Field of the I nvention

[1] This invention relates generally to a dispenser for dispensing a measured amount of powder, such as powdered m ilk.

Summa ry of the Disclosure

[2] According to one aspect, there is provided a measured powder dispenser com prising a hopper feeding powder down into a measured dispensing mechan ism, the measured dispensing mechanism having an in let and an outlet and a measuring container operable therebetween, the measuring container rotatably engaged about a rotation axis generally orthogonal to an inlet axis of the inlet such that an exterior s urface thereof moves across the inlet when the measuring container rotates and wherein the measuring container com prises a measurement cham ber recessed within the exterior surface and wherein the measurement cham ber com prises a platform able to be offset a t various depths within the measurement cham ber to adjust an interior vol ume of the measurement cham ber such that, in use, at a first rotational position, the measurement cham ber al igns with the inlet to accept a measured amount of powder therein from the power container to fill the interior vol ume thereof and, when rotated to a second rotational position, the exterior surface seals across the inlet and the measurement cham ber al igns with the outlet to dispense the measured amount of powder therefrom .

[3] The platform may com prise a threaded periphery which screws into corresponding inner threading of the measurement cham ber.

[4] An upper surface of the platform may com prise an engagement for turning the platform .

[5] The exterior surface may com prise a cylindrical cross-section.

[6] The measuring container may be rotatably contained within a housing.

[7] The exterior surface may com prise a cyl indrical cross-section and an interior surface of the housing may comprise a cylindrica l cross -section.

[8] The dispenser may com prise an interface plate interfacing the hopper and the measured dispensing mechanism and wherein the housing may com prise an upper locking collar which releasably locks to the interface plate at the inlet.

[9] The dispenser may further com prise a base piece and the measured dispensing mechanism may com prise a lower locking col lar which releasably locks to the base piece at the outlet. [10] The lower locking col lar may be configured to lock the measuring container in a particular rotational position with respect to the base piece such that the measuring container aligns with a turning knob of the base piece .

[11] The housing may be spl it into bifurcations which can be pul led apart to release the measuring container therein therefrom .

[12] When at least one of the upper and lower locking col lars are locked to the interface plate or base piece respectively the bifurcations may be held together.

[13] The housing may com prise an aperture and a proximal face of the measuring container may com prise a turning shaft for a turning knob.

[14] The hopper may com prise a base piece and the base piece may com prise an aperture for the turning shaft.

[15] The turning shaft may be disassem blable such that the turning knob ca n be pul led from the measuring contain er to remove the measuring container from the base piece.

[16] The turning shaft may com prise a proximal piece connectable to a distal piece and wherein a proximal piece extends to within the aperture of the base piece.

[17] The turning knob may be biased to a rotat ional position by a biasing mechanism .

[18] The turning knob may com prise a visual indicator for ascertaining the rotational position of the measuring container.

[19] The hopper may com prise a cowl and a base piece which couple together to enclose an inverted powder tin therebetween.

[20] The base piece may com prise an interface plate which interfaces an opening of the powder tin.

[21] The interface plate may com prise locking tabs which lock against a rim of the powder tin.

[22] The interface plate may com prise locking tabs which lock into corresponding apertures of the hopper.

[23] The hopper may be supported atop a stand.

[24] The stand may com prise a stand plate and a pair of upright posts which engage the hopper.

[25] The hopper may com prise recessed tracks within which upper dista l ends of t he upright posts may be slidably engaged.

[26] The recess tracks com prise racks caught by locking pins extending from the upper distal ends of the upright posts.

[27] Each post may com prise a latch which, when displaced, pul ls in the locking pins. [28] According to another aspect, there is provided a method of dispensing a measured amount of powder using the dispenser, the method com prising adjusting the depth of the platform to configure an interior vol ume of the measurement chamber, loading the hopper with powder, turni ng the measurement cham ber to the first rotational position to accept the measured amount of powder into the measurement cham ber and turning the measurement cham ber two the second rotational position to dispense the measured amount of powder therefrom .

