Patent Publication Number: US-2012037669-A1

Title: Dispenser

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a dispensing container for liquid or flowable goods, comprising a container wall, a container base, a container lid having an outlet, and a removal insert for dispensing portions of goods from the dispensing container, and a method for handling the dispensing container. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Dispensing containers are known in the form of refillable sugar dispensers, and have a screw-on lid together with a central dispensing tube whose lower end projects into the container and which may be inclined. A portion of sugar may be removed by tipping the container, provided that the level in the container is above this portioning opening. However, it is not possible to completely empty the container. 
     A refillable measuring container having a conical shape is known from DE 26 01 491 A, having a channel with an outlet opening, which extends upwardly from the base of the container, for dispensing a powdered food product. A measuring cylinder having sector-shaped divisions is connected to the container in order to deliver a metered portion of dispensed goods to the channel when the container is tipped. In one exemplary embodiment, a closure cap having a discharge opening is provided above the outlet opening in the container, and may be aligned with the outlet opening in order to dispense goods. However, sealed storage of the goods without loss of flavor is not possible. 
     A refillable tilting container for dispensing a portion of goods is known from DE 201 06 891 U1, having two closure caps placed one inside the other, the upper cap being rotatable and being provided with a curved outlet tube, while the lower closure cap has an outlet opening which may be aligned with the outlet tube. To minimize interspaces, a sealing plate having an outlet opening is situated between the two closure caps; this outlet opening is aligned with the outlet opening in the lower closure cap, and therefore is not able to seal this outlet opening. Thus, sealed storage of goods is not possible. 
     A dispensing container having complete emptying of goods is known from WO 2006/125604 A1. The container wall is either cylindrical or has a basic four-sided polyhedral shape. In the case of a cylindrical dispensing container, an outlet is provided in the container lid, near the edge of the container wall, from which the removal insert extends to near the container base. Before the goods are used, the outlet is suitably closed by a lid, tear-off film, or the like, and is opened in order to remove the goods. However, there is no subsequent protection, for example evaporation protection or protection against penetration of atmospheric oxygen, after opening the container. 
     A container is known from US 2004/0256421 A1, having mutually alignable dispensing openings which are provided in an inner lid that is fixedly connected to the container, and in an outer, rotatable lid. The inner lid has an annular wall which is situated in the container opening in a sealing manner. The outer lid overlaps the inner lid and also the container neck, which has a detent rib which engages in a groove in the outer lid. The edge of the outer lid is formed by a tear-off tamper-evident band. The outlet opening in the inner lid is surrounded by a lip seal which cooperates with the underside of the outer lid in the closed position of the container. When the opening in the outer lid is rotated over the opening in the inner lid, goods may be poured from the container. However, metered dispensing of goods is not possible. 
     A dispensing container is known from U.S. Pat. No. 2,704,623 which is composed of a cylindrical container body, a screw-on lid, and a dispensing tube provided with a funnel. The funnel occupies the base of the container, and has radial slits which allow the goods to pass into the funnel, and thus into the dispensing tube. The screw-on lid has a central outlet opening which aligns with the outlet tube, a pour opening at the edge, and a group of sprinkling openings which communicate with the interior of the container outside the outlet tube and outside the funnel. A rotary disk having a dispensing opening is rotatably supported on the top side of the lid in order to overlap the dispensing opening with the central opening, or with the pour opening, or with the group of sprinkling openings, thus determining the manner in which the goods are dispensed. When the dispensing opening is not overlapped by an opening in the screw-on lid, a closed position of the dispensing container is achieved which, however, is not aroma-tight. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to provide a dispensing container in the form of a dispenser which is fillable as originally manufactured. 
     A further object of the invention is to appropriately design the dispenser for the original filling using customary, existing automatic filling machines. 
     A further object of the invention is to ensure gas- and aroma-tight enclosure of the goods in the dispenser. 
     A further object of the invention is to be able to quickly close the dispensing container after removing goods from it. 
     According to yet a further object of the invention, the evaporation of the goods and the penetration of atmospheric oxygen into the container are largely avoided. 
     According to the invention, a dispenser is provided in which an outlet opening is provided in the container lid which is opened by pulling off a sealing membrane. A rotary slide lid having a removal opening is clipped onto the container lid and aligned with the outlet opening in the container lid. A portion of goods is dispensed by tilting the dispenser. The rotary slide lid is rotated into a position in which the outlet opening in the container lid is hermetically sealed. 
