Present invention is developed for dispensing an exact dosage of a quantity that is prescribed or recommended for correct use of a relevant fluid, i.e. medicine or liquid healthcare product.

A general method is to use a measuring cup which normally only gives an

approximately correct quantity of fluid. There exists however many dosing devices equipped with a fluid chamber for more accurate dosing from fluid containers or bottles. Some of these are described in GB 627115, 619616,725784 and DE 3133835.

A vital disadvantage with the known concepts are that they use a sealed system that will with a gradual dispensing of fluid from the container or bottle lead to the formation of vacuum or underpressure which will complicate continued fluid submission. Another aspect that further complicate dispensing an exact dosage of fluid is the surface tension that is formed between the fluid chamber in the sealed dosing system and the fluid that is present in the fluid chamber under the actual fluid submission. As it is specifically shown in GB 627115, a fairly complicated construction is additionally assumed. This is both undesirable and implies high manufacturing costs.

According to the present invention the problems related to the previously known concepts are thereby remedied with a device for dosing of fluid dispensing from a container or bottle, comprising a valve gear connection piece adapted for mounting on an outlet of a container or bottle, and equipped with a fluid dosing chamber and an associated fluid opening, as the fluid opening puts the fluid dosing chamber in connection with the container- or bottle-outlet, and a valve gear piece inner pipe that is displaceable arranged in the fluid dosing chamber for opening or closing of the fluid opening under filling and dispensing of fluid from the fluid dosing chamber, as the valve gear piece is shaped with at least one fluid flow opening, qualified by the device further comprise a valve cap that is slidable arranged along the valve body, and having an inner cross-section form corresponding to the outer outline of the valve gear connection piece, the valve cap is, in the pulled out position, provided with a housing portion expanding along the inside of the valve cap and between the inside of the valve cap and the outside of the valve gear piece inner pipe, that the housing portion is equipped with at least one fluid flow opening, as the at least one fluid flow opening in respective housing portion and valve gear piece inner pipe are mutually arranged such that both are coinciding and providing an open or closed channel for the fluid between the container or bottle and the dosing chamber in the filling or dispensing operation respectively. The gap in the circumferential outward flange on the top part of the valve gear piece inner pipe provide an open channel from the dosing chamber under the dispensing of a dosed fluid quantity through the mouth piece.

By positioning the dosing cap in an initial position before dosing procedure is started, and thereafter using a combination of turning and push and pull of the valve cap when the container or bottle is in an upside position will facilitate the filling of the dosing chamber. It is then possible to dispense an exact quantity of fluid simply by pushing the valve cap when the valve cap is turned in position for fluid dispensing. The dispensing can be achieved irrelevant of the orientation of the container or bottle.

In one embodiment of the principle of the current invention the valve gear comprises two separate parts where one part is the connection piece which is designed to closely fit to the container or bottle, and which is always in a stationary position relative to the container or bottle. Its function is to guide the valve cap parts and the second part of the valve gear piece and to provide a tight sealing functionality towards the container or bottle and towards the surrounding of the dosing cap. The sealing function is provided by at least two circumferential flexible skirts. One such flexible skirt encircles the whole connection piece in the lower end on the inside of the container or bottle, and one such flexible skirt encircles the whole connection piece in the upper end outwardly in contact with the inside of the valve cap circumferential side wall. In this embodiment the need for gaskets and/or sealing rings are avoided, hence production and maintenance may be simplified.

The second part of the valve gear piece is connected to the top hat part of the valve cap and forms the inner pipe of the valve gear piece. The inner pipe is linked to the valve cap, and reaches into the container or bottle. The linking is caused by i.e. a convex shape of a portion of the pipe in line with a concave shape of the outside of the portion of the valve cap that reaches down into the inner pipe. The inner pipe moves independently of the valve cap rotational wise. The inner pipe is formed such that it opens and closes the passage between the output mouthpiece and the dosing chamber, and the container and the dosing chamber respectively, by turning the valve cap sideways. Hence the expanded portions of the inner pipe are positioned such that the upper section in the outlet region and the middle section in the position of the sideways opening(s) in the top hat part of the valve cap alternate in closed and open positions that in turn enable or prohibit passage of fluid through the various sections of the device.

