FIXED VOLUME FLUID DISPENSER

Abstract

A fixed volume fluid dispenser useful for dispensing material from a container such as salad dressing from a bottle. The dispenser may be formed as part of the container, or a separate device useable in conjunction with the container. The disclosed dispenser may be attachable to the container in place of a standard bottle cover and cap sold with the bottle. A valve and actuator may be included to allow the user to selectively fill the dispenser from the container, and a cap may be present to allow the contents of the dispenser emptied from the dispenser. The dispenser may be rigid, or semi rigid, thus allowing only a fixed volume of material to be dispensed at a time.

Claims

1. A container comprising: a storage chamber defined by a storage chamber wall, the storage chamber having an open end and a closed end; a measuring chamber defined by a measuring chamber wall; a cap that is selectively closeable and is positioned at an end of the measuring chamber; and a valve positioned between the storage and measuring chambers, the valve including: a sealing member rotatable around an axis of rotation that extends across the measuring chamber; and an actuator coupled to the sealing member, the actuator configured to actuate the sealing member to selectively seal the measuring chamber; wherein the storage chamber is defined by the storage chamber wall and the sealing member of the valve; and wherein the measuring chamber is defined by the cap, the measuring chamber wall, and the sealing member of the valve.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein the measuring chamber includes: a coupler positioned between the storage chamber and the measuring chamber, the coupler having at least one engagement member arranged and configured to engage corresponding retention elements of the storage chamber to retain the measuring chamber adjacent to the storage chamber.

3. The container of claim 1, wherein the measuring chamber wall is substantially rigid and defines a measuring chamber with a fixed volume.

4. The container of claim 1, wherein the storage chamber and the measuring chamber are cylindrical and aligned along a common axis.

5. The container of claim 1, wherein the sealing member is configured to seal the storage chamber at the open end of the storage chamber.

6. The container of claim 1, wherein the actuator is configured to rotate the sealing member between a closed position and an open position such that in the closed position, the measuring chamber is sealed from the storage chamber, and such that in the open position, the storage chamber and the measuring chamber are in fluid communication with one another.

7. A measuring device for a container, comprising: a cap at a first end of the container, wherein the cap is selectively closeable; a valve having: a sealing member rotatable around an axis of rotation; and an actuator coupled to the sealing member; a measuring chamber defined by a wall of the measuring device, the cap, and the sealing member; and a coupler configured to couple the measuring device to the container; wherein the cap is configured to selectively seal a first end of the measuring chamber; wherein the actuator is configured to actuate the sealing member to selectively seal a second end of the measuring chamber; and wherein the axis of rotation is transverse to the measuring chamber.

8. The measuring device of claim 7, wherein the storage chamber defines a fixed volume that is substantially larger than a volume of the measuring container.

9. The measuring device of claim 7, wherein the coupler has at least one engagement member arranged and configured to engage corresponding retention elements of the container to retain the measuring device adjacent the container.

10. The measuring device of claim 7, wherein at least one engagement member includes threads extending into the coupler, and wherein the retention elements on the container include corresponding threads extending outwardly from the container.

11. The measuring device of claim 7, wherein the measuring chamber wall and the container are a single unitary structure.

12. The measuring device of claim 7, wherein the measuring chamber and the container are cylindrical and aligned along a common axis.

13. The measuring device of claim 7, wherein the actuator is configured to rotate the sealing member between a closed position and an open position such that in the closed position, the measuring chamber is sealed from an interior of the container, and such that in the open position, the measuring chamber and the interior of the container are in fluid communication with one another.

14. The measuring device of claim 13, wherein the sealing member is substantially planar, the sealing member being substantially perpendicular to the long axis of the container when in the closed position.

15. The measuring device of claim 13, wherein the sealing member is substantially planar, the sealing member being substantially parallel to the long axis of the container when in the open position.

