Method of and means for dispensing

Claim 2

A dispenser for flowable material adapted to be coupled with a replaceable container filled with such material and provided with an initially close unitary diaphragm-like closure having a relatively movable body portion which can provide a dispensing capability through such closure, said dispenser comprising: a. a dispenser housing receptive of and manually detachable from the closure end of the container; b. means carried by said housing for initially opening the closure about the periphery of the body portion by effecting relative movement of the body portion with respect to the container; and c. means carried by said housing for supporting the body portion of the opened closure, said supporting means being selectably movable to enable a modulated annular flow of the material through the closure about the body portion.

Claim 3

A dispenser according to claim 1 in which said opening means and said supporting means form a unitary element.

Claim 4

A dispenser according to claim 1 including selectably movable metering means carried on said housing, and receptive of flowable material passed through the closure for discharging the same.

Claim 5

A dispenser according to claim 3 in which said metering means is of the volumetric type.

Claim 6

A dispenser according to claim 1 in which said opening means is so arranged that said relative movement is in an axial direction.

Claim 7

A dispenser according to claim 1 including means of a noncircular cross-section forming part of said supporting means and receptive of a complementally shaped portion of the body portion, the movability of said supporting means being rotary.

Claim 8

A dispenser according to claim 1, the movability of said supporting means being axial.

Claim 9

A dispenser according to claim 7 in which said supporting means is a reciprocable plunger, and a dispensing nozzle carried on said housing, and receptive of flowable material passed through the closure for discharging the same.

Claim 10

A dispenser according to claim 1 in which the movement of said supporting means is rotary and axial.

Claim 11

A dispenser according to claim 1 in which said dispenser housing has means for axially interlocking with complementary structure on the container, said housing having a spill-out opening of such axial extent as to overlap the upper end of said interlocking means.

Claim 12

A dispenser according to claim 1 in which said opening means comprises an annular structure engageable in encircling shear relation with an outer marginal portion of the closure for severing it from the body portion during reception of the container into said housing.

Claim 13

A dispenser according to claim 11 in which said annular structure is arranged to urge the severed marginal portion axially in sealing relation against an encircling formation on the container, for forming a seal between the housing and the opened container.

Claim 14

A dispenser according to claim 1 in which said housing is in the form of a cap having means for axially interlocking with complementary structure on the container, said supporting means beinG disposed within said cap.

Claim 15

A dispenser according to claim 13 in which said opening means comprises resiliently flexible pawl tongues receptive in grooves in the closure.

Claim 16

A dispenser according to claim 13 including means on said cap for clamping the outer periphery of the body portion sealingly against the container.

Claim 17

A dispenser according to claim 1, including: a. a container having a closure end through which a discharge passage extends, said passage converging in a downstream direction to a seat on said housing; b. an initially closed diaphragm-like closure having a relatively movable cup-shaped body portion disposed in said converging passage and capable of providing a dispensing capability through said closure, said body portion being sealingly engageable with said seat; and c. the movement of said supporting means disposing said body portion at selected positions along said converging passage to vary flow rate.

Claim 18

A dispenser according to claim 16 in which said container has an orifice at the upstream end of said discharge passage, the effective flow area about said body portion encompassing the effective flow area of said orifice.

Claim 19

A dispenser according to claim 1 including means defining a flow limiting orifice leading downstream to a converging passage in which said body portion is axially movable, said body portion with the wall of said converging passage defining an annular variable orifice, said flow limiting orifice having an effective flow area intermediate the range of available effective flow areas of said variable orifice.

Claim 20

A dispenser for flowable particulate material adapted to be coupled with a replaceable inverted container filled with such material, said dispenser comprising: a. a dispenser housing receptive of and manually detachable from the closure end of the container; b. a unitary diaphragm-like closure member having a central body portion and a continuous margin portion adapted to be secured to the container at its mouth to initially seal it, there being a generally circular line of weakness in said member defined by adjacent edges of said portions; c. means carried by said housing for cooperating with complemental structure on one of said portions for initially opening said closure member about the periphery of said body portion by effecting relative movement of said body portion with respect to the container; and d. means carried by said housing for cooperating with complemental structure on said body portion for supporting said body portion of the opened closure member in axially spaced relation to said margin portion as a modulating element for cooperating with the discharge end of the container for determining the effective size of the resulting dispensing opening around said body portion, said supporting means being selectably movable to enable a modulated annular flow of the material through said margin portion and about said body portion.

