WO2007093974A1

WO2007093974A1 - Condiment dispensers

Info

Publication number: WO2007093974A1
Application number: PCT/IB2007/050525
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bruce Ivy
Original assignee: Bruce Ivy
Priority date: 2006-02-19
Filing date: 2007-02-19
Publication date: 2007-08-23

Abstract

A cap assembly (10,76) is provided for a condiment dispenser of the type that includes stationary part (12) that can be screwed onto a bottle (16) and a rotatable part (18), each with a grinding formation (22, 52) and an attachment formation (34, 80, 34, 80) and which are configured such that the rotatable part (18) is attachable to the stationary part (12) by attachment of the respective attachment formations (40, 84, 34, 80) so that the parts (12, 18) can rotate relative each other to rotate the grinding formations (22, 52) relative to each other to grind a condiment being dispensed from the bottle (16). The assembly (10, 76) includes a lock mechanism (86) that is configured to lock the stationary part (12) and rotatable part (18) together to allow the assembly to be twisted off the bottle (16) without having to grip the stationary part.

Description

CONDIMENT DISPENSER

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to food condiment dispensers. More particularly, the invention relates to a re-fillable, grinding condiment dispenser.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Grinding food condiment dispensers, such as salt and pepper grinders that include cap assemblies, fitted to re-fillable bottles for holding the unground condiments, are well known. These dispensers typically include a transparent bottle with a screw thread at its top, to which the cap assembly is removably attached by twisting it onto the screw thread. The cap assembly can be untwisted and removed to re-fili the bottle. Such a dispenser is used by inverting the bottle and twisting a part of the cap assembly, so that the contents of the bottle falls under gravity into the cap assembly, where it is ground before being dispensed onto food, under gravity.

Such a cap assembly typicaliy has circumferential grip formations on a lower part of the assembly, to allow it to be griped by hand and twisted off the bottle's screw thread and further includes a part that can rotate relative to the part attached to the bottle, to operate grinding formations by the relative rotational movement between these parts. The part of such a cap assembly that can be rotated to operate the grinding formations typically also includes circumferential grip formations that allow it to be gripped, to rotate it by hand. For ease of description in this specification, the part of such a cap assembly that is screw threadedly attached to the bottle, will be called the "stationary" part, while the part that can be twisted relative to the stationary part, to effect grinding movement between the grinding formations, will be called the "rotatable" part.

The circumferential grip formations of the stationary and rotatable parts are typically disposed adjacent each other, but the rotatabie part typically has a larger diameter than the stationary part, to reduce the risk that the stationary part is gripped inadvertently. The rotatable part can usually also rotate quite freely relative to the stationary part, while the stationary part is tightly screwed onto the bottle. However, incidents occur frequently where a user intends to grip only the rotatable part and twist it to grind and dispense a condiment, but inadvertently grips the stationary part or both the stationary and rotatable part and twists it, removing the cap assembly from the bottle and causing the contents of the bottle to spill, often spoiling food onto which it is spilt.

The object of the present invention is to reduce the likelihood that the cap assembly of a re-fillable, grinding condiment dispenser is inadvertently twisted off the bottle of the dispenser, in use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION QF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a cap assembly for a condiment dispenser, said assembly comprising: a first part that includes a first grinding formation and a first attachment formation, and that defines a screw thread; and a second part that includes a second grinding formation that is complemental to the first grinding formation and a second attachment formation that is complemental to the first attachment formation and that is configured such that the second part is rotatably attachable to the first part by attachment of the second attachment formation to the first attachment formation, so that the second part can rotate relative to the first part to rotate the second grinding formation relative to the first grinding formation; wherein the assembly includes a lock mechanism that is configured to iock the first part and second part selectively, against rotation relative to each other.

The lock mechanism may include at least one detent and at least one of the first part and the second part may define at least one recess, the detent being displaceable between a lock position in which at least part of the detent extends into the recess and a free position in which the detent is free from the recess.

