FLIP-TO-FILL SCOOP

Abstract

When used to store liquid, powdered, or granular products, jars often come with a scoop for accessing the product therein. These scoops are often included within the jar when shipped to a consumer and may be substantially buried within the product. The presently disclosed flip-to-fill scoop resolves the shortcomings of traditional scoops by removably securing the flip-to-fill scoop to a top of the jar. This allows the consumer to easily access the scoop, even as the level of product within the jar drops. Further, the flip-to-fill scoop is filled without requiring the consumer to reach into the jar. This may aid with cleanliness and hygiene. Example products that may be accessed using the flip-to-fill scoop include medicines, nutritional supplements, powered food products, and larger granular food products.

Description

BACKGROUND

When used to store liquid, powdered, or granular products, jars often come with a scoop for accessing the product therein. These scoops are often included within the jar when shipped to a consumer and may be substantially buried within powdered or granular product. It may be difficult for a consumer to see and retrieve the buried scoop. Further, once retrieved, it may be difficult for the consumer to use the scoop to reach the liquid, powdered, or granular product. For example, if the consumer has particularly large hands and/or the jar is particularly small, the consumer may not be able extend their hand into the jar to retrieve or use the scoop. This may be particularly true as the consumer consumes the product and its level within the jar drops.

SUMMARY

Implementations described and claimed herein provide a flip-to-fill scoop for a jar comprising a scoop rim separate from a lip and a lid of the jar and sized to fit between the lip and the lid of the jar, a bucket located within a perimeter defined by the scoop rim, and one or more stanchions connecting the bucket to the scoop rim and positioning the bucket below the scoop rim.

Implementations described and claimed herein further provide a method of using a flip-to-fill scoop to retrieve product from a jar comprising positioning a scoop rim of the flip-to-fill scoop separate from a lip and a lid of the jar between the lip and the lid of the jar, filling a bucket located within a perimeter defined by the scoop rim with the product, wherein one or more stanchions connect the bucket to the scoop rim and position the bucket below the scoop rim; and pouring the product from the flip-to-fill scoop.

Other implementations are also described and recited herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A illustrates a jar and a user's hand having difficulty in accessing the contents of the jar without using the presently disclosed flip-to-fill scoop.

FIG. 1B illustrates a sequence of steps making use of the presently disclosed flip-to-fill scoop.

FIG. 2 illustrates a flip-to-fill scoop in place over a jar.

FIG. 3A illustrates a flip-to-fill scoop lifted from a jar and pouring product into another container for consumption.

FIG. 3B illustrates another view of the flip-to-fill scoop of FIG. 3A being rinsed for a future use.

FIG. 4 illustrates an array of possible variations of a flip-to-fill scoop.

FIG. 5 illustrates operations for using a flip-to-fill scoop to retrieve product from a jar.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The presently disclosed flip-to-fill scoop resolves the shortcomings of traditional scoops for jars of liquid, powdered, or granular products by removably securing the flip-to-fill scoop to a top of the jar. This allows the consumer to easily access the scoop, even as the level of product within the jar drops. Further, the flip-to-fill scoop is filled without requiring the consumer to reach into the jar, which may be difficult or impossible as the level of product within the jar drops. By orienting the flip-to-fill scoop at the top of the jar, the consumer is not required to place their hand within the container. This may aid with cleanliness and hygiene, particularly if the container is shared amongst multiple consumers. The flip-to-fill scoop may also be easier to use than a conventional scoop for disabled consumers, such as the elderly or any consumers that have a difficult time with fine motor skills. Example products that may be accessed using the flip-to-fill scoop include medicines, nutritional supplements, powered food products (such as baby formula), and larger granular food products (such as nuts).

FIG. 1A illustrates a jar 102 and a user's hand 104 having difficulty in accessing the contents of the jar 102 without using the presently disclosed flip-to-fill scoop 100. The user's hand 104 is illustrated as attempting to reach into the jar 102. Due to the size differential between the user's hand 104 and a mouth of the jar 102, it is difficult for the user to reach into the jar 102, for example, to retrieve a traditional scoop (not shown) from the jar 102 and/or use the traditional scoop to retrieve powdered or granular product 112 from the jar 102. The presently disclosed flip-to-fill scoop 100 may be used with cylindrical plastic jar necks in 89 mm, 100 mm, 110 mm, and 120 mm diameter sizes, though other jar sizes, shapes (e.g., rectangular), and material constructions (e.g., glass, metal, etc.) are contemplated herein. The flip-to-fill scoop 100 may be made of a variety of plastics or other materials that are non-reactive with the product 112 (e.g., polypropylene, polyethylene, etc.) and using a variety of manufacturing techniques (e.g., injection molding, 3D printing, etc.).

