Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Background of the Invention
Description of Prior Art
Different types of handles housing fluids are known in the prior art.
Generally, the handles tend to
house the fluid directly in the handle, similarly to U.S. Patent Number
6,425,701 (B I), issued to
Jacobs on July 30, 2002. This patent discloses a liquid dispensing handle that
releases an
unmeasured amount of fluid from the proximal end when pressure is applied to a
plate. The distal
end of the handle possesses a screw cap which may be removed to fill the in-
handle reservoir with
fluid. Other patents do not house the fluid directly inside the handle, but
use a secondary container,
which is itself housed inside the handle. Chinese Patent Number 201,469,232
(U), issued to
Qiaorong, Kuo and Li on May 19, 2010, discloses a handle-type cleaning cloth,
and houses the fluid
inside a bag, which is then inserted into a handle. Compression of the bag
with a lever attached to a
spring-loaded plate forces the liquid out of the bag and into a cloth.
Patents such as the Chinese Patent Number 103,569,931 (A), issued to Li on
February 12, 2014,
disclose a smart oil dispenser which makes use of a sensor to detect cooking
appliances before
automatically dispensing oil. This dispenser uses atmospheric pressure and
gravity to move the oil,
but unlike previously mentioned patents, is not integrated into a handle. In
addition, the use of
gravity to create pressure is dependent upon the height of the liquid column,
and is thus only
maximally efficient when the column of liquid is vertical.
The accurate measurement of dispensed fluids has been accomplished in patents
such as U.S. Patent
Number 6,877,639 (B1), issued to Hanson on April 12, 2005. This patent
discloses a liquid
measuring and dispensing device which attaches directly to the opening of a
bottle of fluid,
eliminating the need to use a secondary container to measure liquid volumes.
However, this patent
cannot be incorporated into a liquid-filled handle due to the nature of its
design. Similarly, South
Korean Patent Number 20,120,085,455 (A) discloses a nozzle that is capable of
adjusting the
amount of cooking oil that it dispenses. However, it is not possible to
determine the exact quantity
of oil being dispensed, and the dispensing method uses a hose which must be
manipulated.
Several syringes exist in prior art, most being similar in structure to U.S.
Patent Number 2,869,541
(A), issued to Easton and Helmer on January 20, 1959. Newer inventions such as
WIPO Patent
Number W02007042592 (Al) disclose a syringe for administering multiple doses.
Although this
syringe is intended for medical injections, its structure from the plain tip
towards the plunger, with
the needle removed is able drive the movement of fluid through the barrel with
the use of a plunger,
and possesses a locking mechanism to prevent the plunger from moving
backwards. This locking
mechanism is useful, but not necessary in the use of cooking applications. The
syringe does not
possess a mechanism to prevent its rotation inside a handle.
Removable handles are often attached to an appliance by a gripping mechanism.
Alternatively,
handles may be attached to their appliance with a mechanism that, when
inserted into an appliance,
locks in place. Although the present invention does not pertain to the
attachment mechanism at the
proximal end of the handle, it is intended to be used in conjunction with an
attachment mechanism.
U.S. Patent Number 3,306,647 (A), issued to Imhoff on February 28, 1967,
discloses a detachable
handle with a gripping mechanism that could be implemented with the invention.
U.S. Patent
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Number 2,494,159, issued to Bernstein on January 10, 1950, discloses a
detachable handle for pots
and pans which attaches to the appliance by locking into place upon insertion.
Several other
detachable handles exist that have attachment mechanisms capable of being used
in the context of
the invention.
It is evident from the foregoing that the prior art fails to accomplish the
task of accurately dispensing
known quantities of fluid from a reservoir embedded into a hollowed-out
handle. Prior art that is
capable of dispensing fluid from a handle fails to measure the dispensed
volumes accurately, while
accurate means of dispensing fluids are not found in conjunction with hollow
handles. Prior art
describing syringes is useful, but would most likely be unable to remain
stationary without rotation
in the hollow handle of the present invention.
Field of the Invention
The field of the invention pertains to devices capable of quantitatively
dispensing fluids. More
specifically, the invention is a device that dispenses fluids housed in
compartments of a handle
which may be easily attached to and removed from several appliances, such as
kitchenware. The
fluid is contained inside a transparent syringe with volumetric markings and a
plunger. This syringe
is housed inside the removable handle, which possesses a window used to access
the tab at the base
of the plunger, 8, as seen in Figure 1. The distal end of the removable handle
possesses a removable
screw cap, and may be removed to extract the syringe.
