Gravity fed viscous liquid and food product dispensing system
AssigneeGrabas Limited
InventorMichael J. Grause, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A liquid and semi-liquid product dispenser that allows for gravity dispensing of product by using a product bottle that slopes downwards towards the feed valve when the bottle is placed for dispensing. This includes a long-sloped portion that extends downwards from the rear of the bottle to the front of the bottle, and a curved and sloped portion proximate to the valve. These slopes feed product to the valve under the force of gravity when the valve is opened. Installation of product bottles is aided by an interior design of the dispenser case that mirrors the bottles contours and ensures that the bottle is positioned for use when placed.
Claims18
A dispensing system comprising:
- (a) a bottle comprising a spout positioned at the lowest point of the bottle, a body positioned above the spout along a vertical axis, and an angled surface extending from the rear of the bottle downwards to the spout, wherein the angled surface is a majority of the area of a bottom of the bottle, and wherein the bottle contains a viscous food product;
- (b) a case comprising an interior containing an inclined shelf and a positioning shelf, wherein:
- (i) the positioning shelf comprises an aperture having a shape complementary to a shape of the spout such that the aperture guides the bottle into a dispensing position when the spout is placed in the positioning shelf, and
- (ii) the inclined shelf is adapted to support the angled surface and hold the bottle upright along the vertical axis when the bottle is in the dispensing position;
- and
- (c) a valve coupled to the spout and operable to form a dispensing aperture along the horizontal axis through which the food product can flow from the valve along the vertical axis, wherein the dispensing aperture is proximate to and directly below an aperture of the spout;
- wherein the bottle is formed of a semi-rigid material capable of substantially maintaining the bottle's initial shape when filled with the food product and positioned at the dispensing position.
A bottle for use with a food dispensing system, the bottle comprising:
- (a) a spout positioned on a bottom of the bottle and comprising an aperture along a horizontal axis;
- (b) a body positioned along a vertical axis above the spout;
- (c) an angled surface extending from a rear of the bottle downwards to the spout, wherein the angled surface is adapted to hold the bottle upright along the vertical axis when the bottle is placed within a dispensing case;
- (d) a valve coupled to the spout, the valve comprising an upper frame and a lower frame, the upper frame comprising an upper aperture and the lower frame comprising a lower aperture, wherein:
- (i) the upper frame and the lower frame are coupled so that the lower frame can slide along the upper frame parallel to the horizontal axis between a neutral position and a depressed position, and
- (ii) when the lower frame is in the depressed position, the lower aperture is positioned below the upper aperture and a dispensing aperture is formed, directly below the aperture of the spout and parallel to the horizontal axis, through which a product can flow from the valve along the vertical axis;
- wherein the bottle is formed of a semi-rigid material capable of substantially maintaining the bottle's initial shape when filled with the food product and positioned at the dispensing position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.