AU602591B2

AU602591B2 - A dispensing container

Info

Publication number: AU602591B2
Application number: AU18439/88A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Max Ashworth Jepson; Weng Yew Ng
Original assignee: C & R Packers Ltd
Current assignee: C & R Packers Ltd
Priority date: 1988-06-28
Filing date: 1988-06-28
Publication date: 1990-10-18
Anticipated expiration: 2008-06-28
Also published as: AU1843988A

Description

Form COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952-62 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE: Application Number: Lodged: Class Int. Class Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Pribority: V- :1I' S2 591

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Related Art: T- Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: SActual Inventor: Address for Service; TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT CARE CHEMICAL PRODUCTS LIMITED a i- C I t- I 31 Northway Street, Te Rapa, Hamilton, New Zealand Max Ashworth JEPSON and Weng Yew NG care of R.K. MADDERN ASSOCIATES, 345 King William Street, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000.

Complete Specification for the invention entitled: "A DISPENSING CONTAINER" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to n. us.

-1- PO 1«20.* 2M WIfiln A DISPENSING CONTAINER This invention relates to a dispensing container with an integral volume measure for dispensing a measured amount of liquid or powder from a container.

There are a number of applications wherein it is desirable to dispense a measured amount of liquid or powder, for instance, chemical sprays, washing powder and detergents. Conventional methods of measuring the volumes have involved double handli.: with the user pouring the liquid or powder from a dispensing container into a separate reasure and then pouring from the %a separate measure as app.opriate. This can be a messy task or Soo could even be dangerous depending on the nature of the oo substance being measured.

o co It is an object of the present invention to provide a "dispensing container which addresses the above problems.

Further objects and advauLages will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example.

According to the broadest aspect of the present invention there is provided a dispensing container comprising a container body, a measuring chamber, a divider positioned between the container body and the measuring chamber, sp.id divider defining one edge of an opening through which liquid or powder can pass from the container body to the measuring chamber, and an outlet orifice in the measuring chamber through which liquid or powder can pass to the outside, the arrangement being such that the measuring chamber can be supplied with liquid or powder by tilting the dispensing container until a desired amount of liquid or powder passes trom the container body through the opening to the measuring chamber, said desired, amou.nt being determined while holding the container in a dispensing position, and the desired amount subsequently dispensed due to the force of gravity through the outlet orifice with the container maintained in the dispensing position.

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Although the present invention provides for a measurement of powder as well as liquid, the following discuss:I.on shall relate to liquid. only.

Preferably the dispensing container i8 manufactured in a flexible plastics material.

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C I 4 C 4 'i -2a- 1~- One advantage of using flexibie plastic material is that when the measuring chamber is filled with liquid and the dispensing container is tilted appropriately for dispensing liquid through the outlet orifice, the measure of liquid In the measuring chamber can be expelled therefrom by squeezing the container body so as to cause air pressure within the dispensing container which forces the measure of liquid out through the out'.- orifice.

Th asurlng chamber may be Integrally formed with the container body as may be s nandle. To facilitate easy pouring or dispensing, the handle may be situated on the opposite side of the container body to the outlet orifice.

The outlet orifice may be sufficiently narrow to prevent liquid escaping without the bottle being squeezed. However, this need not be the case as the oniflce may be closed by a cap. A method of dispensing liquid from the measu,g chamber is to simply tilt the dispensing container so its longitudinal axis Is inclined to the horizontal and the orifice Is pointing downwards and then open or remove the cap.

The cap may be hinged with respect to the dispensing container or it may be a screw cap or some other type.

The measuring chamber may be fabricated from material which Is transparent or sufficiently translucent to enabie visual determination of the level through the side of the measuring container. Alternatively, there may be a window of transparent material extending from the orifice to the opposite end of the measuring container.

f 0 On the sides of the measuring container and/or on a window in the measuring Scontainer, graduations may be scaled from the orifice to the opposite end thereof so that the measuring chamber may be used to dispense varying quantities of measured amounts of liquid.

Aspects of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings In which: Figure 1: is a diagrammatic side view of a dispensing container in an upright position In accordance with one possible embodiment of the present invention, and 3" c 1 -r Figure 2: Is the dispensing container shown in Figure 1 in a tilted position appropriate for dispensing liquid therefrom.

