WO2021015985A1

WO2021015985A1 - Dispenser for fluent material

Info

Publication number: WO2021015985A1
Application number: PCT/US2020/041885
Authority: WO
Inventors: William M. Sherk, Jr.; Swee B. TAN
Original assignee: Miraclecorp Products
Priority date: 2019-07-24
Filing date: 2020-07-14
Publication date: 2021-01-28

Abstract

A dispenser for powdered, granular or related fluent materials and a method of using a dispenser. In one form, the dispenser is configured as a disposable device such that, after depletion of the fluent material contents arising out of a multiplicity of uses, it can be thrown away. In another form, the dispenser may be made to be refillable for reuse. A dispensing assembly is formed within a housing and can be made responsive to user actuation in order to allow selective dispensing of the fluent material. The construction of both a valve that forms part of the dispensing assembly and a reservoir that contains the fluent material allows the amount of fluent material being dispensed to be of a precise, metered, repeatable quantity.

Description

DISPENSER FOR FLUENT MATERIAL

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application 62/877,892 that was filed on July 24, 2019.

BACKGROUND

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to a device for dispensing a metered amount of powdered or granular material, and more particularly to a hand-held dispenser for consistent dosing of the powdered or granular material.

[0002] Free-flowing powdered and granular substances (alternately referred to as part of a larger class known as fluent materials) may be stored in container-like devices for subsequent dispensing. Examples include devices configured to discharge gunpowder, salt, sugar, spices, powdered dairy creamer or the like. In one form, in situations where the fluent material is meant to be ingestible, it may be in the form of food, medicines, dietary supplements (the latter two possibly in conjunction with palatability enhancers) through an easy-to-use dispenser as disclosed in US Patent 7,032,787 to Sherk et al. which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Nevertheless, further improvements in fluent material dispensing would be beneficial.

SUMMARY

[0003] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a fluent material dispenser is provided. The dispenser includes an internal compartment in the form of a reservoir for holding a quantity of fluent material and a dispensing assembly that includes a pushbutton, an axially elongate shaft and a valve such that upon activation of the pushbutton by a user, the valve is selectively movable in order to permit an opening to form in the bottom of the reservoir that in turn permits the downward gravity flow of at least a portion of the fluent material out of the dispenser and onto an object or related surface. In one form, the dispenser includes removable top and bottom caps to not only provide an aesthetically-pleasing outer profile to the dispenser, but also to help provide child-resistant features to prevent accidental discharge of the fluent material contents. Furthermore, the size and ergonomic features of the dispenser allow it to be used with one hand, thus facilitating use by individuals with otherwise limited capacity to dispense a predetermined quantity of fluent material product.

[0004] The first and second portions and at least a portion of the fluent material reservoir cooperate with one another to define a dispensing chamber. When the valve is not being actuated, the fluent material reservoir and the dispensing chamber are contiguous with one another such that at least a portion of any fluent material that has been placed within the fluent material reservoir is also contained within the dispensing chamber without being dispensed. Contrarily, when the valve is being actuated, a quantity of fluent material is dispensed from the dispensing chamber through (a) a temporary gap that is formed between the valve and the discharge aperture and (b) a temporary closing of the dispensing chamber from a remainder of the fluent material reservoir. The combined temporary opening and closing ensures that the quantity of fluent material being dispensed is a metered amount.

[0005] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an integrated fluent material dispenser is disclosed. The integrated fluent material dispenser includes a fluent material that has been added to a fluent material dispenser the latter of which is substantially similar to the fluent material dispenser of the previous aspect.

[0006] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of packaging a fluent material using either the dispenser or the integrated dispensing system of the previous aspects is disclosed. In one form, such a method may include receiving the fluent material in at least one of powder, granular or related form, and placing the fluent material into a fluent material reservoir that is formed within a fluent material dispenser with a valve that includes a first portion and a second portion spaced apart from one another along a valve direction of movement. In this way, when the valve is actuated or otherwise deployed (such as by a user), a metered amount of fluent material is dispensed from a dispensing chamber. Likewise, when the valve is not being deployed or actuated, a metered amount of fluent material remains contained within the dispensing chamber. The dispensing chamber is defined at least partially by the valve and in selective fluid communication with the fluent material reservoir through the valve. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure can be best understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings, where like structure is indicated with like reference numerals and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an elevation view of an embodiment of a dispenser of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates a cutaway view of the dispenser of FIG. 1 with the valve in its unactuated position;