The first part and the second part may be movable relative to each other and may be configured to displace the detent between its lock position and its free position by said relative movement and the lock mechanism may include biasing means, configured to bias the detent toward its free position, e.g. to bias the first part and the second part to relative positions in which the detent is free from its recess.

At least one such detent may be fixedly attached to at least one of the first part and the second part and at least one such recess may be defined on the other of said first part and second part.

The first part and the second part may be displaceable relative to each other in the direction of a common rotational axis of the first and second parts.

The first part may include a plurality of the detents, extending from the first part and being receivable in a complimentary plurality of recesses defined on the second part.

The detent may be pivotally attached to the second part, to pivot between its lock and free positions and may be pivotally connected to the second part by resilient pivot means.

The cap assembly may be attachable to a reservoir onto which the screw thread of the first part of the cap assembly is can be screwed, such as a transparent container, e.g. a glass bottle.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a condiment dispensing apparatus comprising an implement and a cap assembly for a condiment dispenser, said cap assembly comprising: a first part that has a non-round outer peripheral profile and that includes a first grinding formation and a first attachment formation, and that defines a screw thread; and a second part that includes a second grinding formation and a second attachment formation, compiementa! to the first grinding formation and attachment formation and configured such that the second part is rotatably attachable to the first part by attachment of the second attachment formation to the first attachment formation, so that the second part can rotate relative to the first part to rotate the second grinding formation relative to the first grinding formation; wherein said implement comprises a handle and a grip formation that is compiemental to the peripheral profile of the first part.

The non-round profile of the first part may be substantially round, but defining at least one grip formation, e.g. recesses and/or protuberances, the grip formation of the implement having a shape compiemental to the profile of the first part's grip formation.

The second part may include a circumferential skirt that covers the circumference of the first part almost entirely when the first and second parts are rotatably attached together and the part of the first part that protrudes from the skirt, may be compiementa! to the grip formation of the implement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of non- limiting example, to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a three-dimensional view of part of a cap assembly in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

Figures 2A and 2B are sectional side views of the cap assembly of Figure 1 , fitted onto a top part of a bottle;

Figure 3 is a sectional side view of a cap assembly fitted onto a top part of a bottle, half of the assembly showing the prior art and the other half showing a second embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a profile view of an implement in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 is a schematic view of the implement of Figure 4, gripping part of the cap assembly of the second embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 6 is an exploded sectional side view of a cap assembly in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 7 is a plan view of a first part of the assembly of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic view showing the cap assembly of Figure 6 in a free condition; and

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view showing the cap assembly of Figure 6 in a locked condition.

DETAILED DESCRlPTiON OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring to figures 1 , 2A and 2B, a cap assembly in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention is generally indicated by reference numeral 10.

The assembly 10 has a first, inner part 12 that is fitted onto a male screw thread 14 defined on the outside of the upper part of a reservoir in the form of a glass bottle 16. The first part 12 is thus attached to the bottle 16 in use and is called the "stationary part". The assembly 10 also has a second, outer part 18 that is rotatable relative to the stationary part 12 and is thus called the "rotatable part".

The stationary part 12 includes a conical, internal guide formation 20, on the inside of the bottle 16 and a first tapered, circular grinding formation 22 adjacent the guide formation. A cylindrical part 24 extends on the outside of the bottle 16 and includes a lower part 26 in which a female screw thread (not shown) is defined that is complemental to the bottle's screw thread 14, and an upper part 30. A radial flange 32 extends between the grinder formation 22 and the cylindrical part 24, between its lower and upper parts 26,30. A first attachment formation in the form of a circumferential groove 34 is defined in the outside of the upper part 30 and a radial recess in the form of a notch 36 is defined on one side above the groove.

The rotatable part 18 includes an outer, cylindrical skirt formation 38 defining a second radial recess in the form of an aperture 28 and which has a second attachment formation in the form of an inwardly protruding circumferential ridge 40, complemental to the groove 34. A shoulder formation 42 extends inwardly from the skirt, close to its top and an inner cylindrical wail 44 extends downwardly from the shoulder. The wall 44 has a lower protruding lip 46 and a number of radial spokes 48 extend inwardly from the wall, just above its lip. Inwardly of the radial spokes 48, the rotatable part 18 has a hub 50, including a second tapered grinding formation 52.