The valve cap consists of two parts, the top hat part and the outer side wall. The outer side wall is designed to lock into the top hat of the valve cap, and is stationary and connected relative to the top hat part at all times. The lower end of the circumferential outer side wall is designed such that guiding brackets on the inside facing towards the outside of the connection piece of the valve gear piece fit into the groves and rails of the outside of the connection piece of the valve gear piece in such a manner that the different operational positions of the valve are achieved, and which is explained in the preferred embodiment description below. The guiding bracket will also ensure that the valve cap is not able to be moved further out than the outer position of the filling operation at any stage. The design of the outer side wall is such that the space between the inside of the outer side wall and the outside of the inner pipe of the valve gear piece defines the dosing chamber and hence the quantity of the dose of the device.

The top hat part of the valve cap is connected to the circumferential outer side wall part of the valve cap and rotation wise dynamically connected to the inner pipe of the valve gear piece. In this manner all three parts move simultaneously when the valve cap is pulled or pushed, but only the top hat part and the outer side wall of the valve cap move when rotated. The top hat part includes the output mouthpiece of the device that may provide an open channel between the outside of the device and the dosing chamber in one or more positions of the valve cap except when the channel between container or bottle and dosing chamber is open.

According to another embodiment of the present invention a device is provided for dosing of fluid dispensing from a container or bottle, comprising a valve body adapted for mounting on an outlet of a container or bottle, and equipped with a fluid dosing chamber and an associated fluid opening, as the fluid opening puts the fluid dosing chamber in connection with the container- or bottle-outlet, and a valve gear piece that is displaceable arranged in the fluid dosing chamber for opening or closing of the fluid opening under filling and dispensing of fluid from the fluid dosing chamber, as the valve gear piece is shaped with at least one fluid flow opening, qualified by the device further comprising a valve cap that is slidable arranged along the valve body, and having an inner cross-section form corresponding to the outer outline of the valve body, the valve cap is provided with a housing portion expanding up from the lower end of the valve cap into the valve gear piece, as the housing portion having an outer cross-section form corresponding to the inner outline of the valve gear piece, that the housing portion is equipped with at least one fluid flow opening, as the at least one fluid flow opening in the respective housing portion and valve gear piece are mutually arranged such that both are coinciding and inside the fluid dosing chamber under the dispensing of a dosed fluid quantity through the housing portion. The valve body and the valve cap are shaped to include at least one air flow opening that is mutually arranged such that both are coinciding at the upper end of the inside of the fluid dosing chamber to supply air under dispensing of the dosed fluid quantity. Thereby achieving, in addition to a simplified design of the dosing device, that an otherwise sealed system is supplied with a sufficient amount of air that replaces the dosed fluid quantity from the fluid container or bottle as such, at the same time as the air supply through the air flow openings during the dispensing of the dosed fluid quantity contributes to the elimination of the surface tension in the fluid dosing chamber.

To prevent unrestrained sliding the valve body and the valve cap can be formed with a fitting that causes the sliding movement to occur only when exercising a pulling or pushing force downwards or upwards on the valve cap.

Necessary mutual displacement between the valve gear piece and the housing portion can be performed by a spring placed between their upper end before filling the fluid dosing chamber with a dosed fluid quantity.

The fluid opening can be closed with the upper end of the valve gear piece that is formed with a cross-section that causes a tight fit against the fluid opening under dispensing of the dosed fluid quantity from the fluid dosing chamber.

Mutual upward sliding movement of the valve cap can be limited by forming an upper expanded portion of the valve body and valve cap. For limitation of mutual downward movement the lower part of the valve body can in one direction be equipped with a continuous or several separate collet fingers for collaboration with one collet or several collet portions that are formed in the valve cap inside an open space by the housing portion. The lower end of the valve cap can likewise, in an upward direction, be equipped with a continuous or several separate collet fingers for collaboration with one collet or several collet portions that are formed on the lower end of the valve gear piece and are facing inward towards the open space by the housing portion.