FIG. 3 illustrates a partially disassembled view of the dispenser of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4A illustrates a view of a user gripping the dispenser prior to activating it;

FIG. 4B illustrates a view of the user activating the dispenser by depressing a pushbutton in order to allow release of a fluent material; and

FIG. 4C illustrates a detail view of a discharge aperture being formed in a lower portion of the dispenser by the activating of FIG. 4B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0007] Referring initially to FIGS. 1 through 3, a dispenser 100 for fluent material (also referred to as a fluent material dispenser or a fluent material dispenser assembly) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Dispenser 100 includes a housing 200 and dispensing assembly 300. The housing 200 includes an upper portion 210, a middle portion 220 and a lower portion 230 of the housing 200 such that a main body 240 defines a generally elongate profile that extends between the upper portion 210 and the lower portion 230 of the housing 200. As shown, the middle portion 220 defines an hourglass-shaped curvaceous shape relative to the upper portion 210 and the lower portion 230 of the housing 200; such shape may be useful in helping a user grasp the dispenser 100. At least a portion of the main body 240 defines a generally hollow construction such that inside it includes an inner compartment in the form of a reservoir 250 that extends at least between the middle portion 220 and the lower portion 230 of the housing 200 and that is sized and shaped to contain an amount of fluent material 400. The dispensing assembly 300 includes a pushbutton 310, an axially elongate shaft 320, one or more bards 330 and a valve 340 that is configured to move along a valve direction of movement V that coincides with the axially elongate shaft 320. Movement of the dispensing assembly 300 along the valve direction movement V (that is, along the Y-axis as shown) of the housing 200 is established through the pushbutton 310 that is an assembly of three separate parts made with three different materials including a silicone cap 311, a stainless steel biasing spring 312 and a plastic holder (with threads) 313 with which to maintain the biasing spring 312 in compression and axially aligned. Upon formation of this assembly into pushbutton 310, it may be attached to the rest of the dispensing assembly 300 in order to be placed within the reservoir 250 and other contiguous recesses formed on the inside of the main body 240.

[0008] The housing 200 may additionally include a top cap 260 and a bottom cap 270 that are sized and shaped to fit over the corresponding upper and lower portions 210, 230 of the housing 200. In one form, one or both of the top cap 260 and the bottom cap 270 may define a threaded connection or other frictional fit in order to promote secure, aesthetically-pleasing terminus points for the corresponding upper and lower portions 210, 230 of the housing 200. Additional features, such as externally-viewable and slightly raised ribs, facets or the like may also be included in order to promote ease of grip for handling, closing and opening of the top cap 260 and a bottom cap 270, as well as to provide for enhanced aesthetic qualities. In one form (such as those configurations of dispenser 100 that contain forms of the fluent material 400 that are fit for human consumption such as dietary supplements or the like, as well as in situations where the dispenser 100 may be expected to be placed in the presence of people that could be harmed by ingesting at least some of the fluent material 400 contents), one or both of the top cap 260 and the bottom cap 270 may be made to be secure or child-resistant, such as through the use of the previously-discussed threads, as well as through snap-fit connections, notches, locking tabs, detents or other means (all depicted collectively as 280) on cooperating inner surfaces of the caps 260, 270 and respective outer surfaces of the main body 240. In one example, such a secure connection between the top cap 260 or the bottom cap 270 and the corresponding portion of body 240 may be that associated with a cap’s relatively thin-walled construction that permits it to be selectively and temporarily deformed from its normal circular cross-section to an oblong cross-section by the application of a finger-initiated radially inward compressive force. In addition, the bottom cap 270 may define a bowl-like lower surface that is configured to contain excess of fluent material that may inadvertently escape from the discharge aperture 253. In another form, (such as those configurations of dispenser 100 that contain forms of the fluent material 400 for use in consumption by livestock, pets or other animals), neither the top cap 260 nor the bottom cap 270 need possess such secure or child- resistant features. Regardless of the form, the features associated with the top and bottom caps 260, 270 may be integrally-formed, as well as complementary features on various parts of the main body 240, all through molding or other known manufacturing approaches.

