Device for dispensing bulk products
11641954 · 2023-05-09
Assignee
Inventors
- Frederic Cohen-Solal (Paris, FR)
- Tammy Boulanger (Bains-sur-Oust, FR)
- Laurent Dupont (Saint-Nicolas-de-Redon, FR)
- Emilia Haud (Bazarnes, FR)
- Arnaud Duqueyroix (Bazarnes, FR)
- Patrick Maerten (Bazarnes, FR)
Cpc classification
International classification
Abstract
A device for dispensing a bulk product such as cereals or condiments, including at the top a threaded nozzle for securing to the neck of a container and at the bottom a dispensing opening. A rotary shutter is provided, including a first portion provided with an actuating handle movable relative to a second portion, these two portions comprising respective walls and openings overlapping in a proportion that is dependent on the position of the handle.
Claims
1. A device for dispensing by gravity a bulk solid product in stores, including: in a top part, a nozzle for removably fixing the top part to a container, in a bottom part, a dispensing orifice, a rotary shutter including a first part with an actuating handle that is mobile with a maximum travel in rotation less than or equal to 180°, relative to a second part, the first part including a plurality of first part walls and a plurality of first part openings, the second part including a plurality of second part walls and a plurality of second part openings, the plurality of first part walls and the plurality of first part openings overlapping with the plurality of second part walls and the plurality of second part openings in a proportion depending on a position of the actuating handle.
2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein between respective openings of the plurality of first part openings of the first part separators are projecting toward the container.
3. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the separators of the first part each have inclined flanks that are configured for guiding flow of the bulk solid product toward the plurality of first part openings situated at a base of each of the respective flanks, or the separators are formed as partitions oriented perpendicular to a wall of the plurality of first part walls to which they are each connected at a respective separator base.
4. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a spring for urging the first part into a position closing the rotary shutter, and/or the dispensing orifice is defined by a spout.
5. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a third part the position of which relative to the second part enables adjustment of the flow rate of the flow reaching the dispensing orifice.
6. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the third part is mobile relative to the second part, the third part being constrained to move with an adjustment lever, and/or the third part being configured to be removably received in a body of the device.
7. The device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the actuating handle and the adjustment lever are situated on the same side of the device, or the actuating handle and the adjustment lever are situated on opposite sides of the device.
8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the nozzle is threaded internally for fixing the top part onto the container by screwing it thereto, a neck of the latter being threaded, or the nozzle having no thread.
9. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second parts being received in a corresponding housing of a body of the device and adapted to nest one within the other, or the first and second parts being disposed outside a body of the device and adapted to nest one within the other.
10. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a body of the device includes separators projecting toward the container and/or the second part including separators projecting towards the container.
11. The device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the separators have inclined flanks for guiding the flow toward the openings in the second part situated at a base of the flanks.
12. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a guide member serving as a funnel.
13. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the guide member includes a rod having first and second portions separated by a shoulder, the first rod portion including a plurality of paddles guiding the flow toward the second part openings in the second part.
14. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the guide member is rigidly attached to the first part, the guide member is mobile relative to the second part or the guide member is fixed relative to the second part.
15. The device as claimed in claim 14, wherein a second rod portion includes a thread engaging in a central orifice in the first part.
16. The device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the separators each have inclined flanks that are sloping away from a from a radially extending inclined center ridge, wherein the separators are configured for guiding the flow toward the plurality of first part openings situated at a base of each respective flank of the inclined flanks.
17. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the second part is threaded internally.
18. A dispensing system comprising a container to contain the product to be dispensed and a dispensing device as claimed in claim 1 fixed to the container.
19. The system as claimed in claim 18, further comprising a clamping part adapted to retain the device on a support.
20. A display unit including a support and a dispensing system as claimed in claim 18 retained by the support.
21. The display unit as claimed in claim 20, the support including at least one opening and the support and the container being adapted to allow the container to be positioned in the opening in a stable manner on the one hand in a configuration of use in which the container is equipped with the dispensing device and on the other hand in an overturned filling or assembly configuration in which the dispensing device has been removed.
22. The display unit as claimed in claim 21, wherein the opening including at least one notch for the shutter control handle to pass through.
