Portion feed device for packaging

Abstract

A portion feed device (2) for a packaging (1) features a chamber (4) to accommodate a pourable solid product and a dispensing facility (2) neighboring onto this chamber. When in use, the inner tube (10) lies essentially horizontal and features inlet openings (51) on the dispensing side. By rotating the inner tube (10) around its main axis the inlet openings (51, 61) on the feed side can, either in sequence one after another or simultaneously, be brought into at least partial alignment or congruent agreement with the inlet opening or openings (13, 16) on the chamber side and/or the outlet opening or openings (14, 24). As a result of this rotation, when in the open setting, these inlet openings (51; 13, 16) form at least partially a passage between the chamber (4) and the dispensing facility (2) and, in a closed setting no passage is provided between the chamber (4) and the dispensing facility (2).

Description

TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a portion feed device for a packaging with a chamber to accommodate a pourable solid product and dispensing facility neighbouring onto this chamber whereby, the chamber facing the dispensing facility features at least one inlet opening, which can be rotated with respect to the inlet opening on the chamber side that, in an open setting these inlet openings form at least partially a passage between the chamber and the dispensing facility, and in a closed setting do not form a passage between the chamber and the dispensing facility.

STATE-OF-THE ART

Known from the state-of-the-art is a series of devices which permit the delivery of pourable solids. For example US 5,692,868 shows a device which can be suspended and features a deformable storage pouch at the lower end of which a device for delivery of material is provided. On opening the outlet, this device allows faster delivery of the contents when the storage pouch is deformed i.e. emptying out the pourable solid material.

Known from WO 2005/007539 is a further such device whereby the opening of the lower outlet is controlled by string.

A portion feed device having the above mentioned features is known from EP 0 787 979 where this delivery or feeding device is clipped onto the chamber. By rotating a facility which actuates the delivery device, around a vertical axis, the contents of the chamber falls into one of several portion feed chambers depending on the position of the actuating facility, out of which chamber the contents can be emptied via an outlet opening. If the actuating facility is moved into a particular position, then both the said inlet openings from the chamber and feeding device, and also the said outlet opening, are brought into line with respect to the vertical axis, such that the contents of the chamber can fall directly out of the chamber without controlled portion feeding.

Considering the mechanical properties of the device according to EP 787 979, it makes sense to employ that device to meet the demanding requirements needed for dispensing medicaments. The same holds for controlled delivery e.g. of spices—such as is indicated in the documents mentioned in the research report relating to EP 787 979. In the case of packaging forms with deformable chambers, in particular when the contents are volumes of several litres and masses of several kilograms, especially when these are for products intended for delivery to the end user, e.g. packaging forms for animal feed or cleaning agents etc., the devices mentioned at the start are impractical and the attached portion feed devices can be damaged already at the sales points or damage the deformable chamber of the storage pouch.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Starting from the state-of-the-art, the object of the invention is to provide a device of the kind mentioned at the start which is usable for large amounts of products and in particular for forms of packaging that form a deformable chamber.

This objective is solved by way of the features described in claim 1, in that an inner tube—arranged essentially horizontal in the using position—is provided featuring the inlet openings on the side of the feeding device, whereby by rotating the inner tube around its main axis, inlet openings on the side of the feeding device can be brought, either in sequence one after another or simultaneously, into at least partial alignment or congruent agreement with the inlet opening or openings on the chamber side and the outlet opening or openings.

A portion feed device for a packaging has a chamber to accommodate a pourable solid product and feed device neighbouring onto this chamber. In the using position the inner tube is arranged in an essentially horizontal position which features inlet openings on the feeding device side. By rotating the inner tube around its main axis the inlet openings on the side of the feeding device can, either in sequence one after another or simultaneously, be brought into at least partial alignment or congruent agreement with the inlet opening or openings on the chamber side an/or the outlet opening or openings. As a result of this turning motion these inlet openings, when in an open position, form at least partially a passage between the chamber and the dispensing device, and in the closed position no passage is provided between the chamber and the dispensing device.

Furthermore, portioned amounts can be dispensed or delivered in free-flow in suitable quantities in a simple manner. In one version of the invention, it is possible to dispense fixed amounts by simple rotation of the button effecting rotation. By appropriate design of the inner tube continuous feed may be possible. Providing a sleeve for the inner tube also makes it possible to dispense a predetermined amount. Finally, the features allow for the provision of an element providing a guarantee against interference by simply covering the outlet openings in question.

