WO2014006218A1

WO2014006218A1 - Dispenser

Info

Publication number: WO2014006218A1
Application number: PCT/EP2013/064333
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sylvester FRICK
Original assignee: Herbert Ospelt Anstalt
Priority date: 2012-07-06
Filing date: 2013-07-06
Publication date: 2014-01-09

Abstract

The invention relates to a dispenser (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) for manually removing packaged units (28) of a material to be metered, especially from the field of pet foods, foodstuff, luxury foods, and smoke and tobacco products, comprising a housing (10, 50) with a base (11), an outlet opening (12, 22, 42), a cover (14, 44), and optionally at least one viewing window. The outlet opening (12, 22, 42) is at least partly closed by a temporary barrier until the dispenser is used for the first time. The invention is characterized in that the housing is designed in the shape of an elongated prism with a triangular or polygonal cross-section or in the shape of a cylinder, and the housing has a carrying handle on at least one longitudinal side or in a head region.

Description

DISPENSER

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a device for the manual dispensing of packaged, prefabricated units of a dosage material, in particular from the field of pet food, food and beverages, smoked and tobacco products. STATE OF THE ART

In the field of feeding and dispensing feed to pets, there are many automatic, semi-automatic and manually operable devices in the prior art. Most of them concern the dosage of free-flowing dry food from a storage container into a feed bowl.

In contrast, US Pat. Application US 200501 1 907A1 presents a system for stockpiling and simply dispensing portioned pet food in the form of canned food. It is a multi-part vertical wall-mounting system where food cans are inserted into the top of the dosing cylinder, stacked on top of each other, and removed manually at the other end of the dosing cylinder, in the area between a base plate and the cylinder end, as needed.

W098 / 4741 7 discloses an oblong cuboid dispenser made of cardboard of rectangular cross-section, positioned upright edged, for the manual removal of stacked, packaged packaging units therein. The dispenser has both at its front and at its back in the bottom region in each case an output opening and in the head region in each case a feed opening, each of which may be at least partially closed with a closure element before the first removal of packaging units. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In contrast, it is the object of the present invention to provide a less expensive dispenser for packaged units of finished products, for example, packaged units of pet food, especially canned food, which is primarily intended as a disposable system and therefore, in contrast to the dispenser of W098 / 4741 7 no particular having applied feed opening for refilling with packaged goods. In addition, the dispenser according to the present invention typically has only a single dispensing opening for the removal of packaged goods and is also equipped with a carrying handle.

This problem is solved with a dispenser according to the independent main claim. Different embodiments of the dispenser according to the invention are described in the dependent claims. The dispenser according to the invention comprises a housing in the form of an elongated geometric hollow body with a bottom, with a dispensing opening at least partially closed by means of a removable temporary barrier, optionally with at least one frontally or laterally arranged viewing window, and optionally with a housing connected to the housing integrally connected, cover on the opposite side of the bottom of the housing.

The geometric shape of the dispenser is adapted to the dosing material to be accommodated, for example animal feed packaging units, and can therefore vary within wide ranges. Thus, it may be in the form of an oblong cuboid with a square or rectangular cross section, in the form of an elongated prism with a triangular or polygonal cross section, or else in the form of a cylinder. The oblong shape results from the fact that it serves for the intermediate storage of a stack of such packaging units. In the intended operating state, the dispenser is placed so that its imaginary longitudinal axis is aligned vertically and the packaging units located above each other, so they after removal of a packaging unit by itself, according to gravity, slip down and fill the resulting gap.

In a first embodiment, the dispenser is made in one piece, with permanently closed lid and a tear tab as a temporary Barrier which at least partially closes the dispensing opening. The dispenser is filled before being commercially available with the desired packaging units, typically from the pet food sector, such as, for example, food cans, feed bowls or food bags, which are stacked inside the housing. The intact tear tab prevents the packaging units from inadvertently slipping out of the dispenser during transport.

Instead of being a disposable closure in the form of a tear-open tab, the temporary barrier can also be designed as a reclosable returnable closure in the form of a film, an adhesive tape, an adhesive label, a band with snap fastener, snap closure or buckle or the dispenser, for example, as a whole or at least in the area of Dispensing opening to be wrapped with a shrink wrap.

