WO1992019941A1

WO1992019941A1 - Self-measuring dispensing device

Info

Publication number: WO1992019941A1
Application number: PCT/US1992/003652
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kenneth Ray Mcarthur; William R. Floyd
Original assignee: Krm Consolidated, Inc.
Priority date: 1991-04-30
Filing date: 1992-04-30
Publication date: 1992-11-12
Also published as: AU1899992A

Abstract

A dispensing device which dispenses a measured or free-flowing quantity of particulate material or liquid is disclosed which comprises a V-shaped dispensing member (18). The member (18) defines an open chamber and is located within an opening (20a) defined in a wall (20) of a container. The member (18) includes first (24) and second (26) panels and opposing sidewalls (28, 30) extending between the panels (24, 26). The member (18) is connected to the wall (20) and pivotable between a first position in which the first panel (24) occludes the wall opening (20a), and a second position in which the first panel (24) extends away from the container to dispense the measured quantity while the second panel (26) occludes the opening (20a). The member (18) is partitioned (46) to designate various amounts of measured quantities, and a tab extends (42) from the first panel (24) for engagement by the user. Further, the member is biased by a spring (44) to urge the member to its first position.

Description

SELF-MEASURING DISPENSING DEVICE Technical Field

The present invention relates to a device for dispensing particulate material or liquid from a container, and in particular to a device for dispensing a measured quantity of material or liquid from a container.

Background Art

Every day people encounter products which require the user to measure out a specified portion of the product. For example, a load of laundry always requires one cup of detergent. A pot of coffee always requires the maker to measure the coffee in tablespoons. Thus, before a person can run his washer or brew some coffee, or perform any other number of tasks, he must first reach for the measuring cups or spoons. Often, however, no measuring device is readily available to measure the proper amount of material needed.

This basic need has led to the development of a wide variety of devices which can both measure and dispense particulate material or liquid and which are either contained in a closure cap for a suitable jar or container, or actually built into a product's container. The closure cap devices tend to be cumbersome, complicated and are comprised of numerous parts which break or can be easily damaged during use. Those devices built into the product's container provide inexact measurements and usually require the user to turn the container in unusual and unnatural ways. A further drawback with known self-measuring dispensing devices is that they fail to provide the user the option of pouring a free-flowing stream of the product.

Summary of the Invention It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device which dispenses measured quantities of free-flowing particulate material or liquid.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dispensing device of the above type which is inexpensive, easy to manufacture and durable.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a dispensing device of the above type which can either be contained in a closure cap or be built into the wall of the container.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a dispensing device of the above type which can dispense a free-flowing quantity of particulate material or liquid.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a dispensing device of the above type which is simple to use.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a dispensing device of the above type which remains closed when not in use.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a dispensing device of the above type which can be operated by one hand.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a dispensing device of the above type in which the quantity of the material being measured and dispensed may be varied.

Toward the fulfillment of these and other objects, the dispensing device of the present invention is designed to dispense measured or free-flowing quantities of a material or liquid through an opening defined in a wall of a container. The device comprises a V-shaped dispensing member defining a chamber located within the opening. The member includes first and second panels and opposing sidewalls extending between the panels, with each panel including a first end and a second end such that the panels join at their first ends and are disposed at an angle relative to each other. The member is pivotally connected to the wall between a first position in which the first panel occludes the opening in the wall to prevent the material or liquid from exiting the container and the second panel extends into the container for receiving the measured quantity, and a second position in which the first panel extends away from the container to dispense the measured quantity and the second panel occludes the opening to prevent additional material or liquid from exiting the container. The member can also be positioned in a third position located between the first and second positions to allow the user to pour free-flowing quantities of the material or liquid.