Moreover, can seals perform sealing between respective valve body and valve cap, valve gear piece and housing portion, and also valve body and valve gear piece.

The present invention is now further explained with reference to one preferred embodiment which is described in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 shows a dosing device in a position for dispensing of a correctly dosed fluid quantity;

Fig. 2 shows the dosing device in a position during fluid dosing; and

Fig. 3 shows the dosing device in a position after completed fluid dosing.

Fig. 4 shows the preferred embodiment of the dosing cap in the initial closed position.

Fig. 5 shows the preferred embodiment of the dosing cap in a position when air is let into the dosing chamber prior to dosing of fluid.

Fig. 6 shows the preferred embodiment of the dosing cap in a position when fluid fills the dosing chamber.

Fig. 7 shows the preferred embodiment of the dosing cap when the fluid is releasable from the dosing chamber through the output mouthpiece.

Fig. 8 shows the preferred embodiment of the top hat part of the valve cap seen in an inclined angle from underneath.

Fig. 9 shows the preferred embodiment of the circumferential side wall of the valve cap seen in an inclined angle from beneath.

Fig. 10 shows the preferred embodiment of the inner tube of the valve gear piece seen in an inclined angle from beneath. Fig. 11 A shows the preferred embodiment of the connection piece of the valve gear piece seen in an inclined angle from beneath.

Fig. 1 IB shows the preferred embodiment of the connection piece of the valve gear piece seen from the side and exposing the groves and rails of the outside of the connection piece, and an example of operational positions and movement of the valve cap when mounted and encompassing the connection piece.

Fig. 12 shows a half section of the preferred embodiment of the connection piece seen in an inclined angle from above.

Fig 13 shows a cross sectional view of the top hat part exposing the output mouthpiece channel seen from above.

Fig. 14 shows a colour coded outside view identifying the different parts of the dosing cap seen in an inclined angle from above.

Fig. 15 shows the same figure as Fig. 14 in greyscale colouring.

Fig. 16 shows the different parts of preferred embodiment of the dosing cap mounted and colour coded.

Fig. 17 shows the same figure as Fig. 16 in greyscale colouring.

Even if it, for simplicity, in the following only refers to a fluid in the form of medicine, the invention is useful for containers or bottles that contain any type of fluid, such as i.e. and without any limitations: vitamin mixture, chemical fluid, oil, alcohol, soap, rinsing agent, solvent, juice, squash, condensed fluid, contrast fluid.

As shown in fig. 1-3, a valve body 1 , an outer valve cap 6 slidable on the valve body, a valve gear piece 4, at least one pair of fluid flow openings 5, 9, a fluid dosing chamber 3 and at least one pair of air flow openings 7, 12 constitute the main components of present dosing device. Please observe that the drawings only show one pair of air flow openings.

Valve body 1 is, as an example, equipped with threads for mounting on a medicine container or -bottle, not shown. In addition the fluid dosing chamber 3 and an air flow opening 7 is in each pair shaped in the valve body. The fluid dosing chamber can be put in connection with the inner part of the fluid container or -bottle through a fluid opening 14 with any suitable cross-section. The fluid opening is located in the upper end of the fluid dosing chamber, and the air flow opening ends in a short distance from the fluid opening. It is understood that the fluid dosing chamber has a size that is adapted to the medicine quantity that in each individual case is to be dosed and submitted from the container or bottle.

The external valve cap 6 is formed with an upper expanded portion and has a total inner cross-section form that corresponds to the outer outline of the valve body 1. The second air flow opening 12 in each pair is located in the upper expanded portion and the valve cap in a position such that the two air flow openings coincide under dispensing of the apportioned medicine quantity from the container or bottle. In the lower end the valve cap is provided with a housing portion 15 that stretches into the fluid dosing chamber 3, and that is located in a suitable distance from the inside of the valve cap. One of the fluid flow openings 5 in each pair is placed inside the housing portion and in a position that implies that it is located inside the fluid dosing chamber under dispensing of the dosed quantity. A fluid outlet 11 for the dosed medicine quantity is formed in the housing portion. The fluid outlet is provided by the means of a drilling through the lower end of the valve cap in conjunction with the housing portion. Preferably, the expanded portion of the valve body is equipped with at least one suitable seal 2 against the valve cap.

