US 5,440,976 AGranted

Adjustable dispensing stirrer for soluble sweeteners

AssigneeFred Giuliano

InventorsFred Giuliano, John V. Mizzi

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Abstract

A sugar stick is provided to stir coffee until a desired sweetness is attained. The dispensing device for solid granular material is user adjusted from zero to a maximum by simply adjusting a movable cover, such as a sleeve or shutter to the indicated extent for the desired amount. The stirrer includes at least one dose separator disks attached to a central portion ending in an enlarged end section to be used as a handle, which fits into a perforated tube. The product granules, e.g. an artificial or natural sweetener, which are larger in size than the perforations, are housed in the spaces between the at least one separator disk. A transparent movable outer cover, such as a sleeve, encloses the perforations and seals them from contact with the liquid beverage. By pulling the movable outer cover up, the perforations corresponding to the desired level of sweetness dose can be easily exposed. The stirrer is used to stir the beverage contents and to dissolve the desired amount of sweetener granules and the liquid beverage flows through the exposed regions of the inner perforated tube.

A stirrer for convenient controlled dispensing of a solid into at least one material of a liquid, comprising:

an elongated body, the stirrer having a handle end and an opposite dispenser end, a container portion extending therebetween, and wherein
said elongated body further having at least one dispenser region extending along said container portion from a point beginning near or substantially at said dispenser end, and said elongated body also having
a handle region, extending along said container portion from a point near or substantially at said handle end of said stirrer, said handle region comprising a stirrer handle, and further wherein
said at least one dispenser region of said container portion being provided with at least one separator plate attached to said container portion, said respective separator plate further having at least one outer edge, and said stirrer further having
a perforated cover, said cover being substantially coextensive with said dispenser region of said container portion and said perforated cover further being in effective sealing contact with said at least one outer edge of said respective at least one separator plate, and further,
said container portion, said separator plate and said perforated cover further comprising at least one compartment for containing a solid material to be dispensed;
and further wherein
said stirrer further having at least one slidably movable outer cover, said outer cover being in effective sealing contact with said perforated cover, and
said at least one slidably movable outer cover having a full open position and a full closed position, said slidably movable outer cover being substantially coextensive and in positional register with said perforated cover in the full closed position, and with said slidably movable outer cover slidable movable between the full closed and full open positions, said slidably movable outer cover permitting the user to adjustably select a zone position corresponding to a desired amount of a solid material to be dispensed from said container portion of said stirrer into a liquid.

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Abstract

Claims19