CA2032494A1 - Dosing and pouring spout for a liquid, powdered or granulated products packing container - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT :

Packing and distribution of liquid or powdered products. The dosing and pouring spout includes : a wall (2) provided with at least one opening (3), at least one tubular element (9), fixed by a first end (10) of one of the sides of the wall (2) for surrounding the opening, and which defines a dosing chamber (13) which is open at its second end (11), and an obturator (12) with a flap, with an elastic return and manual control, designed to close the second end. Application for food products.

Description

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DOS' ' A.N~ POtJRlNG SP~UT FOR A LIQUI~ POWDERE;D OR GRANULA~ED PRODUCTS
PACKING CONTAINER
TECHN I CAL F I ELD
~his invention relates to packa~iny and the distribution of liquid, powdered or granulated product5 which are to be removed ,n successive doses ~rom a container to be distrib~ted for ~he purpose of usage.
~EVl~US TECHNIQUE
~o satisfy the above requirement, the previous technique proposed a numbeI of solutions whi~h concern means directly incorpo.ated into t~le ~sable volume of the packagiog container specifically manufactured for this purpose. This is tne case o~ the texts ~ound in Frencll patents 1 586 932, 1 590 565, 2 0~1 809 (69-36 ~27) and 2 209 357 (73-39 869).
~n all the solutions proposed by these publications, dosage and distribution means are discussed whi~h are constituted by partitions walls disposed in chicanes realative to each other in such a way th~t after several tipping movements of the container a dose of the produ~t is confined in a temporary packaging cavity from which the dose can be distributed.
The first drawback of Ihe method described above lies in the ~ifiiculty of making a visual evaluation of the constitution of th~
dose ~hen manipulatin~ ~he container. Thus users have no way of checking that t~e product i;lows correctly, that the exact dosage has be~n constituted nor of altering the dose to meet their requirements.
Another drawback of the techniques is that dosage and distribution ~ethods can neither ensure a~urate distrib~tion dosaye nor effective sealiny of the dosage means nor of the u~able volume of the container or packaging.
The toregoing prevents these technical means to be ~sed for dosage and distribution o~ ligllid, powdered and yranulated products with strong hygroscopic properties leading to the impossibility of emptying once products have aggregated. Such products are commonly used domestically ior food products the storage conditions of which frequently imply the dllr~bility of the flavour characteristiCs h~hich are us~ally modified by Permanent contact with ambient humidity.
'I'~.is purpose o~ t~is invention is to counter this problem b~ the use of a new dosin~ and pouring spout the specific design of which enable~
it.s adaptation as an integral part of a pacXaging contalner either as an integral part of the seal cap of the container or as an accessory adapated to a container or a seal cap.
~nother object of the invention is to propose a dosing and pouring spout which both meet~ the ~bove objective and is easy to manufdcture at an interesting co~t by addit!onally providing the possibility of distributing variable produ~t doses within a range nf settings, An additional advantage of the design of the invention lies in the eapacit~ provided by the spout to distribute accurate, repeatable doses rapidly without altering the properties of the remainder of the product in the packaging container.

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Ano~ ~r object of the inventlon lies in the possibility o~ producirlg, ~irectly or indirectly, a packasing con~alner ~hioh, al.hougn fitte~
wi~h a do~ing and pouring spout looks l~ke a conventional container with the same characteristios and advantages for manufacturing, filling, storage and stdcking.
~E'rAI~S CONCERNI~G ~HE INVEN~iON
To attain the o~je~tives described above, the doslng and pouring 5pout.~onsid~red as the invention in^lud~ :
- a par-tition with a least one opening ~ ~t least one tubular or similar co~ponent, at least one transparert p~rt, ~oined by a first end of one of the parti~ion fac~s to surroun~
~ne opening o~ which the general direction of the longitudinal axis forms an angle between 0 and 90~ to the ~ace of the partition and w~iCh defines a dosage chamber open at its second end, - and a shut-o'f val~e ~ith ~anually controlled elas~ic return, ~itte-3 t~ the tubular component normally to close the second end.
BRlEF DESCRIPTION OF ~E DR~WlN~S
Sonle other characteristics and advantages of the object of the inven~ion are shown in the foll~ing desr~ip~ion, to ~e cons~dered in relation to the dra~ings in which :
Figure 1 is a partial cross-sectional elevatlon of an example of the wa~ the object of the invention co~ld be n~ade, E~igures 2 & 3 are outline vie~s illustra~ing on a smaller sca'e two implementa~ion variations.
~`igure 4 is a cross-sectional elevation illustrating on ~ larger scale an implementation characteristic of one of the elements w~ich p~rtially constitutes the objeet of the invention, Fi~ures 5 & 6 ~re cross-sections showing implementation variatiOtls of some of the dosing and pouring spout elements, Figure 7 is an outline view illustrating t~e use of the ob~ect of the invention.
~igure 8 is a cross-sectional elevation showing on a larger scale ano~her partial implementation shape of the object of the invention~
qures 9 and l0 are outline views relating to the use of the example given in Figure 8, F`igures ll & 12 are cross-sectional elevations showing on a larger scale t~o other implementation variations o~ the object of .he invention.
Figure~ 13 ~ 15 are outline v~ews showing implementation variations.

