CLIP-SCOOP WITH ANTI-SLIPPING FUNCTIONALITY

Abstract

The present invention relates to a scoop (1) comprising a bowl (2) and a handle connected to the bowl (2) and comprising a clip (6). The clip (6) can be used for re-closing a bag containing a product to be dosed by the bowl (2). The clip (6) is delimited by a free edge (9), and there is a gap (12) between the free edge (9) of the clip (6) and handle edges (10) of regions of the handle (3) surrounding the clip (6). At least a part of the clip edge (9) and at least a part of the handle edges (10) delimiting the gap (12) are provided with teeth (13) in the form of teeth-shaped protrusions. The teeth (13) at the clip edge (9) and the teeth (13) at a proximate handle edge (10), respectively, are arranged at alternating positions along a longitudinal extension of the gap (12).

Claims

1. Scoop comprising: a bowl; and a handle having a proximal end connected to the bowl, the handle extending to a distal end, wherein: the handle comprises a clip having a clip base connected to a region of the handle comprising the distal end, except for at the clip base, the clip is defined by a free edge where the clip is not connected to the handle, the clip protruding towards the proximal end of the handle, there is a gap between the free edge of the clip and handle edges of regions of the handle surrounding the clip, at least a part of the clip edge and at least a part of the handle edges delimiting the gap are provided with teeth in the form of teeth-shaped protrusions, and the teeth at the clip edge and the teeth at a proximate handle edge, respectively, are arranged at alternating positions along a longitudinal extension of the gap.

2. Scoop according to claim 1, wherein there is a transverse distance between neighbouring parts of the teeth extending from opposite edges of the gap, the transverse distance being perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the gap.

3. Scoop according to claim 2, wherein the transverse distance is of a size being between a fifth and a third of a width of the gap.

4. Scoop according to claim 1, wherein each tooth comprises a first and a second tooth edge which meet at a tip.

5. Scoop according to claim 4, wherein an angle between the first and the second edges of each of the teeth is between 45° and 75°.

6. Scoop according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal distance between one point of a tooth and the corresponding point of the nearest tooth along the same edge in the longitudinal direction of the gap is between 1 and 2 times the width of the gap.

7. Scoop according to claim 1, wherein the clip edge and the handle edges comprise sections between the teeth being parallel to the longitudinal direction of the gap.

8. Scoop according to claim 1, wherein a hole is provided at each end of the gap, wherein a transversal dimension of the hole is larger than the width of the gap.

9. Scoop according to claim 1, wherein the clip has a length which is between 10% and 40% of a total length of the scoop.

10. Scoop according to claim 1, wherein the length of the part of the scoop from the clip base and to an outermost edge of the distal end of the handle is at most 1.5 times the length of the clip.

11. Scoop according to claim 1, wherein the handle extends substantially in a plane.

12. Scoop according to claim 1, wherein the gap comprises straight parts and wherein the teeth are provided along at least part of the straight parts of the clip edge and of the handle edges delimiting the gap.

13. (canceled)

14. A product in powder or granulate form stored in an inner bag contained in an outer packaging, the outer packaging further containing a scoop comprising a bowl, and a handle having a proximal end connected to the bowl, the handle extending to a distal end, wherein: the handle comprises a clip having a clip base connected to a region of the handle comprising the distal end, except for at the clip base, the clip is defined by a free edge where the clip is not connected to the handle, the clip protruding towards the proximal end of the handle, there is a gap between the free edge of the clip and handle edges of regions of the handle surrounding the clip, at least a part of the clip edge and at least a part of the handle edges delimiting the gap are provided with teeth in the form of teeth-shaped protrusions, and the teeth at the clip edge and the teeth at a proximate handle edge, respectively, are arranged at alternating positions along a longitudinal extension of the gap.

15. A process for manufacturing at least one scoop by injection moulding, the process comprising the following steps: providing a mould having at least one mould cavity adapted to result in the at least one scoop being manufactured; injecting molten plastic under pressure into the at least one mould cavity; cooling the mould to solidify the injected plastic; opening the mould; ejecting the at least one scoop from the at least one mould cavity, the scoop comprising a bowl, and a handle having a proximal end connected to the bowl, the handle extending to a distal end, wherein: the handle comprises a clip having a clip base connected to a region of the handle comprising the distal end, except for at the clip base, the clip is defined by a free edge where the clip is not connected to the handle, the clip protruding towards the proximal end of the handle, there is a gap between the free edge of the clip and handle edges of regions of the handle surrounding the clip, at least a part of the clip edge and at least a part of the handle edges delimiting the gap are provided with teeth in the form of teeth-shaped protrusions, and the teeth at the clip edge and the teeth at a proximate handle edge, respectively, are arranged at alternating positions along a longitudinal extension of the gap.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0047] The scoop according to the invention will now be described in more detail with regard to the accompanying figures. The figures show one way of implementing the present invention and is not to be construed as being limiting to other possible embodiments falling within the scope of the attached claim set.

