Dispensing – With cleaning means – Element extending through dispenser outlet
Patent
1994-10-11
1996-05-07
Shaver, Kevin P.
Dispensing
With cleaning means
Element extending through dispenser outlet
2221963, 222510, 222548, 222565, B65D 8306
Patent
active
055137768
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to dispensers for powdered and granular materials. More particularly, the present invention is directed to dispensers that prevent such materials from blocking the dispenser.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Generally, it is known that the drawback of all dispensers for fine table salt, or salt shakers marketed in various shapes, is that, after a certain time from replenishment with new salt, as a result of the tendency of salt to become clotted due to humidity, they do not permit the salt therein to be dispensed in due course. Therefore, the perforated closing cap must be unscrewed and cleaned internally to remove the clotted salt, which operation is simple but tiresome and is unpleasant to operators of public restaurants due to the complaints from the customers. Often, the salt is dispensed unevenly, or excessively due to the repeated shaking of the salt dredger, thus spoiling the food.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The article proposed by the invention is the result of improvements made in response to these drawbacks and is adapted to advantageously eliminate them. Substantially, the container of the salt dredger thus developed comprises a manually rotatable closing cap having a series of dispensing holes orderly arranged circumferentially. The cap is adapted to be mounted on an undercap made of resilient material and fixedly snap-mounted on the open end of said body of the container. The top of the undercap is formed with a wide passage opening, and the edge thereof is provided, at the top level, with inwardly-directly flexible projections carrying upwardly protruding bosses which, when these members (i.e. cap and undercap) are assembled, will rub elastically against the inner mouths of the dispensing holes to clear them, also provided ejecting action to clear them of the salt that has possibly clogged said holes. In addition, the cap may be provided on the inner side thereof with one or more tips or other projections which, by penetrating the salt in the container, will loosen or crumble it if it's clotted to render it flowable again. This loosening action is obtained simultaneously by rotating the cap with respect to the container.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The accompanying drawings show, as a non-limiting example, a basic embodiment of the article according to the invention, as well as some possible advantageous and exemplary modifications. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a general, axial sectional view of the basic embodiment of the salt shaker according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the perforated cap;
FIG. 3 is a side view of said cap having a knurled grasping edge;
FIG. 4 is a plan view of the undercap with a cross member and a pair of protruding bosses thereon;
FIG. 5 is an axial sectional view of the undercap of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is an axial sectional view of a first possible modification;
FIG. 7 is a general, axial sectional view of a second possible modification, the container body being shown only in part;
FIG. 8 is a plan view of the perforated cap provided with inwardly projecting tips for the modified embodiment of FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 is a side view of said cap with knurled grasping edge;
FIG. 10 is a plan view of the undercap for the modified embodiment of FIG. 7, with upwardly-projecting bosses formed on opposite internal projections;
FIG. 11 is an axial sectional view of the undercap of FIG. 10;
FIG. 12 is a fragmentary axial sectional view of the modified embodiment of FIG. 7, wherein the inwardly-projecting tips (15) of the cap are replaced by a single longitudinal spatula (17) secured to said cap;
FIG. 13 is a general, axial sectional view of a further possible modification.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
As clearly shown in the drawings, and more particularly in the FIGS. 1 to 5, the salt shaker according to the invention, in its basic embodiment, substantially comprises a containing body 1, an undercap 2, a cap 3 rotatably mounted on said undercap which, in contrast, is
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