Dispenser and measuring cap device and method

• US 9,828,230 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2016
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Capsforall LLC
• Original Assignee: Capsforall LLC
• Inventors: Ismail, Muhammad Sami
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Benjamin R
• Application Number:
  US15/046,094
• Publication Number:
  US 20160159636A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 222434, 24456, 24457, 24458
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 47/01 with dispensing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 3/0041 with provisions for metering the liquid to be dispensed
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 11/22 for liquid or semiliquid
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 11/24 for fluent solid material
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 11/261 for fluent solid material
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 11/268 with provision for varying the volume to be delivered
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 11/44 for liquid or semiliquid

Abstract

Spill and contaminant resistant dispensers and measuring cap devices and methods for measuring and dispensing a desired amount of a bulk particulate, powdery, granular or viscous liquid substance from a storage container through a cap or a dispenser are provided. A dispenser and measuring cap is attached to a storage container or comprises an integral storage container. The dispenser and measuring cap has one or more measuring chamber ducts, each having a different predetermined volume. The measuring chamber ducts are selectively and separately operationally aligned with an internal funnel stem and a dispensing spout. A selected measuring chamber duct is filled with the substance by inverting the cap and attached container. A measured amount of the substance is captured and dispensed, and the unused portion of the substance retained in the storage container without exposure to outside contaminants or implements, by rotating the duct into operational alignment with the spout.

Claims

1. A device for dispensing a flowable material, comprising:

an elongated dispenser for housing the flowable material, the dispenser including a storage container having a base end and a dispensing end,

the base end shaped to permit the storage container to stand on a surface, the base end being openable to add the flowable material to the storage container when the base end is positioned uppermost,

the dispensing end, when positioned lowermost, being capable of measuring a predetermined amount of flowable material received from the inside of the storage container and dispensing that amount, said dispensing end, when positioned lowermost including;

an interface at the lower end of the storage container having an aperture and a funnel shaped upper surface which funnels the flowable material inside of the storage container downwardly to and through the aperture, wherein the interface has a downwardly extending axle which extends through an axle hole in a non-rotatable end piece, the axle extending beyond the end piece, and the end piece forms guiderails for a retaining bracket,

the storage container, below the interface, having a lower end which is a circular cylinder,

a divider member positioned below the interface and engaging said lower end of the storage container so as to be rotatable about the axis of the cylinder, the divider member having an open duct therethrough, and wherein in one rotated position of the divider member, the duct communicates with the aperture so that the flowable material can flow through the aperture and into the duct,

the non-rotatable end piece located below the divider member and including a dispensing spout which is not vertically aligned with the said interface aperture, the top surface of the end piece facing the divider member being shaped to close off the duct whenever the duct is not aligned with the spout,

the retaining bracket, which secures the axle to the non-rotatable end piece, engagable with both the interface and the non-rotatable end piece to lock them together while permitting rotation of the divider member,

the divider member being rotatable between at least a first position wherein the duct is vertically aligned with the aperture to receive flowable material therefrom and a second position wherein the duct is vertically aligned with the spout which can dispense the flowable material downwardly,

wherein the retaining bracket slides between the guide rails of the end piece and engages the end piece of the dispensing end.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the retaining bracket further comprises ergonomically shaped fingerholds.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the non-rotatable end piece further comprises retaining bracket guide rails, and a detent to hold the retaining bracket in place.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the non-rotatable end piece further comprises a catch, the retaining bracket configured to slide into a track defined by the retaining bracket guiderails on the non-rotatable end piece and engage the detent with the catch to hold the device together.

5. The device of claim 1, said divider being rotatable relative to said end piece and said storage container.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the divider member is secured between the interface and the end piece while being freely rotatable relative to the interface and the end piece.

