Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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The present invention relates to a dispenser for fluids,
especially pasty matter, the dispenser being of the type
comprising an outlet pipe of flexible material, freely
dependent from a container and enclosing a valve body.
In restaurant business, large quantities of mustard,
ketchup, mayonnaise and similar pasty matters are used which
are dispensed whenever a need therefor arises. Especially in
coffee shops and similar quick serving facilities, the
available space is frequently limited, and the handling of
ketchup and mustard stored in plastics containers placed on a
table, or shelf, and which have to be upturned each time they
are used, is very time-wasting. In addition the containers,
as well as its surroundings are easily smeared.
There are several types of containers, which at a neck
portion are provided with an outlet pipe of flexible material
having some kind of displaceable valve member for opening and
closing an outlet for metering and/or discharging the
contents of the container.
To save space and time the dispenser can advantageously
be suspended with the outlet pipe hanging freely down. The
food serving is brought in below the dispenser and the outlet
pipe is squeezed until a sufficient quantity of the pasty
matter has been delivered.
If the hand squeezing the outlet pipe engages too close
to the container, the valve member in the pipe may be locked,
which means that the outlet does not open properly and an
increased squeezing force is required, causing damage to the
outlet pipe and/or the valve member.
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In one aspect the present invention provides a design of
the engaging ends of container and outlet pipe, so a main
part of the valve member obtains a protected position,
preventing its being jammed by the hand.
The container should advantageously be designed as a
transport receptacle to be thrown away when empty, only the
outlet pipe being retained and transferred from one container
to the other. That will however impose certain requirements
upon the container - in storage and transport it should be
able to stand upright, and its outlet should be closed by
some means preventing the content from smearing the seat for
the outlet pipe and the threads where the annular member is
to be engaged.
More particularly, the dispenser comprises a container
and an outlet pipe of flexible material attachable thereto
and enclosing a valve member having one big and one small
body interconnected by a rod.
The container is defined by a substantially plane end
face, as well as a truncated second end face, said second end
face terminating in a first, externally threaded neck portion
surrounding a first seat for said outlet pipe. Means are
provided at said first end face for suspending said container
in an upturned position with the engaged outlet pipe
extending freely therefrom, and a restriction in the second
end face inside of the threaded neck portion forms a second
seat for engagement by the big body of the valve member. The
outlet pipe has a top flange mating with the first seat, and
an outlet opening at its opposite end, internally formed as a
third seat for engagement by the small valve member body.
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The length of the rod of the valve member is sufficient to
hold the big body mainly within the threaded neck portion,
when the small body rests upon the third seat. An internally
threaded annular member, mating with said first threaded
portion and having a ledge is
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adapted to force the top flange against said first threaded
portion.
In use the container must be open at its top, and is to
that end provided with an indication for punctuation,
adjacent to its plane end face.
The flexible outlet pipe has a certain wall thicXness,
and is just below its top flange provided with an annular
groove for engagement with a ledge at the annular member.
The threaded neck portion is inside the first seat
provided with an outwardly directed ledge for internally
supporting the outlet pipe, and a cup-shaped transport lid
is internally threaded to mate with the threaded neck
portion, and has an internal annular bead for engaging the
ledge.
The threaded neck portion has a substantially uniform
wall thickness from the second seat outwards, the big valve
member body is spherical and the length of the rod is
selected so as to hold the big body with its equator about
midway between the first seat and the second seat. Suspend-
ing means at said first end face includes a groove running
across the end face, having open ends at its margin, and a
bracket arranged transversely across the groove, about at
the gravity center line of the container the bracket being
provided with a hole for engagement by a suspending string.
A dispenser outlet pipe for attachment to the contain-
er is advantageously formed as a cylindrical tube of
flexible material having first anq second ends. There is an
outwardly directed flange at the first end for fitting to
said container, and the second end includes a first por-
tion, formed as a tapering funnel, internally ending in a
seat for the valve body to be enclosed in the pipe. A
second tapering portion extends beyond the seat and has an
open distal end, the taper angle of this second portion in
relation to a longitudinal center line through said pipe
being less than the taper angle of said first portion. By
cutting this second portion close to the seat, the effec-
tive outlet opening may be enlarged.