Further advantageous exemplified embodiments of the invention are described in the sub-claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is explained in greater detail with the aid of exemplified embodiments in connection with the accompanying drawings which show in:

FIG. 1 a schematic, partially sectioned side view of a packaging with a portion feed device according to a first exemplified embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 2 a schematic, partially sectioned side view of a lower part of a packaging with a portion feed device according to a second exemplified embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 3 a schematic, partially sectioned perspective view of a self-standing pouch with a portion feed device according to a third exemplified embodiment of the invention, and

FIG. 4 a schematic, partially sectioned perspective view of a self-standing pouch with a portion feed device according to a fourth exemplified embodiment of the invention in use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLIFIED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a schematic, partially sectioned side view of a packaging 1 with a portion feed device 2 according to a first exemplified embodiment of the invention. The numeral 3 indicates a facility for carrying and suspending the said packaging 1, onto which facility a pouch-type packaging forming a chamber is attached. The suspension means 3 may also contain an (upper) closure for the pouch. The packaging may be rigid, semi-rigid or flexible. It may be in the form of a sack or folding pouch and may be of fibrous material, plastic films or another material. It may be transparent or opaque. Fields of application are foodstuffs, cleaning agents and other pourable solid goods. In retail outlets such pouches are often offered on palettes, therefore the pouch material is exposed to the influence of the surroundings. This applies also to the portion feed device 2.

The packaging 1 is shown in an upright position in which it is suspended by the suspension means 3. The packaging 1 can also be presented for sale in this form. The packaging 1 then stands on two regions 5 of chamber 4 which are filled with material and which are separated from the cylindrical portion feed device 2. In particular, the portion feed device 2 may comprise a central tube 10 with at least one portion feed opening which is arranged in the longitudinal direction and is in FIG. 1 turned to the right. The central tube 10 is introduced, with little play, into an outer tube 12 which features two facing openings 13 and 14. The space between the two facing openings 13 and 14 is occupied by the inner tube 10 and its interior forms the portion feed chamber 20.

The outer tube 12 in the exemplified embodiment shown forms at the side a wedge 15 with a flat base which belongs to the above mentioned base areas 5 of chamber 4. The domed upper side of the wedges 15 is usefully at least partially adhesively bonded to the wall of the chamber 4. In a preferred exemplified embodiment there are at least struts between the two wedges 15, in other words the wedges may be of one and the same part.

Facing the inlet opening or openings 13 in the wedges 15/the outer tube 12 are one or correspondingly several congruent openings 16 which in the following are referred to as chamber-side inlet openings 16.

Numeral 21 indicates an element providing a guarantee against interference which in this case is in the form of a film which adheres to the regions 5 filled with material at least at the corresponding bonding areas 22. This may be tab to simplify removal of the element 21 providing guarantee against interference. The element 21 providing guarantee against interference may also be attached to the underside of the wedges 15 and to the outer tube 12. The existence of this film at the mentioned place guarantees to the customer that the packaging in question has never been opened, in particular when the opening is irreversible; that is e.g. a film that has been raised cannot be attached again. The element 21 providing guarantee against interference may also be of other materials than plastic film, e.g. of strut between the inner tube 10 and the surroundings, or a further sleeve enclosing the packaging. Other versions are known to the expert in the field.

FIG. 1 shows the suspended packaging before use i.e. before removing the element 21 providing guarantee against interference. Under the assumption that this has been removed, one can see immediately that the congruent openings 13 and 16 form one or more inlet openings, which in FIG. 1 are blocked off from the inner tube 10. Material in chamber 4 can flow or trickle from the chamber 4 into the dispensing chamber 20 only when this inner tube 10—as seen in FIG. 1 —is turned by 90 degrees in the anti-clockwise direction such that also the inlet opening 11 lies facing the other mentioned openings. The dispensing chamber 20 then fills with material from the chamber 4. Following this, the inner tube 10 is rotated 180 degrees such that the previous inlet opening 11 now represents an outlet opening facing a corresponding outlet opening 14 in the outer tube 12.

The opening 14 in the outer tube 12 may also be provided helix-shaped with an angle which is smaller than 180 degrees such that the material can be fed from the system by rotating the outer tube 12.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic, partially sectioned side view of a lower part of a packaging 1 with a portion feed device 2 according to a second exemplified embodiment of the invention. The same numerals indicate the same or similar features in all figures.

Apart from the difference that here the element 21 providing guarantee against interference has been removed, the outer tube 12 has been bonded to the underside of the pouch 4, there are no shape-forming wedges 15. Unlike FIG. 1 the inner tube 10 has at least two facing openings 11 and 31 which, depending on the arrangement in question, provide passageways 11 and 31 facing the chamber-side inlet openings 13 and the outlet opening 14 thus allowing the pourable solid material to be removed from the portion feed device 2 via chamber 4 through a space formed by the dispensing chamber 20.

