GB2195984A

GB2195984A - Dispenser e.g. for peanuts, having cartridge with rupturable closure

Info

Publication number: GB2195984A
Application number: GB08624615A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Bousefield Meyer
Original assignee: United Biscuits Ltd
Current assignee: United Biscuits Ltd
Priority date: 1986-10-14
Filing date: 1986-10-14
Publication date: 1988-04-20
Anticipated expiration: 2006-10-14
Also published as: NO874280L; FI874508A7; FI874508A0; DK536287D0; PT85925A; NO874280D0; GB2195984B; EP0264257A2; EP0264257A3; DK536287A; GB8624615D0

Abstract

The dispenser has a base 10, to which a disposable plastics container 12 charged with peanuts is fitted by engagement of screw threads on a wall 20 the base and a skirt 30 of the container. The base houses a coin-freed mechanism allowing a measured quantity of peanuts to be dispensed through an outlet 14 by operation of a lever 16. Prior to fitting of the container to the base, the lower end of the container is protected by a cap which is removed to expose a foil closure which is broken by knife-edges 24, 26 on the base when the container is fitted thereto. Peanuts can thus flow from the container to the base, to be dispensed through the outlet 14. <IMAGE>

Description

GB2195984A 1 SPECIFICATION placed by a fresh, charged and sealed con

tainer.

Dispenser The container is conveniently of plastics ma- terial and is advantageously intended to be This invention relates to dispensers for flowa- 70 thrown away after discharge of its contents.

ble particulate solid materials, for example The securement means may take any con- peanuts. venient form, for example screw threads or UK Patent Specification 414517 (Reid and bayonet formations on an upstanding cylindri-

Bannister) discloses a coin-operated peanut cal wall on the base and a dependent cylindri dispenser which has a base containing a coin- 75 cal skirt on the container.

freed dispensing and measuring mechanism The closure element may be of, for and, on top of the base, a container for pea- example, plastics, paper or metal foil and, ad nuts. The container has a lower opening, for vantageously, is protected prior to fitting of the passage to the base of peanuts to be the container to the base by a covering cap dispensed, and an upper opening closed by a 80 of, for example, tough plastics material, which lid which is secured to the base by a tension is in snap-fit engagement with the container in spring passing through a support tube which the region of its opening.

extends inside the container from the base to Preferably, the breakage means of the base the cap.' comprise an upstanding cutting edge on the For use in dispensing peanuts, the container 85 base member, the edge advantageously being of this dispenser is charged with peanuts positioned to be just inwardly of the periphery through its upper opening which is afterwards of the container opening. Instead, or in addi closed by the cap which is secured to the tion, a further upstanding cutting edge can be container by attachment of a hook at the up- located adjacent the inlet of the base.

per end of the spring to the cap. 90 The co-operation of the base and container The dispenser described above has the dis- when the latter is fitted to the former is such advantage that its container requires periodic that the broken closure element is removed cleaning and, when empty, must be re- from the region of the base inlet, in order to charged with peanuts through its upper open- allow material to flow from the container to ing. These and other disadvantages make the 95 the base.

dispenser not well-suited to present-day mar- An embodiment of the invention will now keting and vending practices and with a view be described by way of example with refer to overcoming these disadvantages, the pre- ence to the drawings, in which:

sent invention provides a dispenser for solid Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a flowable particular material, for example peapeanut dispenser, a central region being nuts, the dispenser comprising a container for shown in section, and the material and a base containing a mecha- Figure 2 is a top plan view of the base of nism, preferably a coinor token-freed mecha- the dispenser of Fig. 1.

nism, for dispensing through an outlet in the The dispenser shown in the drawings has a base a measured amount of the material sup- 105 base 10 and a peanut container 12 which is plied to an inlet of the base, the base and the formed from transparent lightweight plastics container having co-operating means whereby material and is generally spherical in shape.

the base and container can be releasably se- The base 10 has feet 13 and, further, an cured together with an opening in the lower outlet 14 and discharge chute 15 for peanuts.

end of the container in communication with 110 The base 10 contains a coin-freed dispensing the inlet of the base, the base having means and measuring mechanism which is not de adjacent its inlet for breakage of a breakable scribed here in detail. A suitable mechanism is closure element closing the opening of the disclosed in UK Specification 414517 referred container prior to the container being fitted to to above. The mechanism includes a manually the base. 115 operable actuating lever 10, slidable in a slot The invention also provides a container for 17, and a coin slot 18 (see Fig. 2).

