Portion dispensing caps

Improvements in portion dispensing caps in which pre-measured portions of materials, such as particulate matter, can be dispensed from a container. The portion dispensing caps include a closure and a sliding member. The sliding member is biased in a loading position by a resilient arcuate projection. The sliding member can also include a portion which engages into and seals an opening in the closure. The sliding member may have a hingedly connected wall which is unattached when molded by an injection molding process but which is attached to other walls of the sliding member when the sliding member is disposed in the closure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to improvements in portion dispensing caps. 
Portion dispensing devices are known in the art. These devices can include 
a sliding member that has a portion control chamber which receives a 
measured amount of material to be dispensed, most commonly food stuffs 
such as sugar, spices or coffee in powder or granulated form. The sliding 
member, when in a relaxed or non-engaged position, allows product loading 
in a pre-measured amount. When the sliding member is moved to an engaged 
position, the portion control chamber is aligned with holes where the 
contents of the portion control chamber can escape from the container. 
Thus, only the amount of material in the portion control chamber is 
dispensed from the container at any one time. In this way, a measured 
amount of material, for example a teaspoon of sugar or a tablespoon of 
coffee (depending on the dimension of the portion control chamber) is 
dispensed from the container. 
Examples of sliding chamber portion dispensing devices are shown in U.S. 
Pat. Nos. 3,347,425; 4,403,715; and 4,836,424. 
There is currently in commercial use a dispensing container having a 
sliding member operatively associated with a container that dispenses 
tablets of a sugar substitute sold under the trade designation "EQUAL". 
The sliding member includes a resilient plastic biasing member. When it is 
desired to dispense a single tablet from the container, the sliding member 
is moved and the resilient biasing member is biased against the inner 
surface of the container and the tablet falls into a tablet control 
chamber. The spring action of the biasing member returns the sliding 
member to the relaxed position once pressure is released from the sliding 
member. The tablet then falls through a second opening to be dispensed 
from the container. 
Despite the known prior art devices there remains a need for an improved 
portion dispensing device, and more particularly for a portion dispensing 
cap that has improved biasing means so that the dispensing process can be 
carried out easily and effectively. There also remains a need for a 
portion dispensing cap that includes a closure and a sliding member which 
effectively seals the dispensing opening so that dirt and other impurities 
do not enter the closure. Finally, there is a need for a portion 
dispensing cap having a sliding member that is efficiently and 
economically made from a thermoplastic material by an injection molding 
process. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The several embodiments of improved portion dispensing caps made in 
accordance with the inventions disclosed herein meet the above-captioned 
needs. A first embodiment of the portion dispensing cap made in accordance 
with the invention comprises a closure and a sliding member, the sliding 
member defining a portion control chamber. The sliding member includes at 
least one resilient arcuate projection, the arcuate projection having a 
radius of curvature greater than the radius of curvature of the axial 
skirt of the closure. In this way, the projection slides along and is 
resiliently deflected by the inner surface of the closure annular skirt 
when the sliding member is moved. 
Another embodiment of the portion dispensing cap of the invention also 
comprises a closure and a sliding member. The sliding member of this 
embodiment includes sealing means extending from the body portion of the 
sliding member. The sealing means has an engaging portion which at least 
partially engages into the dispensing opening in the closure to prevent 
dirt and other impurities from entering into the closure. 
The final embodiment of a portion dispensing cap made in accordance with 
the invention comprises a closure and a sliding member, the sliding member 
defining a portion control chamber and an enclosed space. One of the walls 
defining the enclosed space is hingedly connected to another wall making 
up the enclosed space. The hingedly connected wall has a free end which is 
unattached to the other walls. The free end is attached to the other walls 
to form the enclosed space.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring now to FIG. 1, a container 10 including a portion dispensing cap 
12 made in accordance with the invention is shown. The container 10 and 
the portion dispensing cap 12 are preferably made of molded thermoplastic 
materials and are used to store and dispense materials. As used herein, 
the term "materials" includes granulated materials, such as granulated 
sugar, drink mixes and spices; powdered materials such as flour, baking 
powder, powdered sugar and powder drink mixes as well as body powders such 
as baby powder; individual tablet or pellets of materials such as tablets 
of sugar or sugar substitutes; and liquids. 
