Dispensing – Supply containers with traps – With tiltable container trap only
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-19
2001-07-10
Kashnikow, Andres (Department: 3752)
Dispensing
Supply containers with traps
With tiltable container trap only
Reexamination Certificate
active
06257462
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an apparatus for containing and dispensing fluid and more particular to a container having an integral measuring device for dispensing a predetermined volume of liquid.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The use of liquid products pervades all aspects of life. There are many types of containers that hold these products. For many applications, the entire contents of a container may be used at one time. For other applications, only a small amount of the liquid product may be required for an application, such as washing detergents, bleaches, cooking oils, insecticides, etc. In cases where only a small amount of the product is required at any one time, there is usually a need to measure the amount of the product to use in that application. One common measuring means utilizes the container cap as the measuring device. The cap may have a built-in cup with various gradations or “fill lines” representing different liquid volumes. Other containers may have graduations along the side to assist in dispensing a desired amount of liquid. Where such measuring aids are not incorporated into the container itself, one may have to find other means to measure the amount of liquid necessary for a specific application. The extra time and effort needed to find and utilize a suitable measuring device presents added difficulties. The procedure of pouring the liquid from the storage container to a measuring container and then to the container in which the liquid is to be utilized is a tedious and time-consuming process. In addition, because of the variations in the size and shape, sight-measuring aids such as this can yield inaccurate and imprecise results.
There are many different containers that dispense fluid in measured amounts, where the container holds a substantially greater amount of the liquid relative to the dispensed amount. Many of these devices have the capacity to store, measure and dispense liquids without the need for sight measuring. Such characteristics are desirable especially when contact with the liquid could be harmful to humans, such as poisons, bleach, etc. Typically however, prior art devices capable of dispensing a measured volume of liquid are unduly complex in design and manufacture, undependable and expensive. In addition, the complex design of these prior art containers often inhibits all of the fluid within the containers from being dispensed. In other words, the designs result in an amount of fluid being trapped in their respective containers, being unable to be completely emptied.
Specifically, many such pouring devices have been made which themselves combine the pouring function and the measuring function so that as the pouring operation proceeds, a fixed volume of liquid will be dispensed with each pouring operation. However, many of these devices are bulky and have complicated inner structures. In addition, the complexity of the device make it difficult and expensive to manufacture. Further, many of these devices are undependable and inaccurate when attempts are made to rapidly and successively dispense liquid therefrom in controlled quantities. Therefore, there remains a need for a self-measuring container that can reliably dispense a specific amount of liquid while at the same time having a simplified structure which facilitates manufacturing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a container that dispenses a specific amount of a liquid substance during each pouring operation.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a self-measuring dispensing container in which the amount of measured liquid to be dispensed can be adjusted.
It is another objective of this invention to provide a self-measuring dispensing container that is only one piece.
It is a fourth objective of the present invention to provide a container that automatically measures a specific amount of the liquid in the container for pouring.
The present invention is a container that dispenses only a specific amount of a liquid substance each time the liquid is poured from the container. This container has a storage chamber or reservoir where the liquid initially resides and a dispensing chamber, below the storage chamber, where the specific amount of the liquid that will be dispensed during the next pouring operation resides. An aperture at one end of the container connects the storage and dispensing chambers. This aperture permits the liquid in the storage chamber to flow into the dispensing chamber. The container dispenses the substance through an exit channel that extends from the dispensing chamber to the top of the container. A second channel provides a vent to the storage and dispensing chamber. Finally, a diaphragm adjacent the dispensing chamber permits the volume of said chamber, and hence the volume of liquid measured therein, to be adjusted.
In operation, the container is initially filled with a liquid. In an upright position, the fluid in the storage chamber will flow into the dispensing chamber until the dispensing chamber is full. During a pouring operation, the container is tilted to pour the liquid from the dispensing chamber. The liquid in the dispensing chamber will exit the container through the exit channel. The tilted position of the container and the bottom of the storage chamber prevent any of the liquid in the storage chamber from flowing into the dispensing chamber and through the exit channel. After the pouring operation ends, the container is repositioned to an upright/vertical position. As the tilt angle decreases during the repositioning of the container, the liquid in the storage chamber again begins to flow into the now empty dispensing chamber. The flow of liquid into the dispensing chamber will continue until the dispensing chamber becomes full. The container is then ready for the next pouring operation. The position of the aperture between the two chambers permits substantially all of the liquid within the container to be dispensed.
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Bracewell & Patterson L.L.P.
Kashnikow Andres
Nguyen Dinh Q.
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