~l~HE BEST WAY TO IMPLEME~'T TH~ INvENTIo~
In Ihe first implementation example s~own in Figure l, whicn appears ~o be the least costly and most simple way, the dosing and pouring spout designated overa!l as Regerence 1, lncludes a support partition 2 which has at least one openin~ 3. Par~ition Z can be part of a packag~ 4 or a cap 5 as the top o~ this latter, for example. Pa~titio 2 can also be made, as shown ~n ~he drawing, as a platen adaptabl~
inside partially recessed cap ~, the top of which is then materialise~
by a shoulder or rim 6 against which a platen of this type can be ~eld so as ~o be removable or not. CaP 5 is then fitted so as to be removable with the inssertion of seal 7 on collar 8 of container 4.
~r~ dosing and pourins spo~t lncludes a tubular or similar component implemented in an at least partially transparent material mar~ed Wi~l graduated level scales and the lo~itudinal x-x~ axis of which can ~e either straight as s~own in Fig. 1, or curved as shown in ~ig. 2.
Tu~ular co~ponent 9 possesses a first open end lG which i5 joined to sopport palte 2. Joining can be the resul~ of single unit prod~ction, ~or example ~y moulding or by a connection between component 9 and partition 2 by glueing or a s'milar process or by insertion of a male part lOa of component 9 into additiondl part 3a adjacent to opening as shown in Fig. 3.
In everY case, tub~lar component 9 surrounds opening ~ in such a way that its x-x' axis passes throu~h the opening forming a preferahly acute anyle ~ with parti~ion 2 in the O to 90 range, If component l is implemented as a cap or oap accessory, open~n~ 3 i~
:nade as close as possible to the edge of partition Z and the tub~lar component preferably is of a lenyth selected as a function of angle O
sn tha~ the second open end 11 is included within the projection o~
~he spatial requirement of cap 5.
~t should be considered that a similar support partition 2 could include more than one opening 3 each of which surrounded by a tubulat component ~ with w~ich each would co~pose a dosing and pouring spo~t.
Second open end 11 of tubular component 9 is associated with a out-oE~
l~ capable o~ closing end 11 to define, by the internal vol~me of I tubul~r compenent 9, a dosage chamber 13 in permanent communica~lon .h usable ~olume 14 of pac~age 4 via opening 3. Cut-off 12 is a type n~ clack-valve with a~ elastic return directly commanded or commanded by a trigger, support~d by tubular component 9.
The clack-valve type cut-off, as shown in Figs. l and 4, includes cut-of~ plate 15 made from any suitable rigid material which i5 fitted to tubular component 9 via hinge or articulation part 16 and an elastic return function in the closed position of chamber 13. For this purpose, part 15 can, advantageously, be made with a shaped spriny blade which is an integral paxt of or joined to t~bular component and plate 15.
Cut.-o~f 12 includes a seal~ng liner l? on t~e ~ace o~ ~he plate ! directed towards open end 11. SEaling liner 17 is preferably comprised of a film 18 covering and holding in place a padding cushion-buffer or . similar l9. A cushion of this type can advantayeously ~e made oE
~uitable foam material or by a capsule or by a gas or liquid load.