The container 10 includes a body 14 that holds the materials and a 
cylindrical neck 16 which receives the portion dispensing cap 12. The 
portion dispensing cap 12 includes a closure 18 and a sliding member 20 
which, as will be explained in detail below, is moved in and out of the 
closure 18 in order to dispense materials from the container 10. As can 
also be seen in FIG. 1, the closure 18 includes a dispensing opening 22, 
which is sealed by an engaging portion 24 of the sliding member 20. 
Referring now to FIGS. 2-4, the portion dispensing cap 12 will be described 
in greater detail. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the cap 12 includes the 
closure 18 and the sliding member 20. The closure 18 consists of an inner 
endwall 36 which defines a loading opening 38; an outer endwall 40 which 
defines the dispensing opening 22 shown also in FIG. 1 and an annular 
skirt 42. The annular skirt 42 includes a thread 43 which engages a 
complementary thread 44 on the cylindrical neck 16 of the container 10. As 
can best be seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, the outer endwall 40 and the skirt 42 
are partially cutaway so that access may be gained to the sliding member 
20. The closure also includes a radially inwardly projecting wall portion 
46. The wall portion 46 forms a chord with the annular skirt 42. The 
purpose of this wall portion 46 will be disclosed further hereinbelow. 
As can be seen in FIG. 2, the loading opening 38 is laterally staggered 
from the dispensing opening 22 in order to effect proper operation of the 
portion dispensing cap as will be discussed in FIGS. 7 and 8. The distance 
D (FIG. 2) between the loading opening 38 and the dispensing opening 22 
should be great enough to resist product seepage while the sliding member 
20 travels from a loading position to a dispensing position, as will be 
discussed below. The loading opening 38 is also shown as being bigger than 
and a different shape from the dispensing opening 22, although it will be 
appreciated that different sizes and shapes can be used depending on the 
amount and type of material it is desired to be dispensed. Furthermore, as 
is known to those skilled in the art, the dispensing opening 22 can be 
formed as sifter holes or longitudinal slots for dispensing material in a 
dispensed pattern. Sifter holes, for example, can be used for salting a 
hamburger where a predetermined amount of salt is desired to be dispensed 
on each hamburger. 
The sliding member 20, which is preferably made of a thermoplastic material 
by an injection molding process, is disposed between the outer endwall 40 
and the inner endwall 36. The sliding member 20 includes a sliding member 
body portion 50 which defines a portion control chamber 52 and an enclosed 
space 54 (FIG. 3). The sliding member further consists of a pair of 
projections 60 and 62 which extend, respectively, from side portions 64 
and 66 of the sliding member body portion 50. FIG. 2 shows the projections 
60 and 62 in the shape in which they are molded by an injection molding 
process (labelled "as molded"). As can be seen, the "as molded" 
projections 60 and 62 are slightly arcuate in shape, having a radius of 
curvature greater than the radius of curvature of the inner surface 68 
annular skirt 42. When the sliding member 20 is placed in the closure 18 
as is shown in FIG. 2, the radial projections 60 and 62, due to their 
resiliency, slide along and are resiliently deflectable by the inner 
surface 68 of the annular skirt 42. 
It will be appreciated that the projections 60 and 62 permit the sliding 
member 20 to be moved radially between the outer endwall 40 and the inner 
endwall 36. The projections also bias the sliding member 20 in the 
"loading" position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In the loading position, the 
portion control chamber 52 is generally aligned with the loading opening 
38 in the inner endwall 36 as can best be seen in FIG. 3. It will be 
appreciated that while in the loading position, material from the 
container 10 can flow through the loading opening 38 and into the portion 
control chamber 52. This process will be discussed further below with 
reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. 
FIG. 4 shows a vertical section of the portion control chamber 52. The 
portion control chamber 52 has a upper section 70 and a lower section 71. 
The upper section 70 has a smaller opening 72 than the opening 73 of the 
lower section 71 and preferably the portion control chamber 52 tapers from 
the lower section 71 to the upper section 70. The opening 72 of the upper 
section 70 is substantially the same shape as the dispensing opening 22 
and the opening 73 of the lower section is substantially the same shape as 
the loading opening 38. This will facilitate efficient loading and 
dispensing of the portion control chamber 52. 