The valve gear piece 4 is arranged slidable on the cap portion 15 and is equipped with an upper contact face that can provide a sealing contact against the fluid opening 14. Further, the second fluid flow opening 9 in each pair is located in the valve gear piece in a position coinciding with the second fluid flow opening 5 when the dosed medicine quantity is to be dispensed from the container or bottle. The valve gear piece is provided with an inner cross-section form corresponding to the outer outline of the housing portion. In the lower end the valve gear piece is equipped with a collet or a collet portion facing outward, and that is engaging with a continuous or several separate collet fingers during the filling of the fluid dosing chamber 3 through the fluid opening 14, see Fig. 2. The continuous or the separate collet fingers are formed to stretch upwards from the lower end of the valve cap 6. Sliding motion of the valve gear piece between the respective position for filling the fluid dosing chamber and dispensing of fluid is caused by the means of a spring 8 positioned between the upper end of the valve gear piece and the housing portion 15 of the valve cap. Preferably, both the housing portion and the valve body are equipped with respectively at least one seal 10, 13 against the valve gear piece.

Downward sliding movement of the valve cap 6 with respect to the valve cap 1 is limited by one continuous or several separate collet fingers stretching downward from the lower end and the valve body, and is adapted for intervention with at least one continuous or several separate collet portions formed on the inside of the valve cap 6 in the space between the housing portion 15. Upward sliding movement is however limited by contact faces between the expanded portions of respectively the valve body and the valve cap.

The mode of operation of the dosing device according to the invention is now discussed. For that matter the neutral position, where medicine is not to be submitted, and the actual dispensing position for the dosed quantity of medicine appears from Fig. 1. As shown, the upper end of the valve gear piece 4 lies against the fluid opening 14 in the valve body 1. The air flow openings 7, 12 and the fluid flow openings 5, 9 are in addition in line with each other. It is assumed that the fit between the valve body 1 and the valve cap 6 is so tight that the two components is not mutually freely slidable, and the valve cap can only be moved by the exercise of a certain pulling force downward or pushing force upward. In connection with the dispensing of the dosed quantity of medicine from the fluid dosing chamber 3 the medicine flows into the housing portion 15 through the fluid flow openings 5, 9 and further out from there through the flow outlet 11. The surface tension that arises on the dosed fluid, in the fluid dosing chamber, results in that the gravity forces alone is not sufficient for fluid dispensing from the fluid outlet. This problem is however solved by means of air inflow through the coinciding air inflow openings 7, 12, and thereby opens up towards the ambient air, and that enables unrestricted dispensing of the dosed quantity of medicine.

The dosing position is now shown in Fig. 2 after the container or bottle has been turned around such that the fluid outlet 11 is pointing in a downward direction, with the housing portion 15 more or less vertically oriented. The pulling results in that the valve cap 6 moves downward until the continuous or the separate collet fingers on the valve body 1 and the collet on the valve cap intervene in the space between the hosing portion 15. The air flow opening 7, 12 are thus not any longer coinciding. The spring 8 causes likewise at the same time that the valve gear piece 4 is moved upward on the housing portion 15, with the effect that the fluid openings 5, 9 neither are coinciding. This mutual movement stops when intervention between the continuous or the separate collet fingers at the bottom of the valve cap and the lower collet or collet portion on the valve gear piece is established. The fluid opening 14 in the valve body is thereby released and medicine from the container or bottle flows into and fills the fluid dosing chamber 3. At the same time the air from the fluid dosing chamber flows into the container or bottle. By swapping the dosed and submitted medicine with air from the fluid dosing chamber an underpressure or vacuum is avoided from arising in the container or bottle, which otherwise would have lead to unwanted problems.