     In particular, the dispenser includes a container body, a container lid, a sealing membrane, a removal tube, a rotary slide lid, and optionally a tamper-proof seal. The container body has a container wall and a container base, and at the upper end is provided with an opening that is surrounded by a crimped edge. The container lid has a so-called lid panel which is surrounded by a crimped edge, and in which an outlet opening and optionally also a filling opening are provided. A tear-off tab of the sealing membrane may be pulled off from the outlet opening. The lower end of the removal tube has a removal funnel near the container base, and at the upper end is connected to the outlet opening in the container lid. The rotary slide lid has a removal opening which may be brought into and out of alignment with the outlet opening in the container lid by rotating the rotary slide lid. For this purpose, the rotary slide lid has a guide edge which cooperates with the interlocking ring, composed of the folded edges of the container body and the container lid, in the sense of a detent connection and a rotary guide. The rotary slide lid has a sealing collar which extends around the removal opening and which, depending on the design of the sealing membrane, rests on the lid panel or the sealing membrane in a sealing manner in order to close the dispenser in an aroma-tight manner in the closed position, and in the open position to allow the removal of goods via the removal tube, the outlet opening, the broken or removed sealing membrane, and the removal opening. 
     Further particulars of the invention result from the claims and the following description of exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows an exploded illustration of the individual parts of the dispenser according to a first embodiment, 
         FIG. 2  shows a cross section of a rotary slide lid along line I-I in  FIG. 1 , 
         FIG. 2   a  shows an enlarged detail from  FIG. 2 , 
         FIG. 3  shows a cross section of a sealing membrane along line II-II, 
         FIG. 3   a  shows an enlarged detail from  FIG. 3 , 
         FIG. 4  shows a cross section of a container lid according to line 
         FIG. 5  shows a cross section in the region of the container base and the removal tube, 
         FIG. 6  shows a second embodiment of the dispenser in an exploded illustration, 
         FIG. 7  shows a rotary slide lid according to section IV-IV, 
         FIG. 8  shows a container lid according to section V-V, and 
         FIG. 9  shows a cross section of the container base together with base filling closures. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows the primary parts of the dispenser, namely, a container body  1 , a container lid  2 , a sealing membrane  3 , a removal tube  4 , and a rotary slide lid  5 . The dispenser optionally also includes a tamper-proof seal  6 . The removal tube  4  extends from the lid  2  to the container base. The container body  1  may have a one-part or multipart design. 
     In  FIG. 1  the container body  1  is illustrated with a cylindrical container wall  11 , a dome-shaped container base  12 , and a neck  13  which has a crimped edge  15  that extends around an opening  10 . As shown most clearly in  FIG. 5 , an integrally molded, ring-shaped protrusion  16  is provided in the container base  12  which serves multiple purposes: It is used as a standing surface for the container on a flat support surface, and in interaction with the rotary slide lid  5  is used as a stacking surface for containers stacked one on top of the other, and in addition, inside the container the protrusion  16  forms a guide groove  16   a  for cooperating with the lower end  42  of the removal tube  4 , as explained below. 
     The container lid  2  (see  FIGS. 1 and 4 ) is designed as an essentially flat, circular, press-punched sheet metal part having a flanged edge  24  and a topside lid panel  20  in which an outlet opening  21  and a circular segment-shaped filling opening  22  are provided. The outlet opening may have any desired cross-sectional shape, but preferably has an oval cross-sectional shape due to the fact that the removal tube, which likewise has an oval cross section, properly fits automatically with its lower end  42  in the groove  16   a . The flanged edge  24  merges into a crimped edge  25 . A sealing compound is applied to the flanged edge  24  of the container lid  2  in order to establish a gas-tight connection between the container lid  2  and the neck  13  of the container body  1  when the two folding edges  15 ,  25  are crimped together and form an interlocking ring  15 / 25 . This interlocking ring locally projects with respect to the neck  13  of the container body, thus forming a ring-shaped shoulder as a detent stop and rotary guide for the rotary slide lid  5 , as explained below. 
