Patent Application
20070236027
The present invention relates to apparatus for scooping solid particulate material, such as a powder or other granular material.
Containers for handling particulate food material, such as cans of baby powder, coffee or grated cheese, are sometimes supplied with a disposable scoop for dispensing the materials contained therein. Typically, the scoops have an open ended cup positioned at the end of a handle.
Generally, the handles on these scoops are short in relation to the size of the container. Upon opening the container, when a user wants to retrieve a measured amount of material, the first step is to find the scoop. Because of the small size of the scoop, it is likely that the scoop will settle at the bottom of the container, thus forcing the user to reach through the material in the container to dig out the scoop. This procedure is often messy.
In use, the above-described scoop is generally used with a semicircular scooping motion to retrieve material. This may lead to “heaping” of the material above the rim of the scoop, thereby requiring a user to level off the amount of material in the scoop to get a measured amount. This may also be messy and potentially unsanitary.
It would be beneficial to provide an apparatus for scooping material from a container that is easily findable in the container. It would also be beneficial to provide an easy measured scooping of material from the container.
The present invention relates to apparatus for scooping measured amounts of material. One aspect of the invention is a scoop comprising a cylindrical bowl having a closed end and an opposing open end. An axial handle extends from the closed end, away from the bowl. The scoop may also have an inclined internal ridge provided around at least a portion of an inner surface of the bowl.
A further aspect of the invention includes a scoop for material comprising a bowl and a handle. The bowl has a longitudinal axis extending therethrough. An open end of the bowl is disposed about the longitudinal axis at a first end and a closed end of the bowl is disposed at an opposing second end. The handle is elongated and extends from the second end, away from the bowl, preferably along the longitudinal axis. The scoop may further include an inclined internal ridge extending around at least a portion of an inner surface of the bowl.
A third aspect of the invention includes a method for scooping material. The method includes providing a scoop having a cylindrical bowl with a closed end and an opposing open end. The scoop has a handle with a longitudinal axis extending from the closed end away from the bowl. Also provided is a quantity of particulate material. The method includes inserting the scoop, open end first, into the material until the material fills at least a portion of the bowl. Finally, the method includes moving the scoop in a shearing direction and removing the scoop from the quantity of material.
For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings a form that is presently preferred; it being understood, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.
a is a cross-sectional view of the scoop of
b is a cross-sectional view of the scoop of
c is a perspective view of the scoop of
d is a perspective view of the scoop of
In the figures, where like reference numerals indicate like elements, there is shown an embodiment of a scoop, generally identified by the numeral 10. The scoop 10 is used to scoop particulate materials, such as baby powder, grated cheese, coffee and other powders or granular materials, from containers 12. The directions up and down, as well as top and bottom, respectively refer to those directions as shown in the Figures. The term longitudinal refers to a direction extending from the top to the bottom of the scoop 10.
The scoop 10 has a generally cylindrical bowl 14 and an elongated handle 28. The bottom of the bowl 14 comprises an open end 16, defining a generally cylindrical opening. A cylindrical wall 18 extends along a longitudinal axis upwardly from the open end 16. The top of the bowl is a closed end 20, defining the opposing terminus of the cylindrical wall 18 from the open end 16. The closed end 20 has a generally planar central section 22 that is perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical wall 18 and rounded edges 24 that define the transition between the cylindrical wall 18 and the central section 22. A vent 26 extends through the closed end 20 of the bowl 14. The vent 26 serves to allow air to escape from the bowl when the scoop 10 is inserted into a quantity of material thereby minimizing the risk that trapped air inside of the bowl 14 will restrict the scooping of material. The bowl 10 is sized to contain a predetermined amount of material. By way of example, the bowl 10 could have an interior volume of two fluid ounces. Although a cylindrical bowl 14 is shown here, the bowl 14 may have any profile, such as a square, triangular or some other polygonal shape, without departing from the scope of the present invention.
The handle 28 extends longitudinally from the closed end 20 of the bowl 14 away from the open end 16. The handle 28 is generally coaxial with the cylindrical wall 18. The handle 28, as shown in
Preferably, an inclined internal ridge 32 extends along an inner surface 34 of the bowl 14. The ridge 32 begins at the open end 16 of the bowl 14 and extends around the cylindrical wall 18 and towards the closed end 16. The ridge 32 may be helical, spiral or some other direction that extends both circumferentially and longitudinally along the inner surface 34 of the bowl 18. The ridge 32 serves to engage material inside the bowl 14, further helping to retain the material therein, when the scoop 10 is in use. In addition to the internal ridge 32, an internal circumferential ring 35, such as an undercut or other structure may be disposed along the inner surface 34, proximate the open end 16, to further retain material inside of the bowl 14.