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FIG. 1 shows the dispenser, partly cut up, in operating
position,
FIG. 2 shows, on a large scale the lower portion of the
container and a top portion of the outlet pipe,
FIG. 3 shows, on still a larger scale, a top portion of
the outlet pipe,
FIG. 4 shows an elevation of the top portion of the
container,
FIG. 5 shows an end view of the top face of the container,
0 FIG. 6 shows a longitudinal section through an outlet
pipe,
FIG. 7 schematically indicates variations in outlet
openings, obtainable through cutting the end of the
pipe,
5 FIG. 8 shows how the flanged end of the pipe is fitted
into the enclosing annular member, and
FIG. 9 shows the neck of the container closed by a
transportation lid.
A dispenser according to the invention includes a
container 10 and an outlet pipe 11, attachable thereto by
means of an annular member 12.
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The container 10, which shall serve both as a transport
package and a feeding-out store, is an expendable unit,
preferably manufactured of plastics. It has advantageously a
cylindrical form and is defined by a substantially plane
first end face 13 and a truncated second end face 14.
The first end face 13 permits the container to stand
with its outlet upwards during storage and transportation. A
groove 15 runs diametrically across the first end face,
having open ends at its margin. Transversely across the
groove, and about at the gravity center line of the container
a bracket 16 is provided, not projecting above the otherwise
plane surroundings. In the bracket 16 there is a hole 17, in
which a suspending string such as a chain
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18 may be engaged for hanging the container in an upturned
position. The bracket locates the hole centrally in the
container, and when suspended by the chain the container
can be moved in a horizontal plane with the outlet pipe
directed downwards.
Details of the groove and the bracket are evident from
FIGS. 4 and 5. The container is preferably produced by a
blowing technique, and the groove 15 permits a tool being
introduced lengthwise through the groove for punching out
the hole in the bracket 16.
During transportation and storage the container will be
closed by a lid, as will be explained below. To facilitate
the fluid to flow out of the container, as needed, it is
necessary to permit air to enter the container. This is
therefore, adjacent to the plane first end face 13, provi-
ded with a locally thinned spot 19 in the wall material
which can easily be punctured, when the container is pre-
pared for use.
The opposite end face 14 is truncated to permit an easy
flow even of the pasty matter. The outlet neck 20 of the
container is formed with an externally threaded portion 21.
A plane annular area 22 inside of the threads forms a seat
for the outlet pipe 11. The annular member 12 is internally
threaded for engagement with the threaded portion 21.
The outlet pipe 11 is made of flexible material, for
instance plastics or rubber, and has an outlet opening 23
at its distal end. The engagement between the outlet pipe
11 and the annular member 12 is better illustrated in
FIG. 2.
A valve member 24 is enclosed in the outlet pipe and
includes an upper, big body 25 and a lower body 26 of
lesser cross section than the first mentioned body 25. The
two bodies are interconnected by a rod 27. Both valve
bodies are preferably formed as balls.
The second end face 14 is formed with a restriction, or
throat 28, inside of the threaded portion 21, forming a
seat for the upper valve member body 25.
The length of the valve member rod 27 is selected so as
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to hold the body 25 mainly inside the threaded portion 21,
when the lower body 26 rests at the opening 23 of the
outlet pipe. In this position the upper body 25 cannot be
gripped by the hand during a squeezing operation.
The horizontal equator 29 of the ball body 25 is
located about midway between the seat 22 and the seat 28.
In rest position there is thus a flow passage 30 around the
upper valve member body 25 to keep the outlet pipe filled.
The container is preferably produced by a blowing
technique, which means that the wall thickness in the neck
portion will be about uniform. The diameter of the upper
valve body 25 is selected so as to permit introduction into
the neck portion of the container. The space 31 between the
valve body 25 and the threaded portion 21 forms a storage
chamber facilitating the filling of the pipe, when the body
25 engages its seat.