When the rotatable part 18 is fitted onto the stationary part 12, the ridge 40 is received in the groove 34 with sufficient play for the parts to rotate freely. At the same time, the lip 46 of the rotatabie part 18 bears on the upper surface of the radial flange 32 of the stationary part 12.

The rotatable part 18 includes a detent 54 that is pivotally attached to the shoulder 42 by a thin part 56 of the same resilient plastic material from which the entire shoulder and detent is integrally formed. The detent 54 is normally held in its free position shown in Figure 2A, by a bias provided by the resilience of the thin part 56, but it includes an upwardly protruding tab 58 that can be pressed downwardly to pivot the detent about its thin part in the direction shown in Figure 2A, towards a lock position shown in Figure 2B. In the lock position, a lower comer of the detent 54 protrudes into the notch 36 of the stationary part 12, to lock the stationary part and the rotatable part against rotation relative to each other. The detent 54 is preferably pivoted far enough in its lock position so that its lower corner is also received in the aperture 28 of the rotatable part 18, to strengthen the mechanical locking together of the parts 12,18. The detent 54 can clearly only be pivoted to its lock position if it is in register with the notch 36 and will of necessity always be in register with the aperture 28. The detent 54 includes a web 60 underneath the tab 58, to provide strength. The detent 54 and its associated aperture 28 and notch 36 collectively form a lock mechanism 86.

In use, the inside of the bottle 16 is filled with an unground condiment, such as peppercorns and the assembly 10 is fitted on the bottle. This is done by pressing the tab 58 downwardly to pivot the detent 54 to its lock position as described herein above, so that the stationary part 12 and the rotatable part 18 are locked together, to be twisted tightly onto the screw thread 14, simultaneously, to attach the stationary part to the bottle 16.

The tab 58 is released and the detent 54 is pivotally returned to its free position by its resilient bias, so that it is withdrawn from the aperture 28 and the notch 36. The rotatable 18 part is now free to rotate relative to the stationary part 12 and the dispenser can be used in the conventional way by inverting the bottle 16 to allow the peppercorns to slide downwardly and into the tapering circular gap between the first and second grinding formations 22,52, The skirt 38 is gripped by hand and the rotatabie part 18 is twisted relative to the bottle 16 and stationary part 12 so that the peppercorns are ground by relative rotation between the grinding formations 22,52, the ground pepper passing through the gaps defined between the spokes 48.

When the peppercorns in the bottle 16 need to be replenished, the tab 58 is pressed down and the detent is pivoted to lock the rotatabie part 18 and stationary part 12 together, to be twisted off the bottle and to be twisted back on after replenishment.

Referring to Figure 3, a sectional view is shown of a cap assembly, resembling a conventional assembly in the right half of the figure and resembling the second embodiment of the invention in the left half. Parts of the assembly that are similar to parts of the assembly 10 shown in Figures 1 , 2A and 2B, are indicated with like reference numerals, the only additional feature being a removable cover 62. A cap assembly in accordance with the second embodiment of the inventions (i.e. as shown in the left half of Figure 3) is indicated with reference numeral 64.

The only difference that is visible between the conventional bottle cap assembly (right side) and the assembly 64 in Figure 3, is the longitudinal length of the skirt 38 of the rotatable part 18. In the assembly 64, the skirt 38 is longer than in the conventional assembly, so that much less of the lower part 26 of the stationary part 12 protrudes below the skirt. This reduces the likelihood that a user will inadvertently grip the lower part 26 and twist the stationary part 12 off the bottie 16, when intending to grip only the skirt 38 to twist the rotatable part 18.