Preferably, an external protrusion, such as a circumferential ring 36 extends around an outer surface 38 of the cylindrical wall 18. The ring 36 is located closer to the open end 16 of the bowl 14 than to the closed end 20. The ring 36 extends radially away from the cylindrical wall 18 an is preferably taller than it is thick, as best seen in
As shown in
An alternative embodiment of a scoop 110 in
Like the scoop 10, an inclined internal ridge 132 extends about an inner surface 134 of the bowl 114. A circumferential ring 136 is located on an outer surface 138 of the cylindrical wall 118 and extends radially therefrom, like the ring 36.
A handle 128 extends from the closed end 120 of the bowl 114 in a direction that is coaxial with the cylindrical wall 118 and away from the open end 116. The handle 128 is telescopic, having a first portion 140 extending from the closed end 120. The first portion 140 has an internal longitudinal passageway 142 that preferably matches the outer profile of the first portion 140, such as the “+” shaped profile shown in FIGS., 3 and 4. The passageway 142 extends from the bowl 14 through the entirety of the first portion 140. The handle 128 also has an elongated second portion 144 that slidably fits within the passageway 142. A central rib 146 is located along the middle of the second portion 144 and is sized to restrict the second portion 144 from sliding entirely through the first portion 140, into the bowl 114; although a portion of the second portion 144 may be permitted to enter the bowl 114. Accordingly, the central rib 146 is larger than the passageway 142. Retaining ribs 148 are disposed along the second portion 144 between the central rib 146 and the bowl 114. The retaining ribs 148 are sized to frictionally engage the internal surface of the passageway 142 and help the handle remain in an extended position. Alternatively, the handle 128 may have a first portion, attached to the bowl 114, that has the “+” shaped profile of the second portion 144. In such a case, the second portion fits slidably about the first portion in order to allow telescopic expansion of the handle 128.
In use, the scoop 10 is inserted, open end first, into a quantity of material using an axial motion. Preferably, sufficient pressure is exerted on the scoop 10 to propel the scoop through the material until the bowl 14 is filled with a predetermined amount of material. Upon the filling of the bowl 14 with material, forces inside the bowl 14 that result from pressing it into the material serve to compressively and frictionally retain the material therein. This result is most effectively achieved when the scoop 10 is used with particulate materials that sufficient frictional properties to be retained in the bowl 14 then the bowl 14 is inverted. These materials may also be compressible, thereby exerting outward pressure on the bowl 14 and increasing the effect of its frictional properties. Such materials preferably have cohesive properties which facilitate their clinging together within the scoop as it is pressed into a quantity of the material. By way of example, the scoop may be used with food materials such as spices, baby formula powder, coffee, grated cheese or any other particulate or granular material. Additionally, the scoop 10 may be used with any type of material that has similar properties, including gelatinous and solid materials.
After filling the bowl 14 with material, the scoop 10 is moved in a shearing direction. The shearing direction includes a direction of movement that will serve to shear the material contained within the bowl 14 from any material that is not to be scooped. The shearing direction may include twisting the scoop 10, moving it laterally (i.e. in a direction that is parallel to the opening defined by the open end of the bowl), pivoting the scoop about an axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the scoop 10 or any other movement that serves to shear the material in the bowl 14 from material that is disposed below the open end 16 of the bowl 14 after the bowl 14 is inserted into the material.
The scoop 10 is then removed from the material, having a predetermined quantity of material retained therein. The material is released from the bowl 14 by shaking the scoop or impacting the scoop on a rigid object. It is preferable that the entirety of the scooped material is dispensed into a same receiving container 50, while minimizing spillage. In such instances, the receiving container preferably has an annular mouth with a circumference that is greater than that of the open end of the bowl 14 but less than the outer edge of the circumferential ring 36, such as that on a bottle. Then, the open end 16 of the bowl 14 could be inserted into the mouth of the receiving container and the scoop 10 could be shaken or tapped on the receiving container to facilitate the release of the material from inside of the bowl 14.
In use, the flexible top surface 220, shown in
In use, the scoop 310 shown in
a-7d show the scoop 10 of
A variety of modifications to the embodiments described will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure provided herein. Thus, the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification, as indicating the scope of the invention.