16. A container comprising: a storage chamber and a measuring chamber defined by a container wall; a cap that is selectively closeable and is positioned at an end of the container; and a valve positioned between the storage and measuring chambers, the valve including: a sealing member rotatable around an axis of rotation that is transverse to a long axis of the container, the sealing member configured to hermetically seal the measuring chamber from the storage chamber; and an actuator coupled to the sealing member, the actuator configured to actuate the sealing member to selectively seal the measuring chamber from the storage chamber; wherein the storage chamber is defined by the container wall and the sealing member of the valve; and wherein the measuring chamber is defined by the cap, the container wall, and the sealing member of the valve.

17. The container of claim 16, wherein the container wall is a single unitary structure defining the measuring and storage chambers, the container wall configured to engage the cap.

18. The container of claim 16, wherein the container wall is substantially rigid, the storage chamber and the measuring chamber defining a fixed storage volume and a fixed measuring volume respectively.

19. The container of claim 16, wherein the storage chamber is at least twice the size of the measuring chamber.

20. The container of claim 16, wherein the storage chamber and the measuring chamber are cylindrical and aligned along the long axis of the container.

21. The container of claim 16, wherein the actuator is configured to rotate the sealing member between a closed position and an open position such that in the closed position, the measuring chamber is sealed from the storage chamber, and such that in the open position, the storage chamber and the measuring chamber are in fluid communication with one another.

22. The measuring device of claim 21, wherein the sealing member is substantially planar, the sealing member being substantially perpendicular to the long axis of the container when in the closed position.

23. The measuring device of claim 22, wherein the sealing member is substantially planar, the sealing member being substantially parallel to the long axis of the container when in the open position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a container having a fixed volume dispenser.

[0011] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the container of FIG. 1.

[0012] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the fixed-volume dispenser aspect of FIG. 1.

[0013] FIG. 4 is perspective view of another example of a container having a fixed volume fluid dispenser.

[0014] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the container of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications in the described embodiments, and any further applications of the principles of the invention as described herein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Embodiments of the invention are shown in some detail, although it will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art that some features that are not relevant to the present invention may not be shown for the sake of clarity.

[0016] Illustrated in FIG. 1 is one example of a container 100 that has a fixed volume fluid dispenser. In this example, a measuring chamber 102 is partially defined by a storage chamber wall of the container, and a storage chamber 118 is partially defined by an open end 120, a closed end 104, and a container wall. A cap 106 may be included as well that is maintained in position at a first end 108 of the measuring chamber 102 by a hinge 126. In this example, cap 106 is selectively closeable and may also cover an opening 116 defined by a cover 128. As illustrated, opening 116 is small relative to cap 106. However, opening 116 may be any suitable size, and may be substantially the same size as open end 120 of storage chamber 118, or the same size as the measuring chamber 102 at 108. A valve 110 is included in container 100 and may be positioned between the storage and measuring chambers, the valve including a sealing member 112 optionally rotatable around an axis of rotation A that extends across the measuring chamber 102.

[0017] Valve 110 may be adjusted from an open position (shown in FIG. 3) to a closed position (shown in FIGS. 1 and 2). In the open position, storage chamber 118 and measuring chamber 102 are in fluid communication with one another allowing material to pass from the storage chamber to the measuring chamber. In the closed position, the measuring chamber 118 is partially or completely sealed from measuring chamber 102. This sealing action may include hermetically sealing the two chambers to avoid any fluid transfer between them. Adjusting the valve from open to closed may be performed by manipulating an actuator 114. The actuator is coupled to sealing member 112 to selectively seal the measuring and storage chambers. Actuator 114 may be rotational around an axis A that extends across measuring chamber 102. Thus it may be said that storage chamber 118 is defined by the wall of the storage chamber and by valve 110, particularly, the sealing member 112. It may also be said that measuring chamber 102 is defined by cap 106 (and/or cover 128), measuring chamber wall 122, and valve 110 (and/or sealing member 112). Sealing member 112 is optionally positioned at or adjacent to an open end 120 of storage chamber 118 and is configured to seal storage chamber 112.