use in the dispenser of the preceding para- On its top surface, the bas e 10 has an up- graph, the container being charged with solid standing cylindrical wall 20 which is screw flowable particulate material, for example pea- threaded on its inner surface. Within the wall nuts, and having its opening closed by a 120 20, there is an inlet 22 opening of the base breakable closure element which can be 10, through which peanuts are fed to the dis broken by the breakage means of the base of pensing and measuring mechanism in the a said dispenser. base. Also within the wall 20 but spaced just With this arrangement, the container sealed radially inwardly thereform, is an annular knife by the closure element can be supplied al- 125 edge 24, the purpose of which will be de ready charged with material. The containers scribed below. Similarly, a further annular knife are conveniently charged to a predetermined edge 26 is upstanding around the inlet open weight on automated packaging machinery. ing 22.

The container can then be quickly and easily The container 12 of the dispenser has a secured to the base and,when empty, re- 130 circular discharge opening 28, around which a 2 GB2195984A 2 circular dependent skirt 30 extends. The skirt the base member.

has on its outer surface a screw thread 5. A dispenser according to claim 4, in which is complementary to the screw thread which the breakage means comprise a said on the inner surface of the wall 20 of the cutting edge positioned just inwardly of the base 10. The discharge opening 28 is closed 70 periphery of the container opening.

by a circular sheet of metal foil prior to the 6. A dispenser according to claim 4 or 5, container being secured to the base, the foil in which the breakage means comprise a said sheet being secured around its periphery to cutting edge located adjacent the inlet of the the circular end face of the skirt 30. If de- base.

sired, the foil sheet can be protected by a 75 7. A dispenser according to any preceding removable plastics cap which engages with claim, in which the co- operation of the base the skirt 30 with a snap-fit. and container when the latter is fitted to the Prior to use of the dispenser, the sealed former is such that the broken closure element container 12 charged with peanuts is fitted is removed from the region of the base inlet.

1 onto the base by removal of any protective 80 8. A container for use in dispenser accord- F.

cap and then by screwing the threads to- ing to any preceding claim, the container be gether. During this coupling process, the knife ing charged with solid flowable particulate ma edge 24 fractures the foil sheet just inwardly terial, and having its opening closed by a of the periphery of the discharge opening, breakable closure element which can be whilst the further knife edge 26 produces a 85 broken by the breakage means of the base of further hole in the foil sheet which is thus a said dispenser.

displaced from the region of the inlet opening 9. A container according to claim 8 and of 22 of the base. The container is now ready plastics material.

for the peanuts in the container 12 to be dis- 16. A container according to claim 8 or 9, pensed through the base 10 by operation of 90 having a removable cap protecting the closure the mechanism therein. When the contents of element.

the container are exhausted, the container is 11. A container according to any of claims removed from the base and replaced by a 8 to 11 and charged with peanuts.

new charged container. The old container can 12. A dispenser substantially as hereinbe- then be discarded. 95 fore described with reference to the drawings.

In modified embodiments, in the container is not generally-spherical but is of a cylindrical, Published 1988 at The Patent Office, State House, 66/71 High Holborn, London WC 1 R 4TP. Further copies may be obtained from frusto-conical, or any other shape. The Patent Office, Sales Branch, St Mary Cray, Orpington, Kent BR5 3RD.

In further modified embodiments, the knife Printed by Burgess & Son (Abingdon) Ltd. Con. 1/87.

edges 24, 26 are replaced by other means for breaking and clearing-away the closure ele ment of the container.

Claims

1. A dispenser for solid flowable particu- late material, comprising a container for the material and a base containing a mechanism for dispensing through an outlet in the base a measured amount of the material supplied from the container to an inlet of the base, the base and the container having co-operating means whereby the base and container can be releasably secured together with an opening in the lower end of the container in communi cation with the inlet of the base, the base having means adjacent its inlet for breakage of a breakable closure element closing the open ing of the container prior to the container be ing fitted to the base.

2. A dispenser according to claim 1, in which the mechanism is a coin- or token-freed mechanism.

3. A dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, in which the securement means comprise co operating formations on an upstanding cylindri cal wall on the base and a dependent cylindri cal skirt on the container.

4. A dispenser according to any preceding claim, in which the breakage means of the base comprise an upstanding cutting edge on