A DISPENSER FOR DISCHARGING PULVEROUS MATERIAL

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a dispenser for discharging finely-divided or liquid material from a tight or substantially tight package (3). The dispenser includes an apparatus (1) rotatably disposed in relation to the package (3) by means of a knob (10, 10') and provided with dosage compartments (2a, 2b, 2c, etc.) disposed therein. The compartments are, on rotation of the apparatus (1) by means of the knob (10, 10'), arranged to be filled by the material and to be emptied of the material by force of gravity in that the apparatus (1) is disposed in an opening (4) in the package (3) and blocks the opening (4). According to the present invention, the knob (10, 10') is arranged to be manipulated from an inoperative position to an operative position.

Description: TITLE OF INVENTION: A DISPENSER FOR DISCHARGING PULVEROUS MATERIAL TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a dispenser for discharging finely-divided or liquid material from a tight or substantially tight package. The dispenser includes a device which is rotatably disposed in relation to the package by means of a knob, the apparatus being provided with dosage compartments disposed therein, the components being arranged, on rotation of the apparatus by means of the knob, to be filled by the above- mentioned material and be emptied of such material by gravitational force in that the apparatus is disposed in an aperture in the package and blocks this aperture. BACKGROUND ART Portioning dispensers connected to packages are previously known in a number of different designs. One example of such a prior art dispenser is disclosed in Swedish Register Design No. 34484. In many types of material, both pulverous and liquid, it is vital that no foreign matter penetrates in to the material in the package. For this reason, use is made of, for instance, glass jars with diffusion-tight connected lids for the storage of ground coffee in order that the oxygen of the air does not oxidize and thereby mar the flavour of the coffee before the package proper is broken. Hence, packages may be rendered quite diffusion-tight, for example by making them of glass, aluminium foil or some other diffusion-tight material. The weak link in dosage-dispensing packages is the dispenser itself, since this may, by diffusion, let in the ambient gases and/or liquids, either directly through the material from which the dispenser is manufactured, or through those apertures, slots, gaps etc. which are present in the dispenser. A package containing material of the type contemplated here is normally kept and stored for a relatively lengthy period of time before the package is opened, the material contained therein subsequently being consumed during a relatively short time. Consequently, considerable progress would be made - in relation to the prior art - if a package with a dispenser and with material in the package were, during storage and transport to the consumer, to be diffusion-tight and, in particular, to be gas diffusion-tight. Dispensers of the above-intimated type require some form of device which is accessible exteriorly for operating, for example a knob for advancing one compartment with a measured amount of material at a time and discharging such material from the package. Unintentional operation of the knob in, for example, handling, filling, manual picking etc., would, in such an event, run the risk of jeopardizing the diffusion tightness of the package with the dispenser. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION By supplying the filled package incorporating the type of dispenser according to the present invention as mentioned by way of introduction, with the aforementioned knob in an inoperative position, the knob not being manipulated to the operative position until it is first to be put into use, unintentional activation of the knob will be prevented, which thereby eliminates the risk of accidental contamination of the material within the package. Such manipulation of the knob may be effected in a plurality of different manners, a number of which being described in greater detail hereinbelow, while other manners being but superficially considered in the body of this specification. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS The nature of the present invention and its aspects will be more readily understood from the following brief description of the accompanying Drawings, and discussion relating thereto. In the accompanying Drawings: Fig. 1 shows a partial cross-section through a dispenser connected to a package in a second embodiment with the knob of the dispenser in the inoperative position; Fig. 2 illustrates the dispenser of Fig. 1 connected to a package in the second embodiment with the knob of the dispenser in the operative position; Fig. 3 shows the dispenser of Fig. 2 seen in the direction of the arrows III-III; Fig. 4 shows a fourth embodiment of the invented concept in partial cross-section, with the dispenser knob in the inoperative position; Fig. 5 shows the third embodiment according to Fig. 4 but with the knob in the operative position; and Fig. 6 shows a detail of the embodiment according to Figs. 4 and 5. It should be observed that identical reference numerals have been employed in the individual embodiments for identical or substantially identical details. DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT According to a first, simple embodiment which is not illustrated in detail on the drawings, a shaft for the dispenser may be supplied separately and be disposed to be passed through an aperture in the centre of a dosing apparatus 1 which is preferably substantially globular in configuration and is provided with portion compartments 2a, 2b, 2c, etc. The shaft becoming, on its insertion, mechanically interconnected with the dosing apparatus, appropriately in that a portion of the shaft is chamfered and at least some part of the aperture is given a corresponding configuration so that mechanical interconnection takes place on protrusion of the shaft into this portion. The otherwise rounded shaft is jou nalled, for instance, in two holes in a bearing box 9', disposed in the opening 4 of a package 3, the shaft being fitted, at its one end, with the above-mentioned knob 10'. In this first, simple embodiment, the knob with the shaft may be housed in a cap or case 11' which is made of, for example, a diffusion-tight material, ideally of aluminium which is relatively