[0018] As illustrated in further detail in FIG. 2, measuring chamber 102 optionally includes a coupler or connector 208 positioned between storage chamber 102 and measuring chamber 118. In generic terms, coupler 208 has at least one engagement member 210 arranged and configured to engage corresponding retention elements 212 of storage chamber 118. This arrangement of engagement and retention elements allows the coupler to retain measuring chamber 118 adjacent to storage chamber 102. Retention members 212 may be formed as part of storage chamber wall 202, and engagement members 210 may be formed as part of measuring chamber wall 102. Coupler 208 can manipulated to selectively disengage the storage and measuring chambers, such as by rotating the engagement and retention members relative to one another. More specifically, in this example, the engagement members 210 are threads extending towards the interior of coupler 208, such as from an inside surface 214. Similarly, retention elements 212 are threads extending outwardly away from the storage chamber, such as from an outside surface 216.

[0019] Any suitable retention mechanism may be used in coupler 208 to retain measuring chamber 118 in the proper alignment and spatial relationship to measuring chamber 102. Such mechanisms may include, snaps, clips, friction between parts, adhesives, and the like. Along these lines, storage chamber 102 and the measuring chamber 118 may optionally be cylindrical and/or aligned along a common axis B running longitudinally along a long axis of the container 100. Such an alignment may be useful in aiding the coupling and decoupling of the storage and measuring chambers.

[0020] In another aspect, measuring chamber 102 illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 may be characterized as an example of a fixed volume measuring device irrespective of a specific container with which it may be used. Measuring chamber wall 122 may be substantially rigid or semi-rigid thus defining a measuring chamber with a fixed volume. Storage chamber wall 202 may also be rigid or semi-rigid giving the storage chamber a different fixed volume. As discussed above, the measuring device may include a cover 128 and/or a cap 106 at first end 108 of the device, the cap and cover configured to be selectively closeable to seal first end 108 of the measuring chamber. The measuring device may include valve 110 with sealing member 112 that is rotatable around axis of rotation A. Valve 110 may include actuator 114 coupled to the sealing member and configured to move the sealing member to selectively seal a second end 302 of the measuring chamber. Thus the measuring device may be said to define a measuring chamber defined by a wall 122 of the measuring device, cap 106 (and/or cover 128), and sealing member 112 of valve 110.

[0021] A fixed volume measuring device optionally includes coupler 208 configured to couple the measuring device to a container. The coupler optionally has at least one engagement member 210 arranged and configured to engage corresponding retention elements 212 of the container to maintain the measuring device adjacent to the container. The engagement members may include threads extending into the coupler. The corresponding retention elements on the container optionally include threads extending outwardly away from the container to engage the threads on the coupler. As mentioned herein elsewhere, any suitable retention mechanism may be used to retain measuring chamber 118 in the proper alignment and spatial relationship to measuring chamber 102.

[0022] Other optional aspects of a fixed volume measuring device as disclosed herein include a measuring chamber that is formed with a container as a single unitary structure. In another aspect, measuring chamber 102 and container 100 may be cylindrical and aligned along a common axis B. Alternatively, sealing member 112 may be configured to seal an open end of the container, and the seal may be a partial or complete fluid seal (i.e. hermetic seal). The actuator may be configured to rotate or otherwise reposition one or more sealing members between a closed position (shown in FIG. 2), and an open position (shown in FIG. 3) such that in the closed position, the measuring chamber is sealed from an interior of the container, and such that in the open position, the measuring chamber and the interior of the container are in fluid communication with one another. Other aspects include sealing member 112 that is optionally substantially rigid and planar. Sealing member 112 may be substantially perpendicular to the long axis of container 100 when in the closed position, and/or substantially parallel to the long axis of container 100 when in the open position.

