MEASURING AND DISPENSING CONTAINER

• US 20140252039A1
• Filed: 03/08/2013
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David A. Jennings, Robert M. Jennings
• Original Assignee: David A. Jennings, Robert M. Jennings
• Inventors: Jennings, Robert M., Jennings, David A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,232,971 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/158
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 1/0223 characterised by shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 1/04 Multi-cavity bottles
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 1/40 Details of walls other container details B65D23/00, B65D25/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 23/10 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/56 with means for indicating level of contents
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 11/262 for liquid or semi-liquid

Abstract

A measuring and dispensing container having a flexible walled reservoir chamber, a measuring and dispensing chamber and a conduit for transferring liquid from said reservoir chamber to said measuring and dispensing chamber. The reservoir is provided with a non-squeezable handle by which it can be grasped when tilting the container to dispense liquid from the dispensing chamber so as to reduce the risk that excess force applied to the reservoir by a hand holding it will squeeze more liquid than intended into measuring and dispensing chamber. Such handle may be formed by reinforcement of at least one wall of the reservoir to provide sufficient rigidity to prevent squeezing at the reinforcement or by providing a “cut-out” in the reservoir chamber through which a user'"'"'s fingers may pass and providing reinforcement on or in one or more walls of the reservoir chamber proximate to the cut out.

Claims

1. A measuring and dispensing container having a flexible walled reservoir chamber, a measuring and dispensing chamber and a conduit for transferring liquid from said reservoir chamber to said measuring and dispensing chamber, wherein said reservoir is provided with a non-squeezable handle by which it can be grasped when tilting the container to dispense liquid from the dispensing chamber so as to reduce the risk that excess force applied to the reservoir by a hand holding it will squeeze more liquid than intended into measuring and dispensing chamber.

2. A measuring and dispensing container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the handle does not protrude outside the spatial area circumscribed by the wall of the container.

3. A measuring and dispensing container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the handle lies within the spatial area circumscribed by the walls of the reservoir chamber.

4. A measuring and dispensing container as claimed in claim 3, wherein the handle is formed by reinforcement of at least one wall of the reservoir at a location at which it is to be grasped so as to provide sufficient rigidity to prevent squeezing in this location.

5. A measuring and dispensing container as claimed in claim 3, wherein the reservoir chamber has a rear wall opposite the measurement and dispensing chamber and the reinforcement is provided in the rear wall of the reservoir chamber.

6. A measuring and dispensing container as claimed in claim 5, wherein the location of the reinforcement will normally indicated on the outside of the container.

7. A measuring and dispensing container as claimed in claim 3, wherein said handle is formed by a providing a “

cut-out”

in the reservoir chamber through which a user'"'"'s fingers may pass and providing reinforcement on or in one or more walls of the reservoir chamber proximate to the cut out.

8. A measuring and dispensing container as claimed in claim 7, wherein the reinforcement is provided on or in the wall that is opposite the cut out.

9. A measuring and dispensing container as claimed in claim 7, wherein the reservoir chamber has a rear wall opposite the measurement and dispensing chamber and reinforcement is provided by ridges on the rear wall of the container.

10. A measuring and dispensing container as claimed in claim 7, wherein the cut out is provided by a gap between part of the dispensing and measuring chamber and part of the reservoir chamber.

11. A measuring and dispensing container as claimed in claim 7, wherein the cut out is trapezoidal in shape.

12. A measuring and dispensing container as claimed in claim 10, wherein the cut out is trapezoidal in shape with the longer side of the trapezium being located in the wall of the reservoir chamber adjacent to the measuring and dispensing chamber.

13. A measuring and dispensing container as claimed in claim 3, wherein said reservoir chamber includes a rear wall opposite the location of the measuring and dispensing chamber and a rigid handle oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the container is provided in a recess in the rear wall of the reservoir chamber.

14. A measuring and dispensing container as claimed in claim 13, wherein said reservoir chamber is narrower at the top than at the bottom.

15. A measuring and dispensing chamber as claimed in claim 14, wherein the width of the reservoir chamber narrows at a location proximate to the recess in which the handle is located.

16. A measuring and dispensing container as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one wall of the measurement and dispensing chamber bears measurement markings indicting the amount of liquid transferred to the measurement and dispensing chamber.

17. A measuring and dispensing container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the measuring and dispensing chamber has front and rear walls that taper towards each other towards each other as they descend.