[0009] As shown with particularity in FIGS. 2 and 3, the lower part of the fluent material reservoir 250 that defines the lower portion 230 of housing 200 may be shaped as two opposing and axially aligned frustro-conical sections 251, 252 (also referred to in the orientation as depicted in FIG. 2 as upper and lower frustro-conical sections, top and bottom frustro-conical sections, first and second frustro-conical sections or the like), that terminate at the bottom-most part of the lower portion 230 of the housing 200 such that the lowermost portion of the lower frustro-conical section 252 forms the discharge aperture 253. A yoke 254 is located in a horizontal plane that is formed at the intersection of the two frustro-conical sections 251, 252 and includes a cutout that acts as a bearing surface to maintain the axial alignment of the shaft 320 and affixed valve 340 during their vertically up and down movement along the valve direction of movement V. In one form, the yoke 254 includes a plurality of circumferentially- spaced apertures formed in its substantially planar structure to facilitate the passage of the fluent material 400 therethrough as it passes from the upper frustro-conical section 251 to the lower frustro-conical section 252.

[0010] As will be discussed in more detail as follows, the portion of the fluent material reservoir 250 that corresponds to the axially aligned frustro-conical sections 251, 252 is referred to herein as a dispensing chamber 255. In such capacity, it is made to cooperate with corresponding portions of the valve 340 in order to selectively dispense or contain a portion of the fluent material 400, and in one form may be thought of as being fluidly coupled to the remainder of the fluent material reservoir 250 during periods where the valve 340 is not being actuated, and fluidly decoupled from the remainder of the fluent material reservoir 250 during periods where the valve 340 is being actuated. Also as will be discussed in more detail as follows, such selective coupling and decoupling occurs as a result of movement of the valve

340 and its particular construction that includes an upper first portion in the form of a stopper

341 and a lower second portion plunger 342.

[0011] By orienting the dispenser 100 to have its upper portion 210 in a vertically-upward position relative to the lower portion 230 of the housing 200 along the Y-axis of the Cartesian coordinate system shown in FIG. 1 , the fluent material 400 contained within the fluent material reservoir 250 collects closer to the lower portion 230 of the housing 200, thereby promoting enhanced gravity-feed to the discharge aperture 253. In this way, and upon activation of the dispensing assembly 300, the valve 340 in general (and its lower portion plunger 342 in particular) moves to its actuated position that is downward relative to the fluent material reservoir 250 and the discharge aperture 253 so that a gap G that is shown in conjunction with FIG. 4 is temporarily formed. Simultaneously, the downward movement of the valve 340 in general (and of its upper portion stopper 341 in particular) temporarily cuts off (that is to say, substantially interrupts or otherwise closes) fluid communication of the portion of the fluent material 400 that had previously been contained within the dispensing chamber 255 from the remainder of the fluent material reservoir 250. Within the present context, the dispensing chamber 255 generally corresponds to a volumetric region within the fluent material reservoir 250 that is defined by the space between inward-facing sides one or both of the frustro-conical sections 251, 252 of the lower part of the reservoir 250, the outward-facing surface of the shaft 300 and the axial spacing between the stopper 341 and plunger 342 of valve 340. As such, the cooperation of the valve 340 and the frustro-conical sections 251, 252 in general and the contemporaneous change between adjacent surface contact and adjacent surface lack of contact between the stopper 341 and plunger 342 and the respective upper and lower frustro-conical sections 251, 252 in particular provides the dispensing chamber 255 with a predetermined volumetric capacity in order to ensure that each time the dispensing assembly 300 is activated, a substantially consistent quantity (that is to say, a metered amount) of the fluent material 400 is dispensed through the gap G that is formed as part of the discharge aperture 253. The shape of each of the pair of axially aligned frustro-conical sections 251, 252 and the cooperating surfaces of the respective stopper 341 and plunger 342 is such that when the valve 340 is actuated, an engaging surface, corner or related part of the stopper 341 substantially abuts (or seats against) an inward-facing surface of an adjacent surface of the upper frustro-conical section 251, whereas when the valve 340 is not being actuated, an engaging surface, corner or related part of the plunger 342 substantially abuts (or seats against) an inward-facing surface of the lower frustro-conical section 252 near the discharge aperture 253. Within the present context, it will be appreciated that any repositioning of the valve 340 through its actuation is necessarily temporary in that upon removal of the force— such as ceasing to apply thumb pressure or the like to the pushbutton 310— the biasing spring 312 returns the valve 340 and its portions to the unactuated position of FIG. 2.