Instead of the advantageous enclosure of the portion feed device by the pouch 4 to protect it against interference, such as is shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the portion feed device 2 may in principle also be situated outside the chamber.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic, partially sectioned perspective view of a packaging 1 as free-standing pouch with a portion feed device 2 according to a third exemplified embodiment of the invention.

Here the chamber 4 is wedge-shaped, whereby the portion feed device 2 forms the end of the blunted wedge. Chamber 4 is made up of two rectangular films 41 which are closed at both sides via films 42 running upwards. The base is formed by a film 43 which is not seen here as it is concealed from view and which can in particular be arranged on a suspension means 3. In storage, as shown in FIG. 3, the pouch stands on this base film 43.

The portion feed device 2 comprises an outer tube 12 which extends over the whole breadth of the chamber 4 and which can be covered and held at both sides of the film 41. The packaging 1 according to FIG. 3 is shown with its elements transparent. The chamber-side inlet 16 and the outer tube opening 13 are shown schematically as one opening, whereby in this case two such openings in the form of longitudinal holes are foreseen in the longitudinal direction of the outer tube 12.

Foreseen on the outer tube 12 at one end is a knob 23 for turning which seals tightly and which, however, is rotated against the outer tube 12, as it is attached to the inner tube 10. At the opposite end of the outer tube 12, at the side, in the wall closing off the tube 12, is the outlet opening 24, which for example forms a circular cut-out or sector, in particular forming an angle of 45°. Any element providing a guarantee against interference would, advantageously, be arranged over this end of the tube 12.

As explained, in the outer tube 12 is an inner tube 10, which terminates at one side of the knob 23. Provided at the opposite end in the inner tube 10 is an outlet side opening 61, which lies congruent to the outlet side opening 24. The numeral 51 indicates both inlet openings which can be rotated to be congruent with the openings 13/16. In a simpler version the outlet opening 61 with the closing cylindrical area may not be covered by a wall of the outer tube 12 with an outlet opening 24. In that case this opening 61 may be covered only by an element providing a guarantee against interference.

This immediately explains the function of this exemplified embodiment. On turning and usefully hanging up the packaging 1, and on actuating the knob 23 for rotation, first the openings 51 are brought into line with the openings 13/16, with the result that the space 20 in the inner tube 10 is filled with the pourable solid product from chamber 4. Provided the portion feed device is slightly inclined, on turning the inner tube 10 into the position shown in FIG. 4, the pourable solid product can be released through the outlet openings 24/61.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic, partially sectioned side view of a packaging 1 with a portion feed device 2 according to a fourth exemplified embodiment of the invention in use and suspended by a suspension means 53 which is also shown in broken lines attached to the base before use.

The portion feed device 2, as in the previous exemplified embodiments, features inlet openings 13/16 and outlet openings 14. Again, in the outer tube 12, is the inner tube 10 which features openings 51. These may simply be arranged one behind the other as in FIG. 3, or they may also be arranged facing each other, as shown in FIG. 2. In any case all features, related to a figure and an exemplified embodiment, are to be understood such that they can also be related to other features in the other exemplified embodiments i.e. for example in connection with wedges 15, integration within the outer limits of the pouch and existence of an element providing a guarantee against interference.

In addition to the rotation (arrow 33) of the inner tube 10, it is possible to provide a sleeve 30 which is connected to this and which allows an axial displacement 32. The sleeve 30 may, as shown, project into the hollow inner tube 10 or may enclose it. This way the axial displacement 32 may be achieved directly or by way of rotating in a thread. It is essential that the front end of the sleeve 30 is employed as a blocking plunger 34 which, after axial displacement, is able to close off at least in part the openings 13/16 independent of the position of rotation of the inner tube 10, and/or delimits the volume of the dispensing chamber 20, this in order to reduce the outflow and throughput of the pourable solid material.