23. The display unit as claimed in claim 22, wherein the notch opens toward a lateral edge of the support.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
(34) There has been represented in
(35) Each container 20 contains a bulk product, preferably a dry product, in particular a food product, for example cereals, dried fruits, spices, sugar, flour, preserves, etc, . . . .
(36) The display unit 1 includes at least one space 4 enabling placing under the dispensing orifice 31 of a device 30 a collecting means 40 such as a jar, a box or a sachet, to collect the product delivered by gravity by the dispensing system 10. As illustrated, the collection means is preferably a jar having a threaded neck 41, as illustrated in
(37) The dispensing device 30 includes a body 32 which as shown may include a shouldered cylindrical part 32a connected at the top by a conical part 32b to a cylindrical part 32c of greater diameter serving as a nozzle for connecting the container 20.
(38) The cylindrical part 32c is threaded internally for fixing it to a threaded neck 21 of the container 20.
(39) The shouldered cylindrical part 32a is also threaded internally to enable the collecting jar 40 to be screwed onto the device 30, as illustrated in
(40) The body 32 may include an interior shoulder 34 at the base of the cylindrical part 32c serving as a seat for an annular seal 50 that is clamped between the end of the neck 21 and the shoulder 34.
(41) The shouldered cylindrical part 32a may include a wall 35 situated at the level of the shoulder in this part, which serves as a seat for an annular seal 51 intended to be placed between the wall 35 and the end of the neck 41 of the jar 40.
(42) The region of the body 32 situated between the wall 35 and the conical part 32b houses a first part 70 provided with a control handle 71, as shown in
(43) The first part 70 and the second part 80 together form a shutter.
(44) The second part 80 is fixed relative to the body 32 and the first part 70 is able to turn about the longitudinal axis X of the system 10 when the user moves the handle 71. The latter is accessible from the outside through a first opening 81 in the second part 80 and a second opening 37, overlapping the first, in the body 32.
(45) The second part 80 includes a tubular skirt 82 and a bottom wall 83 through which pass four openings 84 disposed at 90° to one another.
(46) The first part 70 includes a tubular skirt 72 concentric with the skirt 82 and guided in its rotation movement by the latter and a bottom wall 73 through which pass openings 74.
(47) The third part 90 includes a tubular wall 92 interrupted angularly over an angular sector 94 the extent of which is for example between 90° and 150° inclusive.
(48) The body 32 includes an opening 38 through which the adjustment lever 91 exits and air inlet orifices 39 on the opposite side.
(49) In the
(50) A return spring 100 acts between the first and second parts 70 and 80 to urge the first part into a blocking position in which the openings 74 in the bottom wall 73 overlap the solid parts of the bottom wall 83. This spring 100 is for example a coil spring attached at its ends to the parts 70 and 80, respectively, extending outside the skirt 72 around the latter. The skirt 82 may include a corresponding slot 88 receiving the spring 100 within its thickness, as can be seen in
(51) The blocking position advantageously corresponds to the handle 71 coming to abut against one end of the opening 81 and/or of the opening 37, the openings 81 and 37 advantageously having the same angular extent and the same height.
(52) When the handle 71 is actuated the first part 70 is moved angularly relative to the second 80 and the openings 74 and 84 overlap, enabling the product to pass through.
(53) The spring 100 advantageously allow complete overlapping of the openings 74 and 84, and this position preferably corresponds to the handle 71 coming to abut against one end of the opening(s) 81 and/or 37.
(54) When the handle 71 is released, the spring 100 returns it into the blocking position.
(55) The third part 90 is situated axially under the second 80 and is able to turn relative to the latter if the user operates the adjustment lever 91.
(56) The third part includes a tubular skirt 92 and a bottom wall 94 through which pass openings 95 that are for example, as shown, four in number and disposed at 90° to one another. The skirt 92 includes an open sector 99.
(57) Depending on the angular position of the third part relative to the second, the openings 95 overlap the openings 84 to a greater or lesser extent and the passage section offered to the product is modified, which makes it possible to act on the flow rate of the flow.
(58) The angular extent of the open sector 99 is sufficiently large for the orifices 39 not to be masked by the skirt 92 regardless of the position of the lever 71 in the opening 38.