With refersince to the drawings there is provided a dispensing container generally indicated by arrow I comprising a container bod, L, a measuring container 3 and an outlet orifice 4.

The measuring chamber 3 1i communicable with the container body 2 through an opening 5 which is defined between a divider 6 and the container well opposite the S 10 edge 7 of the divider 6.

The measuring chamber 3 con be filled with a substance (for instance liquid) generally indicated by arrow 8 by inverting the dispensing container 1 so that liquid In the container body 2 passes through the opening 5 to fill the measuriiu chamber 3. The measure of the liquid 9 equal to the amount held in the measuring chamber 3 behl,:d the divider '6 can be dispensed through the outlet orifice 4 when the a a dispensing container 1 is tilted appropriately (as shown in Figure 2) for the purpose Sa. of dispensing liquid therefrom.

20 In the example shown the measuring chamber 3 is integrally formed with the container body 2 as is the handle a In the illustrated embodiment the outlet orifice 4 is closed by a cap 11 which is hinged to the outside of the measuring chamber. A plug 12 located in the centre of the cap 11 is adapted to be seated In the outlet orifice 4 when the cap 11 Is closed, Aspects of the present Invention have been described by way of example only and it should be appreciated that modifications and additone thereto may be made without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.

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Claims

1. A dispensing container comprising a container body, a measuring chamber, a divider positioned between the container body and the mea.uring chamber, said divider defining one edge of an opening through which liquid or powder can pass from the container body to the measuring chamber, and an outlet orifice in the measuring chamber through which liquid or powder can pass to the outside, the arrangement being such that the measuring chamber can be supplied with liquid or powder by tilting the dispensing container until a desired amount of liquid or powder passes from the container body through the opening to the measuring chamber, said desired amount being determined while holding the container in a dispensing position, and the desired amount subsequently dispensed due to the force of gravity through the outlet orifice with the container maintained in the dispensing position.

2. A dispensing container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the measuring chamber is integrally formed with the container body.

3. A dispensing conainer as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2 wherein a handle is integrally S 0 o° formed with the dispensing container. "0 4. A dispensing container as claimed in any one of claims to 3 wherein the dispensing container is manufactured out of flexible material. A dispensing container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein a cap is associated with the out:et orifice.

6. A dispensing container as claimed in claim 5 wherein the cap is hinged with respect to the dispensing container.

7. A dispensing container as claimed in claim 5 wherein the cap is a screw cap.

8. A dispensing container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein there is a window of transparent material extending from the outlet orifice to the opposite end of the measuring chamber. S9. A dispensing container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the measuring chamber is fabricated from material which is transparent or sufficiently translucent to enable visual determination of the level of liquid or powder throughi the sides of the measuring chamber. A dispensing container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein there are graduations on the side of the measur.ng chamber said graduations scaled from the orifice to the opposite end thereof so that t-1e mrasuring chamber may be used to dispense various Squantities of measured amounts of liquid or powder.

11. A dispensing container as claimed in claim 8 wherein graduations are scaled on the window in the measuring chamber.

12. A method of dispensing liquid or powder from a dispensing container comprising a container body, a measunng chamber, and a divider positioned between the container boldy and the measuring chamber, said divider defining one edge of an opening, and an outlet orifice in the measuring chamber, characterized by the steps of tilting the dispensing container until a desired amount of liquid or po\?,ler passes from the container body through the opening to the measuring chamber, said desired amount being determined while holding the container in a dispensing position, and subsequently dispensing said desired amount due to the force of gravity though the outlet orifice with the container maintained in the dispensing position. /O'lSl

13. A dispensing container substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

14. A method of dispensing liquid substantially as herein describc'd and with reference to and illustrated by the accompanying drawings. Dated the 27th day of July, 1990 C R PACKERS LIMITED By its Patent Attorneys, R K MADDERN ASSOCIATES (V u~0 0 O0 0 'ri 000) 0 (0 oi c C ii 0 0I 00 0u 00 0: C '0 0 00 A