Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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"Improvements relating to liquid dispensers"
This invention relates to liquid dispensers
generally, and specifically,though not exclusively,
; to feeder cups for use bybabies, invalids or handicapped
persons.
A known type of feeder cup for babies has a lid
with an integral spout. A baby is able to drink from
the cup by sucking on the spout but normally the spout
is so designed that the baby is prevented from taking
up too much liquid at a time, or from spilling a
10 substantial quantity of the contents of the cup, by
ensuring that the flow through the spout is restricted.
It is often desirable for such a cup to be carried
about whilst filled with liquid, but this can present
problems since the liquid has a tendency to leak out
15 of the spout. Whilst the lid having the integral spout
could be replaced by an alternative form of lid which
does not allow leakage when the cup is being carried,
the use of such an alternative lid is inconvenient,
particularly if the baby is to be allowed to feed at
20 frequent intervals since this will necessitate a frequent
; change of lids.
It is an ob]ect of the invention to provide a
feeder cup or other liquid dispenser which may be
carried about without risk of leakage of its contents
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and without requiring replacement of a lid by an
alternative form of lid.
According to the invention there is provided a
liquid dispenser comprising a container for a liquid,
an outlet member fitted to the container by means of
which liquid may be withdrawn from the container, and
flow control means which, when in an open position,
allows liquid to be withdrawn from the container through
the outlet member and, when in a closed position,
prevents liquid from being withdrawn from the container
through the outlet member. The liquid dispenser may be
used for a variety of purposes to enable liquid to be
dispensed from bottles, containers etc. when required but
it is particularly suited for use as a feeding cup for
infants. In this case the outlet member will be a
spout provided with at least one outlet hole.
If the flow control means is placed in the closed
position, leakage from a filled or partly filled cup is
thereby prevented whilst the cup is being carried.
When the baby is to be allowed to drink from;:the cup,
the flow control means is simply placed in the open
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position and the baby may then drink from the cup
by sucking on the spout.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the
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~ 25 flow control means is moved between its open and closed
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``~` positions by rotating an upper cup part relative to a
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lower cup part. This makes it very easy for an adult to
operate the L low control means, but helps to prevent the
flow control means from being operated accidentally or
from being operated by a baby. The upper cup part is
preferably a lid which is removable to enable the cup
to be filled with liquid, and the spout or other outlet
member is preferably integral with the lid.
The flow control means may comprise two control
surfaces which are spaced apart in the open position
and engage one another in the closed position, at least
one aperture for the supply of liquid to the outlet
member opening on at least one of the control surfaces
and being closed off when the two control surfaces engage
one another in the closed position. Ideally the control
surfaces are designed to cause progressive uncovering
of the aperture to provide a variable output during
operation of the flow control means. At least one of the
control surfaces may be in the form of a ramp surface,
; the two surfaces being moved together and apart by
rotating an upper cup part relative to a lower cup part.
It is preferred that the ramp surface should be of helical
form. As the ramp surfaces slide over one another the
adjoining planes give positive sealing, particularly
in the closed position.
Conveniently one of the control surfaces is
~ ~ provided on a removable lid, and the other control
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surface is provided on the remainder of the cup, sothat the two surfaces are opposite one another when
the lid is in position. It is preferred that the lid
and the remainder of the cup should interconnect by
means of a locating post engaging within a slot when
the lid is in position, so as to locate thetwo control
surfaces opposite one another and allow relative
movement therebetween. Ideally the slot and post
surfaces will be shaped such that rotation of the lid
in one direction causes the post to abut a stop surface
of the slot, whilst rotation of the lid in the other
direction causes the post to ride up a ramp surface
of the slot so as to assist in lifting the lid away
from the remainder of the cup.
The control surface which is not on the lid may
be located on a removable plate fitted to the top
; of the container for the liquid. This plate may then
be removed when it is required to fill the container
with liquid. The removable plate may also include
one or more apertures extending therethrough for the
passage of liquid through the plate towards the spout.
The removable plate and the container preferably include
means for locating the plate at a defined orientation~
~ with respect to the container.