Fig. 3 shows the intermediate position whilst the valve cap 6 is pushed back towards the dispensing position from Fig. 1. During the upward sliding movement of the valve cap 4 in the valve body 1 the upper end of the valve gear piece 4 forms contact with the fluid opening 14 in the valve body 1 with the result that the open connection between the fluid dosing chamber 3 and the container or bottle is closed. A compression of the spring 8 then occurs such that the valve gear piece is "activated" for dispensing of medicine which now is enclosed in the fluid dosing chamber, with the dosing device in the position from Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 show the preferred embodiment where cap for dosing liquid consists of four main components: top hat component 101 with outlet hole 102, circumferential wall component 103, connection piece component 104 that is pressed on a container or bottle 105 and inner pipe component 106. Dosing cap is pressed onto container or bottle neck such that the container or bottle 105 neck is enveloped by the lower part of connection piece 104. Lower part of inner pipe 106 extends into container or bottle 105 neck.

Dosing cap can be custom designed and connectable to any design or form of container or bottle neck, ie. with threads and screwed on, fastened by glue, or any other mechanism.

Initial position of the dosing cap is presented in Fig. 4. Sealing is necessary to prevent unwanted leaking of fluid from the device, and is provided by the circumferential flexible skirts 110, 109. Appropriate shape of inner pipe 106 and top hat 101 in the area adjacent to opening 108 in portion of the top hat 118 that reach into the inner pipe 106 does not allow fluid from the container or bottle to the flow through the opening(s) 108 in the inner pipe. The concave and convex shape of the inside of the inner pipe 106 and the outside of the portion of the top hat 101 that reach into the inner pipe respectively provides the grip that ensures the linking of the two components. Correct shape of inner pipe 106 and upper part 101 in area of the opening 108 is a kind of valve that control the flow from the container or bottle to the dosing chamber 111. The tabs 107 provided on the outside of the inner pipe 106 prohibit the inner pipe 106 to rotate when the top hat 101 is rotating. The tab 107 fits into the recess 123 in the connection piece 104. Tab 129 on the inside of the circumferential wall 103 is such designed that when the valve cap 101, 103 is rotated in opposite direction of the operation pattern from the initial position the tab(s) 129 will make contact with the tab(s) 125 on the outside of the connection piece 104, and thus further rotation is prohibited. A spring (not shown) or other form of mechanism may ensure that the initial position is maintained at all time to prohibit unintentional filling of fluid into the dosing chamber or to submit any fluid through the mouthpiece. Likewise can a spring (not shown or other mechanism be provided to aid the pull and/or push operation to simplify the operation of the dosing cap when in use.

In fig. 5 the device is shown in a preferred embodiment operating in an upside down position of the container or bottle in order for fluid to stream into and fill the room defined by the inside of the inner pipe 106 and the inside of the part of the top hat 101 that extends down into the inner pipe 106.

A dosing chamber 111 is defined when the top hat 101 is pulled down/out. On the lower part 120 inside of the circumferential sidewall 103 the tab 129 ensures a maximum outward gliding distance of the valve cap 101, 103 when the tab 129 is in contact with the underneath edge of the circumferential skirt 109 of the connection piece. Outlet 102 is open and air from the outside can flow through the mouth piece 102 into the dosing chamber (1 11). The shape of the inner pipe 106 in the region of the opening(s) 108 in the top hat 101 ensures that when top hat 101 is in this position no fluid can flow from the inside of the inner pipe 106 through the opening(s) 108 and into the dosing chamber 111, at the same time the circumferential skirt 110 prohibit fluid from the container or bottle 105 to flow into the dosing chamber along the outside of the inner pipe 106.