In one,embodiment, to connect the member to the wall, the device further comprises a fillet formed within the member adjacent to the first ends of the panels with a pin journaled therethrough and fixedly secured to the fillet. ^* The ends of the pin, which extend from the member, are received in notches formed in the interior side of the wall, and secured therein by securing plates. In another embodiment, the first panel forms a portion of the wall and is scored along its first end to allow the pivotal movement of the member between its first and second positions.

In still another embodiment, the member is partitioned to allow the user to select and dispense various amounts of measured quantities of the material or liquid. Further, a tab extends from the first panel to increase the ease by which the member may be opened to its second position, and a spring is associated with the second panel to return the member to its first position upon release of the tab.

There is thus provided an inexpensive, durable and easy to use device which dispenses a measured or free-flowing quantity of material or liquid through an opening in either a closure cap or wall of a container. Brief Description of the Drawings The above brief description, as well as further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following detailed description of the presently preferred but nonetheless illustrative embodiments in accordance with the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view depicting the dispensing device of the present invention attached to a container;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the dispensing device taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded, perspective view of the dispensing device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional, partially broken away view showing the dispensing device filling with particulate material; FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional, partially broken away view showing the dispensing device discharging particulate material from the container;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the dispensing device contained in the side of a carton;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing an alternative embodiment of the dispensing device; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the alternative embodiment of the dispensing device of FIG. 6.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the reference numeral 10 refers in general to the dispensing device of the present invention. The device 10 serves as a closure cap for a suitable externally threaded jar or container 12 which contains powdered or granulated material 14. Since containers such as the container 12 are manufactured in various sizes, the device 10 is manufactured in various sizes enabling it to fit a variety of different containers.

As shown in FIG. 2, the device 10 comprises a cylindrical body 16 and a collection and dispensing member 18. The cylindrical body 16 has a planar cap 20 and an annular, downwardly extending skirt 22. The skirt

22 is internally threaded with threads 22a of a diameter which permit attachment of the device 10 to the container 12. The device 10 is attached to the container 12 by mating the threads 22a with corresponding external threads

23 (FIGS. 4A and 4B) formed on the open end of the container. As shown in FIG. 3, a rectangular opening 20a is formed in the cap 20 of the cylindrical body 16. The opening 20a is formed a slight distance away from the skirt 22 to leave a lip 20b in the cap 20, the purpose of which is described below. The member 18 comprises two generally rectangular panels 24 and 26 connected together at their ends and extending perpendicular to one another to form a wide rectangular "V". The member 18 further comprises two parallel, spaced quarter circle sidewalls 28 and 30 which together with the panels 24 and 26 define a "V" or pie-shaped chamber having an apex designated in the drawings with the reference numeral 18a. The member 18 defines a predetermined volume for collecting and then dispensing a specific measured quantity of the material 14, such as, for example, one tablespoon. The member 18 is pivotally mounted to the cap 20 of the cylindrical body 16 within the opening 20a such that the panel 24 extends over the cap 20 exterior to the container 12 and the panel 26 extends within the container 12.

In the preferred embodiment, a fillet 32 is formed in the apex 18a of the member 18 and a pin 34 is journaled therethrough and fixedly secured to prevent rotation of the pin 34 in relation to the member 18. The ends of the pin 34 protrude beyond the sidewalls 28 and 30 and are fixedly secured to the cap 20 by securing plates 36 and 38, respectively. The pin 34, however, is left free to rotate about its longitudinal axis.

Notches, one of which is designated in FIG. 3 by reference numeral 40, are defined by recessed areas in the underside of the cap 20 near the end of the opening 20a closest to the center of the cap. The notches receive the ends of the pin 34 allowing the securing plates 36 and 38 to contact the underside of the cap 20.