[0012] In one form, a particular amount of stop angle associated with the frustro-conical sections 251, 252 may help to regulate the outflow of fluent material 400. In one form, an acute angle qi formed by frustro-conical section 251 with respect to a horizontal axis (that is to say, an axis extending within a plane containing the X-axis as depicted in FIG. 1) is between 45 and 50 degrees. In a more particular form, the acute angle qi formed by frustro-conical section 251 with respect to such horizontal axis is between 46 and 49 degrees. In an even more particular form, the acute angle qi formed by frustro-conical section 251 with respect to the horizontal axis is 48 degrees. In one form, the acute angle Q2 formed by frustro-conical section 252 with respect to the horizontal axis is between 75 and 80 degrees. In a more particular form, the acute angle Q2 formed by frustro-conical section 252 with respect to X-axis is 79 degrees.

[0013] The components used in the construction of the housing 200 and the dispensing assembly 300 ensure a secure connection in order to keep the reservoir 250 fluidly isolated from the ambient environment during periods where the dispensing assembly 300 is not being activated. For example, the main body 240 may be formed to have a sealed, permanent closure, such as at the time of manufacture, thereby promoting the purity of the fluent material 400 contained therein. In the present context, a connection is deemed permanent when it includes configurations where the process of separating the connected pieces will necessarily entail damage to one or more of the connected pieces, or where the subsequent containment properties are severely and irreversibly compromised. This situation is especially acute when the fluent material 400 is intended for human or animal consumption, in that by avoiding contamination of the fluent material contents due to exposure to the ambient environment by accident or tampering, the utmost in material purity and efficacy is maintained. Nevertheless, even in situations where complete sealing can’t be achieved, especially for hygroscopic forms of fluent material 400, additional structure in the form of the integrally-formed bards 330 that angularly extend away from the axially elongate shaft 320 help with the flow of the fluent material 400, particularly in reducing the formation of air pockets and the breaking up of potential moisture laden clumps within the reservoir 250. In one form, the sealing may define a substantially hermetic sealing, such as for configurations where the fluent material 400 comprises a food product, medicine product, dietary supplement any of which may be configured for any one or more of pet consumption, human consumption, livestock consumption, other animal consumption (such as horses and related equine applications) or the like.

[0014] The valve 340 is shown as a sub-assembly of two members (or portions) that are axially spaced apart along the shaft 320. In particular, these two members or portions include a stopper 341 and a plunger 342 where each may be formed as an assembly of two separate components. For example, the stopper 341 may include a pair of nested conical parts 341A, 341B that may be snap-fit together to form a single unit; in one form, the nested conical parts 341A, 341B may be made from plastic or a related resilient material. As with the stopper 341, the plunger 342 defines a generally conical shape with a lower circumferential cutout to allow the placement of an O-ring 343. This promotes enhanced sealing of the fluent material 400 by forming a relatively compliant joining surface between the outer edge of the plunger 342 and an inner surface of the discharge aperture 253.

[0015] The placement of the stopper 341 along the elevation or height of the axially elongate shaft 320 may be made to be adjustable, such as through the inclusion of numerous stackable washers 344. This adjustability allows for ease of defining the size of the volumetric region that is defined by the valve 340 and frustro-conical sections 251, 252 of the lower part of the reservoir 250. For example, in a situation where it is desired to discharge one tablespoon of fluent material 400, the stopper 341 may be adjusted vertically upwards with a relatively smaller number of such washers 344, while for a situation where it is desired to discharge one teaspoon of fluent material 400, the stopper 341 may be adjusted vertically downwards with a relatively larger number of such washers 344. As such, the design of the dispenser 100 promotes efficient large-scale manufacture in that not only are each of its various components able to be manufactured to be of the same size, shape and material (and thereby keeping component tooling and design costs low) to result in a one-size outer dimension, it is also modular in construction in that by varying the reservoir 250 and its volumetric region formed by the valve 340 through differing spacing between the stopper 341 and the plunger 342 (such as by varying the number of washers 344), the dispenser 100 can be marketed to different end- users with different fluent material 400 dispensing needs while maintaining the same general part count, size, outer profile and other common attributes.