(59) The device 30 may equally include an annular deflector 110 that as shown in
(60) The device 30 includes a spout 120 that defines the dispensing orifice 31 at its bottom end.
(61) In the example considered, this spout 120 has circular symmetry about the longitudinal axis X of the device 30 with a flange at its top edge fixed to the wall 35.
(62) The cylindrical part 32a of the body 32 is threaded internally to enable the jar 40 to be screwed on, if necessary, as illustrated in
(63) Numerous modifications may be made to the dispensing device without departing from the scope of the present invention.
(64) In particular, as illustrated in
(65) When it is coupled to the dispensing device 30 the container may rest with its wall 22 on the support 1 with the neck 21 oriented downward.
(66) When the container must be filled or changed, it may be positioned on the support 1 after turning it over, as illustrated in
(67) The opening 3 may be flanked by an annular depression 4 such as a recess, as can be seen in
(68) There has been represented in
(69) The ring 132 may as illustrated be flanked by a peripheral rib 133 for centering the container 20 when the latter is positioned on the support 1 with the neck 21 at the bottom, as in
(70) A variant dispensing device 30 will now be described with reference to
(71) In this variant the spout 120 is a part adapted to be screwed onto the body 32 and to this end includes an externally threaded skirt 123 in the top part. The seal 51 may be positioned between the bottom of the housing receiving the skirt 123 and the end of the latter, as can be seen in
(72) The air inlet orifices 39 are in this example positioned under the opening 38 allowing the flow rate adjustment lever 91 to exit.
(73) The skirt 92 of the third part may include a notch 98 facing these orifices so that the latter are not blocked by the skirt 92.
(74) The first part 70 includes separators 150 more particularly visible in
(75) These separators 150 have inclined flanks 151 that open at the bottom onto the orifices 74 in such a manner as to guide the flow of product toward the latter.
(76) It is seen in
(77) The skirt 72 of the first part 70 may include a lug 79 in the top part that engages in a corresponding notch 89 formed in the top edge of the skirt 82 of the second part 80 so as to limit the angular movement of the first part relative to the second between the completely closed and fully open positions.
(78) The separators 150 may be a different shape, and there has been represented in
(79) The handle 71 may take multiple forms, for example the form of a straight rod with no ball at its end, as illustrated in
(80) The support 1 may be produced so as to enable placement of the dispensing devices 30 from above, the latter being retained for example by pressing a flange 160 provided at the end of the body 32 against the top face of the support wall 1 flanking the opening 3, as can be seen in
(81) Each opening 3 may be provided with a cutout 6 allowing the passage of the handle 71 and, where appropriate, of the adjustment lever 91.
(82) Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments that have just been described.
(83) Numerous other modifications may be made to the containers, dispensing devices or supports without departing from the scope of the present invention.
(84) For example, the dispensing device 30 may be produced with no flow rate adjustment lever, the third part 90 being absent or mounted in a manner that is not adjustable from the outside in a position corresponding to the required flow rate. If necessary, the flow rate may be adjusted merely by moving the handle 71 of the shutter.
(85) The number of openings and the shape of the openings produced in the first and second parts may be different.
(86) Markers or detents may be provided to assist the user to assess the movement of the handle 71 of the shutter or of the lever 91 for adjustment of the flow rate.
(87) A variant of the dispensing device 30 has been represented in
(88) In the example illustrated the dispensing device 30 includes a body 32 having a top part 32c of cylindrical shape threaded internally for fixing it into the threaded neck 21 of the container 20, as illustrated in
(89) The body 32 includes separators 150 projecting toward the container 20.
(90) The body 32 is connected at the bottom to a second part 80. Unlike in the embodiments described above, the second part 80 is disposed outside the body 32.
(91) This second part is fixed relative to the body 32. The latter is in particular fixed in a permanent manner, for example by welding, brazing, riveting, gluing or any other means.
(92) Alternatively, the second part is fixed to the body in a removable manner, for example screwed thereto.
(93) In the example illustrated, the second part 80 includes tubular skirt 82 and a bottom wall 83 through which pass three openings 84 disposed at 120° to one another.