Claim 21

A dispenser for flowable particulate material adapted to be coupled with a replaceable inverted container filled with such material, said dispenser comprising: a. a dispenser housing receptive of and manually detachable from the closure end of the container; b. a unitary diaphragm-like closure member having a central body portion and a continuous margin portion adapted to be secured to the container at its mouth to initially seal it, there being a generally circular line of weakness in said member defined by adjacent edges of said portions; c. means carried by said housing for cooperating with complemental structure on one of said portions for initially opening said closure member about the periphery of said body portion by effecting relative movement of said body portion with respect to the container; and d. means carried by said housing for cooperating with complemental structure on said body portion for supporting said body portion of the opened closure member in axially spaced relation to said margin portion as a modulating element for cooperating with the discharge end of the container for determining the effective size of the resulting dispensing opening around said body portion, said supporting means being selectably movable to enable a modulated annular flow of the material through said margin portion and about said body portion.

Claim 24

A method of dispensing according to claim 20 in which said moving of the body portion is about its own axis.

Claim 25

A method of dispensing according to claim 20 in which said moving of the body portion is along its own axis.

Claim 26

A method of dispensing according to claim 20 which includes moving the body portion into an abutting sealing reLation with the container.

Claim 27

A method of dispensing according to claim 20 in which said rupturing is provided by rotating the prospective body portion about its own axis.

Claim 28

A dispensing closure for the discharge end of a storage container, such container being adapted to be replaceably coupled in an inverted position with a separate dispenser mechanism, comprising a unitary diaphragm-like member having a central body portion and a continuous margin portion adapted to be secured to the container at its mouth to initially seal it, there being a generally circular line of weakness in said member, said line of weakness being defined by adjacent edges of said portions, said body portion being a prospective modulating element for cooperation with the discharge end of the container after opening at said line of weakness, means on one of said portions for cooperating with complemental structure on the dispenser mechanism for effecting relative movement between said portions to effect such opening, and means on said body portion for cooperating with complemental support structure on the dispenser mechanism for effecting relative axial spacing between said portions for determining the effective size of the resulting dispensing opening around said body portion.

Claim 29

A dispensing closure for the discharge end of a storage container, such container being adapted to be replaceably coupled in an inverted position with a separate dispenser mechanism, comprising a unitary diaphragm-like member having a central body portion and a continuous margin portion adapted to be secured to the container at its mouth to initially seal it, there being a generally circular line of weakness in said member, said line of weakness being defined by adjacent edges of said portions, said body portion being a prospective modulating element for cooperation with the discharge end of the container after opening at said line of weakness, means on one of said portions for cooperating with complemental structure on the dispenser mechanism for effecting relative movement between said portions to effect such opening, and means on said body portion for cooperating with complemental support structure on the dispenser mechanism for effecting relative axial spacing between said portions for determining the effective size of the resulting dispensing opening around said body portion.

Claim 30

A dispensing closure according to claim 25 in which said first-named cooperating means is a shoulder on said margin portion.

Claim 31

A dispensing closure according to claim 25 in which said body portion has at least one radial rib for projecting toward the interior of the container.

Claim 32

A dispensing closure according to claim 27 in which said line of weakness has portions with ends adjacent to each other and in angular alignment with said rib.

Claim 33

A dispensing closure according to claim 25 in which said body portion is of generally frustoconical shape.

Claim 34

A dispensing closure according to claim 25 in which the diameter of the circular line of weakness is greater than the inside diameter of the discharge end of the container.

Claim 35

A dispensing closure according to claim 25 in which said circular line of weakness comprises a plurality of separate arcuate portions having adjacent ends which terminate angularly adjacent to and radially offset from each other.

Claim 36

A dispensing closure according to claim 31 in which adjacent ones of said arcuate portions have different diameters.

Claim 37

A dispensing closure according to claim 25 in which an annular area of sealing material is disposed on the peripheral border of said body portion.

Claim 38

A dispensing closure according to claim 25 in which said body portion has a hollow indentation for projecting into the discharge end and receptive of an element of the dispenser mechanism for acting on said body portion.

Claim 39

A dispensing closure according to claim 34 in which said indentation is disposed centrally of said body portion and is of generally frustoconical configuration.

Claim 40

A dispensing closure according to claim 34 in which said indentation is of noncircular cross-section receptive of an element of the dispenser mechanism of complementary configuration.

Claim 41

A dispensing closure according to claim 34 in which said indentation comprises at least one hollow radial rib.

Claim 42

A dispensing closure according to claim 37 in which said line of weakness has portions with ends adjacent to each other and in angular alignment with said rib.

Claim 43

A dispensing closure according to claim 37 in which said body portion is of generally frustoconical shape, and the axial height of said rib increases in a radially outward direction.

Claim 44

A dispensing closure according to claim 34 in which said indentation includes a plurality of surfaces jointly lying in a frustoconical locus for centering said closure with respect to the discharge end.