In the embodiment of the dispenser with tear-open tab and quadrangular or polygonal cross-section, the tear-open tab can either span only one front area or extend into the side walls of the housing across all edges. It is arranged in the transverse direction to the vertically oriented longitudinal axis of the housing and extends at upright placed housing at least on the front sides of the housing in the horizontal direction. In cross-edge execution of the tear tab whose course in the region of the side walls may deviate from the horizontal and, for example, obliquely up or down. For defined breaking or tearing of the tear-open tab prior to the first removal of a packaging unit, the housing typically has a corresponding perforation or material thinning which defines the shape of the tear-open tab. Additionally, at least one end of the tear tab and / or immediately above or below the tear tab may be provided with a permanent or breakable handle hole to facilitate gripping the tear tab. Where possibly no grip hole is provided for reasons of stability, the tear-open tab can be broken out of the housing along its perforation or dilution of material by pushing it in.

The removal of the tear tab releases the full dispensing opening of the dispenser. The width of the tear-open tab and thus the output The opening is dimensioned such that it corresponds at least to the height of a packaging unit stacked in the dispenser. In the embodiment with edge-spreading tearing tab is additionally created by tearing the tear-open the ability to simultaneously capture the dispensing stacked packaging units not only from the front but also from both sides with one hand and easy to be able to pull forward from the dispenser.

If, instead of a tear-open tab, a foil, an adhesive tape, an adhesive label, a Velcro closure, a band with a snap fastener, snap or buckle, or the like is used as a temporary barrier, the dispensing opening is typically in its final shape from the beginning the housing cut and is at least partially covered by the respective closure element. The dimensioning of the dispensing opening depends - as in all embodiments of the dispenser - also in these embodiments primarily on the type of dosing, the geometric shape and size of the dispenser, its material properties and its consequent mechanical stability.

Reusable barriers, e.g. a Velcro closure, make it possible to make even used dispensers by re-closing the dispensing opening again suitable for transport and take, for example, for a short break or weekend excursion. Just for this purpose, the dispenser can also be made of a higher quality material, such as tinplate, aluminum or leather or imitation leather, with the use of leather or imitation leather, the temporary barrier in the form of a reclosable strap made of leather or imitation leather with a suitable closure system such as Snap closure, snap closure or buckle can be performed.

In a specific embodiment, the, in this case, typically cuboid. Dispenser instead of a tear tab on a tilting frontward tilting drawer as a barrier, which is inserted into the discharge opening and in its closed position completely closes the discharge opening. Before using the dispenser for the first time, its top edge may be flush with the adjacent front wall of the dispenser body. glued, welded or otherwise stably connected to prevent inadvertent opening prior to initial use. In this embodiment of the dispenser, it is preferred that the dispensing opening directly adjoins the housing bottom in order to allow the tilting drawer to unfold as trouble-free as possible. In addition, in the region of the front wall, which directly adjoins the upper edge of the tilting drawer, the housing may have a grip hole in order to facilitate the detection of the upper edge of the tilting drawer. It is envisaged that the dispenser should primarily serve as a disposable device, where it comes in filled with packaging units state and with closed, intact barrier on the market and should be recycled after removal of the last packaging unit. For this reason, the dispenser is preferably made of cardboard or plastic or a composite material based on cardboard.

For reasons of mechanical stability - especially in the embodiment with cardboard - it is preferred that the dispensing opening or the corresponding tear-open tab is not arranged directly at the bottom of the housing but at a distance, for example at a distance of at least half the thickness or height of one Packaging unit, removed from the ground. This also has the consequence that the last packaging unit, for example a can of cat food, comes to lie partially or completely below the dispensing opening and thus reminds the user that it is time again to provide replenishment.

In order nevertheless to keep the removal of the last packaging unit as simple as possible, provision may be made for the housing to have at least one permanent or knock-out grip hole below the dispensing opening or the intact tear-off tab, through which the last packaging unit is passed and lift it up to the dispensing opening. This is particularly advantageous if the tear-open is not executed across edges and therefore does not extend into the area of the side walls of the dispenser housing.

In the two-part embodiment with main body and front element, the front element as a slip-on lid - similar to a shoe cardboard - executed and connected to the main body of the housing only frictionally positive and non-positive. But it can also be connected by means of known Verschliess- or fastening mechanisms such as hook, Velcro, snap fastener, snap closure or similar mechanisms releasably connected to the housing body. In the simplest and least expensive embodiment, however, the front element and housing base body are inseparably glued or welded together.

