Abstract:
A refillable dispensing apparatus is disclosed in which a removable cap is utilized to protectively overlie the container during its storage condition and the cap may be readily converted into a funnel for refilling the depleted container. The conversion of the cap into a funnel is achieved by removing and reversing the cap, with the cap being configured and dimensioned to define a trough like container having a funnel extension which communicates with the container opening.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a refillable dispensing apparatus particularly adaptable for the dispensing of a granular product such as a lawn fertilizer, and which may be readily refilled with the lawn fertilizer as its contents are being depleted. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,858 entitled “Dispensing Apparatus” and assigned to the assignee of the present invention discloses a dispensing container that has particular utility for the dispensing of granular products, such as a lawn fertilizer and may be provided with a telescopically operated duct device which is preferably rotatably connected to an outlet opening of the container. When the dispensing apparatus is not being utilized to appropriately distribute the granular lawn fertilizer contained therein, the duct device is telescopically contracted such that it is contained within the perimeter boundary of the container&#39;s top wall. A removable cap is placed over the container and its telescopically contracted duct device. The removable cap is manually secured to the container to protect the duct device and the container contents against accidental spillage both prior to consumer purchase of the dispensing apparatus, and during the user&#39;s storage thereof. When it is desired to utilize the dispensing apparatus, the cap is removed, the duct device is telescopically extended, and the granular particles dispensed therethrough. 
     In the course of extended use of the dispensing apparatus the granular particles contained therein naturally become depleted. For both environmental and cost effectiveness it is most desirable to be able to refill the container with an additional supply of the granular product which may be separately sold apart from the dispensing apparatus. This necessitates removing the duct device from the container opening and pouring the replacement granules into thee container via the container opening. Since the container opening may be relatively small it is desirable to conveniently permit such refilling of the container without requiring an auxiliary funnel, or other device. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention simplifies the refilling of the dispensing apparatus in a cost effective and an extremely simple manner. The previously available cap which fits over the container in its storage condition has been modified to readily permit its conversion into a funnel. More specifically, a portion of the top wall of the cap is reconfigured into a funnel extension which, when the cap is removed and reversed, will interengage the container opening, with the reversed cap defining a trough-like volume for receiving the granular particles which are then refilled into the container via the interengagement of the funnel extension of the cap and container opening. 
     Accordingly the removable cap which is provided to overlie the top wall of the container will have three operable conditions. A first of those conditions is characterized by the cap being manually secured in engagement with the container to protectively maintain the cap over the container during its storage condition. 
     A second operative condition is characterized as the cap being disengaged from the container, and separated therefrom, such that the container opening, and duct dispensing device connected thereto, is accessible for dispensing the contents of the container. 
     The third condition, in accordance with the present invention, is characterized as the cap securement means being disengaged from the container securement means, but with the cap being reversed in orientation with respect to the first condition. The reversed cap is placed against the top wall with its funnel extension extending into the container opening, so as to permit replacement contents to refill the container. Such replacement contents are placed within the trough-like cap, which are then dispensed into the container via the connection of the cap funnel extension and container cap opening. 
     As another preferable feature of the present invention the container top wall and cap have cooperating support surfaces which will support the cap in its reversed orientation while the container is being refilled via the cap. 
     In accordance with another preferable feature of the present invention, the cap includes a removable seal for the funnel extension. The removable seal spans the interior area of the tunnel extension and will be in place when the dispensing apparatus is in the retail establishment, and prior to its sale. This prevents inadvertent spilling of the contents out of the container. After the unit is sold and its contents depleted the user will then wish to refill the container. The user may then remove the seal from the funnel extension. This opens the funnel extension and permits the reverse oriented cap to refill the container via the funnel extension. 
     It is therefore seen that a primary object of the present invention is to provide a refillable dispensing apparatus in which the cap, previously provided to protect the contents of the container during storage, may serve as a funnel for refilling the container. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide such a dispensing apparatus in which the cap, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,858, is modified to serve as a funnel during the refilling of the container. 
     An additional object of the present invention is to provide such a refillable dispensing apparatus in which the cap is removed from the container, reversed in orientation, and placed against the top wall of the container to place the cap in its refilling mode of operation. 
    
    
     These as well as other objects of the present invention become apparent upon consideration of the following drawing and description of a preferred embodiment. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dispensing apparatus in accordance with the present invention, shown in its storage mode. 
     FIG. 2 is a partial top view of the dispensing apparatus as shown by the arrows  2 — 2  of FIG.  1  and looking in the direction of the arrows. 
     FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view as shown by the arrows  3 — 3  of FIG.  2  and looking in the direction of the arrows. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a dispensing apparatus shown in its refilling mode of operation. 
     FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view as shown by the arrows  5 — 5  of FIG.  4  and looking in the direction of the arrows. 
     FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the upper portion of the dispenser apparatus, shown in the storage condition corresponding to FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 7 is a partial side view of the upper portion of the dispenser apparatus with the cap removed and the duct device in its retracted, or stored, condition. 