Referring to Figures 5 and 6, the condiment dispensing apparatus in accordance with the second embodiment of the invention includes an implement 66 with a handle 68 and a grip formation 70. The lower part 26 of the stationary part 12 is mostly cylindrical, but has a non-round profile in that it defines four grip formations in the form of recesses 72. The grip formation 70 is comptemental to part of the peripheral profile of the part 26 in that it has a curved inner profile and has a radial protuberance 74 that is compiemental to each of the recesses 72.

Referring to Figures 3 to 5, in use, the stationary part 12 remains screw-threaded Iy attached to the bottle 16, while the rotatable part 18 is rotated by hand. When the peppercorns or other unground condiments inside the bottle 16 are to be replenished, the stationary part 12 is twisted off the bottle and is replaced again, by gripping the lower part 26 with the implement 66. The part 26 is gripped with the implement 66 by inserting the protuberance 74 into one of the recesses 72, so that the circumference of the part 26 presses against the inner profile of the grip formation 70.

Referring to Figures 6 to 9, a cap assembly is shown in accordance with the third embodiment of the invention and is generally indicated by reference numeral 76. Parts of the assembly 76 that are similar to parts of the assembly 10 shown in Figures 1 , 2A and 2B, are indicated with like reference numerals.

The stationary part 12 of the assembly 76 has an internal screw thread 78 by which it can be attached to a bottle and includes a cylindrical part 26 that is attached via a radial flange 32 to the guide formation 20 and grinding formation 22. On its outer circumference, the stationary part 12 includes a number of circumferentially spaced protuberances in the form of truncated ridges 80 that extend radially outwardly and part of which are shown in broken lines in Figure 6.

The rotatabie part 18 includes a skirt formation 38 that is shown in Figures 6 to 9 with a length resembling that of prior art cap assemblies, although it is to be appreciated that the drawings are not to scale and the length of the skirt can preferably be long enough to cover the entire stationary part 12, similar to that shown in Figures 1 and 2. The skirt formation 38 is connected to the grinding formation 52 via a shoulder formation 42 and spokes 48 and defines grip formations 82 around its outer circumference. On the inner circumference of the skirt formation 38, below the shoulder 42, a circumferential groove 84 is defined. The groove 84 defines a number of upwardly extending recesses 88 with downwardly extending castellations 90 between them, with the circumferential spacing and length of the recesses 88 corresponding to those of the ridges 80. Part of the groove 84 is also shown in broken lines in Figure 6.

A bias element in the form of a compression spring is provided that exerts a load between the top of the flange 32 and the underside of the shoulder formation 42. For the sake of clarity, the spring is not shown in the drawings, but is functionally represented by the arrows 92. It is to be appreciated that the spring 92 can take any one of many forms, e.g. a coil spring or a spring washer.

When the assembly 76 is assembled, the ridges 80 are received in the groove 84, in much the same way as the ridge 40 and groove 34 shown in Figures 1 and 2, to perform the function of attachment formations that holds the stationary part 12 and rotatabie part 18 together, while allowing relative rotation between these parts as the ridges slide circumferentially in the groove, about a common axis 94 of the parts. This is the case, while the extension of the spring 92 urges the rotatabie part 18 upwardly, so that the ridges 80 run along the lower edge of the groove 84, dear of the castellations 90 as shown in Figure 8. The casteilations 90, recesses 88 and ridges 80 together form a lock mechanism 86 of the assembly 76 and in the condition described immediately above and shown in Figure 8, the lock mechanism is in a free condition. The lock mechanism 86 can also be locked as shown in Figure 9 by pressing the rotatabie part 18 (downwardly) towards the stationary part 12, against the spring 92 so that the ridges 80 are received in the recesses 88. If the rotatabie part 18 is now rotated, the ridges 80 serve as detents of the lock mechanism 86 that prevent the castellations from moving circumferentially relative to the ridges, so that the locking interaction between the ridges and the castellations lock the rotatabie part 18 and stationary part 12 against rotation relative to each other. !t can similarly be said that while the lock mechanism 86 is in this locked condition, the castellations 90 serve as detents that prevent the ridges 80 form sliding circumferentiaily in the groove 84.

in use, the spring 92 causes the lock mechanism 86 to be free and the dispenser can be used as described hereinabove, to be inverted and to grind condiments between the grinding formations 22 and 52, by twisting the rotatabie part 18 relative to the stationary part 12 and bottle 16, while the ridges 80 are kept in their free positions in the groove 84.