[0016] In the present context, the fluent material 400 is sealed (or sealingly contained) within the reservoir 250 or similar compartment or enclosure such that when once placed inside, contact between the fluent material 400 and the ambient environment outside the reservoir 250 is substantially cut off until the dispensing assembly 300 is activated in order to permit fluent material 400 to be discharged from the dispenser 100. In one form, the generally compliant joining surface as defined by the O-ring 343 may arise from an appropriate choice of material (such as silicone, rubber or the like) that is relatively soft or elastically compliant relative to the inner wall surface of the lower frustro-conical 252 section of the reservoir 250. That the fluent material 400 is sealingly contained does not necessarily require complete isolation of the fluent material 400, as trace amounts of air, moisture and minute-sized particulate matter from the ambient environment may still bypass the cover and lodge within the reservoir 250. Thus, in one form, the amount of fluent material 400 being dispensed with a single activation of the dispensing assembly 300 may be tailored to particular end-use applications through the axial spacing formed between the stopper 341 and a plunger 342 of valve 340 such that when the pushbutton 310 is depressed, relative axial movement between the valve 340 and the discharge aperture 253 is affected. The biasing spring 312 is arranged to have a measure of stiffness or compliance along the axial dimension of the shaft 320 such that upon depressing the pushbutton 310, the stiffness in the biasing spring 312 is overcome that in turn moves the valve 340 from a vertically upper position to a vertically lower position such that a gap G similar to that of FIG. 4 is formed as plunger 342 extends downwardly along the valve direction of movement V relative to the discharge aperture 253.

[0017] In one form, the dispenser 100 may be formed as part of an integrated dispensing system. In such a configuration, the fluent material 400 is placed, received or otherwise contained within at least a portion of the fluent material reservoir 250 such that it may subsequently (such as during system assembly or manufacture) sealed (for example, substantially hermetically or at least fluid-tight sealed) from the environment. In one form, such sealing may take place under factory-controlled conditions in order to promote one or more of enhanced purity, integrity or ambient environment isolation of the fluent material 400 contents. In one form, such an integrated dispensing system helps to not only protect against contamination, but also to extend the shelf-life of the fluent material 400.

[0018] In an optional form, one or more closure detents (not shown) may be situated with the bottom cap 270 and employed to further reduce the tendency to have an inadvertent or intentional release of fluent material 400. In such form, the closure detent is formed by an upstanding member from the generally planar lower surface of bottom cap 270. The closure detent may be any suitable geometric shape with which to form an interference fit with which to inhibit outward (that is to say, downward) axial movement of the valve 340 relative to the body 240 such as that associated with the dispensing action of FIG. 4, which in turn inhibits an inadvertent outward flow of fluent material 400 through the discharge aperture 253 to the ambient environment. In the event a small fraction of fluent material escapes past closure detent 127, the trough-like nature of the bottom cap 270 construction is such that the fluent material 400 will be confined to the base, which can then be easily cleaned up.

[0019] Although not shown, printed indicia (such as usage directions, warning labels, ingredient lists or the like) may be applied on the main body 240 or other external surface of dispenser 100. Likewise, labels (not shown, but for identification of the fluent material 400 contained within the dispenser 100) can be adhered to the dispenser 100; such labels may also include printed indicia. In one form, the dispenser 100 may predominantly be of plastic construction, it being understood that this may also apply to many of the individual components as previously discussed herein. In a more particular form, the plastic material used for the dispenser 100 and some or many of the individual components is recyclable. In the present context, the dispenser 100 is "predominantly" plastic in that the bulk of the housing making up its structure is plastic, while it will recognized by those skilled in the art that discrete components, such as the biasing spring 312 could be other materials, such as stainless steel or a related metal. Moreover, at least one portion of the main body 240 may be of transparent plastic to facilitate visual identification of the amount of fluent material 400 remaining in the dispenser 100. For example, the portion of the main body 240 that surrounds or makes up the reservoir 250 may be made from a transparent plastic, and may further include one or more optical treatments, such as a light filter to inhibit ultraviolet breakdown— such as by exposure to sunlight or the like— of the fluent material 400 contained within. The light filter can be made from, for example, a low emissivity coating or colorations in the transparent plastic. In one form, the main body 240 may include slit-like viewing ports (not shown) with which to achieve substantial protection against the light while still providing visual identification of the amount of fluent material 400 remaining in the dispenser 100. In another form, a label such as that mentioned previously can include die cut portions such that the user can selectively peel back the part of the label circumscribed by the die cut to be able to visually ascertain how much product remains and then replace the label in order to reduce or eliminate exposure of the fluent material 400 to ambient light.

