Patent Abstract:
Aspects of the present invention are directed to a metered dose container that is transit proof. A container of the present invention may comprise a body having a vertical axis; a cap movable along the vertical axis of the body; a removable ring coupled to and between the moveable cap and the body, and a barrier, inside the body and coupled to the moveable cap. The barrier may define a loading chamber and separate the body into a storage chamber and a dispensing chamber. The barrier is adapted to be movable along the vertical axis of the body to form a transit position and a dispensing position.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    Aspects of the present invention are directed to a metered dose container, and in particular, a metered dose container that is transit proof. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The ability to dispense accurate amounts of dry material from containers has been investigated for several decades. In particular, powders or particles consumed for health or medicinal purposes may often require accurate amounts to be either consumer directly or more often, dissolved in a liquid and then consumed. Current metered dose containers have drawbacks. For example, if the container is inadvertently inverted or dropped during transit, the next dose of material dispensed from the container will have an inaccurate amount of material because additional material has been released into the dispensing chamber of the container. Furthermore, the last dose in the container may have less than the anticipated amount because of the inaccurate amounts dispensed previously. In addition to dispensing inaccurate amounts of material, which could lead to lack of efficacy of the product or adverse side effects because of too much consumption, this inaccurate dosing may also lead to product waste. Thus, a metered dose device that does not suffer from the drawbacks of traditional metered dose containers would be highly desirable. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Aspects of the present invention are directed to a container comprising a body having a vertical axis, a cap movable along the vertical axis of the body, a removable ring coupled to and between the moveable cap and the body, and a barrier inside the body and coupled to the moveable cap. The barrier may define a loading chamber and may separate the body into a storage chamber and a dispensing chamber. The barrier is adapted to be movable along the vertical axis of the body to form a transit position and a dispensing position. The cap and barrier may be moved back to the transit position after the material has been dispensed. 
         [0004]    In certain embodiments, the movable barrier comprises a long arm, forming the dispensing chamber and a shorter arm, forming the storage chamber. The long arm may comprise a barrier opening at the bottom to provide access from the loading chamber to the dispensing chamber. The barrier opening may be adapted to provide a metered amount of material to be dispensed from the container. In certain embodiments, the metered amount may be between about 1 gram and about 10 grams, or between about 3 grams and about 6 grams. In another embodiment, the metered amount is about 5 grams. 
         [0005]    The movable barrier may also comprise a sloped barrier bottom that is sloped from the short arm to the long arm. The body may comprise an inclined base on which the sloped barrier bottom may sit. In addition, the body may comprise a wall positioned to block the barrier opening when the barrier is in the transit position. The body may also comprise a wall positioned to prevent infiltration of material between the sloped barrier bottom and the inclined base of the body when the barrier is in transit position. In certain embodiments, the cap may comprise a flip top to access material within the dispensing chamber. In another embodiment, the cap may also comprise a resealable opening opposite the flip top to access material directly from the storage chamber. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a metered dose container in transit mode; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  shows a cross sectional view of a metered dose container in transit mode; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of a metered dose container in dispensing mode; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  shows a cross sectional view of a metered dose container in dispensing mode; 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of a movable barrier; 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  shows a perspective view of a movable barrier; 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  shows a perspective view of a body of a metered dose container; 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  shows a cross sectional view of a body of a metered dose container; 
           [0014]      FIG. 9  shows a top view of a metered dose container; 
           [0015]      FIG. 10  shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a cap; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 11  shows a method of using a metered dose container of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0017]    Aspects of the present invention are directed to a metered dose container. The metered dose container may have two modes—a transit mode and a dispensing mode. In transit mode, material cannot be dispensed from the container or dosed within the container. For example, if the container is inadvertently knocked over or turned upside down, no material will be dosed within the container and, therefore, the next dispensing of material from the container will have the correct amount of material. In dispensing mode, material can be dosed within the container and dispensed from the container. In certain embodiments of the present invention, the container can be repositioned from dispensing mode to transit mode, for storage purposes. 