When the supply of unground condiments in the bottle 16 needs to be replenished, the rotatabie part 18 is pressed towards the stationary part 12, against the bias of the spring 92, to lock the lock mechanism 86 and the entire cap assembly 76 is twisted together off the screw thread of the bottle 16. After replenishment, the cap assembly 76 is twisted back onto the bottle, with the lock mechanism 86 locked and afterwards, the lock mechanism is released by allowing the spring to urge the ridges out of the recesses 88 to their free positions in the lower part of the groove 84.

It is to be appreciated that during the rotation of the rotatabie part 18 relative to the stationary part 12 during normal use, the movement of the rotatabie part towards the stationary part to lock the lock mechanism 86 and the twisting of the rotatabie part and stationary part, together, to remove the assembly 76 from the bottle 16, are all effected by rotating the rotatabie part 18 and/or pressing the rotatable part towards the stationary part. Accordingly, the only part that needs to be touched by a person using the dispenser, is the rotatable part (preferably only in the region of the grip formations 82) and there is no need for the stationary part 12 to protrude from the skirt formation 38 or to be exposed to the risk of being twisted inadvertently off the bottle 16.

Claims

1. A cap assembly (10,76) for a condiment dispenser, said assembly comprising: a first part (12) that includes a first grinding formation (22) and a first attachment formation (34,80), and that defines a screw thread (78); and a second part (18) that includes a second grinding formation (52) that is complemental to the first grinding formation (22) and a second attachment formation (40,84) that is complemental to the first attachment formation (34,80) and that is configured such that the second part (18) is rotatably attachable to the first part (12) by attachment of the second attachment formation (40,84) to the first attachment formation (34,80), so that the second part (18) can rotate relative to the first part (12) to rotate the second grinding formation (52) relative to the first grinding formation (22); characterised in that the assembly (10,76) includes a iock mechanism (86) that is configured to lock the first part (12) and second part (18) selectively, against rotation relative to each other.

2. A cap assembly (10,76) as claimed in claim 1 , characterised in that the lock mechanism (86) includes at least one detent (54,80) and at least one of the first part (12) and the second part (18) defines at least one recess (36,88), the detent being displaceable between a lock position in which at least part of the detent extends into the recess and a free position in which the detent is free from the recess.

3. A cap assembly (76) as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the first part (12) and the second part (18) are movable relative to each other and are configured to displace the detent (80) between its lock position and its free position by said relative movement.

4. A cap assembly (10,76) as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, characterised in that the lock mechanism (86) includes biasing means (56,92), configured to bias the detent (54,80) toward its free position,

5. A cap assembly (76) as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that at least one such detent (80) is fixedly attached to at least one of the first part (12) and the second part (18) and at least one such recess (88) is defined on the other of said first part and second part.

6. A cap assembly (76) as claimed in claim 3 or claim 5, characterised in that the first part (12) and the second part (18) are displaceabie relative to each other in the direction of a common rotational axis (94) of the first and second parts.

7. A cap assembly (76) as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 6, characterised in that said first part (12) includes a plurality of said detents (80), extending from the first part and being receivable in a complimentary plurality of recesses (88) defined on the second part (18).

8. A cap assembly (10) as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the detent (54) is pivotally attached to the second part (18), to pivot between its lock and free positions.

9. A cap assembly (10) as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that the detent (54) is pivotally connected to the second part (18) by resilient pivot means (56).

10. A cap assembly (10,76) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said cap assembly is attachable to a reservoir (16) onto which the screw thread (78) of the first part (12) can be screwed.

11. A cap assembly (10,76) as claimed in claim 10, characterised in that said reservoir is a transparent container (16).