Patent Publication Number: US-2013248564-A1

Title: Dispensing guide

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims the benefit of co-pending South African Patent Application No. ZA2012/01880, filed Mar. 14, 2012. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a dispensing guide which is used with or forms part of a dispenser bottle, e.g. an herb or spice bottle. The invention may further extend to a dispenser lid with which the dispensing guide is integral. 
     Spices and dried herbs are typically sold in and dispensed from a dispenser bottle with a closeable cap including a sifter lid. In an open position of the cap wherein the sifter lid is exposed, spices and dried herbs can be dispensed from multiple apertures defined in the sifter lid. 
     Herbs and spices are typically dispensed into dishes while the dishes are still being cooked. A cook may merely sift or sprinkle the herbs or spices directly into a dish. One of the drawbacks of known sifter lids or other types of lids comprising apertures for sprinkling herbs, spices or the like onto food is that the moisture, heat and/or steam escaping from food while being cooked may clog up the apertures over time, thereby making the dispensing of the herbs or spices difficult. 
     It is an object of the present invention to address this shortcoming. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a dispensing guide comprising a dispensing chute defined by a broad and elongate tongue, the sides of which curl in an arc, and two resilient arms, extending from a base portion of the chute and which, together with the curvature of the sides of the tongue, form a semi-circular ring that fits around and secures to a dispensing end of a particulate matter dispenser in use, wherein the dispensing chute in use prevents steam, moisture or heat from entering the dispensing end of the particulate matter dispenser. 
     Preferably, the tongue has a semi-circular cross-section that in use fits around, e.g., approximately three quarters, the circumference of the dispensing end of the dispenser. 
     The dispensing guide may be manufactured from a plastics or similar material. 
     Typically, the dispensing end of a particulate matter dispenser is a lid or cap secured to the dispenser, preferably a sifter or sprinkler lid comprising multiple apertures to dispense the particulate matter. 
     The particulate matter dispenser may be a dispensing bottle for herbs or spices. 
     The base portion of the chute and the arms define an internal step formation that fits into a complemental step formation defined in a lid of the dispenser. 
     According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a dispenser lid comprising securing means configured to secure the lid to a dispensing end of a particulate matter dispenser, a sifter portion defining one or more apertures to dispense particulate matter from the dispenser in use, and a dispensing chute extending from and integrally formed with a side wall of the lid, the dispensing chute being defined by a broad and elongate tongue the sides of which curl in an arc, wherein the dispensing chute in use prevents steam, moisture or heat from entering the dispensing end of the particulate matter dispenser. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a dispensing guide in accordance with the present invention as secured around the end of a particulate matter dispenser; 
         FIG. 2   a  shows a perspective view of the dispensing guide of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 2   b  shows a cross-section of the dispensing guide of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3   a  shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of a dispensing guide in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 3   b  shows a cross-section of the dispensing guide of  FIG. 3   a ; and 
         FIG. 4  shows a dispenser lid in accordance with a further aspect of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Turning to  FIGS. 1 to 2   b , a dispensing guide is generally indicated by reference numeral  10 . The dispensing guide  10  fits around the outer perimeter of a dispensing end of a particulate matter dispenser, shown in  FIG. 1  as a dispenser bottle  12 . The dispenser bottle  12  is typically filled with particulate matter, such as seasoning, spices, dried herbs or the like. The dispensing guide  10  is usually arranged to fit snugly and be secured around a lid  14 , such as a sifter or sprinkler lid, of the dispenser bottle  12 . 
     In the example embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the lid  14  defines multiple apertures  16  in a sifter lid  18 , the apertures in use dispensing, typically sprinkling or sifting, the particulate matter from the bottle  12 . 
     As best shown in  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b , the dispensing guide  10  comprises a dispensing chute  20  defined by a broad and elongate tongue  22 , the sides  24  of which curl in an arc. In use, the tongue  22  lies co-planar with the side of the bottle  12 . The tongue  22  may further be narrowed towards its outer end, thereby to assist in dispensing herbs or spices also from the sides  24  of the tongue  22 . The dispensing chute  20  extends in use far beyond the end of the bottle  12  to cover the sifter lid  18  when the bottle  12  is held in a horizontal position to dispense the seasoning, herbs or spices. In particular, the dispensing chute  20  prohibits the ingress of steam, heat or moisture into the bottle  12  which may cause the apertures  16  of the lid  18  to clog up with particulate matter held in the bottle. 
     Extending from a base portion  26  of the chute  20  are two arms  28 , which, with the curvature of the sides  24  of the tongue  22 , form a semi-circular ring that fits around the lid  14  of the bottle  12 . The arms  28  are resilient in order to enable them to be drawn away from each other thereby to fit the dispensing guide  10  around the bottle end. 
     The tongue  22  with the arms  28  typically has a semi-circular cross-section that in use fits around a portion of the circumference of the lid  14  of the bottle  12 . In some instances, the tongue portion may be approximately three quarters to one half of the circumference of the lid  14  thereby to ensure that the apertures  16  of the sifter lid  18  are sufficiently covered. 
     The dispensing guide  10  is manufactured from a plastics material or any other suitable material. 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b , a second embodiment of the dispensing guide is generally indicated by reference numeral  30 . This guide  30  also comprises a broad and elongate tongue  32 , the sides  34  of which curl in an arc. From a base portion  36  of the tongue  32  two resilient arms  40  extend, with the base portion  36  and sides  34  of the tongue  32 , as well as the arms  40  forming a semi-circular ring that fits around and secures to a lid of a particulate matter dispenser in use. The tongue  32  which effectively forms a dispensing chute, prevents steam, heat or moisture from entering apertures defined in the lid of the dispenser. 
     In this embodiment, the base portion  36  of the tongue  32  or chute, and optionally the arms, define an internal step formation  40  that fits into a step formation defined in the lid of the dispenser or that fits over the end of the lid. This ensures a tighter fit between the dispensing guide  30  and the lid of the bottle. 
       FIG. 4  shows a further aspect of the invention where the dispensing guide is integral with the lid of a particulate matter dispenser, such as a bottle for dispensing spices or herbs. A dispenser lid  40  comprises securing means (not shown) configured to secure the lid  40  to a dispensing end (i.e., open end) of a particulate matter dispenser, shown as sectioned bottle  42 . In this example embodiment, the lid  40  defines an internal thread that engages a thread  44  defined on the outer perimeter of the bottle  42  thereby to secure the lid  40  to the bottle  42 . It will be appreciated that different securing means could be used in other embodiments. 
     A sifter portion  46  defines one or more apertures  48  to dispense particulate matter from the bottle in use. Similar to the embodiments of  FIGS. 1 to 3   b , a dispensing chute  50  extends from and is integrally formed with a side wall of the lid  40 . The dispensing chute  50  is defined by a broad and elongate tongue  52 , the sides  54  of which curl in an arc. The chute  50  in use prohibits steam, moisture or heat from entering the bottle  42 , in particular when the bottle  42  is held horizontal to dispense its contents over a dish that is being cooked. 
     In all the above embodiments, the contents of the dispenser or bottle is first dispensed onto the chute, and then sprinkled over the dish to be seasoned. The chute of the dispensing guide thus protects the contents from rising moisture, thereby ensuring that the sprinkler or sifter lid or portion does not clog up. Additionally, the chute of the dispensing guide or lid assists in ensuring that the food is not over-seasoned, as the seasoning, herbs or spices will first be dispensed onto the chute, leaving the user with the option to discard at least some of the seasoning.