FIG. 1B illustrates a sequence of steps making use of the presently disclosed flip-to-fill scoop 100. In Step A, user's hand 104 is holding jar 102. The scoop 100 is secured between a lip 106 of the jar 102 and a screw or snap-on cap or lid 108. The jar 102 is at least partially filled with a liquid, powdered, or granular product 112 (e.g., sports or health supplements, baby formula, drink concentrates, medicines, etc.). In Step B, the user' inverts the jar 102, thereby forcing the liquid, powdered, or granular product 112 to fall around and between the presently disclosed flip-to-fill scoop 100 by force of gravity. In some cases, the user may lightly shake the jar 102 to ensure that any voids around the scoop 100 are filled. This may be particularly helpful when the product 112 within the jar is powdered or granular and has a “sticky” consistency that resists moving into the scoop 100 when the jar 102 is inverted. In Step C, the user returns the jar 102 to its upright position. Now, a bucket 110 attached to the scoop 100 within the jar 102 is filled with the product 112.

In Step D, the user unscrews the lid 108 from the jar 102, thereby revealing the scoop 100 oriented on the lip 106 of the jar 102. As noted above, the bucket 110 is now filled with the product 112. If the bucket 110 is not full at Step D (e.g., if the jar 102 was mostly empty of product), the user may top off the bucket 110 by pouring the product from the jar 102 directly into the bucket 110 or replacing the lid 108 on the jar 102 and repeating Steps B-D. In Step E, the user removes the scoop 100 from the jar 102 and pours the product 112 from the bucket 110 into a container 114. The container 114 is illustrated as a glass of water and the product 112 is to be dissolved into the water for the user to consume. In other implementations, the product 112 may be consumed directly, without dissolution into another medium, such as water.

FIG. 2 illustrates a flip-to-fill scoop 200 in place over a jar 202. The scoop 200 includes a scoop rim 216 sized to fit between a jar lip 206 and a jar cap or lid 208. The lid 208 is illustrated removed from the jar 202 in FIG. 2. When the jar 202 is sealed (e.g., Steps A-C of FIG. 1B), the scoop rim 216 is compressed between the lip 206 and the lid to hold the scoop 200 in place and provide a seal between the lip 206 and the lid so that the product (not shown, see e.g., product 112 of FIG. 1B) does not spill out when the jar 202 is inverted. The scoop rim 216 extends 360-degrees (referred to herein as continuous), as illustrated, to form the seal. In other implementations, such as scoops 400, 415, 420 of FIG. 4, a scoop rim may extend less than 360-degrees (referred to herein as discontinuous) if a sufficient seal for the product stored within the jar 202 may still be made. In some implementations, the scoop rim 216 is flat like a flange or flat gasket, as illustrated, or round like an O-ring or round gasket. In further implementations, a separate gasket may be included to aid a seal between the jar cap or lid and the scoop rim 216 and/or between the scoop rim 216 and the lip 206.

A bucket 210 is located within a perimeter defined by the scoop rim 216. While the bucket 210 is located within the perimeter, it is not necessarily centered within the scoop rim 216 and may be offset to one side, as illustrated. In other implementations, the bucket 210 is exactly centered within the perimeter defined by the scoop rim 216. The bucket 210 includes a cavity to receive a quantity of the product. The bucket 210 further includes a pour spout 218 for directing the product out of the bucket 210 in a predictable and consistent manner when the bucket 210 is tipped. The bucket 210 may be offset so that the pour spout 218 is further from the scoop rim 216 than other sides of the bucket 210 to give additional space for directing the product out of the bucket 210 without interference from the scoop rim 216.

The bucket 210 may be of different shapes, sizes, and volumes depending on the quantity of product to be retrieved from the jar 202 for each use. The bucket 210 is a partial sphere (e.g., ⅓ of a sphere cut off by a plane, also referred to as a spherical cap) with the pour spout 218 protruding therefrom. Other shapes are contemplated herein for the bucket 210. For example, the bucket 210 may have a bellows (or accordion) shape that may be adjustable in size by partially collapsing or expanding the bellows. In other implementations, a user may possess a series of scoops, each having a different bucket size to give options for retrieving different amounts of the product. Still further, the bucket 210 may include gradations to measure quantities of product that fill or partially fill the bucket 210. Further yet, the bucket 210 material (or all the scoop 200 material) may be translucent so that a user may see the product level through the side the bucket 210. The translucent material may also only make up a portion of the bucket 210, thereby creating a window into the bucket to that a user may see the product level through the window.