[0048] FIG. 1 shows a top view of a scoop according to the present invention.

[0049] FIG. 2 shows a side view of the scoop in FIG. 1.

[0050] FIG. 3 shows how the scoop in FIG. 1 can be used to re-close a bag which bag may be stored inside an outer container.

[0051] FIG. 4 shows a more close-up of the clip part of the scoop in FIG. 1.

[0052] FIG. 5 shows a further close-up of the region around an end of the gap around the clip in FIG. 4.

[0053] FIG. 6 shows a stack of scoops as the one shown in FIG. 1.

[0054] FIG. 7 shows schematically a mould part for injection moulding of a scoop according to the present invention.

[0055] FIG. 8 shows schematically a flow chart of an injection moulding process for manufacturing a scoop according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

[0056] FIG. 1 shows a top view of a scoop 1 according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a side view of the scoop 1 in FIG. 1. The scoop 1 may typically be manufactured by injection moulding of a plastic material, such as polypropylene. The scoop 1 comprises a bowl 2 and a handle 3 having a proximal end 4 connected to the bowl 2, the handle 3 extending to a distal end 5. The handle comprises a clip 6 having a clip base 7 connected to a region of the handle 3 comprising the distal end 5.

[0057] FIG. 3.a shows a clip-scoop 1 which has been used to re-close a bag 8 containing the product to be dosed by the bowl 2 of the scoop 1. The scoop 1 may e.g. be used for dosing a desired amount of a food product, such as an amount of milk powder for preparing a feeding bottle. The thickness of the folded-up part of the bag material 8 typically depends on how full the bag is, since a user tends to fold-up all the excess material. FIG. 3.b shows an example of such a use wherein the product is stored in an inner bag 8 contained in an outer packaging 28 further containing the scoop 1 ready for use by the consumer. FIG. 3.b shows the situation where the scoop has already been used to re-close the inner bag.

[0058] Studies made in relation to the present invention have shown that the use of a clip-scoop 1 according to the present invention significantly reduces the risk of the scoop 1 slipping off the bag 8 even when a large amount of bag material is inserted into the gap 12 around the clip 6 of the scoop 1. This is due to the fact that at least a part of the clip edge 9 and at least a part of the handle edges 10 delimiting the gap 12 are provided with teeth 13 in the form of teeth-shaped protrusions as shown in FIG. 4 which shows a close-up of the clip part of the scoop 1 in FIG. 1.

[0059] Except for at the clip base 7, the clip 6 is delimited by a free edge 9, also referred to as the clip edge 9, where the clip 6 is not connected to the handle 3, the clip 6 protruding towards the proximal end 4 of the handle 3. There is a gap 12 between the free edge 9 of the clip 6 and handle edges 10 of regions of the handle 3 surrounding the clip 6. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the gap 12 may be interrupted by a small connection 11 between the clip 6 and the handle 3. The purpose of this small connection 11 is to ensure a desired flow of plastic during the injection moulding of the scoop 1. The size is to be so small that it can easily be broken at a first use of the scoop 1 for the re-closing of a bag 8 as explained above.

[0060] The teeth 13 at the clip edge 9 and the teeth 13 at a proximate handle edge 10, respectively, are arranged at alternating positions along a longitudinal extension of the gap 12 thereby providing a good grip of the bag material 8. Studies of different designs also revealed that good holding properties are obtained when the clip 6 has a length which is between 10% and 40% of a total length of the scoop 1, and preferably approximately 20%. The actual length and position of the clip 6 for a given purpose may be determined by experimentation as a part of the designing of the packaging for the product.

[0061] FIG. 5 shows a further close-up of the region around an end of the gap 12 around the clip 6 in FIG. 4. This is an exemplary and presently preferred embodiment of the invention, but other shapes and relative dimensions of the teeth-shaped protrusions 13 are also covered by the invention.

[0062] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, each tooth 13 comprises a first and a second tooth edge 14,15 which meet at a tip 16. There is a transverse distance 17 between the tips 16 of teeth 13 extending from opposite edges of the gap 12, the transverse distance 17 being perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the gap 12. This combination between a transverse distance 17 and the arrangement and design of the teeth 13 has been found particularly suitable for ensuring that the scoop 1 does not slide and fall off the folded-up bag material 8 even for different thicknesses and smoothness of the bag material 8. In presently preferred embodiments of the invention, the transverse distance 17 is of a size being approximately a fourth of the width of the gap 12. As mentioned above, the width of the gap can be defined as the transverse distance between the parallel sections of the edges of the gap 12.