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Seal 'iner 17 works wi~h seat~ng ~ presente~ by t~e open ~ransveIsal erld in the sh~pe o~ a peripheIal continuous fin arising, for exampie, from the presence of chamfer 21. Preferably, fin ~0 is limite~ by a straight edge to provide a bearing surface able to work in the best conditions with seal liner 17. Under the continuous action of of elastic return exerted by part 16, seal liner 17 ;s pressed against seating 20 which ls partially imprinted into the thickness of pa~ding cushion 19 through fil~ 1~ thus creating peripheral sealin~
isolati~g dosage chamber 13 from the ambient environment.
~ubular component 9, part of the dosing and pouring spout can be of any suitable shape in a straight cross-section such as 'he circula form shown in Fig. ~. In some cases, tubular component 9 can be a curvilinear trian~ular shape hlth rcunded pea~s as shown in F'ig. 6.
C)pening 3 in support partition 2 feeds a single pourer (22). In a preferred construction approac~., pourer (22) is made in suc~ a way that opening 3 prDvides ~he smallest usable passage in a straight l~r~e to the spout for reasons developed below.
~ependin~ on t~e shapes and forms selected ~or oPening ~ and tubular component 3, this latter can surround the opening widely or be close-set.
~n the application to a -ontainer or package for do~estic products, the dosing and ?o~ring spout described above is used in the follvwing way.
Wherl constituting and distributing a dose of product P contained in the paokaging container 4, users orientate tubular component 9 a~
sho~n in Fig. 1, then rota~e and tilt con~ainer 4 in the direction of ~rrow fl, u~til the mass of product P is deposited at a higher level ~han spout 22. In this way, produc~ P flows i~to ch~mher 13 which i9 clo~od by cut-~fL lZ.
A precise dose, visually evaluated by ~sers, is established by rotating the container in the opposite direction after chamber 1.~ ha~
filled so that the product is aligned with the threshold of pourer (~Z) as shown in Figure 7.
~n this position users only have to exert pressure on cut-off plate 1~, in the direction shown by arrow f2 to pivot it thus enabling the o~ening of the second transversal section 11 and the emptying of dose of product P into anot~er con~iner.
After empt~ing dose D, users ter~inate their action in the direction oE arrow fZ and ~elease cut-off plate 15 h~hich is rapidly returned by spring 16 to its position against seating 20. The return impact oI
plate 15 when closing chamber 13 removes any product adhering either to seating 20 or to film 18 or to tubular component 9. 7n this way, sealing is induced without intervention b~ users who only have to implement a tipping, opening and release sequence on the cut-off to obtain an accurate dose without risk of retention. The release and ~limination of traces of product on plate 15 and on the seating ensure that chamber 13 is perfectly clean when the next dose D i5 prepared.

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The remainder of product P in oontainer 4 is fully isolated fIom any permanant contact wit~ the ambient environment which ensures c~rre~t Elow and CQnserveS t~e intrinsic essentlal characteristics of ~he product, such as fl~vour in slightly, moderatel~ ana even stron~ly hygroscopic food products. The same ap~lies to packaging, dosagc and distri~ution of liquid produc~s of ~ more or less volatile nature.
It should be considere~ that ~he specific shape of pourer (~2) ~esults in an opening ~ with a usable ~assage cross-section which becomes narrower close to pourer (22). In this way, when tipping as shown by arrow fl, product P is obliged to flow into the wider cross-section passage of opening 3 which erables rapid effective filling o~ chamber l~ ~nd ensure~ ~hat doses are a~ways ~ccurate. This dose can be adjusted, after ~sing t~le filling procedure described above, by tipping container q in the opposite direction from shown by arrow fl to induce a counter-flow of product P between chamber 13 and volume l4. In this way, product P, inle~ to chamber 1~ is o~liged ~o ret~n via the smallest passage cross-section of opening 3. In this way it ;s ~ossible to adjust dose D a~cu;ately without risk of the major par~ oi .his dose re~urning to volume 14 when counter-tipping conatiner 4.
~ig. ~ shows an advanta~eous arrangement cor.sisting in inclu~ing i~l the wall of tubular component 9 a local necking 40 located in the peripheral part o~ the wall opposite pourer ~2). It is preferable to ~hape necking 40 with ~ shallowly inclined part 40a commencing from close to the base of tubular component 9 surrounding oper.ing 3. Part 40a defines, inside chamber 1~, a convergence 41 ~he cross-section of t~e usable passage of which progressively decreases until it joins ~ith part 4~b which is steeply inclined. Part 40~ operates, inside tubular compo~ent 9, divergence 42 opening towards txansversal cross-~ection 11. Preferably, part 40b is located in virt~al alignment Wit}
pourer (22), considerin3 a directio~ y perpendicular to the plane cf support partition ~.
Necking 40 is desi~ned to comprise, ~fter the first filling t~p shown in Fig. 9, a shoulder braking the return of the product followin~ dOS~
D
when the container is tlpped baok again, as shown in Fig. 10.
RIa~ing, used in conjunction wi~h pourer (22) enables the dose users require to be adjusted accurately, i~mediately and without precautior in chamber 13.
T~e invention means that it ~ s also ~)ossible to envisage fitting the dosing and po~rin~ spout with means of adju~ting the quantity of the dose rapidly and without precaution. One example of implementation is shown in Fig. ll in which such means of dosage designated ~y reference 50 use a tubular rin~ 51 mounted freely to slide telescopically on t~bular component 9. Segment 51 can be immobilized axially via l~ck part S2, such as an inlet valve needle, traversing tubu~ar ring 51 to work with axial gro~ve 53 presented ~y tubular component 9. SEaling bellows 54 is t~en fitted between ring 51 and tubular component 9 to isolate dosase chamber 13 from the ambient environment.

