This application claims the priority benefit of Chinese Patent Application Number 03136054.8 filed Apr. 30, 2003, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improvement in a container for dispensing particulate matter such as powders or finely ground fibers as, for example, talc, body portion powders, baby powders, cosmetic face powders, soap powders, infant formulas, and the like. In particular, this invention is directed toward the design and method of assembling of a container that is not only more economically beneficial to manufacture, but also provides selectively adjustable flow rates of the matter contained therein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Commercially available dispensers for particulate matter typically comprise a body portion for containing the powder and a cap for dispensing the powder. Some of these dispensers also provide the user with the ability to adjust the flow rate of the matter contained therein by providing two or more openings of different sizes in the cap.
One example of an adjustable dispenser for particulate matter is that used for dispensing grated cheese. Typically, such dispensers comprise a cylindrically shaped bottle for retaining the cheese, and a two-piece dispensing cap covering the open end of the bottle. The first cap piece contains a relatively large cheese-dispensing opening. The second cap piece, which lies upon the first cap piece and is twistingly engaged with the first cap piece, contains several relatively smaller openings for shaking out a small amount of cheese, and distal therefrom a relatively larger opening for pouring relatively larger amounts. When the opening on the first cap piece is aligned with one or more openings in the second cap piece and the bottle is inverted, the cheese can be dispensed. When the openings are not aligned, the cheese is retained in the bottle.
Disadvantageously, such commercially available adjustable flow powder dispensers are relatively expensive to manufacture due to the need to produce at least three separate pieces. In addition, the dispenser must be inverted in order to dispense the powder, which thereby causes all of the powder to rest on and dog the dispensing openings. It is thereby difficult and inconvenient to dispense the powder from such dispensers without vigorous shaking.
There is a need for an adjustable flow rate powder dispenser that is relatively inexpensive to produce and convenient to use.
The present invention provides a dispenser container for containing and selectively dispensing a flowable material comprising, consisting of, and/or consisting essentially of:
wherein when the cap is twistingly rotated relative to the dispenser container such that neither the first lateral opening nor the second lateral opening are in alignment with the laterally disposed cap opening, the material is retained within the body portion, and when the cap is twistingly rotated such that the first lateral opening in the body portion is in alignment with the laterally disposed cap opening, the material may be dispensed from the bottle at a first flow rate, and when the cap is twistingly rotated such that the second lateral opening in the body portion is in alignment with the laterally disposed cap opening, the material may be dispensed from the bottle at a second flow rate that is faster than the first flow rate.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method for assembling a dispenser container for containing and selectively dispensing a flowable material wherein the dispenser container is comprised of:
Yet another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method for assembling a dispenser container for containing and selectively dispensing a flowable material wherein the dispenser container is comprised of:
The invention will be more fully understood and further advantages will become apparent when reference is made to the following detailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawings in which:
As shown in
The body portion 1 may be made by any process known in the art, such as blow molding, as well as by more economical methods such as injection molding, thermoforming, and vacuum forming. The body portion 1 may be comprised of any suitable material known in the art. Suitable materials include, but are not limited to, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, and polymers and blends thereof.
Laterally disposed from the flange 6 of the body portion 1 is a first lateral opening 4A in the sidewall 20, and proximate thereto is a relatively smaller, second lateral opening 4B in the sidewall 20. These openings, 4A, 4B may be of any shape known in the art. Suitable shapes include circles, stars, ovals, ellipses, hearts, diamonds, and slots.
As shown in
The cap 11 may be made by any process known in the art, such as blow molding, as well as by more economical methods such as injection molding, thermoforming, and vacuum forming. The cap 11 may be comprised of any suitable material known in the art. Suitable materials include, but are not limited to, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, and polymers and blends thereof. The shape of the cap 11 is not critical, although its shape may be chosen on the basis of aesthetics and/or to functionally complement the configuration of the upper end 3 of the body portion 1.
The twisting relationship between the cap 11 and the body portion 1 is illustrated in
The shape of the indentation 7 and protrusion 16 are not critical. Alternatively (not shown), a protrusion 16 may extend from the sidewall 20 of the body portion 10 into an indentation in the cap 11. In yet another alternative embodiment shown in
In another embodiment shown in
In yet another embodiment shown in
In yet another embodiment shown in
Alternatively, the cap 11 may be secured to a body portion 1 having an open lower end 2 (not shown). After the cap 11 is moved to a closed position, the body portion 1 may be inverted to permit it to be filled with the desired amount of particulate material through its open lower end 2. A base plate may then be secured to the open lower end 2 of the body portion 1 via any securing means known in the art. Suitable securing means include, but are not limited to, adhesives, ultrasonic welding, thermal bonding, and the like. The thickness of the base plate may vary depending upon various factors such as, for example, the type of particulate material in the body portion 1, and the desired durability of the resulting dispenser. However in general, the thickness of the base plate 7 may range from about 0.04 mil to about 0.85 mil.
Because the contents of the body portion 1 may be dispensed by aligning either of the laterally disposed openings 4A, 4B in the body portion 1 with the cap opening 14, the user only needs to slightly tilt and mildly shake the dispenser container in order to dispense the contents. Unlike prior art variable-flow dispensers, all of the contents do not rest upon the openings during use, which thereby reduces the risk of dogs. Furthermore, because the dispenser with cap of the present invention has only two separate parts, it is relatively less expensive to produce relative to the three-piece, variable dispensers of the prior art.
An example is set forth below to further illustrate the nature of the invention and the manner of carrying it out. However, the invention should not be considered as being limited to the details thereof.
A polyvinyl chloride cup-shaped body having a dosed end, a flanged open end, a small powder dispensing opening in the shape of a vertical slot in its sidewall, a large powder dispensing opening in the shape of a vertical slot in its sidewall, an indentation for receiving a stop lug, and a retaining ring was vacuum formed in the shape shown in
After the container was filled with commercially available baby powder, the cap was snapped onto the open end of the body.
The container provided an easy to use, adjustable flow rate powder dispenser.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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3136054 | Apr 2003 | CN | national |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20040217138 A1 | Nov 2004 | US |