Stanchions 222, 224 are located on opposing sides of the bucket 210, but not necessarily directly opposite one another, and connect the bucket 210 to the scoop rim 216. The stanchions 222, 224 suspend the bucket 210 in a location within the perimeter defined by the scoop rim 216, while blocking little of the space between the bucket 210 and the scoop rim 216. In the implementation of FIG. 2, the stanchions 222, 224 are offset from a center of the scoop rim 216 so that there is increased area between the pour spout 218 and the scoop rim 216. This may aid in both efficient filling and efficiently emptying the bucket 210 by placing the pour spout 218 away from the scoop rim 216.

While two stanchions 222, 224 are illustrated in FIG. 2, other implementations may use greater or fewer stanchions to similarly suspend the bucket 210 within the perimeter defined by the scoop rim 216. Other implementations may also use a different placement of the stanchions 222, 224 than that shown. The stanchions 222, 224 also depress the bucket 210 within the jar 202 and below the scoop rim 216 so that product may flow from the jar 202 into the bucket 210 between the bucket 210 and the jar lid when the jar 202 is inverted. In some implementations, the stanchions 222, 224 function as living hinges that allow the bucket 210 to pivot with reference to the scoop rim 216 (see e.g., scoop 400 of FIG. 4).

FIG. 3A illustrates a flip-to-fill scoop 300 lifted from a jar 302 and pouring product 312 into another container 314 for consumption. The scoop 300 includes a scoop rim 316 sized to fit between a jar lip 306 and a jar cap or lid 308, which is illustrated in FIG. 3A removed and set to the side of the jar 302. The flip-to-fill scoop 300 is physically separate from both the jar 302 and the lid 308. A bucket 310 is located within a perimeter defined by the scoop rim 316. Stanchions 322, 324 are located on opposing sides of the bucket 310, but not necessarily directly opposite one another, and connect the bucket 310 to the scoop rim 316. A user's hand 304 may physically manipulate the scoop 300 using the scoop rim 316 and/or other components of the scoop 300 to lift the scoop 300 from the jar 302 and pour the product 312 into the container 314, as illustrated.

FIG. 3B illustrates another view of the flip-to-fill scoop 300 of FIG. 3A being rinsed for a future use. The scoop 300 may be a unitary molded or otherwise formed structure and may be made of a variety of plastics, including but not limited to food grade plastics or resins. As such, the scoop 300 may be readily cleaned with water 326 or a light soap solution between uses, particularly uses with different products to prevent cross-contamination, without damage. While designed for numerous uses, the scoop 300 may further be readily recyclable.

FIG. 4 illustrates an array of possible variations of a flip-to-fill container scoop. While some variations are illustrated in FIG. 4 as examples, many more possible variations are contemplated herein. Further, features from the variations of FIG. 4 may be combined to create additional variations of a flip-to-fill container scoop. A summary of some of the depicted distinctions is provided below.

Scoop 400 includes living hinges 422, 424 in place of stanchions in other implementations. The living hinges 422, 424 allow bucket 402 to pivot with reference to scoop rim 416. Scoops 400, 415, 420 each include scoop rims 416, 417, 419, respectively, that extend less than 360-degrees (e.g., 240 degrees to 270-degrees, or discontinuous). These scoops 400, 415, 420 may be used in implementations where a sufficient seal may be made without a 360-degree scoop rim (e.g., as illustrated by scoops 405, 410, 425).

Scoops 405, 410 include scoop rims 421, 423, respectively, that are round in cross-section, like an O-ring or round gasket. In contrast, scoops 400, 415, 420, 425 include scoop rims 416, 417, 419, 427, respectively, that are rectangular in cross-section, like a flange or flat gasket. The scoop rims 416, 417, 419, 427 further include a step (e.g., step 428) or other sealing feature (e.g., another integral feature or a gasket) to improve sealing against one or both of the jar or lid, depending on the placement of the step or other sealing feature. In some variations, the bucket is removably detachable from the scoop rim to aid in emptying the bucket. Scoops 400, 410, 415, 420, 425 each include a handle (e.g., handle 430 of scoop 400) connected to the bucket to aid a user in physically manipulating the scoop. Other implementations may omit the handle (such as scoop 405). Regardless, the user may physically manipulate the scoop using the handle (if present), scoop rim, and other components of the scoop.

FIG. 5 illustrates operations 500 for using a flip-to-fill scoop to retrieve product from a jar. A first removing operation 505 removes a lid from the jar. The lid may be screwed or snapped on a top of the jar and unscrewed or unsnapped and pulled from the jar in the first removing operation 505. A positioning operation 510 positions the flip-to-fill scoop on the jar lip. The flip-to-fill scoop includes a scoop rim that matches the jar lip. The scoop rim is placed atop the jar lip. A replacing operation 515 replaces the lid on the jar with the flip-to-fill scoop secured therebetween. The lid compresses the scoop rim against the jar lip, with the scoop rim serving to create a seal between the lid and the jar.

