Metering dispenser

• US 4,723,690 A
• Filed: 01/23/1987
• Issued: 02/09/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Henkel KGaA (Henkel AG & Co KGaA)
• Original Assignee: Henkel KGaA (Henkel AG & Co KGaA)
• Inventors: vom Hofe, Dieter
• Primary Examiner(s): SKAGGS JR, H GRANT
• Application Number:
  US07/009,629
• Time in Patent Office: 382 Days
• Field of Search: 206/536, 206/538, 206/539, 206/528, 206/216, 206/217, 222/130, 222/91, 221/96, 221/97, 221/265, 221/266, 221/288, 221/287, 221/113-115, 221/119, 221/120, 221/121, 221/82, 221/83, 221/91, 221/98, 221/185, 221/122
• US Class Current: 221/96
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2583/0472 characterised by the dispensing action
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/0409 the dispensing means being adapted for delivering one article, or a single dose, upon each actuation B65D83/0445 takes precedence

Abstract

With a metering dispenser (1) for compactates with a compactate store (3) and a metering disk (4) arranged pivotably around an axis (A) with respect to the store, containing several chambers (27) for accommodating individual compactates, in order to perform dispensing with sufficient reliability in the quantitative dispensing of the individual components in the household sector, given an essentially cylindrical design as well as relative rotatability of the store (3) and the metering disk (4) around the cylinder axis (A) the combination is provided with a metering cup (2) for liquid or free-flowing product. The metering dispenser (1) can be formed as a closure for a storage container accommodating one of the components, so that a multi-component package is present.

Claims

1. A metering dispenser for compactates such as tablets, pills, capsules and granulates:

said dispenser comprising a cylindrical compactate store having an upper piece and a lower piece engageable and disengageable with each other;

said upper piece and said lower piece also being rotatable relative to each other around the longitudinal axis of said compactate store;

said lower piece being partitioned into an upper chamber and a lower chamber by a metering disk with its center being at said longitudinal axis, said upper chamber being defined by a cylinder wall, said metering disk having a plurality of compactate receiving chambers defined by four annular bridges spaced at 90°

intervals around said longitudinal axis, wherein the inner diameter of said bridges is slightly larger than the external diameter of said compactates;

said upper piece comprising a cylinder wall, a head plate, and a surrounding marginal strip extending over the cylinder wall of said lower piece;

wherein mounted within the cylinder wall of said lower piece between said head plate and said metering disk are located a plurality of cylindrical storage shafts for receiving said compactates and an ejection shaft for ejecting said compactates through an outlet opening in said head plate, said storage shafts and said ejection shaft having assigned pivot positions with respect to said metering disk.

2. A metering dispenser in accordance with claim 1 wherein the relative positions of said metering disc and said ejection shaft are made recognizable by an engagement device that may be felt or heard during the relative rotation of said upper piece and said lower piece.

3. A metering dispenser in accordance with claim 2 wherein said engagement device comprises cams located on the upper edge of the cylinder wall of said lower piece, and grooves located on the face surface of said upper piece between said cylinder wall and said marginal strip, wherein said cams and said grooves are at positions corresponding to said storage shafts and said ejection shaft.

4. A metering dispenser in accordance with claim 1 wherein said cylindrical wall of said upper piece extends to said metering disk from the top of the cylinder wall of said lower piece, said lower piece, at a position below said metering disk being provided with a cylindrical attachment having internal threads.

5. A metering dispenser in accordance with claim 4 wherein said cylindrical attachment is adapted to couple said metering dispenser to a supply container.

6. A metering dispenser in accordance with claim 1 wherein said lower piece has an opening in its bottom section.

7. A metering dispenser in accordance with claim 1 wherein said storage shafts have an internal diameter which is slightly larger than the external diameter of said compactates.

8. A metering dispenser in accordance with claim 1 wherein said ejection shaft has an internal diameter which is larger than the external diameter of said compactates.

9. A metering dispenser in accordance with claim 1 wherein the lower face surfaces of said storage shafts and said ejection shaft end just short of said annular bridges.

10. A metering dispenser in accordance with claim 1 wherein said cylindrical storage shafts comprise three storage shafts.

11. A metering dispenser in accordance with claim 10 wherein said three storage shafts and said ejection shaft are spaced at 90°

intervals around said longitudinal axis.

12. A metering dispenser in accordance with claim 1 wherein said compactate receiving chambers are distributed over a circular pathway with said cylindrical axis as midpoint.

13. A metering dispenser in accordance with claim 12 wherein said compactate receiving chambers have approximately the same diameter as the ejection shaft.

14. A metering dispenser in accordance with claim 1 wherein said upper piece and said lower piece are engageable and disengageable with each other by an annular bead located on the outside surface of the cylinder wall of said lower piece, and an annular groove located on the inside surface of said marginal strip of said upper piece.