[0063] Typical relative dimensions of a clip-scoop 1 according to the present invention are shown in FIG. 5 as the following: The longitudinal distance between two neighbouring teeth tips 16 in the longitudinal direction of the gap 12 is approximately 1.5 times the width of the gap 12. The length of each of the teeth 13 when measured along the longitudinal direction of the gap 12 is approximately 2.5 times the transverse distance 17 between two tips 16.

[0064] To give an idea of possible dimensions for a clip-scoop 1 intended to be used for milk powder, the overall length of the scoop 1 may be in the order of 115 mm, the length of the clip may be in the order of 16 mm, and the width of the gap may be in the order of 1 mm, and the transverse distance may be in the order of 0.25 mm.

[0065] For a scoop 1 wherein each tooth 13 comprises a first and a second tooth edge 14,15 which meet at a tip 16 as the one shown in the figures, the angle β between the first and the second edges 14,15 of each of the teeth 13 may be between 45° and 75°; in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the angle is approximately 60°. This angle β has been found to give a good product both with respect to the injection moulding process and with respect to the intended use of the scoop 1.

[0066] A further feature which is most clearly seen in FIG. 5 is that in presently preferred embodiments of the invention, a hole 18 is provided at each end of the gap 12, wherein a transversal dimension of the hole 18 is larger than the width of the gap 12. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the hole 18 is circular and has a larger diameter than a width of the gap 12. The hole 18 will typically be substantially circular to minimize the risk of cracks in the material due to stress concentrations when the clip 6 is bent out of the plane to insert bag material 8 therein. The actual dimensions may differ from those shown in the figure.

[0067] FIG. 6 shows how the overall geometry of the scoop 1 has been designed to allow stacking of a plurality of scoops 1 in alternating opposite directions. This has been obtained by the handle 3 extending substantially in a plane and in that the scoop 1 has an overall geometry which allows such stacking of a plurality of scoops 1. This means that the scoops 1 can be stored and supplied to the packaging machines stacked which is advantageous for logistic reasons. A design which allows stacking of a plurality of scoops 1 in alternating opposite directions will be advantageous for some dimensions of the clip-scoops, such as those shown in the figures wherein the part of the handle 3 close to the bowl 2 is thicker than the part of the handle further away from the bowl 2.

[0068] A scoop 1 as described above may be manufactured by injection moulding. FIG. 7 shows schematically a mould part 19 for such injection moulding. Only one mould part 19 is shown for illustrative purposes only. Details such as the inlet to the mould cavity 20 have been omitted from the figure for illustrative purposes only. But possible geometries, dimensions and positions thereof will have to be determined as part of the design process. When the mould part is used together with another mould part in the injection moulding, the mould parts together form a mould cavity 20 having a geometry resulting in the desired geometry of the scoop 1. In the embodiment shown, only one scoop 1 is made at a time. However, it will also be possible to use a mould design resulting in multiple scoops being injection moulded simultaneously.

[0069] FIG. 8 shows schematically a flow chart of an injection moulding process for manufacturing a scoop 1 according to the present invention. The process comprising the following steps: [0070] providing (21) a mould (19) having at least one mould cavity (20) adapted to result in the at least one scoop (1) being manufactured, [0071] injecting (22) molten plastic under pressure into the at least one mould cavity (20), [0072] cooling (23) the mould (19) to solidify the injected plastic, [0073] opening (24) the mould (19), and [0074] ejecting 25) the at least one scoop (1) from the at least one mould cavity (20).

[0075] The scoop 1 may e.g. be made from polypropylene but other materials may also be used. The actual process parameters to be used for a given manufacturing process will depend on material type, geometry and size of the scoop 1, as well as whether one or more scoops 1 are made in one process cycle. The choice of parameters will be well known to a person skilled in the art, possibly aided by computer simulations.

[0076] Although the present invention has been described in connection with the specified embodiments, it should not be construed as being in any way limited to the presented examples. The scope of the present invention is set out by the accompanying claim set. In the context of the claims, the terms “comprising” or “comprises” do not exclude other possible elements or steps. Also, the mentioning of references such as “a” or “an” etc. should not be construed as excluding a plurality. The use of reference signs in the claims with respect to elements indicated in the figures shall also not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. Furthermore, individual features mentioned in different claims, may possibly be advantageously combined, and the mentioning of these features in different claims does not exclude that a combination of features is not possible and advantageous.