       FIG. 3  shows one possible embodiment of the sealing membrane  3  in cross section. A film base body  30  made of aluminum foil or plastic film is provided which conforms to the shape of the lid panel  20 , in which a weakening line  31   a  ( FIG. 3   a ) corresponding to the contour shape of the outlet opening  21  is located. A sealing layer is provided on the film base body  30  to allow a seal to be established at the lid  2 . The weakening line  31   a  is obtained, for example, by prescoring the film base body  30  down to 8/10 of its thickness. The tear-off opening  31  ( FIG. 1 ) prepared in this way is covered by a tear-off tab  32  which is welded or adhesively bonded to the film base body  30  inside the weakening line  31   a . The tear-off tab  32  has an exposed tip  33  which may be grasped in order to tear open the prescored region. Incidentally, the sealing membrane  3  is also provided for closing the filling opening  22 , and may be applied on the top side, or in special cases on the bottom side, of the lid  2 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 ,  4 , and  5 , the removal tube  4  is fixedly attached to the container lid  2 , and for this purpose a flanged edge  26  may extend around the outlet opening  21  in the container lid. The removal tube  4  may be formed from a sheet metal part, although production from plastic or cardboard is also possible. At its lower end the removal tube  4  has a shovel-shaped removal funnel  42  which has a lower bent edge  42   a  whose shape is adapted to the groove  16   a  in the base  12  of the container body  1 . 
     The rotary slide lid  5  (see  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) is manufactured as a press-punched sheet metal part or a molded plastic part, and has a middle flat region  50  and a guide edge  55  which is designed for clipping onto the fold  15 / 25 . A removal opening  51 , present in the middle region  50  of the rotary slide lid  5 , is surrounded by a sealing collar  52 . The sealing collar  52  is made of elastic plastic, preferably thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), which is applied in a ring shape around the removal opening  51  at the underside of the rotary slide lid  5 , and which has a lip-shaped cross section. 
     The dispenser is assembled from its individual parts as follows: 
     The container body  1  is provided. The removal tube  4  is fastened to the container lid  2 , thus connecting the tube interior  41  to the outlet opening  21 . The container lid  2  with the removal tube  4  fastened thereto is placed as an insert into the opening  10  in the container body  1 , and the flanged edge  24  together with its sealing compound is brought into the opening  10  for sealing purposes. The removal tube  4  finds a natural hold at the container base  12  in which the lower edge  42   a  of the removal tube engages in the groove  16   a  at the container base. The folding edges  15  and  25  are then folded to form the interlocking ring  15 / 25 . 
     The dispenser is prepared for filling with liquid or pourable goods in such a way that filling occurs through the filling opening  22 . The sealing membrane  3  is then placed on the lid panel  20 , with the tear-off tab  32  aligning with the outlet opening  21 , and is sealed, thus closing the openings  21  and  22  in a gas-tight manner. The rotary slide lid  5  is then placed on the shoulder formed by the interlocking ring  15 / 25  in order to engage behind same. A rotary position of the rotary slide lid  5  is preferably selected such that the sealing collar  52  surrounds the tear-off tab and is aligned with the outlet opening  21 . As the last step, the tamper-proof seal  6  may also be placed over the rotary slide lid  5 . 
     For liquid or soft goods, the container body  1  may first be filled, after which the removal tube  4  is pushed into the filled material until it reaches the base  12  of the container. The container lid  2  together with the removal tube  4  is mounted on the container body  1 . It is possible to attach the sealing membrane  3  to the underside of the lid  2  beforehand, and to use the edge region of the sealing membrane  3  for sealing between the container lid and the container body. In this embodiment the filling opening  22  is omitted, since filling is possible through the main opening  10 . 
     The handling of the dispenser proceeds as follows: 
     After the tamper-proof seal  6  is removed, access is gained to the tip  33  of the tear-off tab  32 , so that the tear-off opening  31  in the sealing membrane  3  may be exposed. The goods removal channel, which is formed by the interior  41  of the removal tube  4  and by the outlet opening  21  as well as the removal opening  51 , is thus opened. The liquid, flowable, or pourable goods are removed by tipping and tilting the container body  1 , as is known for sugar dispensers. A metered quantity of material is dispensed in each case. 
     By turning the rotary slide lid  5  having the removal opening  51  around the region of the lid panel  20 , the outlet opening  21  is closed in a sealing manner by the sealing collar  52 , so that the remaining goods in the dispenser remain protected from external effects. 