The member 18, being fixedly secured to the pin 34 via the fillet 32 is free to pivot about the longitudinal axis of the pin 34 between a closed/collection position, shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4A, and an open/dispensing position, shown in phantom in FIG. 1 and in FIGS. 3 and 4B. As shown in the drawings, while in the closed/collection position, the panel 26 extends into the container 12 perpendicular to the cap 20 and the panel 24 engages the top side of the lip 20b and lies parallel and adjacent to the cap 20, occluding the opening 20a to seal the container 12. The panel 24 is of sufficient length so that it extends slightly over the edge of the flat portion of the cap 20 for easy manual engagement, as is discussed below. The panel 24 may also be tapered to further increase the ease of engagement. In the open/dispensing position, the panel 24 extends away from the container 12 perpendicular to the cap 20, and the panel 26 engages the bottom side of the lip 20b and lies parallel and adjacent to the cap 20, occluding the opening 20a to seal the container 12.

To use the dispensing device 10 to dispense a measured quantity of the material 14 from the container 12, the user inverts the container 12 to the position shown in FIG. 4A while the member 18 is in its closed/collection position. In such a position, the material 14 falls towards the cap 20 and will- collect in the member 18 in the amount defined by the member's predetermined volume. Once the member 18 is full, the user moves the member 18 to its open/dispensing position by engaging the panel 24 with his finger or by allowing the member to move by the force of gravity. Once in this position, as is shown in FIG. 4B, the material 14 which collected in the member 18 dispenses from the container 12 for use, whereas the remainder of the material 14 is effectively sealed within the container 12 by the panel 26. To use the dispensing device 10 to dispense a free-flowing quantity of the material 14, the user moves the member 18 from its closed/collection position to a position located between its closed/collection position and its open/dispensing position, thereby leaving the opening 20a clear and unblocked. The user then inverts the container 12, so that the material 14 falls towards the cap 20 and exits the container 12 unrestricted through the opening 20a.

To improve the operation of the dispensing device 10 when used to dispense a free-flowing quantity of the material 14, ridges 28a and 30a, as shown in FIG. 3, can be formed on the sidewalls 28 and 30, respectively, in a radial direction and exterior to the member 18, to engage the sides of the cap 20 which define the opening 20a when the member 18 is moved from its closed/collection position to its open/dispensing position. The ridges 28a and 30a are small enough so as to not prevent the movement of the member 18 but to merely inform the user where to position the member 18 to dispense free-flowing quantities of the material 14.

An alternative embodiment of the device 10 which enables the device to be operated by one hand is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The device 10 includes a tab 42 formed integrally with the panel 24 and extending perpendicularly, upwardly therefrom slightly offset from the apex 18a. Further, a spring 44 extending from the underside of the cap 20 to the panel 26 is provided for urging the member 18 into its closed/collection position.

In use, the device 10 is first grasped and inverted for filling the member 18 with the material 14, and then the member 18 is opened to dispense the material by engagement of the tab 42. The spring 44 acts to return the member 18 to its closed/collection position upon the release of pressure on the tab 42. Due to the location of the tab 42 and the urging of the spring 44, the device 10 may be operated by one hand.

Additionally, the utility of the device 10 may be further increased by partitioning the volume defined by the member 18 with radially extending partitions 46 to form numerous independent chambers shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 and indicated by reference numerals 48, 50 and 52. Grooves 28b and 30b are formed on the exterior sides of the sidewalls 28 and 30, respectively, in a radial direction corresponding to each of the partitions 46 to engage the sides of the cap 20, which define the opening 20a, when the member 18 is moved from its closed/collection position to its open/dispensing position. As the member 18 is opened, progression of the member 18 is therefore periodically halted as the sides of the cap 20 engage the grooves 28b and 30b allowing the user to select the amount of the material 14 to be dispensed. Alternatively, the grooves 28b and 30b can be replaced with ridges such as the ridges 28a and 30a to provide less obstruction to the movement of the member 18.

Several advantages result from the foregoing. First, the device 10 provides a method of dispensing measured or free-flowing quantities of any particulate material or liquid without having to locate a measuring device. It does so with an inexpensive and easy to manufacture device which is also simple to use. The device is durable and hard to damage due to its simple construction, and the quantity of the material being measured and dispensed may be varied.

