WO2001070594A1

WO2001070594A1 - Precise dosing dispenser

Info

Publication number: WO2001070594A1
Application number: PCT/GB2001/001245
Authority: WO
Inventors: Xanthos Menelaou
Original assignee: Xanthos Menelaou
Priority date: 2000-03-21
Filing date: 2001-03-21
Publication date: 2001-09-27
Also published as: AU4092901A

Abstract

A Dispenser of the Lift- and Tilt type, comprising two parts, the material containing unit (1), and lid unit (2), both having approximately equal volume capacity, at the bottom part of unit (1), a chamber is provided (4), for collecting and transferring into a dispensing tube (8), a precise amount of condiment, the dosage chamber (4) having adjustable means (5 & 7) for increasing or decreasing the volume to be dispensed and the relationship between the dosage chamber (4), the dispensing tube (8), and the geometry of the entire unit is such, that restrict the flow of excess material into the dispensing tube (8), once tilting begins thus allowing precise and predetermined dosages of condiment to be dispensed at all times.

Description

PRECISE DOSING DISPENSER

THIS INVENTION relates to the methods introduced herewith, to be applied to the designs of lift- and- tilt sugar and other such materials dispenser, enabling them to deliver varied and precise dosages of the particular material to be dispensed. Dispensers of the lift- and- tilt type are familiar utensils, used for the purpose of delivering a precise volume of material, for example a spoonful of sugar, but experience shows that they do not deliver such precise volumes. Close examination shows that the amount delivered relates to the volume of material within the container at the moment of use and more is delivered than the prescribed volume ( one spoonful) when the container is full, or the dosage reduces as the volume within the container is reduced. This is due to three main faults in the design of such dispensers.

1. Allowing more material, than the prescribed volume to be collected by the scoop at the bottom end of the dispensing tube to enter the tube while the remaining condiment in the container is transferred by gravity to the other side of the container.

2. Due to the geometric design of the container the flow of the condiment away from the scoop is either slow or cannot be accommodated to the other side of the container when tilted thus more condiment than desired enters the tube.

3. No mechanisms are provided that will allow precise and varied dosages to be collected by the scoop and delivered into the tube, let us say half a spoonful of sugar, one or one and a half.

The proposed invention herewith enables such designs to deliver precise and more than one dosages at any time and as required by the user, by introducing the right geometric shape for the containers that allows fast flow of the condiment from the scooping area and accommodation of the material inside the container away from the scoop once tilting commences, as well as mechanisms that allow the correct dosage to be collected and delivered by the scoop through the dispensing tube. As such the lift- and- tilt dispensers can do what they claim to be doing, that is delivering the precise dosage of material as required by the user.

In order that this invention is made clearer and readily understood, several embodiments will now be described, by way of proposed designs and with reference to their accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1, is a vertical section through the entire unit, container dispensing tube and dosage adjusting mechanism, as well as showing the geometric configuration of the entire unit.

FIGURE 2, is also a vertical section through the entire unit, with alternative dosage adjusting mechanism at the exit end of the dispensing tube.

FIGURES 3 & 4, enlarged details of the dosage adjusting mechanism for the alternative design with one or half spoonful dosage delivering positions.

REFERRING to Figure 1, a vertical section through the entire unit showing the geometric configuration of it, where 1, the bottom part, is the container for the condiment and 2, the top part the lid, both connecting by attachment means at point marked M. The division of the two parts of the container 1 and 2, are of equal or near equal dimensions, C and L . This allows the volume of condiment in R, and L, to be accommodated in L, and La, area once tilting begins, thus removing the condiment away from the entrance to the tube 10, and 9, stopping the feeding into the tube once tilting increases beyond the horizontal. As such the dispensing tube 8, will release the precise amount of condiment collected within the adjustable, dosage collecting compartment 4. At the bottom end of container 1, a compartment 4, for the purpose of collecting a precise dosage of condiment and the storage area of compartment 4, is increased or reduced by adjusting its movable bottom part 5, by moving it up or down. The handle 7, is marked

with visual measurement divisions showing the amount of condiment within the dosage compartment 4. A condiment dispensing tube 8, in the center that can be part to either, upper part of the container or the lower, for collecting and dispensing the amount of condiment collected in compartment 4. One side of the dispensing tube 8, at the point of joining the compartment 4, forms an open entrance scoop 10, and an inclined barrier 9 blocks the other part, restraining any material flowing into the tube before the condiment is transferred in areas L and La.

REFERRING to Figures 2, 3 and 4, is a vertical section through an alternative arrangement of the invention where the dosage regulating mechanism 12, is attached to the upper part of the dispensing tube 8. The mechanism 12, comprises of a ring that attaches to the outside periphery of tube 8, having a groove 14, and semicircular protrusion 14a, allowing rotation to the ring 12, around the periphery of tube 8. Chamber 13, collects a precise amount of condiment , let us say half a spoonful, by turning the ring to the dispensing position as in Fig. 4. The full spoon dosage is delivered when ring 12, is turned to the full dosage position as in Fig 3. In turning the container to its upright position, the condiment collected in chamber 13, returns back into the container.

As in Fig 1, the lower half of the tube 8, at the entrance point 9b, is blocked by an inclined plane 9, and a ramp 9a, just inside the entrance of point 9b, restraining the condiment from flowing inside the tube 8, until the entire material is transferred in the area R, and Ra, by tilting, allowing the precise amount collected by scoop 10, to be dispensed once tilting goes beyond the horizontal.

Claims

C L A I M S

1. A condiment dispenser of the lift- and tilt type, capable dispensing more than one predetermined and precise volumes of condiment, by means of a mechanically adjusted scoop chamber 4,5 and the said scoop chamber transfers the precise amount of collected material into a centrally placed within the container dispensing tube 8, to be dispensed, by tilting the said container beyond the horizontal.

2. A condiment dispenser as in Claim 1, whose material accommodating chamber 1,2 is shaped with a narrower area around the scoop chamber 4,9,10, and wider in the center M, and the resulting inclined walls together with the area formed by the inside area of the lid 2, allow the condiment to flow fast and accommodated away from the dosage collecting scoop chamber when tilting commences.

3. A condiment dispenser as in Claims 1 and 2, whose dispensing central tube 8,forms a Scoop at the bottom end 10, and where part of its opening at that end is blocked with an inclined plane 9, to restrict any condiment entering, other than the one collected into the scoop chamber when tilting commences.

4. A condiment dispenser as in Claims 1,2,3, where at the lower part of its material accommodating chamber a scoop chamber is formed 4, to collect precise dosages of condiment by means of a moving plane 5, that increases or decreases the area of the chamber and the said plane shows by means of inscribed figures 7, the amount of condiment to be transferred into the dispensing tube.

5. A condiment dispenser having a precise volume dispensing mechanism at the upper part of the tube comprising of a rotating ring 12, attached to the periphery of the tube and having a condiment collecting chamber 13, capable of collecting a predetermined volume of condiment thus reducing by that amount the condiment to be dispensed, and as such it regulates the amount to be dispensed, to one or half a spoonful, when chamber is rotated to appropriate position within the dispensing tube Fig.3 by restricting that amount to be dispensed and the condiment collected by the chamber is returned to the container once placed to its upright position and more than half spoonful when in position as in Fig. 4.

6. A condiment dispenser as in all preceding Claims whose central dispensing tube 8, has its inside area reduced by a ramp 9a, in order to prevent any of the condiment collected in the scoop chamber been dispensed until the unit is tilted beyond the horizontal.