An inverting operation 520 inverts the jar. The inverting operation 520 forces liquid, powdered, or granular product within the jar downward by force of gravity and around the flip-to-fill scoop. In some implementations, a user may further shake the jar to ensure that no air pockets around the flip-to-fill scoop remain after the inverting operation 520. The inverting operation 520 may completely invert or mostly invert the jar to whatever degree required to fill a bucket in the flip-to-fill scoop. A returning operation 525 returns the jar to an upright position. The returning operation 525 forces the product within the jar downward by force of gravity and away from the flip-to-fill scoop. However, some of the product remains trapped within the bucket when the jar is returned to the upright position.

A second removing operation 530 again removes the lid from the jar. A third removing operation 535 removes the flip-to-fill scoop from the jar. The flip-to-fill scoop may be carefully manipulated by a user to remove the flip-to-fill scoop from the jar without spilling the product within the bucket of the flip-to-fill scoop. In some implementations, the user may gently shake the flip-to-fill scoop side-to-side to convert a heaping amount to a rounded, level, or scant amount of the product within the flip-to-fill scoop. A pouring operation 540 pours the product from the bucket in the flip-to-fill scoop into another container for consumption. Operations 510-540 may repeat to use the flip-to-fill scoop repeatedly to retrieve product from the jar for consumption, as illustrated by arrow 545. In various implementations, subsequent operations are responsive to prior operations, though this may not always be the case.

Logical operations or a method making up the embodiments of the invention described herein may be referred to variously as operations, method steps, objects, or modules. Further, the described logical operations may be performed in any order, adding or omitting steps as desired, unless explicitly claimed otherwise or a specific order is inherently necessitated by the claim language.

The above specification, examples, and data provide a complete description of the structure and use of exemplary implementations of the presently disclosed technology. Since many implementations of the presently disclosed technology can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the presently disclosed technology, the presently disclosed technology resides in the claims hereinafter appended. Furthermore, structural features of the different implementations may be combined in yet another implementation without departing from the recited claims.

Claims

1. A flip-to-fill scoop for a jar comprising: a scoop rim separate from a lip and a lid of the jar and sized to fit between the lip and the lid of the jar;a bucket located within a perimeter defined by the scoop rim; andone or more stanchions connecting the bucket to the scoop rim and positioning the bucket below the scoop rim.

2. The flip-to-fill scoop of claim 1, wherein the bucket includes a pour spout.

3. The flip-to-fill scoop of claim 1, wherein the stanchions position the bucket offset from a center of the perimeter defined by the scoop rim.

4. The flip-to-fill scoop of claim 1, wherein the stanchions comprise two stanchions located on opposing sides of the bucket.

5. The flip-to-fill scoop of claim 1, wherein the bucket is a spherical cap.

6. The flip-to-fill scoop of claim 1, wherein the scoop rim is continuous around the bucket.

7. The flip-to-fill scoop of claim 1, wherein the scoop rim is discontinuous around the bucket.

8. The flip-to-fill scoop of claim 1, wherein the stanchions are living hinges that allow the bucket to pivot with reference to the scoop rim.

9. The flip-to-fill scoop of claim 1, further comprising: a handle connected to the bucket to aid a user in physically manipulating the flip-to-fill scoop.

10. The flip-to-fill scoop of claim 1, further comprising: a gasket or sealing feature on the scoop rim to seal against one or both of the lip and the lid of the jar.

11. The flip-to-fill scoop of claim 1, wherein the flip-to-fill scoop is a unitary plastic structure.

12. A method of using a flip-to-fill scoop to retrieve product from a jar, comprising: positioning a scoop rim of the flip-to-fill scoop separate from a lip and a lid of the jar between the lip and the lid of the jar;filling a bucket located within a perimeter defined by the scoop rim with the product, wherein one or more stanchions connect the bucket to the scoop rim and position the bucket below the scoop rim; andpouring the product from the flip-to-fill scoop.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: removing the lid from the jar; andresponsive to the positioning operation, replacing the lid on the jar with the flip-to-fill scoop secured therebetween.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the filling operation includes: inverting the jar; andreturning the jar to an upright position.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein pouring operation is responsive to: removing the lid from the jar; andremoving the flip-to-fill scoop from the jar.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the bucket includes a pour spout from which the product is poured in the pouring operation.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the stanchions position the bucket offset from a center of the perimeter defined by the scoop rim.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the stanchions comprise two stanchions located on opposing sides of the bucket.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the bucket is a spherical cap.

20. A flip-to-fill scoop for a jar comprising: a continuous scoop rim separate from a lip and a lid of the jar and sized to fit between the lip and the lid of the jar;a spherical cap bucket including a pour spout located within and offset from a center of a perimeter defined by the scoop rim; andstanchions connecting the bucket to the scoop rim and positioning the bucket below the scoop rim.