(94) To facilitate the flow of the bulk product toward these openings 82 the separators 150 of the body 32 advantageously have inclined flanks 151, as illustrated in
(95) The flow may equally be guided by means of a guide member 170 serving as a funnel. The latter is disposed at the center of the body 32, in particular at the bottom of the flanks 151.
(96) In the example illustrated, the guide member 170 includes a rod having an axis coinciding with the longitudinal axis X of the system 10. The rod 170 includes first and second rod portions 171 and 172 with different diameters separated by a shoulder 173.
(97) The first rod portion 171 includes a plurality of paddles 174 and 175 extending laterally from the rod, for example perpendicularly thereto.
(98)
(99) The second rod portion 172 extends through a central opening 195 in the body 32.
(100) The opening 195 is preferably formed by a tubular abutment 190 of the body extending downward along the longitudinal axis X of the system 10 through an orifice 180 in the second part 80.
(101) The tubular skirt 82 includes a thread for fixing a spout 120, as illustrated in
(102) The second part 80 accommodates a first part 70 provided with a control handle 71 and a third part 90, as illustrated in
(103) The first part 70 and second part 80 together form a shutter.
(104) As described above, the first part 70 is mobile relative to the second part 80. The latter is able to turn about the longitudinal axis X of the system 10 when the user moves the handle 71. The latter is accessible from the outside through an opening 81 in the second part 80. In the example illustrated, the handle 71 is a straight rod.
(105) The second part 80 includes a passage 85 for the handle 71 thereby facilitating mounting and demounting the first part 70.
(106) The first part 70 includes a tubular skirt 72 concentric with the skirt 82 and guided in its movement in rotation by the latter and a bottom wall 73 through which openings 74 pass, here three in number.
(107) Like the embodiments referred to above, a return spring, not shown, is disposed between the first and second parts 70 and 80. The latter acts between the first and second parts 70 and 80 to urge the first part into a blocking position in which the openings 74 in the bottom wall 73 overlie the solid parts of the bottom wall 83.
(108) The blocking position advantageously corresponds to the handle 71 coming to abut against one end of the opening 81.
(109) When the handle 71 is actuated, the first part 70 is moved angularly relative to the second 80 and the openings 74 and 84 overlap, as illustrated in
(110) When the handle 71 is released the spring returns it to the blocking position as illustrated in
(111) The third part 90 is situated axially under the second part 80, between the latter and the first part. This third part includes a bottom wall 94 with openings 95 through it that are for example, as illustrated in
(112) In the example illustrated the third part 90 is mounted in a manner that is not adjustable from the outside in a position corresponding to the required flow rate. Accordingly, depending on the angular position of the third part relative to the second, the openings 95 overlap to a greater or lesser degree the openings 84 and the passage section offered to the product is modified, as illustrated in
(113) The third part 90 has a central orifice 200, visible in
(114) For example, the fixing of the container 20 on the dispensing device 30 can be carried out other than by screwing, as described with reference to
(115) In the embodiment illustrated in these figures, the body 32 of the device has a cylindrical part 32c serving as a nozzle for the removable fixing of the container.
(116) The body 32 has an internal part 32d disposed inside the cylindrical part 32c. This part has a frustoconical shape that widens toward the container. The two parts are fixed by welding for example.
(117) The internal part 32d is connected at the bottom to a second part 80. The part 80 may be fixed to the internal part, in particular by welding it thereto.
(118) As described above, the second part 80 has a tubular skirt 82 and a bottom wall 83 through which pass three openings 84 arranged at 120° to one another.
(119) In the same way as in the embodiment illustrated in
(120) The flow is also guided by means of a guide member 170 serving as a funnel. This is arranged at the center of the body 32, in particular at the foot of the flanks 151, and is similar to the guide member described above.
(121) The tubular skirt 82 has a thread for fixing a spout 120, as can be seen in
(122) The second part 80 accommodates a first part 70, provided with a control handle 71, and a third part 90, as illustrated in
(123) The first part 70 and the second part 80 together form a shutter.
(124) In the example illustrated, the handle is accessible from the outside through a first notch 86 of the second part 80 and a second notch 36 of the body 32 superimposed on the first.
