of fluid in the jug with the graduations, when the jug is in an upright position. A disadvantage of such graduated containers is that the contents remaining in a jug cannot be gauged when the jug is not in an upright position, and therefore when a precise quantity of fluid is to be poured from the jug one lias to make a series of little pours, returning the jug to vertical after each pour to determine how much more liquid needs to be dispensed to reach an approaching graduation.

This invention provides a container which is provided with means by which the contents of a jug can be gauged while liquid is being dispensed from same as aforesaid without having to return the jug to a vertical position.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the """^ensuing description which is given by way of example.

This invention provides: ■ A measuring container formed from a transparent or translucent i material, having a top edge with a pouring mouth integral therewith ; and contoured outwardly therefrom and being further contoured to direct poured material being measured to issue from substantially a single point located on said mouth, said measuring container including graduation marks thereon which are arranged to lie along rays extending from said single point on said mouth, said rays being arranged such that while said container is tilted during the act of pouring, alignment of the level of the contents with said graduation markings along said rays is indicative of the volume of said contents remaining in the container. 20Sfp/9g9 211520 A preferred embodiment of the invention is now described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Figure 1: Is a side view of a jug with graduated markings in accordance with one ^ possible embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention is described herein primarily with reference to jugs, but it should be appreciated that this invention is applicable to a variety of containers from which liquids are dispensed and the specification should be understood in that light. It should also be appreciated that while the invention has particular application to containers for dispensing liquids, other fluids and particulate matter which have the same or similar self-levelling characteristics as liquid may be equally suitable for use with respect to the herein described invention.

With reference now to the drawing, there is there shown a jug generally indicated by arrow 1 which has a pouring mouth generally indicated by arrow 2 defined by a lip 3, and graduation marks 4 on the sides of the container aligned with the pouring mouth 2, said graduation marks are in sequential intervals which coincide with the surface level of a liquid (not shownj in the jug 1 during the act of pouring same, the arrangement ^ being such that by comparison of the liquid level with the graduation marks 4 the amount of liquid in the jug can be gauged.

The jug may be formed from any suitably transparent material such as glass, plastics or the like provided it is sufficiently transparent or translucent to enable visual ' determination of the liquid level through the jug. Where such materials are used the graduation marks can be located on the outside surface of the jug or inside the sides of the jug. If the jug is not made from a transparent substance the graduation marks must be located on the inner surface of the sides of the jug so that they can be viewed by looking into the mouth of the jug. 211520 Each graduation mark comprises a line and an indication of the amount of liquid remaining in the container when the surface level of liquid inside the container is aligned with said graduation mark. The markings 4 may indicate either the amount of liquid remaining in the jug or the amount of liquid which has been poured from the jug (from full) depending on whether the graduations indicating the amount of liquid in the jug are numbered from the top or the bottom of the jug. A combination of both could be used on either side of the jug so that on the one side it can be seen how much liquid has been dispensed and on the other how much liquid is remaining in the jug.

The graduation marks are aligned with or converge on the pouring mouth 2 defined by the lip 3. Each graduation mark can extend from the pouring mouth 2 of the container right around the container so as to define a plane which coincides with the surface level of a liquid during the act of pouring same from the pouring mouth 2. When the surface level of a liquid inside the jug is equal with or parallel with this plane defined by the graduation marks on the sides of the jug an accurate determination of the amount of liquid in the jug can be made.

The graduation marks 4 are spaced apart at regular intervals which define regular 1 quantities of liquid: the marks successively coincide with the surface level of liquid in the jug during the act of pouring same from the pouring mouth 2.

In order that the amount of liquid in the jug can be gauged when it is returned to an upright position, a further set of graduated marks 5 is provided which extend vertically up the side or sides of the container.

I have found advantages of the above embodiment to be: 1. The quantity of liquid remaining in the jug can be gauged when the container is being tilted for the purpose of pouring liquid therefrom. ft 211520 2. One can measure the quantity of liquid actually being dispensed from the container while the container is tilted for the purpose of pouring liquid therefrom, by a simple calculation of the difference between the amount of liquid in the container when first starting to dispense same and the amount remaining in the tilted container.

Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only and it will be appreciated that modifications and additions thereto may be made without departing from the spirit or scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (1)

1. 211520 ww i/wr caw A measuring container formed from a transparent or translucent material, having a top edge with a pouring mouth integral therewith and contoured outwardly therefrom and being further contoured to direct poured material being measured to issue from substantially a single point located on said mouth, said measuring container including graduation marks thereon which are arranged to lie along rays extending from said single point on said mouth, said rays being arranged such that while said container is tilted during the act of pouring, alignment of the level of the contents with said graduation markings along said rays is indicative of the volume of said contents remaining in the container. A measuring container as claimed in claim 1 wherein each graduation mark extends from the pouring mouth of the container around the container so as to define a plane which coincides with the surface level of a liquid during the act of pouring same. A measuring container as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2 wherein a further set of graduation marks extend vertically from the bottom of the container so that the amount of liquid in the container can also be gauged while the container is in an upright position. A measuring container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the graduation marks are located on the inside of the container. A measuring container substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in figure 1. DONALD RAYMOND PETER BETHUNE by his Attorneys 6