[0023] In another aspect, a container may be configured to include a fixed volume measuring chamber. As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, a container 400 includes a storage chamber 418 and a measuring chamber 402 both at least partially defined by a wall 414 of the container. A cap 406 may be included as well with a cover 428 defining an opening 420. The cap and cover may be positioned at an end 410 of the container. The cap may be retained adjacent the cover by a hinge 426 that is configured to allow cap 406 to be selectively closeable. As illustrated, opening 420 is small relative to cap 406 and cover 428. However, opening 420 may be any suitable size, and may be substantially the same size as opening 420. Container 400 includes a valve 404 optionally positioned between the storage and measuring chambers 402 and 418. The valve may include a sealing member 412 rotatable around an axis of rotation D that is substantially transverse to a long axis C of container 400. The sealing member is optionally configured to partially or hermetically seal measuring chamber 418 from storage chamber 402. An actuator 408 may be coupled to sealing member 412 and configured to change the position of the sealing member to selectively seal the measuring chamber from the storage chamber. In this example, the storage chamber is defined by the container wall and the sealing member of the valve, and the measuring chamber is defined by the cap, the container wall, and the sealing member of the valve. The container wall is optionally formed as a single unitary structure defining the measuring and storage chambers and may also be configured to engage the cap. The storage chamber 402 and the measuring chamber 418 are optionally cylindrical and aligned along the long axis C of the container.

[0024] In another aspect, the actuator 408 may be configured to rotate sealing member 412 between a closed position (shown in FIG. 5) and an open position (similar to what is shown in FIG. 3) such that in the closed position, the measuring chamber is at least partially sealed from the storage chamber, and such that in the open position, the storage chamber and the measuring chamber are in fluid communication with one another. Sealing member 412 may be substantially planar and substantially perpendicular to the long axis C of the container when in the closed position, and may be substantially parallel to long axis C of the container when in the open position.

[0025] In another aspect, the containers illustrated in FIGS. 1-5 may have measuring and storage chambers of any suitable size. The figures are illustrative only and are not necessarily drawn to scale. In particular, measuring chambers may be substantially larger than storage chambers. Any suitable sizes are considered within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, a storage chamber may be sized to contain greater than 4 fl. oz., greater than 8 fl. oz., greater than 16 fl. oz, or more. Storage chambers less than or equal to 4 fl. oz. are envisioned as well. Measuring chambers may be sized to contain greater than 1/12 of a fl. oz. (half a teaspoon), greater than of a fl. oz. (a teaspoon), greater than of a fl. oz. (a tablespoon), or greater than 2 fl. oz. (four tablespoons). Measuring chambers equal to or less than a teaspoon are envisioned as well. Similarly, any suitable ratio of measuring chamber to storage chamber is considered within the scope of the current disclosure. For example, the ratio of the size of a storage chamber relative to a measuring chamber as disclosed herein may be less than 192 to 1, less than 48 to 1, less than 16 to 1, or less than 2 to 1. Ratios greater than or equal to 192 to 1 are envisioned as well.

[0026] In operation, a user may acquire a container such as a bottle or other container of a fluid such as salad dressing, the bottle operating as the storage chamber. The user then couples the measuring chamber to the bottle according to whatever type of coupler 208 is incorporated into the bottle. For example, the measuring device may be coupled by aligning the measuring device along the central axis B of the container, and rotating the bottle and measuring device in opposite directions to allow engagement members 210 to engage retention members 212.

[0027] Once in place, the user may close cap 106 to cover opening 116 before manipulating actuator 114 to rotate sealing member 112 into the open position. The user may then invert the container holding the first end 108 downward with respect to gravity thus allowing the contents of the storage chamber 118 (i.e. the salad dressing) to move from the storage chamber 118 into the measure chamber 102 by the force of gravity. A user may aid this process by repeatedly shaking the bottle, and/or by applying pressure against the outside surface 216 of storage chamber wall 202 which may be flexible enough to be temporarily deformed or squeezed to increase the internal pressure on the fluid inside.

[0028] When the measuring chamber is adequately filled, the user may manipulate actuator 114 to move the sealing member 112 into the closed position. The user may then open cap 106 allowing a predetermined amount of the contents of the storage chamber in the bottle to be released. The cap 106 may then be closed to maintain proper sanitation of the contents of the container and measuring device. In this way, a predetermined quantity of the contents of the bottle may be dispensed without requiring the use of additional measuring aids such as teaspoons, table spoons, and the like.