In the two-part embodiment with front element, the tear-open tab is integrated into the front element. For stability reasons, it may be advantageous that, depending on the choice of material for the front element, the tear-open tab runs only on the front side of the front element and is not formed across edges. The dispenser according to the invention can have at least one viewing window along its longitudinal axis, which is arranged on the front side or on at least one of the side walls.

Although the dispenser was discussed above primarily in relation to animal feed packaging units, it goes without saying that it is also applicable to other packaging units, for example food packaging units, e.g. various snacks or sweets, or for cigarettes or tobacco boxes and the like is suitable and can be used.

The dispenser can be used in a corresponding embodiment as a reusable container. For this purpose, either the above-mentioned front element (in the case of a two-part version of the dispenser) or the cover of the housing can be designed in a resealable form. In the case of a reclosable lid, this can be designed, for example, as a push-in or slip-on lid, with or without an additional closure or fastening element, as a lid with a hinge or hinge, or as a sliding lid. The refilling with packaging units by the end user then takes place from the front when the front element can be closed again, with the lid resealable from above. Possible embodiments for reclosable covers are well known in the art. This type of dispenser is suitable for both the commercial application in petrol station shops, pet food shops, fast food outlets and the like, as well as for the private consumer, as a stationary or mobile reusable container for a stock of eg animal feed packages, cigarette packs, sweet or salty snacks and the like.

For more sophisticated claims, the dispenser may also be made of another, higher quality material, such as Aluminum, tinplate, leather, imitation leather or a composite material of at least two materials from the group cardboard, plastic, metal be executed. This satisfies two needs at the same time, namely, higher mechanical strength and chemical resistance (e.g., moisture resistance) and, secondly, an aesthetic preference of the user for one or the other material over paperboard. For example, especially for stationary, commercial use, a dispenser of mechanically and chemically more resistant material such as e.g. Plastic or light metal to be better than cardboard. Also, the size may vary accordingly and may be, for example, 50 to 1 00 cm for commercial applications, while for most end users, such as e.g. the owners of dogs or cats, a dispenser height of about 20 to 30 cm should be sufficient.

In an advantageous embodiment, the dispenser housing has a carrying handle on one of its longitudinal sides or one of its end faces. The carrying handle can be provided, for example, on the side facing away from the dispensing opening, that is to say the rear side. But it can also be arranged on the front side in the head area, in particular on the lid of the dispenser. Above all, but not only when the dispenser is made of cardboard, the carrying handle can be part of the rear wall or the housing cover. In this case, it is defined and delimited by two predetermined breaking lines, for example perforation lines, which run parallel to one another, if necessary, and are broken out of the material of the dispenser housing for the purpose of use. Depending on the material of the dispenser housing, this can be done by the end user or already done on the production side. To facilitate break-out by the end consumer, at least one - typically semicircular - handle hole can be provided in the rear wall or in the lid of the housing, for example in the region of the center of the carrying handle. When using other materials for the dispenser but the carrying handle can also be designed in the form of a separate, attached to the dispenser housing handle member. For a better understanding of the present invention, essential features are exemplified in the figures.

FIGURE DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 a shows a principle drawing of a ready for sale. Dispenser in an oblique view, with intact, closed tear tab, side window, handle holes above and below the tear tab, and filled with packaged goods.

Fig.1b shows the dispenser of Fig.1a with frontal rather than lateral

Viewing window; dashed lines mark here, as in the other figures, always predetermined breaking lines, z. B. perforation lines. Fig. 2a shows a schematic drawing of an empty dispenser after removal of the tear tab.

Fig. 2b shows the model of the dispenser of Fig. 2a with a partially withdrawn packaging unit.

Fig. 3a shows a schematic drawing of a dispenser with a two-part housing, an intact tear tab and an intact, knock-out handle hole below the tear-open tab.

Fig. 3b shows the dispenser from Fig.3a without breakable handle hole underneath the tear-open tab.

Fig. 4 shows a schematic drawing of a dispenser with rectangular

Cross-section and side viewing window, with removable lid and removed tear tab.

Fig. 5 shows a schematic drawing of a special dispenser with tilting drawer.

Fig. 6 shows a schematic drawing of a filled dispenser with handle hole at the end of the side obliquely extending tear tab, rear handle hole for breaking out of the carrying handle, as well as broken out handle on the back.

