Baby-milk powder dispenser

• US 4,188,984 A
• Filed: 07/27/1978
• Issued: 02/19/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rodney Lyall
• Original Assignee: Rodney Lyall
• Inventors: Lyall, Rodney
• Primary Examiner(s): Bell, Houston S.
• Application Number:
  US05/928,518
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 141/94, 141/95, 141/96, 141/249, 141/71-81, 141/12, 141/18-28, 141/2, 222/38, 221/7
• US Class Current: 141/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 11/021 of the piston type G01F11/04 takes precedence

Abstract

A method of dispensing baby milk powder which comprises compacting the powder to its maximum extent in a measuring chamber, which comprises a tubular member housing a plunger so that the chamber is defined between the plunger and an open end of the tubular member, and actuating the plunger to dispense the measured contents, and a dispenser for carrying out the method and being designed to indicate when maximum compaction of the baby milk powder in the measuring chamber is achieved.

Claims

1. A method of dispensing a measured quantity of baby-milk powder (as hereinbefore defined) comprising the steps of inserting into the powder an end of a tubular member housing a plunger which is capable of being retracted away from the end of the tubular member to a given position defining with the tubular member an open-ended measuring chamber, inserting the end of the tubular member into the powder to a depth greater than the length of the measuring chamber and sufficient to compact the powder in the tubular member and against the plunger to substantially maximum compaction, withdrawing the tubular member from the powder so that a measured quantity of compacted powder is contained in the measuring chamber and actuating the plunger to dispense the powder from the tubular member.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the tubular member is inserted in the powder to a depth at least twice the length of the measuring chamber.

3. A dispenser for use in dispensing a measured quantity of baby-milk powder of the type described comprising a tubular member defining an opening at one end, operable means including a plunger closely slidably fitted in the tubular member for movement between said opening and a position of maximum retraction of the plunger in the tubular member away from said opening, stop means engageable by said operable means to determine said position of maximum retraction of the plunger, spring means biasing said operable means into engagement with said stop means, a measuring chamber defined by said tubular member and said opening and said plunger when said plunger is in its retracted position, said opening having the same dimensions as the internal cross-sectional dimensions of the measuring chamber, marking means located externally on the tubular member and spaced further from said opening than said plunger when said plunger is in its position of maximum retraction, the location of said marking means being such that insertion of the tubular member in a mass of baby-milk powder to the depth of the marking means compacts such powder to substantially its maximum extent in the measuring chamber agains the plunger and manually depressable actuating means connected with the plunger for moving the latter against the bias of said spring means to dispense the compacted powder from the measuring chamber.

4. A dispenser according to claim 3, wherein the space between said marking means and said opening is at least twice the length of the measuring chamber between the plunger in its position of maximum retraction and said opening.

5. A dispenser according to claim 4, wherein said marker comprises an external flange extending about the tubular member.

6. A dispenser according to claim 3, incorporating a counter operable by actuation of the actuating means to count the number of dispensing operations.

7. A dispenser according to claim 6, wherein the tubular member is adjustable in position to vary the length of the measuring chamber.

8. A dispenser according to claim 3 comprising a plurality of tubular members of different lengths, interchangeable with one another about said plunger to vary the length of the measuring chamber.

9. A dispenser for use in dispensing a measured quantity of baby-milk powder of the type described comprising a tubular member defining an opening at one end, operable means including a plunger closely slidably fitted in the tubular member for movement between said opening and a position of maximum retraction of the plunger in the tubular member away from said opening, said opening having the same dimensions as the internal cross-sectional dimensions of the measuring chamber, first stop means engageable by said operable means to determine said position of maximum retraction of the plunger, spring means biasing said operable means towards said opening, second stop means engageable by said operable means under the bias of said spring means to position said plunger in said opening, whereby insertion of the tubular member in baby-milk powder causes compacting of the powder against the plunger and movement of the plunger against the bias of said spring means, said first stop means being located in a position such that substantially maximum compaction of the powder is achieved in the measuring chamber when the operating means engages the first stop means, releasable detent means for latching the operating means in said position of maximum retraction of the plunger, and actuating means for releasing the detent means to permit dispensing of powder from the measuring chamber by said plunger under the bias of said spring means.

10. A dispenser according to claim 9, wherein the detent means effects latching by engaging with a ratchet and the ratchet is rotatable to release the operating means for movement in the dispensing direction by said spring means.

11. A dispenser according to claim 10, wherein the ratchet is connected with a numbered wheel which, together with a marker, defines a counter for counting dispensing operations.

12. A dispenser according to claim 9, including a housing incorporating a hopper for baby-milk powder, the tubular member being mounted on a carrier which is movable to urge the tubular member to extend into the hopper, the carrier being rotatable to position the tubular member in dispensing alignment with a dispensing aperture in the housing.