(125) The first part 70 includes a tubular skirt 72 concentric with the skirt 82 and guided in its rotation movement by the latter and a bottom wall 73 through which pass openings 74, here three in number.
(126) As in the embodiments mentioned above, a return spring, not illustrated, is disposed between the first and second parts 70 and 80. The latter spring acts between the first and second parts 70 and 80 to urge the first part into a blocking position in which the openings 74 in the bottom wall 73 overlie the solid parts of the bottom wall 83.
(127) The blocking position advantageously corresponds to the handle 71 coming to abut against one end of the notch 86 and/or of the notch 36, the notches 86 and 36 advantageously having the same angular extent and the same height.
(128) The operation of the first part is similar to that of the embodiments described above.
(129) The third part 90 is situated axially under the second part 80, between the latter and the first part. This third part includes a bottom wall 94 through which pass openings 95 that, as illustrated in
(130) In the example illustrated the third part 90 is mounted in a manner that is not adjustable from the outside in a position corresponding to the required flow rate.
(131) The tubular skirt 82 includes a thread for fixing a spout 120, as described above with reference to
(132) The support 1 may be adapted to allow placement of the dispensing devices 30 from above, the latter devices being for example retained by a flange 160 provided at the end of the body 32 bearing against the top face of the support wall 1 flanking an opening 3 in the latter, as can be seen in
(133) In this example, unlike the above embodiments, the container is fixed without screwing, the container being simply placed on the device after turning it over so that the neck of the latter comes to bear against the lateral wall 32d of the body 32.
(134) In the examples illustrated the guide member 170 is fixed relative to the body 32.
(135) Alternatively, this guide member 170 is mobile relative to the body 32, as will be described hereinafter with reference to
(136) In this example, as described above, the guide member consists of a rod 170 including first and second rod portions 171 and 172 with different diameters separated by a shoulder 173.
(137) The first rod portion 171 includes a plurality of paddles 174 and 175 extending laterally from the rod, for example perpendicularly thereto.
(138) The rod 170 is advantageously rigidly attached to the first part 70, in particular screwed thereto. The second rod portion 172 can therefore include a thread that is engaged in a threaded central orifice 77 of the bottom wall 71.
(139) Also, when the first part 70 is moved angularly relative to the second 80 by the handle the rod 170 and the paddles 174, 175 and 176 are driven in rotation which enables both guiding of the product toward the openings 84 of the second part and stiffing thereof.
(140) In the embodiments illustrated the second part 80 includes a skirt 82 of frustoconical shape.
(141) The second part 80 includes openings 84 and between the openings thereof separators 150 projecting toward the container 20.
(142) These separators 150 advantageously have inclined flanks 151 guiding the flow toward the openings 84 situated at their base.
(143) The second part 80 is fixed, in particular welded, to the body 32 of the device.
(144) The second part 80 includes a central orifice 180 for the second rod portion 171 to pass through.
(145) A return spring 100 is attached at its ends to the parts 70 and 80, respectively. To this end the first and second parts each include an attachment point 270 and 260 of the corresponding end of the spring 100, as can be seen
(146) In this embodiment the third part 90 is absent. If necessary, the flow rate can be adjusted merely by moving the handle 71 of the shutter. The system 1 advantageously includes a plurality of first parts with openings of different sizes that mount in the device as a function of the bulk product and the flow rate required.
(147) The device includes a spout 120 that nests in the body 32. The latter preferably includes an abutment 33 to prevent undesirable descent of the spout into the body. The spout 120 includes spigots 123, in particular flexible spigots, to improve the retention of the latter against the internal wall of the body 32.
(148) The system 10 also includes a clamping part 230 for retaining the dispensing device 30 on the support 1.
(149) As illustrated in
(150) In the example illustrated, the forks 235 engage in grooves 250 formed on the lateral wall of the body 32, which enables tilting of the system once installed on the support to be prevented.
(151) In order to improve the retention of the clamping part 230 against the support the forks 235 may each include a slot 236 for the passage of one or more fixing means 400 such as screws for example.
(152) The clamping part 230 may also serve for fixing a label 300 for displaying for example information relating to the type of bulk product, its source, its price or any other useful information, as can be seen in