Fig. 7 shows a schematic drawing of a filled dispenser with horizontal viewing window on the front, intact tear-open tab. like a semicircular handle hole and a broken carrying handle on the lid.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The illustrated in Fig.1 a and Fig. 1 b, inventive dispenser 1 comprises a housing 1 0 in the form of an upright, elongated cuboid square or approximately square cross-section, with a bottom 1 1, a closed with a tear tab 1 5 issue - Opening 1 2, a side window 1 3 and a closed, with the housing 1 0 integrally connected cover 1 4, which permanently closes the housing in this embodiment.

The length and shape of the tear-open flap 1 5 are determined by appropriate break lines, typically perforation lines or, if necessary, depending on the material of the housing, by appropriate thinning of the material in the housing.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 a and 1 b, the tear-open flap 1 5 is formed across edges and opens at least at one end into a permanently open grip hole 1 7, through which the tear-open tab is grasped and broken out of the housing 10 can be torn out. In addition, the dispenser in Figure 1 b has a semicircular perforation below the tear tab, along which a grip hole 1 6 close to the floor can be broken out. The handle hole 1 6 facilitates the detection and lifting of the last remaining in the dispenser packaging unit. Optionally, the dispenser may have a handle hole both below and above the tear tab, such as e.g. shown in Fig. 1 a.

Where no grip hole 1 7 is provided, the tear tab can be 1 5 5 broken along its perforation or thinning of material by pushing out of the housing 1 0. The width of the tear-open tab is dimensioned such that it corresponds at least to the height or thickness of a packaging unit stacked in the dispenser. Typically, however, it is wider, for example 5 - 50% wider, designed to allow easy removal of the packaging units. This is especially for favorable those embodiments in which the output of the packaged goods is not directly on the dispenser floor but at a distance of half or full height / thickness of a packaging unit, as indicated in most figures. As a result, when the dispenser is placed upright, the bottommost packaging unit is retained by the dispenser, while the subsequent, subsequent packaging unit is available for removal. In this way, it is also easy to see when the penultimate packaging unit was consumed and the dispenser should be replenished or a new one should be purchased.

In principle, the tear-open tab and thus the dispensing opening 12 can also be arranged directly adjacent to the housing bottom 11 (not shown in the figures), but it is preferred for reasons of mechanical stability, at least when cardboard is used as the housing material, the tear tab or the dispensing opening 22, as shown in Fig.2a and Fig.2b, at a distance from the bottom, typically corresponding to at least half the height or thickness of a packaging unit 28 to order.

In Fig.3a and Abb.3b, a two-part dispenser 3 is shown, which has a housing base body 39 and a front member 31 0, which is designed as a slip-on lid as in a shoe box and the housing base fully outside embraces. The front element 31 0 is fixed to the housing base either purely via force and form fit, via material connection by z. B. gluing or welding, or - if necessary in addition - on at least one fastener 31 1. The - possibly removable and re-attachable - front element typically has a tear-open, which is not executed across edges and only spans the width of the front of the front element. For this reason, the front element preferably has a permanent grip hole above (Fig.3b) and / or below (Fig.3a) of the tear-open. In Fig. 4, an embodiment is shown, which is better suited for example for packaging units in the form of elongated bags or bags. The dispenser 4 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. cut, and in addition a resealable lid 44. This allows the dispenser can also be used as a reusable container. The filling of the dispenser with packaging units by the end user can take place with the lid open from above, wherein in the case of bag-shaped packaging units, these are stacked in a horizontal arrangement. The discharge opening 42 is adapted in its dimensions to the intended bag thickness. If the dispensing opening is rather narrow, then it is advantageous to provide a grip hole both below and above the dispensing opening or the tear-open tab, because this considerably facilitates gripping a small bag or bag.

Fig. 5 shows a specific embodiment of the dispenser 5 with a tilting drawer 51 2 as a temporary barrier. Before the dispenser is used for the first time, the tilting drawer can be stably connected to the housing 50 in its closed position by adhesive bonding, welding, adhesive tape or other closing mechanism to prevent unintentional opening of the tilting drawer and possible slipping out of a packaging unit 58 stacked in the dispenser. For example, a can of cat food to prevent. A provided on the front wall of the cuboid dispenser grip hole 57 facilitates the detection of the upper edge 51 3 of the tilting drawer 51 2 for the purpose of opening and swinging out of the tilting drawer.