         [0018]    Metered dose containers of the present invention contain a body, a moveable cap, a removable ring, and a barrier. Inside the body may be the material to be dispensed and the barrier. The barrier is moveable along the vertical axis of the body. The moveable cap is positioned on the top of body and is also movable along the vertical axis of the body. The removable ring sits between the movable cap and the body of the container and is coupled to both. The removable ring serves two functions. First, when coupled to the cap and body, the removable ring allows for the movable cap and the barrier to sit in transit position (that is, preventing material to be dosed and dispensed). Second, the removable ring serves as a tamper indicator. When the removable ring is removed from the container, the moveable cap can be moved in a downward direction, forcing the barrier in a downward direction, placing the container into dispensing position. 
         [0019]    An embodiment of a metered dose container in transit mode  100  is shown in  FIG. 1 . In transit mode, the container can be knocked over or upended and the next dispensing of material from the container contains the correct amount of material. Metered dose container in transit mode  100  includes body  10  having bottom  11 , front wall  12 , rear wall  13  ( FIG. 2 ), and side walls  14 . Front wall  12  is sloped to allow for ease of dispensing material from the container. Body  10  also includes rim  15 , shoulder  16  ( FIG. 7 ), and opening  17  ( FIG. 7 ). Container  100  also includes a movable cap  20  having top  21 , flip lid  22 , and side  23  and removable ring  30  having tab  31  for removing the ring from the container. Ring  30  is coupled to cap  20  and body  10 . Ring  30  is coupled with cap  20  and body  10  such that container is sealed to prevent tampering with material inside the container prior to opening. Ring  30  is removably coupled to cap  20  and body  10  to allow for removal of ring  30  to convert container from transit mode  100  to dispensing mode  200 . 
         [0020]    A cross sectional view of metered dose container in transit mode  100  is shown in  FIG. 2 . Inside container  100  is barrier  40  formed by long arm  41 , short arm  42  and sloped barrier bottom  43 . Barrier  40  is coupled to movable cap  20 . Barrier  40  may be permanently coupled to movable cap  20  or barrier  40  can be detachably coupled to movable cap  20 . Alternatively, movable cap  20  and barrier  40  can be manufactured so that they are monolithic. Where long arm  41  meets sloped barrier bottom  43  is barrier opening  44 . The space between long arm  41  and short arm  42  defines loading area  50 . The space between short arm and back wall  13  of body  10  defines storage zone  60  and the space between long arm front wall  14  of body  10  defines dispensing zone  70 . Dispensing zone  70  remains while the container is in dispensing mode  100 . Body also contains inclined base  80  onto which sloped barrier bottom  43  rests when barrier is in the dispensing position. Body  10  also contains rear blocking wall  81  to prevent material from the storage area from entering the space between sloped barrier bottom  43  and inclined base  80  when barrier  40  is in transit mode. Front blocking wall  82 , attached to body  10 , is positioned such that when barrier  40  is in transit mode, barrier opening  44  is blocked to prevent any material in loading zone  50  from exiting into dispensing zone  70 . Body  10  also includes body opening  83  below front blocking wall  82 . Body opening  83  is positioned so that when barrier is in dispensing mode, barrier opening  44  corresponds to body opening  83  allowing material from loading zone  50  to flow into dispensing zone  70 . The internal walls of body  10  contain tracks designed to assist movement of barrier  40  from the travel position to the dispensing position. Short wall guide  84  is designed to engage barrier short wall  42  and long wall guide  85  is designed to engage barrier long wall  41 . 