Referring back again to FIG. 2, the projections 60 and 62, while disposed 
in the loading position, have an average radii of curvature which is 
greater than the radius of curvature of the inner surface 68 annular skirt 
42. It will be appreciated that at local points on the projections 60 and 
62, such as end points 76 and 77, respectively, that the local radius of 
curvature may be less than the radius of curvature of the annular skirt. 
However, at most points along the projection, such as at the base portions 
78 and 79 of projections 60 and 62, respectively, the local radius of 
curvature is greater than the radius of curvature of the annular skirt 42. 
The projections 60 and 62 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 are preferably disposed 
in a plane that is generally parallel to both the inner endwall 36 and the 
outer endwall 38. The projections 60 and 62 can be dimensioned so that 
when the sliding member 20 is moved, the ends of the projections 60 and 62 
can be turned radially inwardly by contact with wall 46 and furthermore 
can abut against each other to prevent further movement of the sliding 
member 20 in the closure 18. It will also be appreciated that the ends of 
the projections 60 and 62 can also curl radially inwardly when they meet. 
Finally, the wall 46 can be shaped and positioned in different ways so as 
to be engaged by the projections 60 and 62 to prevent further radial 
movement of the sliding member 20. It is in these ways that the 
projections 60 and 62 can control the extent of the movement of the 
sliding member 20 in the closure 18. 
Referring to FIG. 5, another embodiment of the sliding member is shown in 
which the projections 80 and 82 are disposed in axially offset planes. The 
projections 80 and 82 will not interfere with each other when the sliding 
member 20 is moved radially inwardly in the closure 18. 
Another aspect of the invention is shown in FIGS. 2 and 6. Extending from 
the sliding member body portion 50 is a sealing means which consists of a 
base portion 83 and an engaging portion 84. The engaging portion 84 is at 
least partially engaged into the dispensing opening 22 as is shown in FIG. 
2. The engaging portion 84 has a junction portion 85 and a free end 
portion 86. The thickness of the engaging portion 84 tapers from the 
junction portion 85 to the free end portion 86. The junction portion 85 
further includes a lip 87 which engages against an edge 88 of the 
dispensing opening 22. The engagement of the lip 87 with edge 88 not only 
keeps the sliding member 20 from becoming disengaged from the closure 18, 
but also acts to align the portion control chamber 52 with the loading 
opening 38 in the inner endwall 36 while the sliding member 20 is in the 
loading position as is shown in FIG. 2. 
The engaging portion 84 seals the dispensing opening 22 while the sliding 
member 20 is in the loading position. This is because the engaging portion 
84 extends partially into the dispensing opening 22 and because the free 
end portion 86 extends beyond the dispensing opening 22. Referring to FIG. 
2, it can be seen that the engaging portion 84 entirely covers the 
dispensing opening 22 when the sliding member 20 is in the loading 
position. This prevents dirt and other impurities from entering into the 
closure 18 while the sliding member 20 is in the loading position. 
Referring now to FIG. 6, yet another aspect of the invention is shown. FIG. 
6 shows a vertical section of the sliding member 20 in the form that it 
emerges from the injection molding process. It will be appreciated that 
the enclosed space 54 of the sliding member is formed by a portion of the 
outer endwall 40, an outer annular wall 90, an inner sidewall 92 and a 
lower wall 94. The lower wall 94 is shown in its "as molded" position. The 
lower wall 94 is hingedly connected to the inner sidewall 92 by means of a 
living hinge 95 and includes a lip 96 disposed on the free end thereof. 
After injection molding of the sliding member by using a straight draw 
mold, without the need or use for slides, the hingedly connected lower 
wall 94 is moved from the open position shown in solid line in FIG. 6 to 
the closed position shown in phantom lines in FIG. 6 where the lip 96 
securely engages the outer annular wall 90 to form the enclosed space 54. 
At this point the sliding member 20 can be placed into the closure 18 to 
form the portion dispensing cap 12 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. 
FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C show how the sliding member 20 is injection molded in a 
straight draw injection molding machine. FIG. 6A shows a conventional 
straight draw mold having two mold parts M1 and M2. The mold parts, as is 
known, are made of steel, and define a cavity in which the sliding member 
20 is molded. FIG. 6A shows the thermoplastic material after it is 
injected into the mold cavity to form the sliding member 20. This is the 
so-called "molding sequence". This sliding member 20 is also formed with a 
horizontal bead 97 extending from outer annular wall 90. This bead 97 
facilitates snap fitting of the lip 96 of lower wall 94 to outer annular 
wall 90. 