[0029] While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes, equivalents, and modifications that come within the spirit of the inventions defined by following claims are desired to be protected. All publications, patents, and patent applications cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference as if each individual publication, patent, or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference and set forth in its entirety herein.

Glossary of Definitions and Alternatives

[0030] While the invention is illustrated in the drawings and described herein, this disclosure is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character. The present disclosure is exemplary in nature and all changes, equivalents, and modifications that come within the spirit of the disclosure are included. The detailed description is included herein to discuss aspects of the examples illustrated in the drawings for the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention. No limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications in the described examples, and any further applications of the principles described herein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Some examples are disclosed in detail, however some features that may not be relevant may have been left out for the sake of clarity.

[0031] Where there are references to publications, patents, and patent applications cited herein, they are understood to be incorporated by reference as if each individual publication, patent, or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference and set forth in its entirety herein.

[0032] Singular forms a, an, the, and the like include plural referents unless expressly discussed otherwise. As an illustration, references to a device or the device include one or more of such devices and equivalents thereof.

[0033] Directional terms, such as up, down, top bottom, fore, aft, lateral, longitudinal, radial, circumferential, etc., are used herein solely for the convenience of the reader in order to aid in the reader's understanding of the illustrated examples. The use of these directional terms does not in any manner limit the described, illustrated, and/or claimed features to a specific direction and/or orientation.

[0034] Multiple related items illustrated in the drawings with the same part number which are differentiated by a letter for separate individual instances, may be referred to generally by a distinguishable portion of the full name, and/or by the number alone. For example, if multiple laterally extending elements 90A, 90B, 90C, and 90D are illustrated in the drawings, the disclosure may refer to these as laterally extending elements 90A-90D, or as laterally extending elements 90, or by a distinguishable portion of the full name such as elements 90.

[0035] The language used in the disclosure is presumed to have only their plain and ordinary meaning, except as explicitly defined below. The words used in the definitions included herein are to only have their plain and ordinary meaning. Such plain and ordinary meaning is inclusive of all consistent dictionary definitions from the most recently published Webster's and Random House dictionaries. As used herein, the following definitions apply to the following terms or to common variations thereof (e.g., singular/plural forms, past/present tenses, etc.):

[0036] Actuator An actuator is a component of a device that is responsible for adjusting or controlling the state or position of an aspect of the device. An actuator generally requires an input to perform the change in state. Such input may be a change in voltage or current in an electrical signal, pressure from a fluid such as a liquid or a gas, or physical manipulation by a human operator. When the control input is received, the actuator responds by converting the energy in the control input to an output that operates the actuated device.

[0037] For example, a knob or handle on a valve may be thought of as an actuator where rotational force applied by a human operator is converted into mechanical motion of a valve mechanism inside a pipe thus interrupting or otherwise changing the flow of fluid through the pipe. In another example, a sensor and controller assembly in an electronic thermostat may send an electrical signal to a reversing valve and/or a compressor in a heat pump to change the operating mode of the device from heating to cooling. The reversing valve and compressor may have actuators configured to accept this signal and physically adjust the state of the valve and compressor accordingly.

[0038] Chamber generally refers to a natural or artificial enclosed space or cavity. A chamber may be defined by a wall with an inner and outer surface, and may be fully or partially enclosed. For example, a partially enclosed chamber may include one or more openings. Alternative terms include, but are not limited to, cavity, cell, enclosure, or pocket.

[0039] Container generally refers to a device creating a partially or fully enclosed space that can be used to contain, store, and transport objects or materials. This includes any receptacle or enclosure for holding a product used in retaining, storing, packaging, shipping, or disposing of any item or items. A container may be rigid or partially rigid, such as in the case of a glass or earthenware jar, or a lunch sack made of paper or fabric. A container may also be collapsible, flexible or pliable such as in the case of a plastic bag or semi-collapsible rubber bladder. Alternative terms include, but are not limited to, bottle, capsule, canister, carton, tank, vessel, vase, or flask.

[0040] Couple or Coupled refers generally to an indirect and/or direct connection between the identified elements, components, and/or objects. Often the manner of the coupling will be related specifically to the manner in which the two coupled elements interact.