         [0021]      FIG. 3  shows an embodiment of metered dose container in dispensing mode  200 . In dispensing mode  200 , tamper ring  30  has been removed. Upon removal of tamper ring  30 , pressure can be applied to cap  20 , pushing the cap downward along the vertical axis of the body to place cap  20  in contact with rim  15 . Application of downward pressure to cap  20  also moves barrier  40  along the vertical axis of the body and into dispensing position ( FIG. 4 ). In dispensing mode  200 , barrier opening  44  corresponds to body opening  83 , allowing material to travel from loading zone  50  to dispensing zone  70 . In addition, sloped barrier bottom  43  rests on inclined base  80 . Rear blocking wall  81  prevents material from interfering with slope barrier bottom  43  from resting directly on inclined base  80 . 
         [0022]      FIGS. 5 and 6  show perspective views of barrier  40 . Barrier  40  has long arm  41 , short arm  42 , sloped barrier bottom  43 , and barrier opening  44 . Barrier  40  also includes connector sides  46  and ridges  45  on long arm  41 . Long arm edges  47  are designed to engage long wall guide  85 . Short wall guide  84  is designed to engage short wall tracks  48  on barrier  40 . The edges, guides, and tracks are designed to allow smooth movement of the guide from transit to dispensing mode and from dispensing mode back to transit mode, if required. The varied length of barrier arms  41  and  42  allows material to flow is a zigzag pattern to allow more accurate metered dispensing. In addition, barrier opening  44  can be designed to dispense a desired amount of material. 
         [0023]    In certain embodiments, the barrier opening may be designed to dispense between about 1 and 10 grams of material, or for example, between about 3 and 6 grams of material. In another embodiment, the barrier opening is designed to dispense 5 grams of material. In certain embodiments, the cap may also include a resealable opening  24  on the opposite end of cap from flip the lid ( FIG. 10 ). Resealable opening  24  allows material to be dispensed from the storage zone, circumventing the metered dose mechanism, when the user does not need a specific amount of material. Material can either be scooped out from the container or the container can be tilted to make the product flow out freely. 
         [0024]    Various materials can be contained within the metered dose container. For example, the material may be Powders, Powdered/granular beverages, Cereals, Pulses, salt, pepper, sugar. In a preferred embodiment, the material is a consumer healthcare formulation, such as for example, ENO (sodium bicarbonate, citric acid). 
         [0025]    The container may be designed to hold various amounts of material. For example, the container may hold between about 10 grams and about 2000 grams, preferably between about 50 grams and about 500 grams. 
         [0026]    The container may have a total height of between about 8 cm and about 20 cm, a length of between about 4 cm and about 18 cm, and a width of between about 4 cm and about 12 cm. The cap may have a height of between about 2.5 cm and about 7 cm. The removable ring may have a height of between about 3 cm and about 7 cm. 
         [0027]    In certain embodiments, the movable cap, removable ring, body, and barrier may be made of the same or different materials. On skilled in the art would recognize the materials that can be used to make the metered dose container. Suitable materials may be plastics, polypropylene, high density polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, wood, metal, coextruded structure, aluminum, glass, paper, paperboard, synthetic material, nylon. In a preferred embodiment, the material may be polypropylene. 
         [0028]      FIG. 11  shows a method of using a metered dose container of the present invention.  FIG. 11A  shows the metered dose container in transit mode. To convert from transit mode to dispensing mode, the ring is removed from the container ( FIG. 11B ) exposing body shoulder. Upon removal of the ring from the container, the cap and movable barrier (not shown) can be pushed in a downward manner along the vertical axis of the body to engage with body lip and place the container in dispensing mode ( FIG. 11C ). To dispense, the flip lid of the cap is opened ( FIG. 11D ) and the container is inverted to dispense material into the desired vessel ( FIG. 11E ). The flip lid can be closed to reseal the container ( FIG. 11F ). In certain embodiments, the cap (and the barrier coupled to cap) can be raised after dispensing to place container back into transit mode. Because the ring is not longer attached to cap and body, various techniques can be used to keep cap and barrier from sliding back down to dispensing mode, such as for example frictional forces between cap and shoulder and between the barrier the long arm edges and the short wall tracks and the wall guides.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1