7. A device for dispensing a flowable material, comprising:

an elongated dispenser for housing the flowable material, the dispenser including a storage container having a base end and a dispensing end,

the base end shaped to permit the storage container to stand on a surface, the base end being openable to add the flowable material to the storage container when the base end is positioned uppermost,

the dispensing end, when positioned lowermost, being capable of measuring a predetermined amount of flowable material received from the inside of the storage container and dispensing that amount, said dispensing end, when positioned lowermost including;

an interface at the lower end of the storage container having an aperture and a funnel shaped upper surface which funnels the flowable material inside of the storage container downwardly to and through the aperture,

the storage container, below the interface, having a lower end which is a circular cylinder,

a divider member positioned below the interface and engaging said lower end of the storage container so as to be rotatable about the axis of the cylinder, the divider member having an open duct therethrough, and wherein in one rotated position of the divider member, the duct communicates with the aperture so that the flowable material can flow through the aperture and into the duct,

a non-rotatable end piece located below the divider member and including a dispensing spout which is not vertically aligned with the said interface aperture, the top surface of the end piece facing the divider member being shaped to close off the duct whenever the duct is not aligned with the spout, and

the divider member being rotatable between at least a first position wherein the duct is vertically aligned with the aperture to receive flowable material therefrom and a second position wherein the duct is vertically aligned with the spout which can dispense the flowable material downwardly,

wherein the base includes a removable lid having an exterior surface and an internal surface, and the internal surface having a support member for holding the storage container in an inverted positon with the container dispensing end lowermost, to stabilize the storage container during filling of the container at the base end.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the support member is shaped to receive the dispensing spout.

9. The device of claim 8, including a retaining bracket engagable with both the interface and the end piece, and wherein the support member is also shaped to receive the retaining bracket.

10. A method of loading and dispensing a flowable material into and out of a dispensing device, comprising:

filling a storage container of the dispensing device by adding a flowable material into a base end when the base end is uppermost and opened, and

causing the flowable material to flow through a spout in an end piece at the dispensing end when the dispensing end is positioned lowermost, wherein dispensing the flowable material comprises the steps of;

(a) allowing the flowable material to flow downwardly along a downwardly narrowing funnel and through the aperture at the lower end of the funnel,

(b) receiving the flowable material in a duct of a divider member, the cross-section and height of the duct being such as to receive a measured amount of flowable material from the aperture,

(c) rotating the divider member until it covers the duct and overlies the spout, and

(d) dispensing the measured amount of flowable material through the spout,

wherein the base is closable by a lid, and wherein the step of filling the storage container comprises removing the lid from the container, placing the lid with an outer surface downwardly and securing the dispensing end downwardly into a securing structure on an inner-surface of the base.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the storage container is cylindrical about an axis, and the aperture is located off of the axis, and the spout is also located off of the axis, non-aligned with the aperture, and the rotating step includes rotating the divider from duct alignment with the aperture to duct alignment with the spout.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of rotating the divider comprises rotating it from one stopped position with the duct aligned with the aperture and another stopped position with the duct aligned with the spout.

13. A disassemblable device for dispensing flowable material comprising:

a cylindrical container having a base end and a dispensing end, the base end having a removable closure member which, when removed, permits filling of the container with flowable material when the base end is uppermost,

the dispensing end, when lowermost having an interface closing the lower end of the container and forming a funnel which funnels flowable material downwardly to an aperture,

a divider member below the interface which engages the lower end of the cylindrical cylinder so as to be rotatable relative thereto, but not otherwise restrained by the container, the dispensing end including a duct which, in one rotatable position is aligned with the aperture,

an end piece located below the divider member, which end piece has a dispensing spout which in one rotatable position of the divider member, dispenses flowable material from the duct,

the end piece not being constrained to move vertically by the divider member,

a retaining bracket which engages the end piece, the retaining bracket being slidable onto and off of the end piece, and wherein, when the retaining bracket is slid off of the end piece, both the end piece and the dividing member are freely removable from the end of the container and separately from each other,

whereby the container, the base end closure member, the divider member, the end piece and the retaining bracket can all be disengaged from each other, and

wherein the interface has an axle extending downwardly through a hole in the divider member and through a hole in the divider member and through a hole in the end piece, the axle and the hole in the end piece having a matching asymmetrical shape, such that when assembled, the retaining bracket engages both the end piece and the axle.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the lower end of the axle extends through the end piece and has tabs, and the retaining bracket engages the tabs to secure together the axle and the end piece.