     FIG. 8 is a partial side view corresponding to FIG. 7, but with the duct device telescoped out to its deployed position. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference is now made to FIGS. 1-8 which disclose a preferred embodiment of the present invention which is a modification of the dispensing apparatus shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,858 assigned to the assignee of the present invention, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference. The dispenser apparatus comprises a hollow container  100 , for the product to be dispensed, which may typically be a granular fertilizer. The container includes an integral handle  101  which extends upwards along one of the container sides. The container is advantageously provided with a recess  102  to allow the users&#39; fingers to grip the inner surface of the handle  101 . A cap  200  is releasably clipped onto the top of the container  100 . The cap  200  may be made of translucent or, more preferably, transparent material. 
     In accordance with the present invention the cap is modified with respect to the cap shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,858 to permit it to function as a trough-like container with a funnel interconnection when it is desired to refill the container  100 . This refillable mode of operation is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 which are to be subsequently discussed. 
     The top wall  103  of the container includes an opening  105  surrounded by an externally threaded annular spout  106  for the dispensing of the container contents. In accordance with the present invention the container  100  is also refilled via opening  105 . 
     An inward recess  107  is provided about the periphery of the container, immediately below the top wall  103 , in order to receive complementary projections  108  on opposed sides of the cap  200  for securing the cap  200  in a manually releasable, snap like manner. Cap  200  is thereby secured to the container  100  when it is desired that the dispensing apparatus be in the stored condition as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6. 
     A telescopic dispensing duct device including sections  400 ,  500 , as shown in aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,858, is preferably provided. The duct device includes an internally screw threaded locking collar  300  for rotatably securing the duct device to the externally threaded container spout  106 . 
     The first duct portion  400  is rotatably movable with respect to collar  300  with collar  300  then being tightened down against duct portion  400  to maintain it in its proper direction during the dispensing of contents  100 . Further details of the construction of the duct device for the efficient dispensing of the contents of container  100  and its movement between the retracted stored condition of FIGS. 6 and 7 and telescopic outward position of FIG. 8 is detailed in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,858. 
     In accordance with the present invention the top wall  201  of the cap  200  includes a funnel extension provided at one end thereof. The funnel extension includes a manually removable seal  202  having a lesser thickness weakened boundary  204 . After the sale of the dispensing apparatus and the consumer desires to refill the container  100 , the seal  202  is manually removed so as to provide an opening through the top wall  201  of the container. This opening,  205 , is shown in FIG. 5 in which the cap  200  is in the refill mode of operation, with the duct device  400 / 500  having been removed during the refill operation. A funnel extension is provided about opening  205  by spaced annular recesses  206 ,  207 . When it is desired to convert the cap  200  to its refill mode of operation, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the cap is reversed with recesses  206  and  207  being spaced to engage the free ends of the annular spout  106  about the container opening  105 . Thus, when cap  200  is reversed in orientation, the radially inward annular walls of recesses  206 ,  207  will establish a funnel-like extension which projects into the container spout  103 . The reversed cap  200  creates a trough-like volume for receiving the materials to be dispensed into the container through the communication of its funnel extension and the container opening  105 . 
     Advantageously the top walls  103  and  201  of the container and the cap are so configured, and the funnel extension  206 ,  207  appropriately oriented with respect to the annular walls of container spout  106 , such that when the cap is in the refill mode, as best shown in FIG. 5, cooperating supporting surfaces  109 ,  209  will be in engagement for supporting the cap on the top wall  103  of container  100  during the refill mode of operation. 
     The three modes of operation will now be discussed. 
     When the dispensing apparatus is originally packaged for storage at the retail establishment, it will be in condition shown in FIGS. 1 and 6. That is, the duct device  400 / 500  will be in its retracted position, cap  200  secured to container  100  via the engagement of  107 ,  108  and funnel extension seal  202  in place. Seal  202  is advantageously provided to prevent any accidental spillage of the contents of the container  100  during the initial storage thereof. 
     When the consumer desires to initially utilize the dispensing apparatus the cap  200  is removed, at which time the duct device  400 - 500  will still be in the retracted condition as shown in FIG.  7 . The duct device  400 ,  500  is then preferably telescoped outwardly, collar  300  loosened so as to rotate the duct device  400 ,  500  to its desired orientation, and the collar then tightened. This is the second condition shown in FIG.  8 . 
     When the contents of container  100  are depleted and it is desired to refill the container, the duct device  400 / 500  is first removed by the loosening of collar  300 . Seal  202  is removed from the cap  200  and the cap  200  is then reversed in orientation, and placed on the top wall  103  of the container with its funnel extension placed within spout  106  of the container opening. The replacement contents are then placed within the trough formed by the reversed cap  200 . Those contents then pass through the funnel extension of cap  200  into the container  100 . Cap  200  is them removed, and the duct device  400 / 500  replaced for further dispensing of the contents. 
     It is therefore seen that the present invention provides a cost effective and simple way of refilling the container  100 . The preferred embodiment achieves this with only a relatively minor modification of the cap construction shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,858. 
     While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, that embodiment is only exemplary, and it is not intended to be limiting. For example, numerous other constructions of containers with a cap having the ability to reverse to form a funnel for refilling the container are encompassed by the scope of the invention. Accordingly the invention shall be defined by the following claims: