BULK DOSING SYSTEM

Abstract

The invention relates to a food and/or beverage product container, a dispensing unit and a dispensing system comprising the product container and the dispensing unit. The dispensing unit comprises a handle, the downwards movement of the handle causes the tilting plate of the dispensing unit to be lifted which allows the delivery of the product from the inner volume of the product container through an aperture.

Claims

1. Product container comprising: an inner volume for receiving a food and/or beverage product, a rigid insert comprising a linking member and an aperture allowing the delivery of the food and/or beverage product out of the inner volume of the product container and an interface comprising an outlet linked to the rigid insert via the linking member, the interface being connectable to an external dispensing unit wherein the interface is movable for covering and uncovering the aperture completely or to a certain extent.

2. Product container according to claim 1 wherein the interface is detachable from the product container.

3. Product container according to claim 1 wherein the linking member is configured as a slider.

4. Product container according to claim 1, wherein the movement of the interface is vertical.

5. Product container according to claim 1, wherein it is flexible and compressible.

6. Dispensing unit for receiving a product container comprising: a frame surrounding the dispensing unit, a handle attached to the frame in an initial position, a front door for opening and closing the dispensing unit, the front door comprising an outlet plate for receiving an outlet, a tilting plate connected to the handle via an elastic means-member and a further elastic member configured to maintain the handle in the initial position when there is not a downwards force applied to the handle, wherein a movement of the handle causes the elastic member to pull upwards the tilting plate.

7. Dispensing unit according to claim 6 wherein the front door is connected to the frame via a horizontal axis allowing the front door to move from an open to a closed position.

8. Dispensing unit according to claim 7 wherein the tilting plate is tiltable around the horizontal axis.

9. Dispensing unit according to claim 6, wherein the elastic member is stretched during the downwards movement of the handle so that the tilting plate may be pulled upwards.

10. Dispensing unit according to claim 6 wherein it further comprises pins on the front door connected to the handle and to the outlet plate for moving the outlet plate.

11. Dispensing unit according to claim 6 wherein the movement of the handle causes the pins to be pushed upwards by the elastic member.

12. Dispensing unit according to claim 6 wherein further elastic member is located on the front door.

13. Dispensing unit according to claim 6 wherein further elastic member is configured to push the handle upwards when there is not a downwards force applied to the handle.

14. Dispensing unit according to claim 6 wherein the first elastic member and further elastic member are springs.

15. Dispensing system comprising a dispensing unit according to claim 6 and a product container comprising: an inner volume for receiving a food and/or beverage product, a rigid insert comprising a linking member and an aperture allowing the delivery of the food and/or beverage product out of the inner volume of the product container and an interface comprising an outlet linked to the rigid insert via the linking member, the interface being connectable to an external dispensing unit wherein the interface is movable for covering and uncovering the aperture completely or to a certain extent inserted into the dispensing unit wherein the outlet of the interface is connected to the front door of the dispensing unit via the outlet plate, wherein the downwards movement of the handle causes the product container to be lifted by pulling upwards the tilting plate by elastic member and the outlet of the interface to be pulled downwards to open the aperture of the rigid insert completely or to a certain extent so that the food and/or beverage product is delivered from the inner volume of the product container through the outlet of the interface by gravity.

Description

4. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] FIG. 1 is a side view of the product container before the insertion of the interface;

[0040] FIG. 2 is a side view of the product container after the insertion of the interface according to the invention;

[0041] FIG. 3 is a side view of the dispenser according to the invention;

[0042] FIG. 4 shows the insertion of the product container into the dispenser according to the invention;

[0043] FIG. 5 shows the dispensing system after the insertion of the product container into the dispenser according to the invention;

[0044] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of the dispensing system according to the invention;

[0045] FIG. 7 is a side view of the dispensing system with elastic means according to the invention;

[0046] FIG. 8 is a side view of the dispensing unit with the handle pulled down according to the invention;

[0047] FIG. 9 is a side view of the dispensing unit with a product container almost empty according to the invention;

[0048] FIG. 10 is cross-sectional side view of the dispensing system according to the invention;

[0049] FIG. 11 is a view from above of the front door of the dispensing unit according to the invention;

[0050] FIG. 12 is a view from above of the front door of the dispensing unit where the outlet plate is moved downwards.

5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0051] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the product container 1 has an inner volume for receiving a food and/or beverage product. The product container 1 has a rigid insert 2 comprising linking means 14. The linking means may be configured as sliders. The product container 1 has a sealed rigid insert 2 with an aperture 3 that is sealed with a membrane.

[0052] Before inserting the product container 1 into a dispenser, an interface 4 comprising an outlet is glided over the rigid insert 2, automatically removing the membrane and keeping the product container 1 closed by covering the aperture 3.

[0053] FIG. 1 illustrates the product container 1 before the insertion of the interface 4.

[0054] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a product container 1 after the insertion of the interface 4 according to the invention.

[0055] The product container 1 is closed with the interface 4 as illustrated in FIG. 2. The food and/or beverage product is kept in the product container 1. As the outlet of the interface 14 is covering the aperture 3 of the rigid insert 2, it prevents the flow out of the food and/or beverage product from the inner volume of the product container 1.

[0056] As can be seen from the FIGS. 1 and 2, the interface 4 is detachable which allows the retailers to be able to use the same interface 4 multiple times.

[0057] The product container 1 is preferably made of plastic or paper.

[0058] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a dispensing unit 4 according to the invention.

[0059] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the dispensing unit 4 comprises a frame 5 surrounding the dispensing unit 4 and a handle 8 attached to the frame. The position of the handle 8 illustrated in FIG. 3 is the initial position of the handle 8, which is the position of the handle when there is no force applied downwards to the handle 8. In the initial position, the handle 8 is totally released.

[0060] The dispensing unit 4 further comprises a front door 7 for opening and closing the dispensing unit 4. The front door comprises an outlet plate 12 as shown in FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 11.

[0061] The dispensing unit further comprises a tilting plate 6 connected to the handle 5 via elastic means 10, for example springs. The connection of the handle 5 to the tilting plate 6 via elastic means 10 is illustrated in FIGS. 7, 8, 9 and 11.

[0062] The dispensing unit 4 may be preferably made of metal, plastic or partly wood.

[0063] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the front door 7 is connected to the frame 5 via a horizontal axis 6a allowing the front door to move from an open to a closed position, or vice-versa. Another utility of the horizontal axis 6a is that the tilting plate 6 is tiltable around the horizontal axis 6a.

[0064] The dispensing unit 4 further comprises elastic means 9 as illustrated in FIGS. 7, 8, 9 and 11. The further elastic means 9 are for example springs. The further elastic means 9 maintain the handle 8 in its initial position by pushing the handle 8 upwards when there is not a downwards force applied to the handle 8.

[0065] The handle allows 8 opening and closing of the interface 4 and puling the tilting plate 6 upwards when the product container 1 is sufficiently emptied in order to guarantee dispensing of all food and/or beverage product contained in the product container 1. By turning the bottom of the tilting plate 6 upside, the product container is compacted so that more product is emptied.

[0066] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a dispensing system according to the invention. The product container 1 is inserted into the dispenser 4 by opening the front door (7).

[0067] FIG. 5 illustrates the dispensing system with a closed front door 7. By closing the front door 7, the outlet plate 12 of the front door 7 is connecting to the interface 4 in order to be able to open and close the interface 4 by moving the handle 8.

[0068] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the dispensing system. The interface 4 of the product container 4 is closed and connected to the front door 7 of the dispenser 4 via the outlet plate 12, the handle 8 is in closed position, hold by further elastic means 9 in the front door and elastic means 10 between the handle and the tilting plate 6.

[0069] Both elastic means (9, 10) have different utilities. Elastic means 10 pull the tilting plate 6 upwards when there is a downwards force applied to the handle. The elastic means 10 are elongated and stretched whenever there is a downwards force applied to the handle to pull the tilting plate upwards.

[0070] In the contrary scenario, where there is not a downwards force applied to the handle, the further elastic means 9 push upwards the handle by applying an upwards force. This force brings the handle to its initial position. The handle is then totally released by the upwards force applied.

[0071] FIG. 7 illustrates the dispensing unit 4 without the product container 1, further elastic means 9 are pushing the handle 8 upwards when there is no force applied downwards, in the opposite sense of the force applied by further elastic means 9.

[0072] Further elastic means 9 are keeping the product container 1 with the interface 4 closed via the outlet plate 12. Further elastic means 10 are connecting the handle 8 with the tilting plate 6.

[0073] FIG. 8 illustrates the dispensing unit 4 with the product container 1 which form the dispensing system of the invention. FIG. 8 also illustrates the dispensing mode of the dispensing system: The handle 8 is pulling upwards the bottom of the tilting plate 6 via the elastic means 10. If there is enough space in the product container 1, the tilting plate 6 tilts and helps the food and/or beverage product flowing out in front through the outlet of the interface 4. In this figure, the product container 1 is full and the tilting remains horizontal.

[0074] FIG. 9 illustrates the dispensing unit 4 with an almost empty product container 1. FIG. 9 differs from FIG. 8 in that the product container 1 is almost empty and therefore the handle 8 is pulling the tilting plate 6 upwards by the elastic means 10.

[0075] As illustrated in FIG. 9, once a downwards force applied to the handle, the movement of the handle causes the product container 1 to be lifted by pulling upwards the tilting plate 6 by the elastic means 10 and at the same time, the outlet of the interface 4 is pulled downwards to uncover the aperture 13 of the rigid insert 2 completely or to a certain extent so that the food and/or beverage product is delivered from the inner volume of the product container 1 through the outlet of the interface 4 by gravity.

[0076] If there is enough empty space in the product container 1, the tilting plate 6 tilts around the axis 6a and helps the food and/or beverage product flowing out through the outlet of the interface 4 by gravity. In FIG. 8, the product container is full and the tilting plate 6 remains horizontal, further elastic means 10 are elongated and stretched during the movement of the handle 8.

[0077] When the product container 1 is full, there is an upwards force applied to the bottom of the tilting plate 6 by the movement of the handle 8. However, there is as well a force applied to the tilting plate 6 in the opposite sense. The opposite downwards force of the weight of the product container 1 is greater than the upwards force applied to the bottom of the tilting plate 6. Hence, the tilting plate 6 does not move and countered by the downwards force of the weight of the product container 1.

[0078] When the product container 1 is not full, there is still a downwards force applied by the weight of the product container 1. However, in this scenario, the upwards force applied to the tilting plate 6 is greater than the force applied by the weight of the product container. Hence, the tilting plate 6 may be lifted to create a ramp.

[0079] Once the ramp is created, the food and/or beverage product flows out from the inner volume of the product container 1 so that the retailer or any other user of the dispensing system may easily dose the food and/or beverage discharged from the product container 1 multiple times using the same interface (4).

[0080] FIG. 10 is a cut view of the dispensing unit 4 with an almost empty product container 1. The cut view of FIG. 10 shows the tilting plate 6, as the product container 1 is almost empty and therefore compacted thanks to its flexibility, allowing an easy flowing out of the food and/or beverage product through the outlet of the interface 4. By releasing the handle 8, the further elastic means 9 will push up the handle 8 as well as close the product container 1 by pushing up the outlet of the interface 4, and therefore also moving back the tilting plate 6 into horizontal position.

[0081] By releasing the handle 8, the further elastic means 9 push up the handle 8 as well as close the product container 1 by pushing up the interface 4 so that it can cover the aperture (13), and therefore also moving back the tilting plate 6 into horizontal position. Each movement of the handle 8 allows therefore a sort of product agitation, facilitating dispensing once the aperture (13) is uncovered again.

[0082] FIG. 11 illustrates in detail the front door 7 of the product container 1. The handle 8 is laying on the pins 11 that are pushed upwards by the elastic means 10. The pins 11 are connected to the outlet plate 12 that allows positioning of the interface 4 of the pouch.

[0083] FIG. 12 differs from the FIG. 11 in that, the outlet plate 12 is moved downwards. This movement of the outlet plate 12 causes the interface 4 to be moved in the same direction. The pins 11 are pushed down by the handle 8 against the elastic means 10 and pushing down the outlet plate 12 together with the interface 4.

[0084] Hence, the position of the outlet of the interface 4 is dependent to the position of the outlet plate 12. The position of the outlet plate 12 determines the covering and uncovering of the aperture 13.