It is understood that several variations may be made in the foregoing without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the member 18 and the cylindrical body 16 can be manufactured as a single piece, with the panel 24 forming a portion of the cap 20 and the rotation of the member 18 made possible by scoring of the panel 24. This alternative embodiment has the advantage of even easier construction. In fact, the member 18 can be connected to the cap 20 in numerous ways generally known in the art.

Additionally, the device 10 need not be contained in a cap for a jar, but, as is shown in FIG. 5, can be formed directly into a container, such as a carton or detergent box. This ability of the device 10, to be contained in a closure cap of a jar or be built directly into the wall of a carton, provides a utility not present in current self-measuring dispensing devices. The panels meeting to form the V-shaped chamber may be disposed relative to each other at various angles, and may be of various widths, depending on the size of the chamber desired and depending on other design considerations.

Other modifications, changes and substitutions are also intended in the foregoing disclosure and although the invention has been described with reference to a specific embodiment, the foregoing description is not to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications to the disclosed embodiment, as well as alternative . applications of the invention, will be suggested to persons skilled in the art by the foregoing specification and illustrations. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the true scope of the invention therein.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for dispensing measured quantities of a material or liquid through an opening defined in a wall of a container, comprising: a V-shaped dispensing member defining an open chamber, said member including first and second panels and opposing sidewalls extending between said panels, said panels each including a first end and a second end, such that said panels join at said first ends and are disposed at an angle relative to each other, said member being connected to said wall and pivotal about an axis between a first position in which said first panel occludes said wall opening to prevent said material or liquid from exiting said container and said second panel extends into said container for receiving said measured quantity in said chamber, and a second position in which said first panel extends away from said container to dispense said measured quantity from said container and said second panel occludes said opening to prevent additional material or liquid from exiting said container; and a tab integral with said first panel and extending perpendicularly therefrom, said tab being engagable to force said member to pivot about said axis.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising bias means for urging said member to said first position.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said bias means comprises a spring extending between said wall and said second panel.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means for partitioning said member into a plurality of compartments each partially defined by both of said sidewalls.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said partitioning means comprises partitions radially extending within said member from said axis and between said sidewalls.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said sidewalls further comprise means for engaging the sides of said wall when each of said partitions is in the plane of said wall.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said engaging means comprises radially extending ridges formed on the exterior sides of said sidewalls.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said engaging means comprises radially extending grooves formed in the exterior sides of said sidewalls.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said apparatus dispenses a free-flowing quantity of said material when said member is maintained in a third position between said first and second positions.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising radially extending ridges formed on the exterior sides of said sidewalls, wherein said ridges engage the sides of said wall defining said opening when said member is in said third position.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising radially extending grooves formed in the exterior sides of said sidewalls, wherein said grooves engage the sides of said wall defining said opening when said member is in said third position.

12. An apparatus for dispensing measured quantities of a material or liquid through an opening defined in a wall of a container, comprising: a V-shaped dispensing member defining an open chamber, said member including first and second panels and opposing sidewalls extending between said panels, said panels each including a first end and a second end, such that said panels join at said first ends and are disposed at an angle relative to each other; said member being connected to said wall and pivotal about an axis between a first position in which said first panel occludes said wall opening to prevent said material or liquid from exiting said container and said second panel extends into said container for receiving said measured quantity in said chamber, and a second position in which said first panel extends away from said container to dispense said measured quantity from said container and said second panel occludes said opening to prevent additional material or liquid from exiting said container; a tab integral with said first panel and extending perpendicularly therefrom, said tab being engagable to force said member to pivot about said axis; a spring extending between said wall and said second panel for urging said member to said first position; partitions radially extending within said member from said axis for partitioning said member into a plurality of compartments each partially defined by both of said sidewalls; and means for engaging the sides of said wall when each of said partitions is in the plane of said wall.