Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The subject invention relates generally to dry food
dispensing containers, and in particular to elongate pasta
dispensers having integral portion discharging means.
Containers for storing and dispensing elongate pasta are
well kno~n and find common use in household kitchens. Such
containers typically provide a cylindrical canister for
storing elongate pasta in an upright axial orientation, a lid
for enclosing the canister and additionally adapted to
function as a portion dispenser, and a dial cap rotatable
mounted to the lid component. The lid is provided with at
least one pro~iled aperture therethrough sized to per~it the
simultaneous axial passage of a predetermined volwme of pasta
therethrouqh when the canister is rotaked into a horixontal or
inverted postion. The dial cap components of pasta dispensers
on the market include a sized opening which can ~e rotated
into a superposed alignment over the lid aperture, whereby
permitting discharge of pasta. Alternatively, the cap can be
ro~ated into a storage position which barriers the lid
aperture to prevent inadvertent spillage of pasta.
While available pasta dispensers have been favorably
received in the market, a common deficiency prevents them from
achieving a satisfactory functional performance level. That
deficiency resides in the shape of the sized aperture through
which pasta is meted. Known apertures are shaped either
trapezoidal or triangular in plan view. In either case, with
the canister in the horizontal or inverted dispensing
position, the quantity of pasta within the canister must far
exceed the aperture volume ~or proper portion dispensing to
occur. As pasta is depleted from the canis~er, the fill line
defined by the remaining pasta migrates downward relative to
the horizontally disposed canister and will eventually pass
the upper boundary of the lid aperture. At that point,
however, the pasta volume in conventional dispensers is no
longer distributed so as to fill the portion sized lid
aperture~ Such is the case even though the total pasta
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volume remaining in the canister exceeds the lid aperture
volume. Portionment discharge by the dispenser is thereupon
no longer possible and guesswork becomes necessary in order to
withdraw a desired quantity of pasta from the container.
A pasta dispenser is disclosed comprising a cylindrical
storage canister open at one end, a canister lid having a
circular top surface, and at least one sized aperture
dimensioned to axially discharge a volume of pasta
therethrough. Each aperture is of a semi-elliptical shape in
plan view de~ined by an arcuate bottom side positioned to
promimately follow the outward curvature of the top lid
surface. Each aperture is further defined by a linear top
side which extends between opposite ends of the arcuate
aperture side and which substantially connects opposite points
of the circular top lid sur~ace. A rotatable cap is provided
having a like-shaped dispensing opening for exposing and
closing the lid aperture in selective fashion.
Accordingly, the fill line of the pasta in a
horizontally disposed canister will migrate downward with
depletion and eventually conincide with the linear top side of
the lid aperture. The fill line will not pass below the upper
boundary of the lid aperture until the volume of the remaining
pasta is less than the volumetric size of the aperture. Pasta
portion dispensing is therefore continuous until such time as
substantial depletion of the pasta within the canister has
occurred.
A further aspect of the-present invention is that the
lid and cap are provided with outward directed peripheral rim
flanges which are substantially co-planar with side walls of
the cylindrical canister. Resultingly, the canister in the
horizontal or dispensing position serves to colleck and to
aggregate the remaining pasta so as to align with the sized
cap aperture. Moreover, support of the pasta is substantially
- along its entire length throughout its discharge which
facilitates easy removal.
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Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention
; to provide a pasta dispenser having integral discharge means.
A further objective oE the present invention is to
provide a pasta dispenser having portion discharge apertures
shaped to permit free-flow of a preset volume of pasta
therethrough.
Yet a further objective of the present invention is to
provide a pasta dispenser having means for collecting and
aggregating the remaining pasta to facilitate free and
accurate portion dispensing thereof.
Still a further objective of the present invention is to
provide a pasta dispenser having apertures shaped to permit
- accurate portion discharge of pasta until the pasta contained
by the dispensor is substantially depleted.
A further objective is to provide a pasta dispenser
having integral capping means to selectively permit and
inhibit discharge of pasta Erom the dispenser.
These and other objectives, which will become apparent
to one skilled in the art, are achieved by a preferred
embodiment which is described in detail below, and which is
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
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Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the subject
pasta dispenser.
Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the subject pasta
dispenser.
Fig. 3 is a transverse section view thereof taken along
- the broken line 3-3 o~ Fig. 2.
~ Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the lid component of the
`~ 30 subject invention illustrating a pasta fill line superposed
'~ thereagainst.
~ig. 5 is a representation of the prior art illustrating
in top plan view a lid having a portion aperture
i therethrough with a pasta fill line superposed thereagainst O
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Detailed Description of the Preferred Emobdiment
Referring first to figD 1, the subject dispenser
assembly 2 is shown as generally comprising three components:
a cylindrical canister body 4; a cylindrical lid component 6;
and a cylindrical cap 8. The canister 4 includes cylindrical
sides 8 which define an internal cavity 12 open at a top end.
Midway along the length of the cylinder sides 10 is an outward
extending peripheral flange 14.
The lid component 6 of the dispenser assembly 2 is
tO provided with generally cylindrical sides 16. An outward
extending rim flang 18 extends from a lower end of the sides
16. It will be appreciated that the outwarding extending
1ange 18 constitutes a handle for the purpose of removing the
lid component 6 from the cylindrical canister 4. The
sidewalls 15 of the lid 6 are stepped inwardly at the forward
end as shown at 20. The lid 6 is further provided with a
circular top surface 22 from which the stepped sides 20
project. Centrally disposed within the top surface 22 is a
central assembly aperture 24. Inward ~acing surfaces 26 of
the stepped sides 20 extend outward from the peripheral rim of
;~ the circular top surface 22.
As shown in Fiy. 1, two apertures 28, 30 are provided
within the top surface 22 having a shape specified belo~. The
apertures 28, 30 are sized having different respecti~e
volumes. While only two apertures 28, 30 are shown, it will
be appreciated that additional, differing sized apertures may
also be provided within the top surface 22, if so desired.
The shape of each dispensing aperture 28, 30 can be
understood as follows. Each aperture is defined in part by an
arcuate bottom side 32 which is disposed adjacent to the
peripheral rim of the top surface 22 of lid 6 and generally
follows the curvature thereof. ~ linear side 34 of the
~; aperture extends between opposite ends of the curved arcuate
side 32. Accordingly~ the linear side 34 is seen to represent
~ essentially a chord of the circular top surface 22 which
- ` connects opposite circum~erential poi~ts thereo~. In gene~al,
each of the apertures 28, 30 have a semi-elliptical shape in
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which the arcuate portion thereof proximately coincides with
the curved periphery of the top surface 22. It will also be
appreciated from Fig. 1 that the outward extendin~ inward
sides 26 of the stepped lid portion 20 lie essentially
co-planar with the arcuate sides 32 of the apertur2s 28, 30.
The cap component 8 likewise comprises cylindral sides
36 and has a circular top surface 38. A registration bead 40
~: i5 disposed centrally of the circular top surface 28 and a
peripheral rim flange 42 extends outward therefro~. A
selection aperture 44 is disposed within the circular top
surface 38 and has a general shape similar to the apertures
28, 30 of the lid component 6.
Assembly of the su~ject dispenser proceeds as follows.
The canister 4 is designed to contain a volume of elongate
pasta, which will be stored in an upright axial orientation.
The lid component fits closely over the open end of the
cylindral canister 4 and bottoms against the peripheral flange
- 14. Permanently and rotatably secured to the lid component 6
is the cap component 8. The cap component 8 rotatably fits
~` 20 over the end of the lid component 6 and rotates against the
-~; inward stepped sides 20 thereof~
` Referring collectively to Fig. 1, 2, and 3, the
dispenser assembly 2 is utilized as follows. The canister 4
is rotated into a horizontal configuration as shown in Fig. 1
so that the collective pasta stored inside is gathered at the
bottom by the curved sides 10. The cap co~ponents 8 is
thereafter rotated until the aperture 44 coaligns with either
aperture 28 or aperture 30. Apertures 28, 30 are sized so as
to represent the volume of pasta necessary for a specified
number of portions. For example, the smaller sized aperture
28 can be sized to represent the volwme of pasta necessary for
- a single serving portion and the larger aperture for amultiple
serving portion. upon coalignment of the cap aperture 44
with, or example, aperture 30, the canister body 4 is further
rotated into an inverted position so that -the pasta stored
` therein slides through the co-aliyned apertures.