;~ 25 The removable plate may incorporate a drainage hole
for draining liquid back into the container and the
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lid includes a cover portion for sealing off the drainage
hole when in the closed position. The upper face of
the lid can be dished to direct liquid towards the
drainage hole.
The invention may be performed in various ways and
a preferred embodiment thereof will now be described,
with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-
Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section through a
diametral plane of the feeder cup of this invention;
Figure 2 is an exploded sectional view of the
parts shown in Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a top plan view of an orifice plate of
the cup;
Figure 4 is an underneath plan view of a lid of
the cup;
Figure 5 is a top plan view of the lid; and
Figure 6 is a side view of the lid.
The feeder cup as illustrated particularly in
Figures 1 and 2 is made from a plastics materi~al and
: 20 comprises three separate moulded pieces, namely a
liquid container 1, an orifice plate 2 and a swivel
lid 3. The container 1 is cup-shaped having a dished
base 4 and generally tapering side wall 5. An annular
rib 5A is formed towards the top of the side wall 5
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; 25 and a rectangular cutout 7 is also formed in the top
: edge (see Figure 2).
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The orifice plate 2 (as shown particularly in
Figures 2 and 3) fits within the top of the liquid
container 1 and rests thereon by means of an annularly
projecting rib 6. It is held in a precise orientation
with respect of the container 1 by means of a downward
extension 8 of the rib 6 which fits within the cutout 7.
An outlet hole 9 passes through the plate 2 and there
is also a drainage hole 10 which passes through part
of a central dished area 11 of the plate 2. Liquid
resting on the top surface of the plate 2 will tend to
collect in the dished central area 11 and then drain
back into the container 1 through a drainage hole 10
when the cup is in an upright position. A slot 12 is
formed in the upper surface of the lid and has a stop
wall 13 at one end and a ramp surface 14 at the other
end. A closure member 15 projects outwardly from the
. plate 2 anddefines a top surface which rises helically
~ from one end 15A to the other 15B of the closure
:` member 15.
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The lid 3 (as illustrated partlcularly in Figures 2,
4, 5 and 6) is formed with a spout 16 provided-with a
numbex of outlet apertures 17. The inner end of the
spout 16 is surrounded by a surface of a second closure
member 18 this is again of helical form and projects
downwardly to an extent which increases from the one
. end 18A to the other end 18B. The end 18A is at the
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end of an extension portion 18C of the closure member.
A portion of the plastic may be omitted, as indicated
at 19, in order to reduce possible shrinkage problems
during the moulding process. An additional extension
18D of the closure member 18 incorporates a blanking
member 20.
The lid 3 fits over the container 1 and snaps in
place when an annular groove 21 fits over the rib 5A
of side wall 5 of the container 1. The lid 3 also
carries a downwardly projecting stop member 22, the one
side of which defines a ramp surface 23. This stop
member 22 fits into the slot 12 in the plate 2 and
limits the rotation of the lid in one direction when
the stop 22 hits the end wall 13 of the slot 12. A
rotation in the other direction, however, causes the
ramp surface 23 to ride up the ramp surface 14 and
thus tend to force the lid 3 upwardly until the groove 21
snaps out of the rib 5A to enable the lid 3 to be
removed from the container 1. When the cup is fully
assembled and the spout 16 is centralised over the closure
member 15 the helical surfaces of the two closure members
15 and 18 are tightly engaged with one another so that
the mouth of the spout 16 is shut off by the surface
of the closure member 15 and the extension part 18C of
the closure member 18 additionally closes off the
~ opening 9 in the plate 2. Furthermore the blanking
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member 20 forms a tight seal`over the drainage outlet
10. Hence no liquid can escape from the container
through the spout 16. As the lid 3 is rotated the
helical surface of the extension portion 18C of the
closure member 18 will start to lift away from the
opening 9 and will partially uncover that opening.
Also the mouth of the spout 16 will start to lift away
from the helical surface of the closure member 15 until
there will be a direct path from the interior of the
container 1 through the opening 9 into the spout 16.
During initial stages of rotation of the lid 3 a
progressive opening will be achieved so that the cup
can have a variable output until the fully opened
condition is reached. Rotation of the lid 3 also
causes the blanking member 20 to uncover the drainage
hole 10.
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