Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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PACKAGE FOR POURING A GRANULAR PRODUCT
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to packages for granular products. Specifically,
the
present invention relates to packages for granular products which are used to
pour the
granular products.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Packages for storing and dispensing granular products, such as foods,
detergents,
powders, and especially free-flowing granular products such as salt, flour,
laundry
detergents, automatic dishwash detergents, spices, etc., are known. Such
packages often
may be used for pouring out the granular product therein and typically consist
of a
standard hollow bottle with a round mouth or other-shaped opening. When the
granular
product is to be dispensed, the hollow bottle is tilted to dispense the
product out of the
mouth. Depending upon the angle to which the bottle is tilted, the granular
product will
dispense either slowly or quickly - the greater the angle, the more quickly
the granular
product is dispensed.
While such a package is useful for many applications, it is not useful where
it is
desirable to dispense the granular product at a constant speed, for example,
when
attempting to accurately measure the amount of the granular product which has
been
dispensed. For such granular products, other dispensing mechanisms such as
dosing
devices which provide a predetermined single "unit dose" of the granular
product, or
small holes which shut off the flow of the 'granular product when the bottle
is rotated have
been developed. But in such cases, either the granular product flow is not
continuous
(i.e., in the unit-dose case), is still greatly dependent upon the angle at
which the package
is held, or does not easily pour to the desired location. In addition, such
packages tend
to be complicated and inconvenient to use when one is in a rush, by the young,
or by the
elderly.
Accordingly, the need exists for a package for dispensing a granular product
which provides substantially the same flow rate over a large range of
dispensing angles,
which accurately pours to a desired location, and which is easy and convenient
to use.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a package for dispensing a granular product
having a first hollow body member, a second hollow body member, and a pouring
spout.
The first hollow body member has a first exterior surface and opposite
therefrom a first
interior surface which defines a first internal volume. The second hollow body
member
has a second exterior surface, a second interior surface, a flow-regulating
passage, and a
dispensing passage separate from the flow-regulating passage. The second
exterior
surface defines a second external volume smaller than the first internal
voluine.
Opposite the second exterior surface, the second hollow interior surface
defines a second
internal volume. The pouring spout is operatively connected to the dispensing
passage.
When the first internal volume is at least about 50% full of a granular
product, the
package may be tilted for dispensing at a dispensing angle which causes the
granular
product to flow from the first internal volume througli the flow-regulating
passage into
the second internal volume and from the second internal volume through the
dispensing
passage out of the package. When the flow rate is measured and calculated at
dispensing angles of 120 , 150 and 180 , the standard deviation is less than
about 30%
of the average flow rate for each dispensing angle.
It has now been found that the package of the present invention can dispense a
granular product at substantially the same average rate, over a large range of
dispensing
angles. This in turn malces the package easier and more convenient to
accurately
dispense the correct amount of the granular product, especially for the young
and the
elderly. In addition, it has been surprisingly found that the flow-regulating
passage may
keep the granular particles accurately flowing to the targeted location more
accurately, by
preventing sudden "avalanches" within the first internal volume from
disrupting the
orderly and accurate flow of the granular particles out of the dispensing
passage. In
addition, the package herein accurately pours to a specific location.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and
distinctly claiming the invention, it is believed that the invention will be
better
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understood from the following description of the accompanying figures in which
like
reference nuinerals identify like elements, and wherein:
Fig. 1 is a cut-away side view of an embodiment of the package of the present
invention;
Fig. 2 is a cut-away side view of an embodiment of the package of the present
invention during dispensing;
Fig. 3 is a partial cut-away side view of a comparative package; and
Fig. 4 is a close-up side view of an embodiment of a second hollow body
member.
The figures herein are not necessarily drawn to scale.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
All temperatures herein are in degrees Celsius ( C) unless otherwise
indicated.
As used herein, the term "comprising" means that other steps, ingredients,
elements, etc.
which do not adversely affect the end result can be added. This term
encompasses the
terms "consisting of' and "consisting essentially of'.