Referring now to FIG. 6B, after the molding sequence, the "lifter sequence" 
is commenced by moving M2 downward in the direction of the arrow. Because 
of the undercut created by the horizontal bead 97, it will be appreciated 
that the annular wall 90 bends outwardly as shown in FIG. 6B. 
The lifter sequence continues as shown in FIG. 6C. Mold M2 is fully 
withdrawn and mold M1 is moved in the direction of the arrow. The mold M1 
bears against lower wall 94 causing it to rotate about the hinge 95 as is 
shown by the arrow labelled "Rotation" in FIG. 6C. Because of the 
resiliency of the lower wall 94 and the shape of the living hinge 95, mold 
M1 can slide past lower wall 94 without causing the lower wall 94 to tear 
from the wall 92. Furthermore, lower wall 94 can snap back into the 
position shown in FIG. 6 for subsequent joining to wall 90 to form the 
completed sliding member 20. It will be appreciated that in this way, the 
sliding member 20 can be made by the use of conventional straight draw 
molds. 
Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, the operation and use of the portion 
dispensing cap 12 will be described. FIG. 7 shows the container in an 
inverted position (i.e., upside down from FIG. 1) with the portion 
dispensing cap 12 in the "loading position". In this position, the portion 
control chamber 52 is aligned with the loading opening 38 in the inner 
endwall 36 so, therefore, the material 98 in the container 10 flows from 
the container body 14 to eventually fill the portion control chamber 52. 
It will be appreciated that the portion control chamber 52 can be 
dimensioned to hold a predetermined amount of material 99, such as a 
teaspoon, tablespoon or one tablet, for example. While in the loading 
position, the material cannot be dispensed from the container because the 
outer endwall 40 encloses the portion control chamber 52 and the 
dispensing opening 22 is entirely covered by the engaging portion 84 of 
the sliding member 20. 
Referring now to FIG. 8, when it is desired to dispense the material 99 in 
the portion control chamber 52, the sliding member 20 is pushed inwardly 
between the outer endwall 40 and inner endwalls 36 in the direction of 
arrow A. FIG. 8 shows the sliding member in the "dispensing position". The 
sliding member 20 is pushed inwardly against the biasing force of the 
radial projections 60 and 62. When the portion control chamber 52 is 
aligned with the dispensing opening 22 the material 99 in the portion 
control chamber 52 is entirely dispensed through the dispensing opening 
22. 
The remaining material 98 in the container body 14 is prevented from 
entering into the closure 18 or being dispensed from the container 10 
because the portion control chamber 52 is blocked by the inner endwall 36 
and because the lower hingedly connected wall 94 entirely covers the 
loading opening 38. Furthermore, because the lower hingedly connected wall 
94 forms the enclosed space 54, no material enters into the enclosed space 
54. 
It will be appreciated that the shape of the engaging portion 84 
facilitates movement of the sliding member 20 from the loading position to 
the dispensing position. As discussed above, the engaging portion 84 
tapers uniformly in thickness from the junction portion 85 to the free end 
portion 86. This forms a pilot surface which rides under the outer endwall 
40 when the sliding member 20 is moved from the loading position to the 
dispensing position. Furthermore, the sealing means can be dimensioned to 
form a stop means as is shown in FIG. 8. That is, the free end portion 86 
of the engaging portion 84 contacts the inner annular skirt wall surface 
68 to prevent further movement of the sliding member 20. This acts to stop 
the sliding member 20 in its proper dispensing position, i.e., so that the 
portion control chamber 52 is aligned with the dispensing opening 22. 
Finally, it will be appreciated that the radial projections 60 and 62 
which bear against the chord wall 46 and/or each other also act as stop 
means. 
It will be appreciated that improvements in a portion dispensing cap in 
accordance with the invention have been disclosed. While specific 
embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, it will be appreciated 
by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alterations to 
those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the 
disclosure. Accordingly, the particular arrangements disclosed are meant 
to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention 
which is to be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any and 
all equivalents thereof.