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shows another implementation ~f ~esource 50 whic~ in this case is ~i~ted with part 60 of the periphery of tubular component 9 made from flexible ma~eria1 and capable of ~ccupying either a positi~n towards the exterior as shown by the combined dashes or a position ~ow2rds the in~eriDr protruding inside the usable volume of c~lamber the volume of whic~l is t~us reduced. The ~hi.t from o~e position to the other can be induced by pressure which makes an elastic flip-flop deform and which in t~is way impa~ts a sort of memory to part o~
~eformable partition ~0, Othel means of dosage setting cdn be envisaged. Liner 17 of cut-o~f i c~n be made in such a way as to make it elastically deforma~le ~ia set screw supported by cut-of f plate 1~.
Using the methods descri~ed above, it becomes po~sible to seal a pac~aging container and to extract from it rapidly an ac~urate, repea~able and adjustable dose o~ the product it contains without E~lacing the remainder of the product in durable contact with an am~ient environment likely to ~lter it.
FuIthermore, the means in the invention do not use any type Of ~d~lstment part, even ~echanical, the ope~ation of which, ~ric,ion or relative ~otion could ca~se da~ags to the product to be distriibuted or any risk of clogging likely to rende~ ~he dosing and pouring spout ineffective.
The co~bined dashes in Fig. 1 show an impleme~tation variation selected to enable stacking despite the protruding part form~d ~y tubular csmponent 9. In this example tubul~r component Y is covered by cap 70 attached to cap 5 by any known attachment method.
Figure 13 shows an applicatio~ of the dosing and pouring spout to a container 70 with a similar or larger capacity th~n that of thc domestic containers considered above, Container 70 is, for eY~ample~
titted to rotate on shaft 71 either manual!y or driven by a motor.
Container ?D is a tank, refillable or not, into whic~ a volume of product has been inlet in su~h a way as to represent a vol~me lower t~an the usable volume of the tank. The container rotates as shown by arrow f3 for reasons de~eloped below.
Container 70 is fitted with, on its peripheral partition wall and in ~reference close to one of the transversal partition walls, at least one dosing and pouring spout as described in the invention and above.
As the adaptation shown in Figs. 13 & 14 shows, container 70 has an intermediate capacity 72 delimited by partition wall 2 to which tubular component 9 i~ ~ttached, Preferably, in thi~. application, tubular component 9 is orientated externally to the transversal partition wall as in 732, so as to enable cooperation between cut-of~
12 ~nd a fixed position stop or similar 74.
F_o~ a state such as that shown in combined dashes in ~ig. 14, the powdered product fills capacity 72 occupying the lower position.
Rotation in the direction of arrow f3 ~r~dually brings capacity 72 to the upper p~sition with a circul~r trajectory which enhances filling of spout 1. This operational phase is the equivalent of that described in Figs. 7 to 10 inclusive.

