Taped culinary dispensing device

A dispensing device for dispensing cake toppings or the like, comprising a frusto-conical container having an outlet formed in the base thereof and a valve assembly for closing the outlet. The valve assembly comprises two downwardly-inclined shutters hinged to opposite sidewalls of the outlet, the shutters being pivotally connected to respective branches of a bifurcated actuating member. A trigger is provided on the inner surface of a handle, for actuating the valve assembly. A sieve member may also be provided. In use, the container is filled with the topping material to be dispensed. The user holds the device over, for example, a cake and actuates the valve assembly to dispense the material, thereby ensuring that all of the material is dispensed onto the desired area of the cake.

This invention relates to a dispensing device for dispensing toppings onto 
cakes or other products. 
Toppings such as icing sugar and nuts are usually sprinkled onto cakes or 
other products using a sieve. However, a disadvantage of this arrangement 
is that it is difficult to accurately control the amount of material 
dispensed, since some of the material is inevitably dispensed from the 
sieve before it reaches the cake or other product. 
I have now devised a dispensing device which is able to dispense accurate 
quantities of topping materials onto cakes or other products. 
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a dispensing device 
for dispensing topping material onto cakes or other products, the device 
comprising a container having a sidewall which tapers inwardly towards an 
opening in the base thereof, the base being provided with valve means 
which can be operated to dispense material from the container. 
In use, the container is filled with the topping material, then the 
container is held over the area onto which the topping material is to be 
dispensed and the valve means actuated. This arrangement ensures that all 
of the topping material in the container is dispensed onto the desired 
area of the cake or other product. 
Preferably the container is graduated to indicate the volume of the 
material in the container. The vertical spacing between successive 
graduations representing the same volume of material, gets progressively 
closer towards the top of the container, owing to the tapering sidewall. 
This allows small quantities of material to be measured out relatively 
accurately, since the spaced-apart graduations towards the base of the 
container can be sub-divided to indicate smaller volumes. Preferably the 
container is frusto-conical. 
Preferably the valve means is arranged between the container and a 
dispensing outlet, the outlet comprising a perforated member such as a 
sieve. 
Preferably the perforated member is removable, so that it can be 
interchanged with other perforated members having different sized 
perforations and/or a different number of perforations. 
Preferably the area of the perforated member is greater than the area of 
the opening in the base of the container, so that a broad stream of 
material is dispensed from the device. 
Preferably the valve means comprises a flap which is biased to normally 
close the opening in the base of the container. 
Preferably the valve means comprises a pair of downwardly inclined flaps 
hinged to opposite sides of the opening in the base of the container. 
Preferably the dispensing device comprises a lever for actuating the valve 
means, in order to open the valve means and allow material to flow from 
the container. 
Preferably the dispensing device is arranged for hand use, so that the user 
can hold the device over a cake or other product and carefully dispense 
toppings onto it. 
Preferably the device comprises a handle. Preferably the actuating lever is 
mounted to the handle, so that the user can conveniently actuate the valve 
means whilst supporting the container over the cake or other product.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a moulded plastics device for 
dispensing cake toppings or the like, the device comprising a 
frusto-conical container 10 for holding the topping to be dispensed. The 
base of the container 10 is formed with an outlet 13 which is provided 
with a valve assembly for closing this outlet. Graduations 11 are printed 
or moulded onto the container 10, in order to indicate the volume of the 
topping material in the container. The graduations are marked in fluid 
ounces and/or millilitres, and the container is arranged to hold 
approximately 50 ml of material. Owing to the frusto-conical shape of the 
container, the vertical spacing between successive graduations, 
representing a given volume of material is greater towards the bottom of 
the container then towards the top. This enables small volumes of material 
to be measured accurately. 
The valve assembly comprises a pair of opposed, downwardly-inclined 
shutters 12 hinged to opposite sidewalls of the outlet 13 in the base of 
the container 10. The free edges of the shutters 12 meet, when the valve 
is closed, at a point intermediate the opposite sidewalls of the outlet, 
thereby preventing material in the container flowing through the outlet. 
The shutters 12 are pivotally connected to respective branches of a 
bifurcated actuating member 14. The stem of the actuating member 14 is 
guided in a channel member 15 on the outside of the container 10. 
A frusto-conical duct 16 is connected to the container outlet 13, and 
tapers outwardly away from the container 10. The free lower edge of the 
duct 16 comprises a peripheral rim 17, onto which a disc-shaped sieve 
member 18 can be fitted. 
A generally C-shaped handle 19 extends between the container 10 and the 
duct 16. An L-shaped trigger 20 is pivoted to the inside of the upper 
portion of the handle 19. The trigger 20 engages an aperture in the 
actuating member 14, so that when the trigger 20 is pulled against the 
handle 19 the actuating member 14 is moved downwards, thereby pivoting the 
shutters 12 downwardly and therefore apart. A spring (not shown) biases 
the actuating member 14 upwards, and hence keeps the shutters 12 closed 
together unless the trigger 20 is actuated. 
In use, the container 10 is filled with the desired amount of topping 
material, e.g. icing sugar, using the graduations as a guide to obtain the 
desired quantity. Next the device is held over the cake or other product, 
and the trigger 20 is then actuated. Material in the container 10 falls 
onto the sieve member 18, and is dispensed onto the cake or other product 
by shaking the device from side-to-side. Alternatively the trigger 20 can 
be actuated to dispense small amounts of material at a time from the 
container. 
The device may be used without a sieve member attached, or different sieve 
members may be attached depending on the type of material being dispensed. 
Another type of sieve member may comprise a reduced dispensing area, so 
that small cakes or biscuits may be covered with topping.