Although there are no known inventions pertaining to removable handles capable
of dispensing oil,
this invention holds many advantages over other devices whose handles house
fluids. In particular,
the invention possesses a syringe with volumetric markings so that the desired
quantity of fluid may
be accurately dispensed by the user. The tab, found at the base of the
plunger, and extending out of
the window along the handle, 6, may be pushed towards the proximal end of the
handle by the user
with his or her thumb. This motion causes the plunger to move forward, and
fluid is dispensed, due
to the increased pressure. The fluid is dispensed through the curved
trajectory tip of the syringe and
out of the overhanging lip into the appliance reservoir. During this motion,
the user may observe the
volume of fluid dispensed by viewing the volumetric markings along the barrel
of the syringe. When
the user stops applying pressure to the tab at the base of the plunger,
displacement of the fluid also
stops. For a market in which consumers worry about the quantity of fat they
consume, the ability to
accurately dispense oil for cooking is crucial. Further, for example in a bar,
where over pouring and
spilling reduces profits, dispensing measured amounts of alcohol becomes
foolproof. In yet another
example where the invention may be employed, the quick dough or batter release
onto a cooking
surface will benefit from the fast and measured accuracy as well as the direct
dispensation with no
spilling or mess. Whereas other devices are generally restricted to dispensing
limited quantities of
fluid, or devices which do not specify the quantity of fluid being dispensed,
the quantity of fluid that
this invention is capable of dispensing is designated by the user, allowing
him or her to have full
control over the amount added to the reservoir of his or her appliance.
In addition to the ability to accurately dispense fluid, the syringe may be
easily removed from the
detachable handle. This feature is important to both protect the user as well
as to facilitate the
process of filling the handle. A device that houses the fluid directly inside
the handle would not be
appropriate as it becomes hard to clean and it cannot be removed simply and
quickly. For example,
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in the event that the user wishes to employ the removable handle of the
invention in conjunction
with a pan for cooking after the addition of oil, the user may simply remove
the syringe such that
their oil is not oxidized. This is especially important in cases where it may
be desired to place the
pan with the removable handle attached in an oven, where temperatures could
become dangerously
high for a compartment with flammable oil. A device whose handle directly
holds the oil would be
difficult to clean, as a large amount of oil would remain in the hollow part.
Volumetric markings along the barrel of the syringe are oriented so that the
user can identify them
through the window of the handle. To ensure proper orientation, the plunger
tab of the syringe is
shaped such that insertion of the plunger into the handle requires that the
plunger tab extends snugly
through the window. This feature of the invention makes insertion of the
syringe into the handle
with improper orientation impossible. Because the tab extends snugly through
the window, rotation
of the syringe is impossible, creating an ease of use for the user.
The invention possesses an overhanging lip at the proximal end of the
removable handle. This lip
extends towards the interior of the liquid vessel of the appliance to which
the invention is attached.
This design lowers the risk of fluid making contact with other surfaces of the
appliance, reducing
spillage and its associated risks.
The invention is primarily intended to be used in conjunction with a removable
handle mechanism,
which does not interfere with the present handle design. While several
attachment mechanisms
could be used, we show our preferred embodiment in Figure 5, the original
image from U.S. Patent
Number 3,306,647 (A).
It is therefore evident that the present invention provides a novel mechanism
to accurately and
cleanly dispense quantities of any liquid designated by the user. This is
especially important when
considering the health of individuals who may wish to, or are advised by their
physician, to use
measured quantities of oil while cooking. In conjunction with the ability to
remove the syringe from
the handle for safety as well as cleaning, the invention is a novel device
that may be useful in
several applications, such as kitchenware.
Summary of the Invention
Generally, the invention comprises two components. The first component is the
handle, which is
hollow and houses the second component, which is the syringe. The topmost
surface of the handle
possesses a window with which to view the volumetric markings of the syringe,
and to provide a
channel for the tab extending vertically from the plunger. The window extends
towards the distal
end of the handle. The distal end of the handle possesses a screw cap. The
proximal end of the
handle possesses an overhang on the lower surface, which extends towards the
reservoir of the
appliance. This overhang has a hole through which the tip of the syringe is
inserted such that the
fluid cannot dribble down the inside of the handle housing becoming caked on
the inside, becoming
hard to clean and possibly becoming a safety hazard. The fluid is therefore
only ever within the
syringe or in the appliance reservoir.
The second component of the invention is the syringe, which comprises: a
transparent plastic barrel
with volumetric markings along its side; a tip with a curved trajectory at its
proximal end; a plunger
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to push the fluid contained within the barrel; a tab extending from the base
of the plunger to be
pushed with the finger of the user; and a rubber plunger head to create an
effective seal. When filled
with fluid, the syringe may be inserted into the handle with the tip facing
towards proximal end of
the handle. The tab of the plunger fits snugly in the window of the handle,
and may be pushed by the
user to push the plunger towards the proximal end of the handle, thus
expelling a desired volume of
liquid onto an appliance surface. Due to both the shapes of the plunger tab
and the opening at the
distal end of the handle, the syringe does not fit into the handle unless it
is in the correct orientation.