The outlet pipe 11 terminates in a truncated portion
having the opening 23 at its end. Internally the truncated
portion is formed as a seat for the lower, small valve body
26, so dribbling is avoided. Further details of this
portion are evident from FIGS. 6 and 7.
In use, the outlet pipe 11 is continously filled with
fluid from the container. When the pipe is squeezed by hand
the fluid inside the pipe exerts a pressure upon the bigger
valve body 25 which is lifted and engages the seat 28.
The fluid is then prevented from flowing back into the
container, and is forced out through the opening 23.
The ou'let pipe 11 is provided with a top flange 32 -
see FIG. 2 and 3 - for engagement with the seat 22. The
annular member 12 is provided with an inwardly directed
ledge 33. To permit the ledge to force as big a portion of
the flange 32 as possible against the seat, the envelope
wall of the outlet pipe is provided with an annular groove
34 just below the flange 32.
The feature of a flanged outlet pipe and a separate
annular member facilitates the mounting and ensures a safe
closure.
To secure the outlet pipe 11 in proper position the
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neck portion of the container, inside the seat 22 is formed
with an outwardly directed ledge 35, having the same
external diameter as the internal diameter of the outlet
pipe ll.
The ledge 35 has an inwardly chamfered edge 36.
As mentioned earlier the container shall also serve
during transportation and storage. To that end the neck
portion can be closed by a lid 37 - see FIG. 9. The lid
includes an end wall 38, and an annular side wall 39, which
is internally threaded to mate with the threaded
portion 21.
The inward face of the end wall 38 is provided with an
annular bead 40 which, when the lid 37 is screwed on, en-
gages the chamfered edge of ledge 35.
The engagement between the bead 40 and the ledge 36
prevents the content of the container from smearing the
seat 22 as well as the threads 21, making it easy to apply
the outlet pipe ll and the annular member 12 when the lid
is removed.
FIG. 6 shows a longitudinal section through an outlet
pipe ll of preferred design.
The pipe has a tubular main portion 41 of sufficient
length to ensure a satisfactory grip below the annular
member 12.
The, in use, upper end of the pipe is provided with the
outwardly directed flange 32, which is downwardly defined
by the groove 34, ensuring a satisfactory grip for the
annular member 12 described above.
The, in use, lower end of the pipe includes a first
tapering portion 42, which at its lower end internally
forms a seat 43 for the lower valve body 26.
A second, likewise tapering portion 44, extends a dis-
tance beyond the seat 43, and terminates in the outlet
opening 23.
The dispenser is primarily intended for pasty matter,
but may be used with lighter fluids, as well as with heavi-
er fluids, such as various dressings containing chopped
onions, pickled gherkings or the like.
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The taper angle of the second portion 44 is less than
that of the first portion 42, which means that you for a
certain lengt~l of t~le second portion can easily determine
the desired opening size.
By cutting the second tapering portion 44 at a certain
distance from the seat 23, by means of a pair of scissors,
or a razor blade, you can obtain an outlet opening of suit-
able size for the fluid in question.
In FIG. 7 three different sizes are indicated. The
standard opening 23 is used for light fluid. A cut at level
45 will provide an opening 23a suited for mustard, and a
cut at level 46 will provide an opening 23b suitable for
some kind of dressing.
The lower valve body 26 is shown in a vertical section,
illustrating an internal cavity 47, which is open down-
wards. The squeezing out of fluid from the pipe reduces the
content of fluid also in the cavity. When the pressure is
released, and the body 26 engages its seat, the capillary
force will suck in the "last drop" from the lower portion,
thus reducing the risk of dribbling.
The flange 32 has a bigger diameter than the ledge 35,
which to a smaller degree also applies to the main body 41
of the pipe.
The flexible material in the pipe will however
facilitate the fitting of the pipe in the annular member
12. By crumpling the upper end of the pipe 11, as is
indicated at 48 in FIG. 7, it is easy to fit this end into
the annular member 12. When released, the pipe returns to
its circular shape with the groove 34 enclosing ledge 33.