thin but is of sufficient configurational stability for the loadings which may occur. The cap or casing 11' is, in turn, fixed to the package 3 by means of, for instance, a diffusion-tight tape, the package consisting, by way of example, of glass or some similar, relatively diffusion- tight material . According to the second embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in Figs. 1-3, there is provided, in a package 3 which consists of substantially diffusion-tight material, for example glass, a dosage apparatus 1 with a knob 10 in an inoperative transport and storage position, the apparatus disposed within a casing 9 which is provided with a cap 11. By the intermediary of beads, the casing 9 co-operates with and is retained by snap action in the opening 4 of the package 3. It will be apparent from Fig. 1 that the knob 10 and the dosage apparatus 1 are protected from outer action by the casing 9 and by the cap 11, it being moreover presupposed that these latter details be made of diffusion-tight material and mutually anchored to one another and to the package 3 in a diffusion- tight manner. After removal of cap 11, the knob 10 is exteriorly accessible and is drawn downwardly a distance, according to Fig. 1, whereafter the knob 10 is turned outwardly from the plane of the drawing to that position which is apparent from Figs. 2 and 3, the shaft 5 of the knob 10 meshing with a narrow slot 7 with a flared bottom, see in particular Fig. 3, in the casing 9. The opposite, bead-fitted 6 end of the dosage apparatus 1 with the dosage compartments 2a, 2b, 2c, etc. co-operates with a depression 8 in the opposing inner surface of the casing 9. Hereby, the dosage apparatus 1 with associated dosage compartments 2a, 2b, 2c, etc. will be fixed and rotatably located in the correct and contemplated dosage position or operative position in the casing 9 and thereby in the opening 4 of the package 3. On the other hand, according to the third embodiment as illustrated in Figs. 4-5, no withdrawal of the dosage apparatus 1' with the knob 10' is required, the manipulation of the apparatus 1' and the knob 10' being instead arranged to take place between the inoperative position and the operative position solely by means of twisting of the knob 10' and thereby of the dosing apparatus 1'. Use is also advantageously made according to this third embodiment of guide members in the form of a slit 7' and a recess 8' in a casing or in a bearing box 9' for guidingly journalling corresponding details, namely the shaft 5' and the bead 6' of the dosing apparatus 1'. In its inoperative position, the dosing apparatus 1' is covered by a gas diffusion-tight, configurationally stable casing or cap 11' which, in turn, is fixed to the package 3 at that part abutting against the package 3 by means of, for example, a gas diffusion-tight tear-off tape (not shown). The rotary apparatus 1 and 1', respectively are ideally manufactured in substantially spheric form of the same material of which the package 3 itself is manufactured. In order to prevent unintentional rotation of the rotary apparatus 1' in the inoperative position, one or two walls of the bearing box 9' are - as is apparent from Figs. 4, 5 and 6 - provided with keyhole-like depressions on their inside, the rotary apparatus 1' being provided with projecting beads 12 elongate in one direction (see in particular Fig. 6), these devices co-operating to permit rotation of the dosing apparatus 1' once this has been turned to the position illustrated in Fig. 5. The present invention should not be considered as restricted to that described above and shown on the drawings, many modifications being conceivable without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims: WHAT WE CLAIM AND DESIRE TO SECURE BY LETTERS PATENT IS: 1. A dispenser for discharging finely-divided or liquid material from a tight or substantially tight package (3), the dispenser including an apparatus (1) arranged to be rotary in relation to the package (3) by means of a knob (10, 10'), the apparatus being provided with dosage compartments (2a, 2b, 2c, etc.) disposed therein and, on rotation of the apparatus (1) by means of said knob (10, 10'), arranged to be filled with said material and emptied of said material by force of gravity, by said apparatus (1) being disposed in an opening (4) in said package (3) and blocking said opening (4) characterized in that said apparatus (1) with said knob (10, 10') is disposed to be displaceable between two positions in said openings (4), whereby, in the one, inoperative position, said apparatus (1) blocks said opening (4) and thereby prevents discharge of material, and in the other, operative position, permits a rotation of the apparatus (1) by means of the knob (10, 10'), such that said compartments are progressively filled with and emptied of material from the interior of the package (3). 2. The dispenser as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that said manipulation of the apparatus (1) and/or of the knob (10, 10') is disposed to take place between said one position and said second position by means of turning of the apparatus (1) and/or of the knob (10, 10'). 3. The dispenser as claimed in Claim 2, characterized in that said manipulation of the apparatus (1) and/or of the knob (10, 10') is arranged to take place between said one position and said second position by means of pulling and turning of the apparatus (1) and/or of the knob (10, 10'). 4. The dispenser as claimed in any one of Claims 1-3, characterized in that the position of the apparatus (1) in the second, operative position, is guided by two associated guide means (5, 6; 5', 6', respectively), disposed in diametrically opposing parts of the apparatus (1) and arranged to co-operate with corresponding recesses (7, 8; 7', 8', respectively) in a bearing box (9, 9') disposed in the opening (4) of the package (3). 5. The dispenser as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, characterized in that, in the inoperative position, both the apparatus (1) and the knob (10, 10') are wholly covered by a preferably diffusion-tight casing (9, 11, 9') which is fixed to the package (3) in a diffusion-tight manner.

Inventors: TRUMSTEDT PER NESTOR CHRISTER, TRUMSTEDT PER THOMAS, TRUMSTEDT, PER, NESTOR, CHRISTER, TRUMSTEDT, PER, THOMAS
Applicants: TRUMSTEDT PER NESTOR CHRISTER, TRUMSTEDT PER THOMAS, TRUMSTEDT, PER, NESTOR, CHRISTER, TRUMSTEDT, PER, THOMAS
Application year: 1990
Main classification: B65D83
IPC codes: B65D83