The mobile use of the dispenser according to the invention is substantially facilitated by a carrying handle, for example a carrying handle 61, 71 which can be broken out of the housing, in particular cardboard housing. This can either be arranged along the rear wall on the long side (Fig. 6) or on the front side in the head area or on the lid of the dispenser housing (Fig. 7). To facilitate the breaking out of the carrying handle along two juxtaposed predetermined breaking lines, which are shown in dashed lines in the figures, at least one permanent or herausbrechbares or depressible handle hole 62 may be provided. Likewise, instead of or in addition to at least one lateral viewing window, the dispenser can also have a frontal viewing window arranged vertically or horizontally on the front side. FIG. 7 shows an embodiment with a side viewing window in a vertical orientation and additionally with a small, frontal viewing window 72 in a horizontal orientation. tion, based on the ready upright positioned upright dispenser.

In embodiments with broken out of the rear wall carrying handle can be dispensed with lateral or frontal viewing window.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 dispenser

1 0 housing

1 1 bottom of the housing

1 2 dispensing opening, closed by pull-tab

1 3, 1 3 'viewing window laterally or frontally

1 4 lid

1 5 Perforated tear tab, across corners, in intact condition

1 6 Breakable grip hole below the tear tab or the

Dispensing opening, in intact condition

1 7 Permanent grip hole for grasping the tear-open tab

2 dispenser model filled with dosing material

22 Dispensing opening after removal of the tear-open tab

26 (Broken out) handle hole below the dispensing opening

28 packing unit, e.g. Animal feed tray

3 Two-part dispenser with removable front element

35 pull-tab, non-across corners, intact

39 main body of the two-part housing

31 0 Front element, if necessary removable

31 1 fastener for front element

4 dispensers with rectangular cross section

42 Outlet opening asymmetrical, after removal of the tear-open tab

44 Removable lid

46 Broken handle hole below the discharge opening

5 dispensers with tilting drawer

50 Dispenser housing with tilting drawer

57 handle hole

58 packing unit, e.g. Animal feed can

51 2 tilting drawer

51 3 Top edge of the tilting drawer

61 Carrying handle along the rear wall

62 Handle hole for breaking out the carrying handle

71 Carrying handle on the front side in the head area of the dispenser

72 Horizontal viewing window on the front

73 Pull tab with sloping course on the side panels

Claims

1 . Dispenser (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) for the manual removal of packaging units (28) of a dosing material, especially from the field of pet food, food, semi-luxury, tobacco and tobacco products, comprising a housing (1 0 , 50) with a bottom (1 1), with an output opening (1 2, 22, 42), a cover (1 4, 44), optionally with at least one viewing window, wherein the output opening (1 2, 22, 42) to for the first-time use of the dispenser with a temporary barrier is at least partially closed, characterized in that the housing is in the form of an elongated prism having a triangular or polygonal cross-section or in the form of a cylinder and the housing at least one longitudinal side or in a head area Carrying handle has.

2. Dispenser according to claim 1, characterized in that the temporary barrier is a disposable or a reclosable multi-way closure.

3. Dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the discharge opening at a front side of the housing (1 0) immediately after the bottom (1 1) of the housing or at a distance therefrom is arranged.

4. Dispenser according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized marked, that the temporary barrier is a tear tab (1 5, 35), which is removable along predetermined predetermined breaking lines from the housing by breaking or pressing.

5. Dispenser according to claim 4 with a square or rectangular cross-section, characterized in that the tear-open tab (1 5) is formed across edges.

6. Dispenser according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that at least one end of the tear tab (1 5, 35) and / or immediately above and / or below the tear tab a permanently present or along a perforation or break line breakable grip hole (1 6 , 1 7, 46) is provided in the housing.

7. Dispenser according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the housing is formed in two parts and a base body (39) and a front element (31 0), wherein the front element (31 0) has the discharge opening, and wherein in the case a tear-open tab is placed as a barrier above and / or below the tear-open tab, a permanently existing grip hole or break-out hole along a predetermined breaking line.

8. Dispenser according to claim 7, characterized in that the front element (31 9) either inseparably bonded or welded to the base body (39) of the housing or is releasably connected to the base body via friction or by means of a mechanical fastening mechanism.

9. Dispenser according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the cover (1 4, 44) is designed as reclosable lid (44).

1 0. Dispenser according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized marked, that it has a carrying handle (61, 71).

1 1. Dispenser according to claim 1 0, characterized in that the carrying handle (61, 71) along two juxtaposed predetermined breaking lines from the lid or the rear wall of the dispenser is breakable.

1 2. Dispenser according to one of claims 1 to 1 1, characterized in that it is made of cardboard, plastic, light metal, tinplate, leather, imitation leather or a composite material of two or more of these materials.