# US 9,752,912 B2 · Single serve dispenser for a powdered nutrient > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,752,912 B2 - Document ID: US9752912B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/009,632 - Filed: 2016-01-28 - Published: 2017-08-03 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-01-28 - Applicants: Nicholas J. Singer - Inventors: Nicholas J. Singer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9752912B2 ## CPC - G01F 11/18: for fluent solid material - A23L 2/39: Dry compositions - B65B 1/08: by vibratory feeders - B65B 1/36: by volumetric devices or methods (checking volume of filled material B65B1/48) - B65B 39/003: {Rotating means} - B65B 39/007: {Guides or funnels for introducing articles into containers or wrappers} - B67D 1/00: Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught (B67D3/00 takes precedence; apparatus for making beverages A47J31/00) - G01F 11/24: for fluent solid material - G01F 11/282: {for fluent solid material not provided for in G01F11/34, G01F11/40, G01F11/46} - G01F 13/005: {comprising a screw conveyor} - G01F 15/00: Details of, or accessories for, apparatus of groups G01F1/00 - G01F13/00 insofar as such details or appliances are not adapted to particular types of such apparatus - G01F 15/005: {Valves (valves in general F16K)} - G01F 15/18: Supports or connecting means for meters - A23L 2/52: Adding ingredients (adding preservatives A23B70/10) - A23V 2002/00: Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs - G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME - A23L: FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF (preservation thereof A23B) - B65B: MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING (bundling and pressing devices for cigars A24C1/44; devices for tensioning and securing binders adapted to be supported by the article or articles to be bound B25B25/00; applying closure members to bottles, jars or similar containers B67B1/00-B67B6/00; concurrent cleaning, filling and closing of bottles B67C7/00; emptying bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels or similar containers B67C9/00) - B67D: DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (cleaning pipes or tubes or systems of pipes or tubes B08B9/02; emptying or filling of bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels, or similar containers, not otherwise provided for B67C; water supply E03; pipe systems F17D; domestic hot-water supply systems F24D; measuring volume, volume flow, mass flow or liquid level, metering by volume G01F; coin-freed or like apparatus G07F) - A23V: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND LACTIC OR PROPIONIC ACID BACTERIA USED IN FOODSTUFFS OR FOOD PREPARATION ## Abstract The dispenser disclosed herein serves a single serving of a powdered nutrient contained within a container having multi-servings of the powdered nutrient. The dispenser has a metering device that operates as a ball valve or guillotine to dispense a single serving of the powdered nutrient into a water container. The dispenser also has a support surface that can be lowered and raised back up in order to fit a water container under the metering device and a distal tip of the metering device into a mouth of the water container so that no powdered nutrient spills out of the water container during transfer of the powdered nutrient from the metering device to the water container. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A dispenser system for dispensing a single serve of a powdered nutrient, the dispenser system comprising: a container for holding two or more servings of the powdered nutrient, the container having an opening and a first part of a fastening system; a metering unit for measuring the single serve of the powdered nutrient and dispensing the measured powdered nutrient from a dispensing tip of the metering unit, the metering unit having a second part of the fastening system wherein the first and second parts are removably attachable to each other so that the container is removable from the metering unit when the container is empty and a new container filled with the powdered nutrient is attachable to the metering unit; a bottle for receiving the measured powdered nutrient dispensed from the dispensing tip, the bottle defining a mouth which is larger than the dispensing tip so that the mouth of the bottle does not contact the dispensing tip when the dispensing tip is inserted into the mouth of the bottle; and a stand for holding the metering unit above a surface, the stand including a support surface that is traversable between a biased up position and a down position, the down position allowing the mouth of the bottle to slip under the dispensing tip while the bottle pushes down on the support surface and the biased up position wherein the bottle is positioned on the support surface with the dispensing tip at least partially inserted into the bottle and the mouth of the bottle not contacting any part of the dispenser system including the dispensing tip, wherein a height of the bottle is greater than a first distance defined between an end of the dispensing tip and the support surface when the support surface is in the biased up position and less than a second distance defined between the end of the dispensing tip and the support surface when the support surface is in the down position. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The dispenser system of claim 1 wherein the metering unit defines a measuring cup that is a ball with a cavity with a volume equal to the single serve of powdered nutrient. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The dispenser system of claim 2 wherein the measuring cup is rotatable at least 180° so that the measuring cup is fillable with the powdered nutrient then rotated 180° to empty the powdered nutrient in the measuring cup into the bottle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The dispenser system of claim 1 wherein the metering unit has a guillotine traversable between an opened position and a closed position, the powdered nutrient filling a cavity of the metering unit when the guillotine is traversed to the opened position and preventing a flow of the powdered nutrient to the cavity when the guillotine is traversed to the closed position. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The dispenser system of claim 4 wherein the guillotine is biased to the closed position. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The dispenser system of claim 1 wherein the metering unit has a rotateable auger for flowing the powdered nutrient from an upper cavity to a lower cavity. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The dispenser system of claim 1 further comprising a vibration unit for facilitating removal of the powdered nutrient from the metering unit into the bottle, the vibration unit being attached to the metering unit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The dispenser system of claim 1 wherein the first part of the fastening system is a screw thread and the second part of the fastening system is a mating screw thread. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The dispenser system of claim 1 wherein the stand includes a spring underneath the support surface arranged to bias the support surface in the biased up position. ### Claim 10 A method of dispensing a single serve of a powdered nutrient from a container to a bottle comprising: measuring the single serve of the powdered nutrient in a metering unit to which the container is removable attached; receiving the bottle on a support surface of a stand that holds the metering unit such that the bottle is underneath a dispensing tip of the metering unit and the support surface is at a down position; releasing the support surface such that the support surface traverses to a biased up position in which the bottle is raised above the down position to a predetermined level, the dispensing tip is at least partially inserted into a mouth of the bottle, and the mouth of the bottle does not contact any part of the dispensing system; and dispensing the measured powdered nutrient from the dispensing tip into the bottle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the dispensing includes rotating a measuring cup of the metering unit at least 180° to empty the measured powdered nutrient from the measuring cup into the bottle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the measuring includes moving a guillotine from a closed position, at which flow of the powdered nutrient from the container to a cavity of the metering unit is prevented, to an opened position to fill the cavity with the powdered nutrient. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the guillotine is biased to the closed position. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the dispensing includes rotating an auger such that the powdered nutrient flows from an upper cavity of the metering unit to a lower cavity of the metering unit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the dispensing includes vibrating the metering unit to facilitate removal of the measured powdered nutrient from the metering unit into the bottle. ### Claim 16 A dispenser for dispensing a single serve of a powdered nutrient, the dispenser comprising: a container for holding two or more servings of the powdered nutrient, the container having an opening and a first part of a fastening system; a metering unit defining a measuring cup for measuring the single serve of the powdered nutrient and dispensing the measured powdered nutrient from a dispensing tip of the metering unit, the metering unit having a second part of the fastening system wherein the first and second parts are removably attachable to each other so that the container is removable from the metering unit when the container is empty and a new container filled with the powdered nutrient is attachable to the metering unit; a stand for holding the metering unit above a surface, the stand including a support surface that is traversable between a biased up position and a down position, the down position allowing for a mouth of a water bottle to slip under the dispensing tip while the water bottle pushes down on the support surface and the biased up position wherein the water bottle is positioned on the support surface with the dispensing tip at least partially inserted into the water bottle and the mouth of the water bottle not contacting any part of the dispenser system. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The dispenser of claim 16 wherein the measuring cup is a ball with a cavity with a volume equal to the single serve of powdered nutrient, the measuring cup being rotatable at least 180° so that the measuring cup is fillable with the powdered nutrient then rotated 180° to empty the powdered nutrient in the measuring cup into a water bottle. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The dispenser of claim 16 wherein the metering unit has a guillotine traversable between an opened position and a biased closed position, the powdered nutrient filling the measuring cup when the guillotine is traversed to the opened position and preventing a flow of the powdered nutrient to the measuring cup when the guillotine is traversed to the closed position. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The dispenser of claim 16 further comprising a vibration unit for facilitating removal of the powdered nutrient from the measuring cup into a water bottle, the vibration unit being attached to the metering unit. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The dispenser system of claim 16 wherein the stand includes a spring underneath the support surface arranged to bias the support surface in the biased up position.