[0041] Coupler generally refers to an item or collection of items that is configured to couple multiple other items in a predetermined relationship to one another.

[0042] Cylinder generally refers to a shape with straight parallel sides and a cross section that is a closed polygon. A cylinder may be partially or completely hollow or solid, or any combination thereof, such as a solid cylinder defining holes, indentations, and the like that are transverse or substantially perpendicular to the parallel sides. A cylinder may define any polygonal cross section such as circle, ellipse, square, rectangle, triangle, trapezoid, parallelogram, or other closed polygon. In the case of a hollow or partially hollow cylinder, the outside surface of the cylinder may have a different polygonal cross section than the inside surface. For example, the outside surface may define a circle, while the inside surface may define an ellipse, a square, or other closed polygon.

[0043] Fixed Volume as used herein generally refers to a volume defined by a container or chamber whose shape remains substantially unchanged, even when one or more forces are exerted on the container. Such forces may be compressive, expansive, torsional, and the like.

[0044] Fluid as used herein generally refers to a substance which cannot resist any shear force applied to it and continually deforms (flows) under an applied shear stress. That is to say, it has zero shear modulus. This includes liquids, gases, plasmas, and to some extent, plastic solids.

[0045] Multiple as used herein is synonymous with the term plurality and refers to more than one, or by extension, two or more.

[0046] Rigid as used herein generally refers to the state of being unable to bend or be forced out of shape, that is to say, not flexible. A rigid structure is generally one in which the distance between any pair of points on the object remains substantially fixed under one or more forces applied from any direction. In theory, a rigid body has infinite values for its shear modulus, bulk modulus, and Young's modulus. However, as used herein, a rigid object is considered rigid even though it may exhibit minimal changes in shape under compression, torsion, shear forces, and the like.

[0047] Salad Dressing or Dressing generally refers to liquids, sauces, oils, that may be consumed individually or mixed together and served as food for human or animal consumption, particularly as a topping for a salad. The concept generally includes any suitable mixture, suspension, solution, or other fluid of varying viscosity. For example, a dressing commonly referred to as a Vinaigrette may include a mixture (emulsion) of salad oil and vinegar that is often flavored with herbs, spices, salt, pepper, sugar, and other ingredients. The term salad dressing also includes creamy dressings which may be based on mayonnaise or fermented milk products, such as yogurt, sour cream or buttermilk. One example is mayonnaise-based Ranch dressing. Other examples include mustard-based dressings, or mixtures that may include sesame oil, fish sauce, citrus juice, or soy sauce. As used herein, the term salad dressing also generally includes similar types of sauces or marinades used in the preparation of food that may not be generally considered salads.

[0048] Other examples of salad dressing include: Blue cheese dressing, caesar dressing, olive oil including extra virgin olive oil, French dressing, ginger dressing, Honey Dijon, hummus, Italian dressing, Louis dressing, Russian dressing, Tahini, Thousand Island dressing, and Wafu dressing.

[0049] Thread or Screw Thread generally refers to a helical structure wrapped around a cylinder or cone thus configured to convert rotational force movement to linear movement. Conversely, threads prevent linear movement without the corresponding rotational movement. Threads on a cylinder are sometimes referred to as straight thread while threads on a cone are sometimes referred to as tapered thread. Threads may be thought of as ridges extending outwardly away from an outer surface of a cylinder or cone, or as indentions recessed into the cylinder or cone.

[0050] Valve generally refers to a device that regulates, directs or controls a flow of matter through a conduit. Examples of such matter include gases, liquids, fluidized or granular solids, or slurries. A valve may operate by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. A valve may include movable parts that open, close, or partially obstruct one or more ports, passageways, or chambers. Types of valves include, but are not limited to: Ball valve, butterfly valve, ceramic disc valve, clapper valve, check valve or non-return valve, choke valve, diaphragm valve, gate valve, globe valve, knife valve, needle valve, pinch valve, piston valve, plug valve, slim valve, spool valve, thermal expansion valve, pressure reducing valve, sampling valve, and safety valve.