[29] Other aspects of the invention are also disclosed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[30] Notwithstanding any other forms which may fal l within the scope of the present invention, preferred em bodiments of the disclosure wil l now be described, by way of exam ple only, with reference to the accom panying drawings in which :

[31] Figure 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a measured powder dispenser in accordance an em bodiment;

[32] Figure 2 and 3 show the assem bled dispenser in extended and retracted positions respectively;

[33] Figure 4 and 5 show exploded and assem bled representations respectively of a measured dispensing mechanism of the dispenser in accordance with an em bodiment;

[34] Figures 6 and 7 ill ustrates the measured dispensing mechanism operative between two rotational positions for dispensing of a measured amount of powder; and

[35] Figures 8 and 9 show a portable dispenser variant.

Description of Em bodiments

[36] A measured powder dispenser 100 com prises a hopper 101 feeding down into a dispensing mechanism 111 for dispensing a measured amount of powder. The hopper 101 may be supported atop a stand 102.

[37] The hopper 101 may comprise a cowl 103 and a base piece 105 which may enclose an inverted commercially available tin 104 of powder therebetween. An interface plate 112 may interface the opening of the tin 104 and the dispensing mechanism 101.

[38] The stand 102 may comprise a stand plate 106 and a pair of upright su pport posts 107. Upper distal ends of the support posts 107 may sl ide within corresponding recessed tracks 108 of the cowl 103 to raise the height the container 101 in the manner shown in Figure 2 and to lower the container 101 in the manner shown in Figure 3. [39] The interface plate 112 may comprise locking tabs 110 which lo ck into corresponding apertures 109 of the cowl 103 to hold the interface plate 102 in position. In this manner, the dispensing m echanism 101 and the base piece 105 may be suspended from the interface plate.

[40] Opposite edges of the recessed tracks 108 may co m prise racks 132 caught by locking pins extending from side apertures 134 of upper distal ends of the posts 107 to hold the container 101 in place at various vertical offsets. Pressing down of a latch 133 retracts the locking pins, thereby allowing the posts 107 to slide freely within the recessed tracks 108 when adjusting the height of the hopper 101.

[41] With reference to Figure 4, the dispensing mechanism 111 com prises a measuring container 114 rotatably engaged between an inlet 122 and an outlet 131.

[42] The measuring container 114 is rotatably engaged about a rotation axis be ing generally perpendicu lar with a coaxial axis of the inlet 122 and outlet 131 such that an exterior surface 121 thereof moves across the inlet 122 and outlet 131. The measuring container 114 is preferably cyl indrical as shown or at least is partial ly sem icyl indrical so as to be able to seal across the inlet 122 when rotated .

[43] The measuring container 114 com prises a measurement cham ber 119 recessed within the exterior surface 121 t hereof.

[44] As shown in Figure 6, in a first rotational position, the measurement cham ber 119 aligns with the inlet 122 to accept a measured amount of powder from the container 101.

[45] When rotated to a second rotational position shown in Figure 7 (which may be 180° with respect to the first rotational position), the measurement cham ber 119 aligns with the outlet 131, thereby dispensing the measured amount of powder therefrom .

[46] When rotated from the first rotational position to the second rotational position, the exterior surface 121 of the measuring container 114 seals across the inlet 122.

[47] In a preferred em bodiment, the measuring container 114 com prises a platform 120 able to be offset at various depths within the measurement cham ber 119 to adjust the interior vol ume of the measurement cham ber 119 to control the amount of powder accepted by the measurement cham ber 119.

[48] The platform 120 may com prise a threaded periphery which screws into interior threading 121 of the measurement chamber 119. The platform 120 may com prise an engagement 14 to assist turning of the platform 120. In the em bodiment shown in Figure 4, the platform 120 com prises a recessed slot in an upper surface thereof within which a screwdriver may be engaged to turn the platform 120. [49] The measuring container 114 may com prise a turning shaft 127 extending from a proximal face thereof which engages a turning knob 113. The turning knob 113 may com prise a visual indicator 129 for visually ascertaining the operational position of the measuring container 114 in use.