This correct orientation effectively keeps the syringe from rotating, and
allows the user to see the
volumetric markings along the barrel of the syringe through the window of the
handle.
The invention can be used within the context of a removable handle mechanism.
Brief Description of Drawings
The figures show various views of the embodiments of the apparatus,
specifically:
Fig 1. Side angle view of handle and syringe inserted fully in locked
position, showing as ready for
use with appliance.
Fig 2. Transverse, enlarged, cross-sectional view of handle and syringe
inserted, ready for use. Gap
is left to illustrate this is an enlarged view and middle portion of handle
has been omitted to keep
proper proportions in the space.
Fig 3. Angled view of handle, syringe removed.
Fig 4. Standalone view of syringe, feature 4 illustrated in figure 1, with
each component represented
separately.
Fig 5. A possible mechanism of removable handle attachment, taken directly
from US patent
US3306647, Detachable Handle, awarded to Theodore K Imhoff in 1967.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment
The preferred embodiment of this invention works in conjunction with the
removable handle
attachment mechanism illustrated in Figure 5; however, other embodiments
include using alternative
removable handle attachment mechanisms. Furthermore, it is possible, although
not advised without
further testing, for an embodiment of the invention to be incorporated into
the design of a
permanently attached handle.
The removable handle, 2, is hollow, such that it allows for insertion of the
removable transparent
plastic syringe, 4, as shown in Figure 1 and 2. The material that the handle
is composed of is a heat-
resistant plastic, such that it reduces heat transfer to the fluid for the
brief time it is in proximity to a
source of heat, such as a heating element found on a conventional stove. The
removable handle, 2, is
slightly longer and wider than conventional kitchen appliance handles, while
not wide enough to
compromise a comfortable grip, to maximize fluid capacity. The removable
handle, 2, possesses an
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exterior coating of a material that exhibits a high amount of static friction,
such as ridged rubber for
user comfort, as well as finger ridges, 5.
As best seen in Figure 1, the removable handle, 2, has a window, 6, along its
topmost surface,
running along the length of the handle, which is open at the distal end, 7, of
the handle such that the
extended tab of the plunger, 8, may enter and slide along the path created by
the window, 6. The
window, 6, serves two purposes: firstly, it permits the tab, 8, of the
plunger, 10, to extend through
the housing, and be accessed by the user. Secondly, it provides visible access
to the volumetric
markings on the syringe, 12, allowing the user to accurately measure the fluid
being displaced from
the barrel, thus dispensed optimally.
The removable handle, 2, also incorporates an overhang, 14, shown in Figures 1
and 2, such that it is
impossible for fluid to come into contact with the rim of the appliance, but
instead only makes
contact with the active surface of the appliance. Likewise, the proximal end
of the removable
syringe, 4, has a plain tip, 16, which has a curved trajectory, as seen in
Figures 2 and 4, such that
release of fluid is directed downwards and not dripping onto the inner surface
of the handle housing,
which would pose a safety hazard. The hollow removable handle, 2, containing
the removable
syringe, 4, is sealed with a screw cap, 17 at the distal end of the handle.
The removable syringe, 4, best seen standing alone in Figure 4, consists of
the plain tip with curved
trajectory, 16, for fluid release, the barrel, 18, the plunger, 10, and with
rubber plunger head, 20, to
create an effective seal, and the plunger end or base, 22, which possesses a
tab, 8, which extends
through the window, 6.
To fill the syringe, the user holds the syringe, 4, upright with the curved
tip, 16, facing downwards,
removes the plunger, 10, and fills the barrel, 18, with a fluid. A fingertip
can be used to temporarily
seal the curved tip during this step of the filling operation. Next, the user
replaces the plunger, 10,
into the syringe barrel, 18. Once the filled syringe, 4, is prepared, the user
inserts it, with proper
orientation, into the hollow removable handle, 2. Proper orientation embodies
the orientation in
which the volumetric markings, 12, are aligned with the window, 6, along the
top linear surface of
the handle such that the user can effectively measure the volume of fluid
remaining in the barrel.
Proper orientation is achieved quickly and easily, as proper insertion of the
syringe requires that the
push tab, 8, enters through the opening, 7, at the distal end of the window,
6, of the handle, which
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effectively prevents the syringe from rotating in the handle. The user can
then push the tab of the
plunger, 8, towards the curved tip, 16, to release a known quantity of fluid
into the appliance. The
rubber seal of the plunger head, 20, provides friction such that when firstly,
pressure stops being
applied, fluid stops being dispensed and secondly, that a significant pressure
must be applied, such
that the plunger would not be removed and spill the syringe contents without
the users applied
pressure.
The syringe is removed by unscrewing the screw cap, 17, then using the tab of
the plunger, 8, to
guide the syringe along the path created by the window towards the distal end
of the handle, after
which the syringe, 4, may be removed.
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