[0020] Referring next to FIGS. 4A through 4C, a notional method of using the dispenser 100 to dispense an amount of fluent material 400 is shown. As shown with particularity in FIG. 4A, the ergonomic shaping of the dispenser 100 allows for ease of gripping as well as convenient thumb placement on the silicone cap 311 of the pushbutton 310. In this position, the dispensing assembly 300 remains in an unactivated condition such that the valve 340 remains closed (that is to say, unactuated) and no discharge aperture 253 is formed in the lower portion 230 of the housing 200. As shown with particularity in FIG. 4B, the shaft 320 to which the valve 340 is affixed (both of which are depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3) may be activated through one-handed gripping and thumb-activated depressing movement of the silicone cap 311 of the pushbutton 310. User activation through depressing the pushbutton 310 overcomes the previously-discussed biasing spring 312 to cause relative axial movement between the valve 340 and the discharge aperture 253 which in turn creates the valve 340 to be actuated such that a small circumferential gap G between them opens up in order to allow a gravity-based flow of fluent material to exit through the gap G. FIG. 4C shows in greater detail the gap G that forms the discharge aperture 253— as well as a view of the O-ring 343 that circumscribes the plunger 342— upon the activation step depicted in FIG. 4B.

[0021] Engagement of the pushbutton 310 with a downward motion, such as by thumb action or the like, causes movement of the valve 340 relative to the discharge aperture 253 in order to dispense the appropriate amount of the fluent material 400 from the reservoir 250. In one form, the dispenser 100 is sized to discharge a predetermined amount of the fluent material 400. In one example, the amount discharged from a single downward motion of the pushbutton 310 may result in a tablespoon (roughly 14.8 cubic centimeters) or more being dispensed in order to provide supplements or medicines for a horse or other large animal. It will be appreciated that the dispenser 100 may be sized or likewise configured to dispense greater or lesser volumetric amounts of supplements or medicines as well, depending on the end use. It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the fluent material 400 need not be limited to medicines or supplements for consumption by humans or animals, as the dispenser is equally applicable to use with granular or powder materials used as cleaning agents, chemical reagents, fertilizer, herbicides or the like. General granular size of the fluent material 400 can be tailored to the size of the discharge aperture 253 or other source of egress in order to help promote consistent flowability.

[0022] As discussed previously, the dispenser 100 is configured to dispense a consistent amount of fluent material 400 with each use. In the event the amount of fluent material 400 needed to meet the dietary or medical requirement is insufficient to fill the dispensing chamber 255 that is formed by the cooperation between the valve 340 and the frustro-conical sections 251, 252, then insipient and other fillers may be added to ensure consistent dosing possible for a particular size of animal or human user. In addition, agglomeration of the material can be used to transform finely divided particles into particles of larger size, thereby improving flowability, solubility and dosing, storage and handling of the fluent material. Factors that affect the flow characteristics of the fluent material 400, including humidity, static conditions and van der Waals forces, may all play a role in determining the level of integration between the dispenser 100 and the fluent material 400 contents. For example, techniques may be used to reduce residual static electricity in the dispenser 100 while various agglomeration techniques such as compression, mixing or agitation, extrusion, sintering or hot melting or forming can be used to effect various bridging, locking or reacting between particles, and that all such techniques are deemed to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0023] Having described the disclosure in detail and by reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be apparent that modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the disclosure defined in the appended claims. More specifically, although some aspects of the present disclosure are identified herein as preferred or particularly advantageous, it is contemplated that the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to these preferred aspects of the disclosure.