The present invention comprises a package for dispensing a granular product
such
as for example, a granular food, a granular detergent, chemicals, etc. In an
embodiment
of the invention herein, the granular product is selected from the group
consisting of salt,
flour, balcing soda, baking powder, sugar, and a mixture thereof. In an
embodiment of
the invention herein, the granular detergent is selected from the group
consisting of a
laundry detergent composition, an autodishwash coinposition, a disinfecting
composition,
a cleaning composition, a personal cleansing composition, and a mixture
thereof. The
granular product should be a free-flowing granular product. In an embodiment
herein,
the granular product has an approximately regular shape, preferably a regular
shape, such
as a sphere, a crystal, a cube, etc. Without intending to be limited by
theory, it is
believed that typically, the more regular the shape of the particles in the
granular product,
the better the free-flowing properties of the granular product. In another
embodiment
herein, the granular product has an average particle diameter, which is the
number
average particle diameter which can be calculated by methods known in the art,
and
where the particle diameter is defined as the straight distance between the
two farthest
points on an individual particle. In an embodiment herein, the granular
product has an
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average particle size and a standard deviation of less than about 30% of the
average flow
rate, or from about 0% to about 30% of the average flow rate.
Turning to Fig. 1 which shows a cut-away side view of a package, 100, having a
first hollow body member, 110, having a first exterior surface, 112, and a
first interior
surface, 114, opposite the first exterior surface, 112. The first interior
surface, 114,
defines a first internal volume, 116, which is further bounded by the mouth,
118, which is
formed where the first exterior surface, 112, meets the first interior
surface, 114. Thus,
in this embodiment, the first internal voluine, 116, ends at the plane formed
by the mouth,
118. Opposite the moutli, 118, is a package bottom, 120, which in Fig. 1 is
flat so as to
allow the package, 100, to stably rest.
Fig. 1 also shows a second hollow body member, 122, which in this embodiment
is distinct from the first hollow body member, 110. The second hollow body
member,
122, has a second exterior surface, 124, which defines a second external
volume, 126,
which is smaller than the first internal volume, 116. In an embodiment herein,
the
second external volume is less than about 50% of the first internal volume.
The second
hollow body member, 122, also has a second interior surface, 128, opposite the
second
exterior surface, 124. The second interior surface defines a second internal
voluine, 130.
In an embodiment herein, the second internal volume is from about 1% to about
25% of
the first internal volume. In another embodiment herein, the second internal
volume is
from about 2% to about 15% of the first internal volume. The second hollow
body
member, 122, contains a flow-regulating passage, 132, which leads from the
second
exterior surface, 124 to the second interior surface, 128. Distal and separate
from the
flow-regulating passage, 132, is a dispensing passage, 134, that leads from
the second
interior surface, 128, to the second exterior surface, 124.
The package and/or any portion thereof may be formed of a variety materials
such
as a plastic or polymers, rubber, glass, metal, wood, or a combination
thereof. An
embodiment of the package and/or container includes rubber, plastic,
polyester, and a
combination thereof, and another embodiment includes polyethylene,
polypropylene,
polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene terephthalate, polycarbonate,
polystyrene,
ethyl vinyl alcohol, thermoplastic elastomer, or a combination thereof.
Flexible package
and/or container parts preferably contain at least a portion of thermoplastic
elastomer.
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Textured surfaces may also be employed so as to enhance gripping and/or
friction, if
desired. Preferred production processes are blow molding, injection molding,
vacuum
forming, thermoforming, casting, stereo lithography, selective laser
scintering, any rapid
prototyping technology, and a combination thereof. The various individual
package
5 and/or portions thereof may be formed with different materials, and/or by
different
processes, as desired. Optional, but preferred characteristics of the package
material
include color, tinting, UV blocking agents, translucency, transparency, or
opaqueness.