[50] The turning shaft 127 may extend through an aperture 116 of the base piece 105.

[51] The turning shaft 127 may be disassem blable in com prising a proximal piece having a socket 115 within which a corresponding spade 128 of a distal piece releasably engages. In this way, the turning knob 113 may be pul led from the measuring container 114 to remove the measuring container 114 from the base piece 105. The proximal piece may be short so as to term inate at or just within the aperture 116 such that when the shaf t 127 is disassem bled, the measuring container 140 may be l ifted from the base piece 105.

[52] The turning knob 113 may be recessed within an annulus 135. A biasing mechanism (such as a coil spring) may bias the turning knob 113 to a particular rotational posit ion, such as the first rotational position shown in Figure 6.

[53] The measuring container 114 may be rotatably engaged within a housing 117. The housing 117 may com prise a cylindrical inner surface so as to tightly conform with the exterior surface 121 of the measuring container 114.

[54] The housing 117 may com prise an upper locking col lar 126 which locks with a corresponding locking collar underneath the entrance 122 of the interface plate 112.

[55] The housing 117 may further com prise a lower locking col lar 125 which locks into a corresponding locking collar at the exit 131 of the base piece 105.

[56] In em bodiments, the locking col lars 125, 126 com prise quarter turn engagements. The engagement may be configured such that, when interlocked, the measuring container 114 operably aligns with the turning knob 113.

[57] As such, the dispenser 100 may be disassem bled by releasing the locking col lars 126, 125.

[58] In a preferred em bodiment, the housing 117 is split into bifurcations 118. Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, w hen the locking col lars 125, 126 are engaged, the bifurcations 118 are held together. Flowever, when the locking collars 125, 126 are released, the bifurcations 180 may be pulled apart to release the measuring container 114 therein therefrom for adjustment and/or clea ning.

[59] The interface plate 112 may com prise locking tabs 123 which lock against the rim of the tin 104. The interface plate 112 may be sized and shaped to accom modate a commercially available powder tin, such as one comprising 800 g of powder therein. [60] The interface plate 112 may funnel towards the inlet 122.

[61] The locking tabs 110 may com prise protrusions 124 which engage in the apertures 109. Depressing the protrusions 124 within the apertures 110 flexes the tabs 110 and disengages the protrusions 124 from th e apertures, thereby allowing the removal of the interface plate 112.

[62] Figures 8 and 9 show a portable dispenser variant 136 which com prises an upper bottle piece 138 (akin to the base piece 105) lower bottle piece 139 (akin to the cowl 103) which screw together to hold an interface plate 140 (akin to the interface plate 112) therebetween.

[63] The portable dispenser variant 136 may yet com prise the same dispensing mechanism 111 such that the dispensing mechanism 111 may be interchanged between the portable variant 136 and the non-portable variant 100. The upper bottle piece 138 may com prise an aperture 140 via which the turning knob 113 interfaces with the dispensing mechanism 111.

[64] The upper bottle piece 138 may com prise threading for a screw cap 137.

[65] In the portable dispenser variant 136, the upper locking col lar 126 may yet lock to the interface plate 140 and the lower locking collar 125 may remain free or alternatively interlock with the upper bottle piece 138. I n either manner, the upper locking col lar 126 may be disengaged to disassem ble the housing 117 for maintenance and adjustment.

[66] The foregoing description, for purposes of expla nation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough u nderstanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent t o one skil led in the art that specific details are not required in order to practi se the invention. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of specific em bodiments of the invention are presented for purposes of ill ustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to l im it the invention to the precise forms disclosed as obviously many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. The em bodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the i nvention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to best util ize the invention and various em bodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contem plated. It is intended that the fol lowing claims and their equivalents define the scope of the invention.

[67] The term "approximately" or sim ilar as used herein should be construed as being within 10% of the value stated unless otherwise indicated.