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In tl.~ up~er position, tubular ~omponent 9 is filled completely and ~an be emptied manually or autom~tically by c03per~ion bet~een oa~
and stop 74.
For each rotation o~ tank 70, spo~t 1 can deliver a dose of ~,roduct toa hopper o~ other filling device.
In an applic~tion suc~ as that s~lown in Figs. 13 ~ 14, container '/0 c~n be fitted wi~h several capacities ~2 iit.ed with spout 1 ~nd ~qually spaced apart or non-~ngularly.
Container 70 can also be fitted with a fixed or mobile inte nel mixeJ
to enhance product mixture when container 70 is rotated. ~n intern~l Mixture can comprise an arm, a hoop, a stirrup, etc...
~ontainer 70 ~an be o~ any suitable shape and type and fit~ed to a ~ixed or mobile workstation as ~art oi a pIo~essing, conditioning, mixing plant, or not, or u~ed for pastes, powders and gr~nul~ted pIoduct~, ~i~. 15 shows another variation in which pourer ~2 is bordered by strip or blade 75 designed to scrape the product to ena~ance spout filling, more specifically but not exh~ustivel~ for u6e in an ~pplication in which the conatainer is a rotating tank 70.
POSSlBLE INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS
This invention can be advantageously applied to condition~ng containers for powdered ~ood produ~ts.

Claims (16)

CL???S

1 - Dosing and pouring spout for a liquid, powdered or granulated products packing container (4), characterised by :
- a partition wall (2) with at least one opening (3) - at least one tubular or similar component (9), at least one transparent part, joined by a first end (10) of one of the partition faces (2) to surround the opening of which the general direction of the longitudinal axis (x-x1) forms an angle (.alpha.) between O" and 90° to the face of the partition and which defines a dosage chamber (13) open at its second end, - and a shut-off valve (12) with manually controlled elastic return, fitted to the tubular component normally to close the second end.

2 - Dosing and pouring spout as claimed in 1 above, characterized by a cut-off clack-type valve (12) with a cut-off plate (15) on one of the faces of which is a sealing liner (17) designed to cooperate with support seating (20) composed of a peripheral fin presented by the second end (11) of the tubular component (9).

3 - Dosing and pouring spout as claimed in 2 above, characterized as the sealing liner (17) is made of a deformable buffer comprising a smooth film (18) and padding material (19).

4 - Dosing and pouring spout as claimed in 1 above, characterized as opening (3) in support partition (2) constitutes a pouring threshold (22)

5 - Dosing and pouring spout as claimed in 4 above, characterized as opening (3) is shaped to define a passage cross-section with the smallest usable width in front of the pouring threshold.

6 - Dosing and pouring spout as claimed in 1 above, characterized as the tubular component includes a local neck (40) virtually from its base close to the opening (3) and in a part of its wall opposite pouring threshold (22).

7 - Dosing and pouring spout as claimed in 6 above, characterized as the local neck (40) includes a shallowly inclined part 40a defining a convergence (41) in the filling direction of the tubular component and part 40b which is steeply inclined orientated in the opposite direction, including divergence (42) in the direction in which tubular component (9) fills.

8 - Dosing and pouring spout as claimed in 7 above, characterized as the more steeply inclined part (40b) is located in virtual alignment with pourer (22), considering a direction y perpendicular to the plane of support partition (2).

9 - Dosing and pouring spout as claimed in 1 above, characterized as the tubular component (9) is fitted with means of adjusting the dose.

10 - Dosing and pouring spout as claimed in 9 above, characterized as the means of adjustment (50) consist of graduated scales present in the transparent part of the tubular component.

11 - ??sing and pouring spout as claimed in 10 above, characterized as the means of adjustment (50) consist of a telescopic tubular ring (51) fitted adjustable on the tubular component (9).

12 - Dosing and pouring spout as claimed in 9 above, characterized as the as the means of adjustment (50) consist of a part of the partition wall (60) which can be deformed elastically.

13 - Dosing and pouring spout as claimed in 1 to 12 above, characterized as it contains a tubular component (9) covered by cap (70) for stacking purposes.

14 - Dosing and pouring spout as claimed in 13 above, characterized as the tubular component (9) is rendered imovable from the support partition (2) by a male-female assembly.

15 - Dosing and pouring spout as claimed in 14 above characterized as the tubular component is fitted to a partition wall (2) constituting a capacity formed at the periphery of a container in the shape of a rotating tank.

16 - Dosing and pouring spout as claimed in 15 above characterized as the tubular component also includes extension from the transversal plane of a partition wall enclosing the tank.