US20050263431A1

Movatterモバイル変換

Info

Publication number: US20050263431A1
Application number: US10/639,963
Authority: US
Inventors: Matt Mahon; Colin Philips
Original assignee: Hartz Mountain Corp
Current assignee: Hartz Mountain Corp
Priority date: 2003-08-11
Filing date: 2003-08-11
Publication date: 2005-12-01

Abstract

A package designed for dispensing a metered amount of flowable product is described. The package includes a storage unit having a chamber for housing the product. A receptacle of the package is capable of receiving a metered amount of product from the chamber and is movable between a first position where it communicates with the chamber of the storage unit and a second position at which the metered amount of product now in the receptacle can be dispensed.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This application relates to a dispensing unit, and more particularly to a dispensing unit comprising a blister package which enable the dispensing of a metered dose of product from the package.

In the pet industry, it is very important that the proper amount of fish food is dispensed when feeding fish that are stored in a conventional tank. Many pet fish owners dispense far too much fish food into the fish tank; as a result, the fish either overeat, which is harmful to their proper biological function, or else fish food waste is accumulated in the tank, thereby requiring the tank to be cleaned far more frequently in order to maintain appropriate aquatic conditions for the pet fish.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Generally speaking, in accordance with the invention, a package designed for dispensing a metered amount of flowable product is described. The package includes a storage unit having a chamber for housing the product. A receptacle of the package is capable of receiving a metered amount of product from the chamber and is movable between a first position where it communicates with the chamber of the storage unit and a second position at which the metered amount of product now in the receptacle can be dispensed.

The package of the invention is particularly suitable for dispensing a metered dose of fish food.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved package design for dispensing product.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved package design for directly dispensing a metered dose of product.

Yet a further object of the invention is to provide an improved package design which is tamper resistant.

Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the following description.

The invention comprises the features, elements and arrangements of parts described in the following description and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is made to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the package of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line2-2 ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the package of the invention in which the bottom thereof is formed into a supporting base;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line4-4 ofFIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the blister unit of the inventive package in a first rotational position;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line6-6 ofFIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the blister unit of the inventive package in a second rotational position; and

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines8-8 ofFIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring first toFIGS. 1, 2 and4, a package made in accordance with the invention and generally indicated at11 is described. Package11 includes ablister card assembly13 comprising a pair of bleached

sulfate blister cards

15aand15bof substantially rectangular shape.Blister card assembly13 is formed with atriangular slot17 along the top thereof that is suitable for receiving ahanger element18 so that package11 can be displayed in a store or other retail outlet. Each of

cards

15aand15bofblister card assembly13 is formed with a pair of horizontally directed substantially

parallel fold lines

19 and21 along the bottom portions thereof. Each of

cards

15aand15bhave abottom end22 formed with series ofteeth23. As shown inFIG. 3, the bottom portion ofcard assembly13 may be folded along

fold lines

19 and21, such thatteeth23 of

cards

15aand15binterengage in order to create a support stand or supportingbase24 for package11.

Card assembly

13 of package11 is also formed with a centrally disposedcircular opening14 for receiving a transparent circularly configured blister unit generally indicated at25.Blister unit25 may be made of polyvinylchloride and is defined bytop blister27aandbottom blister27bwhich together define aninternal chamber31 forhousing fish food32 or a similar flowable product.Top blister27ais formed with acircular body28

overlying chamber

31 having an outsideannular wall30. Blister27ais also formed with a radially directedhandle29 on top ofbody28 for enablingtop blister27ato rotaterelative bottom blister27b,as described in more detail hereinbelow.

Each of

blisters

27aand27bis formed withrim41aand41brespectively, each overlying the other and disposed between

blister cards

15aand15b, adjacentcircular opening14 through whichblister unit25 is received in,blister card assembly13.

Referring now toFIG. 5 and6,blister27aofblister unit25 is shown formed with a radially dependingreceptacle33 into which a metered amount of fish food housed inchamber31 may be received. In particular, in the fill position shown inFIG. 5,receptacle33 is in communication withchamber31 viaopening34 such that a fixed amount of fish food can be taken fromchamber31 and placed intoreceptacle33 by tiltingblister unit25 to an angle. As shown inFIG. 5,receptacle33 is initially prevented from rotation with respect toblister27bby means of anarcuate strip37 formed onblister card15aadjacentoutside wall30 ofblister body28.Strip37 can be folded or otherwise torn off along scoredline38, thereby no longer preventingreceptacle33 from rotating aboutblister27bofblister unit25.

As shown inFIG. 7,receptacle33 has rotated an arcuate distance alongcard assembly13 and with respect toblister27b.This rotation is achieved by turninghandle29 formed alongbody28 ofblister27a.In the position shown inFIG. 7,receptacle33 ofblister27ais aligned with anotch43 formed inblister27balong rim41 b such that the metered amount of fish food inreceptacle33 can be dispensed in a downward direction, as shown inFIG. 8. A secondarcuate strip51, this time ofblister card15band formed adjacent blister unit25 (seeFIGS. 6 and 8) is torn away along scoredline53 so that the dispensed fish food can escape package11.

It is noted that rotation ofreceptacle33 is limited between the positions shown inFIGS. 5 and 7 due to the formation ofannular groove45 inblister27bandguide47 formed inblister27a.As can be appreciated,guide47 prevents the further rotation ofreceptacle33 when it engages either end49aor49bofgroove45.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the construction of the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the description as shown in the drawings shall be interpreted as illustrated and not in a limited sense.

It is also understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention described herein and that all statements of the scope of the invention, of which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Claims

1. An assembly for storing and dispensing a flowable product comprising:

a storage unit having a chamber for housing said product;

a receptacle movable between a first position along said storage unit and in substantial alignment with a fill opening such that a metered amount of product is capable of passing from said chamber into said receptacle, and a second position along said storage unit and closed off from said chamber, said receptacle being in substantial alignment with a dispensing opening when in said second position such that said metered amount of product is capable of being dispensed from said receptacle.

2. The assembly ofclaim 1, wherein the storage unit comprises a blister unit.

3. The assembly ofclaim 2, wherein the blister unit includes a first and second blister for defining said chamber.

4. The assembly ofclaim 1, wherein the storage unit comprises first and second members for defining said chamber.

5. The assembly ofclaim 4, wherein said first member includes said receptacle.

6. The assembly ofclaim 5, wherein said first member is rotatable with respect to said second member.

7. The assembly ofclaim 6, wherein said first member includes a handle.

8. The assembly ofclaim 7, wherein said second member is formed with said fill opening.

9. The assembly ofclaim 8, wherein said second member is formed with said dispensing opening.

10. The assembly ofclaim 1, further including an element for preventing movement of said receptacle.

11. The assembly ofclaim 1, further including a display package for retaining said storage unit.

12. The assembly ofclaim 1, wherein said display package comprises a blister card.

13. The assembly ofclaim 12, wherein said blister card includes a slot for selectively receiving a display hanger.

14. The assembly ofclaim 12, wherein said blister card has an end which is foldable into a stand.

15. The assembly ofclaim 12, wherein said blister card prevents movement of said receptacle.

16. The assembly ofclaim 15, wherein at least a portion of said blister card is removable such that said receptacle is movable between said first and second positions.