It can be seen especially in FIGS. 3 and 4 that the invention also embraces exemplified embodiments in which the portion feed device can be subsequently attached to the packaging. In other words, the portion feed device may be a separate element which e.g. has the roll-shaped form shown in FIG. 3. An inlet opening 13, for example a single such opening 13, is then e.g. no longer an elongated hole, but is made up of e.g. radial, outwards facing rows of teeth to create an inlet opening 16 on the chamber side. It is also possible for the base of a pouch-type packaging to be cut open and to be sealed tightly around a corresponding clamping facility of the portion feed device. In that case there is no chamber-side inlet opening 16 as such; instead, when arranged for using, the outer side of the portion feed device forms the base of the pouch, whereby the pourable solid material can fall directly into the inlet opening 13.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

• 1 Packaging
• 2 Portion feed device
• 3 Suspension means
• 4 Chamber
• 5 Region filled with material
• 10 Central tube
• 11 Portion feed opening
• 12 Outer tube
• 13 Inlet opening
• 14 Outlet opening
• 15 Wedge
• 16 Chamber-side inlet opening
• 20 Feed chamber
• 21 Element providing a guarantee against interference
• 22 Bonding region
• 23 Knob for rotating
• 24 Outlet side opening
• 30 Sleeve
• 31 Throughput opening
• 32 Axial displacement
• 33 Arrow indicating rotation
• 34 Blocking plunger
• 41 Rectangular area
• 42 Side face
• 43 Base area
• 51 Inlet opening
• 53 Suspension means
• 61 Side outlet opening

Claims

1. A portion feed device (2) for a packaging (1) with a chamber (4) to accommodate a pourable solid product and a dispensing facility (2) neighboring onto this chamber whereby, the chamber (4) facing the dispensing facility (2) features at least one inlet opening (13, 16) on the chamber side, and whereby the portion feed device (2) features at least one inlet opening (11, 31, 51) which can be rotated with respect to the inlet opening (13, 16) on the chamber side that, in an open setting these inlet openings (11, 31, 51; 13, 16) form at least partially a passage between the chamber (4) and the portion feed device (2) and a closed position do not form a passage between the chamber (4) and the portion feed device, an inner tube (10), arranged essentially horizontal in the using positions, is provided featuring the inlet openings (11, 31, 51, 61) on the side of the feeding device, and that by rotating the inner tube (10) around its main axis, the inlet openings (11, 31, 51, 61) on the side of the feeding device can, either in sequence one after another or simultaneously, be brought into at least partial alignment or congruent agreement with the inlet opening or openings (13, 16) on the chamber side and/or the outlet opening or openings (14, 24).

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the chamber walls (4) are of flexible material which, usefully, forms a free-standing areas (5) on both sides of the inner tube.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein within the regions delimited by the free-standing areas (5) the portion feed device (2) is integrated in the packaging, in particular that the region between the free-standing areas (5) is covered over by an element (21) providing a guarantee against interference or interference.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the inlet openings (11, 31, 51; 13, 16) and outlet opening (14) are in the form of at least one hole elongated in the longitudinal direction of the inner tube (10).

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein at least one outlet opening (24, 61) is provided on a cylindrical area of the inner tube (10).

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein a knob which turns (23) is provided on a cylinder end face of the inner tube (10) as actuating means for the inner tube (10).

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the inner tube (10) is provided with a sleeve (30) which can be displaced inside or outside in the longitudinal direction of the inner tube (10), by means of which at least parts of the inlet openings (11, 31, 51; 13, 16) can be covered, in particular however, the volume can be limited.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the inner tube (10) is surrounded and moved by a rigid outer tube (12) which is attached on the outside to a tapering end of a V-shaped pouch or is enclosed securely by a corresponding bag.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein it is provided with an attachment means, by means of which the device can be releasably attached to a packaging.

10. A packaging with a portion feed device according to claim 8, wherein the chamber (4) is flexible, the portion feed device is or may be provided at the lower end of the packaging when in use, and that at the opposite end of the packaging a suspension means (3, 53) is provided.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the inlet openings (11, 31, 51; 13, 16) and outlet opening (14) are in the form of at least one hole elongated in the longitudinal direction of the inner tube (10).

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one outlet opening (24, 61) is provided on a cylindrical area of the inner tube (10).

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein a knob which turns (23) is provided on a cylinder end face of the inner tube (10) as actuating means for the inner tube (10).

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein the inner tube (10) is provided with a sleeve (30) which can be displaced inside or outside in the longitudinal direction of the inner tube (10), by means of which at least parts of the inlet openings (11, 31, 51; 13, 16) can be covered, in particular however, the volume can be limited.

15. The device according to claim 1, wherein the inner tube (10) is surrounded and moved by a rigid outer tube (12) which is attached on the outside to a tapering end of a V-shaped pouch or is enclosed securely by a corresponding bag.

16. The device according to claim 1, wherein it is provided with an attachment means, by means of which the device can be releasably attached to a packaging.

17. A packaging with a portion feed device according to claim 1, wherein the chamber (4) is flexible, the portion feed device is or may be provided at the lower end of the packaging when in use, and at the opposite end of the packaging a suspension means (3, 53) is provided.