Examples of the UV blocking agent useful herein include titanium dioxide,
benzophenone, hydroxy-benzophenone, benzotriazole, and a mixture thereof. Such
UV
blocking agents are commonly available from, for example, Sumitomo Chemical,
Tokyo
Japan; Kyodo Chemical, Tokyo Japan; Asahi Denka, Tokyo Japan; Ciba Giegy,
Tokyo
Japan; and others. An embodiment of the package is transparent or translucent
and
optionally contains a UV blocking agent to absorb, reflect, or otherwise
reduce the
amount of UV light penetrating the container to reach the granular product so
as to
thereby reduce possible UV damage thereto, fading of the product color,
especially if
colored speckles are present, and/or yellowing of the granular product caused
by
exposure to UV radiation. Other optional characteristics of the package
material include
easy formation to the desired shape(s), resistance to the product and the
applicable pH
ranges, temperature, durability, coloration, coatings and/or resiliency. In an
embodiment of the invention, the package material should be resistant to
damage and
deformation at temperatures from about -10 C to about 90 C. The package may
be
sized to hold whatever volume is desirable. In an embodiment herein, the first
internal
volume is from about 0.5 mL to about 10 L, or from about 1 mL to about 5 L. In
an
embodiment herein for a granular detergent the first internal volume is from
about 150
mL to about 3 L or from about 200 mL to about 1 L.
In Fig. 1, the second exterior surface, 124, is affixed to the mouth, 118, via
an
adhesive, 136. However, the second exterior surface may also be affixed to the
mouth
by, for example, a pressure seal, an adhesive seal, a locking closure, a screw-
type closure,
a snap-fit closure, a heat seal, an ultrasonic seal, and/or a plug-seal and
may optionally be
air-tight and/or water-tight as desired for example, to prevent oxidation of
the granular
product, absorption of moisture from the air, and/or water damage to the
granular
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product. In an embodiment herein, the second exterior surface is removably
affixed to
the mouth. Also in Fig. 1, the dispensing passage, 132, is bounded by an edge,
138, at
the second exterior surface, 124. The edge, 138, is affixed to the mouth, 118,
so that a
majority of the second hollow body member, 122, is contained within the first
internal
volume, 116, but this not need be the case. In the present invention, the
second hollow
body member need only be at least partially within the first internal volume.
In Fig. 1, connected to the dispensing passage, 134, is a pouring spout, 140,
which
helps direct the granular product when the package, 100, is tilted for
dispensing (see Fig.
2.). The second hollow body member, 122, has a base, 142, opposite the
dispensing
passage, 134. The flow-regulating passage, 132, extends from near the moutli,
118, to
the base, 142. In addition, the base, 142, is slanted towards the flow-
regulating passage,
132, so that when the package, 100, is placed flat on the package bottom, 120,
granular
product which remains in the second internal volume, 130, will flow back
through the
flow-regulating passage, 132, and into the first internal voluine, 116.
Fig. 2, shows a cut-away side view of the package, 100, of the present
invention
tilted during dispensing. A line, A-A, drawn perpendicular to the package
bottom (not
shown in Fig. 2) and in Fig. 2, line A-A is also perpendicular to the plane
formed by the
mouth, 118, forms a dispensing angle, a, with a vertical line, B-B, drawn
perpendicular to
the ground. When the package, 100, contains the granular product, 144, and is
tilted to a
dispensing angle, a, of about 150 , the granular product, 144, flows from the
first internal
volume, 116 through the flow-regulating passage, 132, into the second internal
volume,
130, as indicated by arrow C. The granular product, 144 then flows from the
second
internal volume, 130, through the dispensing passage, 134, and off of the
pouring spout,
140, as indicated by arrow D, and into the cap, 146. The cap, 146, has a
dosing device,
148, and a measuring indicator, 150, to advise the user how much of the
granular product,
144, to dose. Since the granular product flows out of the second internal
volume and
therefore the pouring spout at a substantially constant rate, it is easy to
accurately
measure and dose the granular product. Furthermore, in the embodiment of Fig.
2, the
flow-regulating passage, 132, extends from near the mouth, 118 to the base,
142, so that
at a given dispensing angle of, for example, 150 , substantially all of the
granular
product, 144, will flow out of the first internal volume, 116, through the
flow-regulating
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passage, 132, into the second internal volume, 130, and out of the dispensing
passage,
134. In Fig. 2, the base, 142, is flat and defines the imaginary line E-E. The
mouth,
118, also defines the imaginary line F-F. A base angle, y, is formed by the
intersection
of imaginary lines E-E and F-F.
Fig. 3 shows a partial cut-away side view of a comparative package, 200, for
dispensing a granular product with a pouring hole, 210, and an inclined plane,
212, to the
interior of the pouring hole, 210. However, when the comparative package, 200,
is tilted
at various degrees from about 100 to about 180 , the granular product therein
flows out
of the pouring hole, 210, at dramatically different rates.