18. A measuring and dispensing container as claimed in claim 17, wherein the front wall of the reservoir chamber is conveniently disposed in a plane parallel to the rear wall of the reservoir.

19. A measuring and dispensing container as claimed in claim 17, wherein the measuring and dispensing chamber has a rounded front wall so that the overall shape of the chamber resembles that if a cone split along its longitudinal axis.

20. A measuring and dispensing container as claimed in claim 17, wherein the measuring and dispensing chamber is located above part of the reservoir chamber.

21. A measuring and dispensing container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conduit from the reservoir chamber to the measuring and dispensing chamber runs from a location proximate to the bottom of the reservoir to a location proximate the top of one of the walls of the measuring and dispensing chamber.

22. A measuring and dispensing container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conduit leading from the reservoir chamber to the measuring and dispensing chamber is disposed so as to cause liquid being transferred from the reservoir to the measurement and dispensing chamber to enter said chamber pointed in a downward direction.

23. A measuring and dispensing container as claimed in claim 22, wherein liquid entering the measuring and dispensing chamber is directed to cause it to run down a wall of the measuring and dispensing chamber.

24. A measuring and dispensing container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conduit from the reservoir chamber to the measuring and dispensing chamber has an outlet to the measuring and dispensing chamber such that it directs outgoing liquid against an appropriate wall or baffle in the measuring and dispensing chamber adjacent to the outlet so as to direct liquid entering the measuring and dispensing chamber against an appropriate wall.

25. A measuring and dispensing container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front wall of the measuring and dispensing chamber is set at an angle to the vertical.

26. A measuring and dispensing container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conduit bringing liquid from the reservoir chamber to the measuring and dispensing chamber comprises at least two bends at spaced intervals along the path, or that the conduit is contoured to provide a trap to minimize “

suck back”

when a the reservoir ceases being squeezed.

27. A measuring and dispensing container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conduit bringing liquid from the reservoir chamber to the measuring and dispensing chamber measuring and dispensing chamber at a level below the top of the walls of the measuring and developing chamber, so as to allow liquid to flow back from the measuring and dispensing chamber into the reservoir chamber if more than a predetermined amount of liquid is initially transferred to the measuring and dispensing chamber.

28. A measuring and dispensing container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conduit is located internally within the reservoir chamber.

29. A measuring and dispensing container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conduit is located externally of the reservoir chamber.

30. A measuring and dispensing container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reservoir chamber, the conduit and the measuring and dispensing chamber comprise an integrally molded unit.

31. A measuring and dispensing container as claimed in claim 30, wherein the reservoir chamber, the conduit and the measuring and dispensing chamber are an integral unit formed by compression molding, and wherein the tube passes between said reservoir chamber and measuring and dispensing chamber above said reservoir chamber and below said measuring and dispensing chamber and is spaced from said chambers by webs formed by said compression molding.

32. A measuring and dispensing container as claimed in claim 1, wherein a filling passage extends into said reservoir chamber and is closeable by a filling cap and wherein a dispensing outlet extends from said measuring and dispensing chamber and is closeable by a dispensing cap.

33. A measuring a dispensing container as claimed in claim 30, wherein the forward wall of the measuring and dispensing chamber is angled upwardly and forwardly from the bottom of the measuring and dispensing chamber and wherein the axis of the dispensing outlet lies in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the upwardly angled forward wall of the measuring and dispensing chamber.

34. A method of measuring and dispensing a predetermined quantity of liquid from a container having a flexible reservoir chamber, a measuring and dispensing chamber, and a conduit interconnecting said reservoir and measuring chambers, and a said reservoir is provided with a non-squeezable handle by which it can be grasped when tilting the container, said method including the steps of pouring liquid through a filling opening into said reservoir chamber, sealing said filling opening, venting a pouring opening from said measuring chamber, squeezing said flexible reservoir chamber to force liquid from said reservoir chamber through said conduit into said measuring and dispensing chamber until the predetermined quantity has entered said measuring and dispensing chamber, said liquid being directed upon entry into the measuring and dispensing chamber, for example against a wall of the measuring and dispensing chamber other than that bearing measurement markings, such wall down which the liquid is directed typically being the rear wall of the measuring and dispensing chamber, opening said pouring opening and tilting said container by use of a handle adapted to prevent any further squeezing of the reservoir so as to dispense the measured amount of liquid from the measuring and dispensing chamber.