(1 ) Field of the Invention

This invention relates to dispensers for granular materials. The invention is particularly suitable for, but not limited to, salt and pepper shakers.

(2) Prior Art

Many granular materials are hydroscopic and absorb moisture if not kept in sealed containers.

Common salt is a ^" good example of such materials. The moisture causes the grains of salt to coalesce into granules or lumps which will not freely flow through the outlet orifice(s) provided in conventional salt and pepper shakers. The problem is further compounded in salt shakers which have a conically-shaped top or cap. When the shakers are inverted, the granules tend to bridge over the orifices, due to the confinement of the tops or caps and little, if any salt will flow from the shakers.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a dispenser for granular materials which will enable the materials to flow even when they have coalesced. It is a preferred object to provide such a dispenser which is inexpensive to manufacture. Other preferred objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description:

In a broad aspect, the present invention resides in a dispenser for granular materials including: a body to contain a supply of granular material having a top or cap; and at least one outlet orifice in the top or cap to enable the granular material to be discharged from the body, wherein:

an inverted cone or pyramid-like formation is provided on the top or cap within the dispenser; and the outlet orifice is formed at the apex of the cone or pyramid formation. (Throughout the following description and claims, the term "cone" or "conical" shall include pyramid or like shapes.)

Preferabl; , the inverted cone formation is provided centrally in the top or cap of the body having a single orifice, or a plurality of formations are equally spaced in the top or cap for a plurality of orifices.

Preferably, the wall portion around the orifice has a small radius curvature backing to a knife-edge like rim around the orifice.

Preferably the included angle within the orifice is in the range of 1 ° to 85°, the included angle between the external sides of the formation and in the range of 25° to 150°. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To enable the invention to be fully under¬ stood, a preferred embodiment will now be described with reference to tfte accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is . perspective view of a pair of salt and pepper shak ^e rs in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the salt shaker with a portion being shown in section taken on line 2-2 on FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is a similar view of the pepper shaker with the section taken on line 3-3;

FIG. 4 is a part-sectional view of the salt shaker showing the salt being discharged while the shaker is inverted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, the salt and pepper shakers 10, 11 are injection moulded in plastic and have a common body 12. Each body has a cylindrical wall 13 closed at one end by a base floor 14. The wall 13 has a reduced diameter upper portion 15 with a circumfer¬ ential head 16.

Removable caps 17, 18 are fitted to the bodies 12, the cap 17 having a single orifice 19 and the cap

18 having a plurality of spaced orifices 20.

Referring to FIG. 2 and 3, each cap has a top face 21, surrounded by a peripheral rim 22, with an inturned flange 23 adapted to releasably engage the circumferential head 16 on the body 12 of the shaker. An annular ring 24 is provided on the underside of the top face 21 to engage and to localise the upper end of the reduced diameter portion 15 of the body 12 to which the cap is fitted. By this construction, the caps 17,18 can be releasably "snapped onto" the bodies 12 of the shakers 10,11.

Referring now to FIG. 3, an inverted conical formation 25 is provided around the outlet orifice

19 and terminates in a knife-edge rim 26 at the inner end of the orifice. The external wall of the forma¬ tion (i.e. the wall exposed to the exterior of the cap 17) has an included angle° = 60°. while the internal wall 28 has an included angle (C? = 90°.

(The angles may be varied and =<■ may be in the range 1 ⁰ ° .85° and in the range 25° -ζ^ 150°.)

Referring now to FIG. 3, the orifices 20 are surrounded by conical formations 29 similar in construction to the conical formation 25.

Referring now to FIG. 4, when the salt shakers 10 are inverted, the granules of salt 30 flow into the

cap 17. The now outwardly divergent internal wall 28 of the conical formation 25 diverts the granules spaced from the orifice 19 away from the orifice to reduce the likelihood of the granules 30 compacting and bridging across the orifice.

At the same time, the knife-edge rim 26 breaks up the granules 30 into the separate grains of salt 31 which can then flow through the orifice 19. It will be readily apparent to the skilled addressee that the reduced pressure on the granules around the orifice, together with the breaking or chipping effect on the granules by the rim, promotes the flow of the grains of salt through the orifice. It will also be readily apparent to the skilled addressee that the present invention can be applied to the dispensing of a wide range of granular materials including spices, coffee granules, sugar, alum, and the like.

Various changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments described without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, the dispensers may have fixed tops and be filled through the base floors fitted with removable plugs; and the holes may be square, oval, triangular or other suitable shape; and the dispensers may be produced f om a wide range of suitable materials.