Fig. 4 shows a close-up side view of a second hollow body member, 122, and the
flow-regulating passage, 132, therein. The flow-regulating passage, 132,
extends from
the base, 142, to almost to the edge, 138. The flow-regulating passage, 132,
has a width,
R, which is defined as the widest part of the flow-regulating passage, and is
substantially
wider than the average particle diameter of the granular product. In Fig. 4,
the width
extends from near the mouth to the base. In an embodiment herein, the width is
adjacent
to the mouth. In another embodiment herein, the width is near the base. In an
embodiment herein, the width is at least about 5 times wider than the average
particle
diameter, or from about 5 times to about 1,000 times wider than the average
particle
diameter, or from about 10 times to about 100 times wider than the average
particle
diameter. Without being limited by theory, it is believed that such a wide
flow-
regulating passage will enhance the free-flow properties of the granular
product.
Flow Rate test method:
As used herein, the phrase "average rate" describes the rate at which the
granular
product flows from the dispensing passage when the dispensing angle is about
150 . To
measure the average rate, the first internal volume is filled with a
predetermined volume,
typically at least 50%, preferably 90% of the granular product. The package is
tilted to a
dispensing angle of 150 for a period of 5 seconds, and the volume of beads
which flow
out of the dispensing passage during this time is collected and measured by
weight, and
the flow rate per second is calculated by dividing the weight by 5 seconds. In
the case
where the granular product stops flowing and/or is completely emptied from the
package
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before the 5 second period is finished, then the weight is divided by amount
of time
required for the granular product to stop flowing/completely empty from the
package.
The flow rate is measured and calculated 5 times. From these 5 calculated flow
rates the
average flow rate, standard deviation, and standard deviation as a percentage
of the flow
rate are calculated.
As used herein, the term "substantially constant rate", indicates that when
the
dispensing angle is measured at dispensing angles of 120 , 150 , and 180 , the
granular
product continuously flows out of the package at the average rate where the
standard
deviation for each dispensing angle is less than about 30% of the average flow
rate, or
from about 0% to about 30% of the average flow rate. To determine whether or
not the
flow rate has these characteristics, the above flow rate test method is also
conducted at a
dispensing angle of 120 and a dispensing angle of 180 , instead of a
dispensing angle of
1500.
Examples of the invention are set forth hereinafter by way of illustration and
are
not intended to be in any way limiting of the invention. The examples are not
to be
construed as limitations of the present invention since many variations
thereof are
possible without departing from its spirit and scope.
EXAMPLE 1
The package of Figs. 1 and 2, including the cap, is formed from blow-molded
polyethylene terephthalate, containing 0.01% by weiglzt of a IJV blocker....
The first
internal volume is about 550 mL and the distinct and separately-formed second
internal
volume is about 65 mL. The mouth is round and has a diameter of 4 cm, and the
second
hollow body member has a snap-fit closure which forms an airtight seal with
the mouth.
The flow-regulating passage has a width of 14 mm and the base angle is about
15 .
When tested at dispensing angles of about 120 , 1500, and 180 according to
the flow rate
test method herein, the granular product flows out of the dispensing passage
and therefore
the pouring spout where the standard deviation for each dispensing angle is as
follows:
The package is packed with a granular laundry detergent having an average
particle
diameter of about 400 ... The pouring spout indicates the right direction of
tipping for
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better product pouring with reduced spillage. The bottom of the base has a
concave
outside to guide product in bottle to the flow-restriction passage to further
improve
product flow. The first hollow body member is formed from extrusion blow
molded or
injection blow molded polypropylene, while the cap is made from injection
molded
polypropylene. The second hollow body member is formed form injection molded
polyethylene.
All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the Invention are, in
relevant
part, incorporated herein by reference; the citation of any document is not to
be construed
as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention. To
the extent
that any meaning or definition of a tenn in this written document conflicts
with any
meaning or definition of the term in a document incorporated by reference, the
meaning
or definition assigned to the term in this written document shall govern.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated
and
described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other
changes and
modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention.
It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and
modifications that are within the scope of this invention.