Claims

1. A fluent material dispenser comprising:

a housing defining a fluent material reservoir and a discharge aperture therein; and a dispensing assembly coupled to the housing and comprising a valve that includes a first portion and a second portion spaced apart from one another along a valve direction of movement, the first and second portions and the fluent material reservoir cooperative with one another to at least partially define a dispensing chamber thereby such that:

when the valve is not being actuated, the dispensing chamber and a remainder of the fluent material reservoir are contiguous with one another such that at least a portion of any fluent material that has been placed within the fluent material reservoir is also contained within the dispensing chamber without being dispensed; and

when the valve is being actuated, a quantity of fluent material is dispensed from the dispensing chamber through (a) a temporary gap that is formed between the valve and the discharge aperture and (b) a temporary closing of the dispensing chamber from the remainder of the fluent material reservoir to ensure that the quantity of fluent material being dispensed is a metered amount.

2. The fluent material dispenser of claim 1, wherein the dispensing chamber is further defined by a pair of axially aligned frustro-conical sections within the fluent material reservoir such that as the valve is being actuated, its first portion substantially abuts a first of the pair of axially aligned frustro-conical sections, whereas when the valve is not being actuated, the second portion of the valve substantially abuts a second of the pair of axially aligned frustro- conical sections.

3. The fluent material dispenser of claim 2, wherein the first portion of the valve comprises a stopper and a second portion of the valve comprises a plunger.

4. The fluent material dispenser of claim 3, wherein the valve further comprises an elongate shaft upon which the stopper and plunger are affixed to define the first portion and the second portion being spaced apart from one another along the valve direction of movement.

5. The fluent material dispenser of claim 4, wherein at least the stopper defines an adjustable position along the elongate shaft such that a volumetric region defined by the dispensing chamber may be sized accordingly.

6. The fluent material dispenser of claim 1, wherein an acute angle formed by the first of the frustro-conical sections with respect to a horizontal axis is between 45 and 50 degrees.

7. The fluent material dispenser of claim 6, wherein the acute angle formed by the first of the frustro-conical sections with respect to the horizontal axis is between 46 and 49 degrees.

8. The fluent material dispenser of claim 7, wherein the acute angle formed by the first of the frustro-conical sections with respect to the horizontal axis is 48 degrees.

9. The fluent material dispenser of claim 1, wherein an acute angle formed by the second of the frustro-conical sections with respect to a horizontal axis is between 75 and 80 degrees.

10. The fluent material dispenser of claim 9, wherein the, the acute angle formed by the second of the frustro-conical sections with respect to the horizontal axis is 79 degrees.

1 1. The fluent material dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the housing defines a main body that upon placement of the fluent material within the fluent material reservoir to be contained therein is configured to form a sealed, permanent closure of the contained fluent material.

12. An integrated fluent material dispensing system comprising:

a fluent material; and

a fluent material dispenser comprising: a housing defining a fluent material reservoir and a discharge aperture therein, wherein the fluent material reservoir contains the fluent material; and a dispensing assembly coupled to the housing and comprising a valve that includes a first portion and a second portion spaced apart from one another along a valve direction of movement, the first and second portions and the fluent material reservoir cooperative with one another to at least partially define a dispensing chamber thereby such that: when the valve is not being actuated, the dispensing chamber and a remainder of the fluent material reservoir are contiguous with one another such that the fluent material within the fluent material reservoir is also contained within the dispensing chamber without being dispensed; and

13. A method of packaging a fluent material, the method comprising:

receiving the fluent material in at least one of powder or granular form; and placing the fluent material into a fluent material reservoir that is formed within a fluent material dispenser that comprises a valve that includes a first portion and a second portion spaced apart from one another along a valve direction of movement such that upon subsequent actuation of the valve by a user of the fluent material dispenser, a metered amount of fluent material is dispensed from a dispensing chamber that is defined at least partially by the valve and a pair of axially-aligned frustro-conical sections that form at least a portion of the fluent material reservoir.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the fluent material is selected from the group consisting of a food product, a medicine product and a dietary supplement configured for pet consumption.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the fluent material is selected from the group consisting of a food product, a medicine product and a dietary supplement configured for human consumption.