The fluid flows from the inside of the inner pipe 106 through the opening(s) 108 by rotating the top hat 101. The lower part of the tab 107 on the outside of the inner pipe 106 still grips into the recess 123 and ensures that the inner pipe 106 is not rotating when top hat 101 is rotated. The situation is shown in fig. 6, and when top hat is rotated far enough to align the opening(s) 117 with the opening(s) 108 fluid will flow from the inside of the inner pipe 106 through the created channel 117, 108 and into the dosing chamber 111. The shape of the outside of the upper part of the inner pipe 106 is formed as a partly circumferential flange 122. In this position of the top hat 101 the flange 122 prohibits fluid to flow from the dosing chamber 11 1 to the output channel 102 in the mouth piece. Depending on the design of the dosing chamber 111 and the nature of the fluid in the container or bottle, it is possible when valve cap 101, 103 is in current position to push and pull it down and up to decrease and increase the volume of the dosing chamber 111 and thereby eliminate pockets in the dosing chamber that may not be filled with the fluid from the container or bottle.

Fig. 7 show the preferred embodiment of the dosing cap in a position for dispensing of specified quantity of fluid. When dosing chamber is full with fluid and valve cap 101, 103 is turned to a position as shown in fig. 7 the gap 128 in the partly circumferential flange 122 is in line with the output channel 102 in the mouth piece. Fluid can now freely flow from the dosing chamber 111 and into and out of the output channel 102, and hence submit the accurate quantity of fluid measured by the dosing chamber 111. If the valve cap 101, 103 is pressed in this position this will cause the fluid to flow faster out of the output channel 102, and emptying the dosing chamber will take shorter time. By turning the valve cap 101, 103 back to the initial position will enable-the dosing cap to repeat dosing and dispensing sequence.

The operation of the device can be performed to transfer a defined quantity of fluid from the surroundings (100) and into the container or bottle.

The top hat 101 and the flange 122 of the inner pipe 106 may be designed to enable shaking of the dosing cap when fluid in desired quantity is contained in the dosing chamber 111 and the dosing chamber 11 1 is sealed off from both the surrounding (100) and the container or bottle.

The design of the connection piece 104 may contain ribs, grooves, recesses and other to provide required weight and/or strength and/or flexibility.

The different parts of the device may be made of a suitable material such as plastic, glass, metal, rubber, wood, or a combination of any of these or other suitable material. The shapes and designs of the different components may be designed in any other suitable form than in the embodiment examples shown in this document to provide the features described by the embodiments. Any combination of the different features may be provided to enhance or customise the device to specific needs.

The described embodiments and the details described in each embodiment are not to be used as limitations of the invention, but merely as examples of possible embodiments. Features that are described in the embodiments are not limited to the respective embodiment description, but are to be considered as features that can be used in any of the embodiments or in any other described scenario in this invention description or in the claims or figures.

Rails and recesses 123, 124a, 124b and guides and hobs 129, 107 are used to guide the valve cap 101, 103 on the connector piece 104 in a way as to secure the dosing cap against incorrect use and accidental dispensing of fluid.

A possible filling and dispensing sequence may include to pulling the valve cap out, turning the bottle, turning the valve cap to open up for fluid from container or bottle, pressing the valve cap in, pulling the valve cap out, turning the valve cap in opposite direction to close passage between dosing chamber and container or bottle, press down to dispense fluid.

An example of a sequence of using valve cap is suggested identified by the arrows (dotted arrows indicate movements in sequence after movements defined by the solid arrows) in Fig. 1 IB where:

• 201 is start point (initial position of valve cap)

• 202 is start point for opening of air inlet to valve cap

• 203 is start point of filling dosing chamber,

• 204 is end point of filling,

• 205 is start point of refilling,

• 204 is end point of refilling

• 203 is start point of dosing

• 202 is end point of dosing

• 201 is locking point of valve cap in end position When the word fluid is used in this document it shall be understood that the meaning of the word is any liquid, gas or material, in any form such as floating, gaseous, solid and other.

When the word container or bottle is used it shall be understood that the meaning of the word or phrase is any type of enclosure used for storing any kind of fluid likely to be used in combination with the device of the current invention. Examples of such containers or bottles can be container or bottle for containing medicine, cough medicine, mouth-wash, alcohol, soft drinks, soap, dissolver, paint, acid, ingredients, oil, gas, carbohydrates and others.

Materials used in the different components are adapted to be used in combination with the actual fluid to be quantified and dispensed /extracted. The properties of the container or bottle are also of importance when selecting material for the implementation of the invention.