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It should be appreciated that the outward extending
peripheral cap rim flange 42, the outward extending in~ard
sldewalls 26 of lid 6, and the internal surfaces of the
canister sides 10 are substantially co-planar. The result is
that the pasta to be dispensed through apertures 30, 44 moves
along a continuous arcuate surface composed by the
aforementioned component surfaces. Smooth egress of the pasta
through the co-aligned apertures results. Further, because of
the aformentioned curved adjoining component surfaces, the
pasta remains aggregated throughout its discharge from the
canister body 4 in a close axial alignmentO Accurate portion
discharging is thereby enh~nced.
Considering the dispenser assembly 2 in its horizontal
or inverted discharge position as shown in fig. 1 and 4, it
can be seen that as the pasta stored within the canister 4 is
depleted, the fill line defined by the top of the remaining
pasta progresses downward. The fill line is representatively
shown by line A-B in Fig. 4. Fill line A-3 extends across the
width of the canister and across the top surfaces 22, 38 of
components 6, 8 respectively. For purposes of explanation,
portion dispensing aperture 28 will be referred to.
Because of the shape of aperture 28, as the pasta fill
line ~-B progresses downward, it will at some point coincide
; with the linear topside 34 of the aperture. At that point,
-~ the volume of pasta remaining in the canister will
substantially equal the volumetric portion of pasta
represented by the aperture. Because of the collective
cooperation between the curved bottom sides of the canister 4,
the lid 6, and the cap 8, the remaining pasta is collected at
the botto~ of the dispenser assembly and can be discharged
through the aperture out pasta down to the point where the
volume of pasta remaini~g in the canister 4 equals the volume
-~ of the aperture 28.
In contrast with the foregoing, the prior art is shown
~- in Fig. 5~ The fill line represented by A-B is shown as
extending across the top lid of the prior art dispenser
assembly. The prior art lid is shown as generally comprising
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a trapeæoidal dispensing aperture 45 defined by a top arcuate
boundary 46 and a bottom arcuate boundry 4~. It will be
appreciated that as the fill line of A-B migrates downward
through depletion, it at some point will cross the top arcuate
boundry 46 of the dispensing aperture 45. Below this point,
the dispenser cannot discharge an accurate portion of pasta
through aperture 45 since the entire aperture must be filled
in order for the user to withdraw the preselected volume of
pasta. However, as shown in fig. 5, at the point when the
fill line crosses over the top arcuate boundary 46 of the
discharge aperture 45, a substantially greater volume of pasta
than the volume of aperture 45 remains in the canister. An
excess volume of pasta is therefore required in order for the
prior art aperture to remain functional. That excess pasta
volume is represented at 50 in fig. 5. It will ~e appreciated
that after the fill line drops below the top boundary of the
aperture 45 accurate discharge of pasta is not possible even
though the total remaining volume of pasta within the canister
may in fact exceed the volume of aperture 45.
` 20 From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the
subject invention provides a pasta dispensing assembly which
is simple to manufacture and which consists of a minimal
number of components. The dispenser assembly cap and lid are
` provided with apertures of a shape which enhances free
movement of elongate pasta therethrough. Fur~her, the
coaligning flanges of the cap7 the lid, and the cylindrical
canister body insure that the pasta will be supported along
its entire length through the discharge procedure. As a
result, accurate and smooth egress of the pasta from the
canister is facilitated. Finally, the shape of the apertures
within the lid and cap component insure that the apertures
continue to function to portion out volumes of pasta until the
pasta within the canister is substantially depleted. This
advantage is realized because the pasta fill line mus~ pass
the upper linear side of each dispensing aperture,
-~ substantially coextensive along its length. In contrast, the
~ prior art apertures become disfunctional prior to the point
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when the volume of remaining pasta within the canister eguals
the volume of the dispensing aperture.
While the above describes the preferred emodiment of the
subject invention, the teachings herein are not to be so
confined. Other emodiments, which will become apparent to one
skilled in the art, and which utilize the teachings herein set
forth are inteded to be within the scope and the spirit of the
subject disclosure,
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