       FIGS. 6 through 9  show a second embodiment of the dispenser. Parts which correspond to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the descriptions in this regard apply, with the following modifications:
         1. It is possible to fill the container body  1  through a filling opening  17  in the container base  12 .   2. Stops  57  and  58  are provided at the rotary slide lid  5 , and a stop  27  is provided at the container lid  2 , so that the dispensing position and the hermetically sealed position may be conveniently adjusted.   3. The sealing membrane  3  has been modified.   4. An all-around seal is provided at the rotary slide lid  5 .       

     A filling opening  17  is provided in the container base  12  for filling the container  1  in a reverse orientation compared to the illustration in  FIG. 6  [sic;  1 ]. After filling, the opening  17  is closed by means of a closure in the form of a stopper  7  or a welded film  8 . 
     Reference is made to  FIG. 9 . The stopper  7  is made of plastic, for example LDPE, and has three sections: a conical insertion section  71 , a groove  72 , and a collar  73 . The width of the filling opening  17  is y, which is also the dimension of the diameter of the stopper  7  at the groove  72 . The sheet thickness of the container  1  is x, which is also the dimension of the width of the groove  72 . To make the stopper more gas-tight, a barrier coating  74  may be applied to the stopper collar  73 . 
     After the container  1  is filled, the tapering insertion section  71  of the stopper  7  is pushed into the filling opening  17  until the edge of the lid opening engages in the groove  72 . The sealing effect results from the contact of the shoulder between the insertion section and the groove at the edge of the opening  17 , and is increased by internal pressure in the container. Due to the curvature of the base  12 , the container remains closed even when considerable internal pressure is present in the container, since the opening  17  becomes smaller when there is decreased curvature as the result of internal pressure. The stopper  7  is therefore also suitable for closing containers which have been filled with goods under gas pressure. 
     For cost reasons, containers having increasingly thinner walls are finding more frequent use. Such thin-walled containers may be reinforced by means of internal pressure. This option is useful when the container is filled with pourable bulk material. During the filling a dry inert gas such as liquid nitrogen is introduced, which after evaporation creates the stabilizing internal pressure and also provides a degree of oxidation protections. 
     Instead of a stopper, the filling opening  17  may also be closed using a pressure shock-resistant welded film  8 . The welded film  8  is welded to the underside of the dome-shaped container base using a suitable welding method, for example ultrasonic welding or heating element welding. Welded films having sufficient barrier properties against gas or loss of flavor are used in the packaging of certain foods. 
     Since the filling opening  17  is attached to the container base  12  in the embodiment according to  FIGS. 6 through 9 , the filling opening  22  ( FIG. 1 ) in the lid  2  may be omitted. Therefore, in the embodiment according to  FIGS. 6 through 9  the sealing membrane  3  only needs to be large enough to cover the outlet opening  21 . The sealing membrane is composed of a suitable pressure shock-resistant film which is applied by adhesive bonding or welding to the lid  2  above the outlet opening  21 . 
       FIG. 7  shows a refinement of the rotary slide lid  5 . To seal the outlet opening  21 , the same as for the embodiment according to  FIG. 1  a sealing collar  52  is provided around the removal opening  51 . For better sealing of the lid during rotary motions, a further circular sealing collar  53  is provided which merges with the outer curvature of the ring seal  52 , as indicated by reference numerals  52 / 53  in  FIG. 7 , and which with its larger remaining curvature rests or slides on the lid panel  20  outside the region of the outlet opening  21 . 
     Stops  57  and  58  are also provided on the rotary slide lid  5 , and a stop  27  is provided on the container lid  2 , for more convenient handling of the rotary slide lid  5 . The stops  27 ,  57 , and  58  are situated at the same radial distance from the vertical axis of the container, and have an angular orientation such that in one stop position the removal opening  51  in the rotary slide lid  5  is aligned with the outlet opening  21  in the lid  2 , while in the other stop position the removal opening  51  is outside the alignment with the outlet opening  21 . 
     The advantage over containers which are hermetically sealable using a clamping lid is that the removal opening  51  is relatively small and the removal channel  41  is relatively long, so that the air exchange with the interior of the container during the removal process remains small compared to the known hermetically sealable containers, with the result that there is less loss of flavor and less penetration of atmospheric oxygen into the container. The rotary slide lid  5  also provides natural protection from improper removal of material, using a wet spoon, for example. A higher level of overall protection may be expected for sensitive container contents.