Selective dispensing utensil

Claim 1

A dispensing utensil suitable for treating and discharging measured quantities of liquids comprising a substantially cylindrical cup body having an open mouth, the body including a transverse interior wall surface, said wall surface being sloped toward and defining an outlet orifice in said cup body for gravity discharge flow of the liquid contents, the cup body further extending below the outlet orifice to form a skirt wall, said skirt wall providing a pedestal for supporting the cup on a horizontal surface, flow control means operable for regulating discharge flow, said flow control means having an externally mounted sluice valve assembly, said sluice valve assembly being recessed within the skirt wall and including a valve housing and a valve member slidably accommodatable within said housing, coupling means for detachably connecting the valve housing to the cup body, the coupling means including a depending collar formed integrally with the cup and surrounding the outlet orifice, said depending collar being adapted for interfitting, manually separable, fluid tight engagement with the valve housing for removably securing the valve housing to the cup in registration with the outlet orifice, said valve housing further having a discharge port, said slidable valve member having an extension projecting through an opening formed in the skirt wall, said extension providing accessibility to the recessed valve assembly for permitting selective displacement of the valve member with respect to the discharge port to regulate discharge flow from the cup, said valve assembly being detachable as a unit from the cup body with the valve member being positioned to seal the discharge port, the valve member further being withdrawable through the opening in the skirt wall and removable from within the valve housing, whereby the component valve elements can be readily disassembled and separated for cleaning.