A bottle-type dispensing container for salted sauces, sweetened sauces, and the like

Abstract

 A dispensing container for salted sauces, sweetened sauces, and the like, which can dispense sauce in desired amounts, comprises a body (2) of substantially bottle-like shape which has an elastically deformable middle portion (8) formed with a narrowing cross-section and a profile to an arc of a circle along a meridian direction thereof.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to a dispensing container for salted sauces, sweetened sauces, and the like.

[0002] Dispensing containers are widely used, e.g. in domestic or so-called snack bar environments, for consuming salted or sweetened sauces and the like, and in particular a sweet-and-sour tomato sauce, better known as ketchup sauce, which is much appreciated for dressing fried potato chips, Hamburg steaks, and other dishes.

[0003] While being in various ways satisfactory, such prior dispensing containers have a well-recognized disadvantage. In order to dispense their sauce contents out, one must shake the dispensing container strongly and reiterately to loosen such contents and have them flow out onto a dish to be dressed thereby. Still worse, the outcome of that operation is usually an unsatisfactory one in that dispensation of the sauce, as ultimately successful, is uncontrolled, that is, either too scant or overabundant.

[0004] It has been suggested of equipping dispensing containers currently in use with a metering pump-type attachment. In this way, a much smoother dispensation can be achieved. However, the meager amount which is delivered with each dosage compels the user to operate the metering attachment a large number of times in order to have a desired amount of sauce dispensed out. It is also recognized that such metering attachments are quite unwelcome by both their installer to the dispensing container and their end user. Lastly, such metering attachments tend to be relatively complex in construction and aggravate costs, or become a wasteful item because they are usually to be discarded after the sauce contents of the container has been exhausted, for evident sanitary reasons.

[0005] It is the object of this invention to provide a dispensing container of the kind specified above which has such constructional and operational characteristics as to overcome the aforementioned prior problems.

[0006] This object is achieved by a dispensing container of the above-mentioned type being characterized in that it comprises a body of substantially bottle-like shape extending between a bottom and a mouth and being at least partly deformable elastically.

[0007] Advantageously, said body has an elastically deformable middle portion with a narrowing cross-section.

[0008] Further features and the advantages of the dispensing container according to this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, given here by way of illustration and not of limitation with reference to the accompanying drawings, where:

Figure 1 is a part-sectional elevation view of a dispensing container according to the invention, taken along the line I-I; and

Figures 2 and 3 are views of the dispensing container of Figure 1, taken in the directions of the arrows II and III, respectively.

[0009] With reference to the accompanying drawing figures, the numeral 1 designates generally a dispensing container according to the invention.

[0010] The dispensing container 1 comprises a body 2 of substantially bottle-like shape, which is intended for filling with some sauce, such as a salted, or sweetened, or sweet-and-sour sauce.

[0011] The body 2 extends between a bottom 3 and a mouth 4. It has a portion 5, lying adjacent the bottom 3, which is configured as a cylinder with a set diameter dimension, e.g. of 82 mm, and set height dimension, e.g. of 90 mm, and is intended for application of a label 6.

[0012] The body 2 also has a portion 7, adjacent the mouth 4, which is funnel-shaped with a major diameter equal to the diameter of the cylindrical portion, i.e. of 82 mm, and a minor diameter equal to the diameter of the mouth 4, e.g. of 35 mm, and with a set height dimension, e.g. of 73 mm.

[0013] Between the portion 5 and the portion 7, there is defined a middle portion 8 having a set height, e.g. of 77 mm. The portion 8 has a narrowing cross-section into a grip 9 for the dispensing container 1 to be gripped by a user's hand. In particular, the narrowing portion 8 has in a meridian direction thereof a profile to the arc of a circle of appropriate radius to provide, at its narrowest point, a diameter of about 68 mm.

[0014] The body 2 of the dispensing container 1 according to the invention is formed from a film of a plastic material. More specifically, this film includes five layers, namely a core layer of ethylvinyl alcohol which is cemented, as by means of two coats of a cement such as ADMER, to two outward layers, e.g. of non-toxic polypropylene, to provide an overall thickness dimension of about 0.3 mm. Such a film is commonly referred to as a "five-layered co-extrudate".

[0015] The body 2 of the dispensing container 1 is, at least in part and specifically at its middle portion 8 forming the handgrip 9, deformable elastically under the action of a compressive force exerted by the user's hand.

[0016] The dispensing container 1 further comprises a delivery member 10 of funnel-like shape which is molded from a suitable plastics, such as polyethylene. The funnel-shaped delivery member 10 has an end 11 of large diameter and an end 12 of small diameter. The end 12 forms a delivery outlet 13 for the sauce. The member 10 is secured with its end 11 on the body 2 at the mouth 4 by snap engagement as provided by hook-on means and mating means, respectively indicated at 14 and 15 and being formed on the delivery member 10 and the body 2, respectively.

[0017] It should be also noted that the delivery member 10 is provided with a removable stopper formation, indicated at 16 and being an integral part thereof, which is arranged to seal the delivery outlet 13. The stopper formation 16 is intended for removal, as by cutting it off, when the dispensing container is used for the first time.

[0018] Indicated at 17 is a cap-type stopper, adapted to close the outlet 13 of the delivery member 10. It is formed integrally with the delivery member 10 and connected to it by a small elastically deformable bridge 18 of appropriate length to ensure convenience in use and against its becoming lost.

[0019] Also noteworthy is that the cap 17 is connected to the delivery member 10 by a frangible bridge 19, formed integrally therewith, which would be quite short in length and effective to hold the cap 17 close to the delivery member 10, but adapted to be broken, as by tearing away, on first use of the cap 17.

[0020] The mode of operation of the dispensing container 1 according to the invention will be now described with reference to a starting condition depicted in Figure 1.

[0021] To have sauce dispensed out, it will be sufficient to direct the body 2, while held in the hand by its narrowing portion 8, and after removing the stopper 16, such that the delivery member 10 is facing a dish to be dressed, and apply a compressive force to the narrowing section 8, thereby the body 2 is deformed gradually until a desired amount of the sauce flows out of the delivery outlet 13.

[0022] On releasing the compression force, delivery will be stopped, and the dispensing container, following application of the cap 17 to the delivery outlet 13, may be laid aside in readiness for any subsequent use.

[0023] The dispensing container of this invention affords the outstanding advantage of being uncommonly easy to use. In fact, the sauce is ultimately dispensed in exact dosages as desired, in a convenient way and with sparingly applied movements, by just squeezing the body of the dispensing container.

[0024] The inventive dispensing container has shown to be light in weight and easily handled, as well as advantageous from the sanitary standpoint.

[0025] Furthermore, it is expected that its manufacturing cost can be held at a relatively low level, thus affording a better than negligible advantage for an article intended to be thrown away after use.

[0026] Of course, the dispensing container disclosed in the foregoing may be made the subject of several changes and modifications by a skilled person in the art, for the purpose of meeting specific contingent requirements, without departing from the protection scope of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A dispensing container for salted sauces, sweetened sauces, and the like, characterized in that it comprises a body (2) of substantially bottle-like shape extending between a bottom (3) and a mouth (4) and being at least partly deformable elastically.

2. A dispensing container according to Claim 1, characterized in that said body (2) includes an elastically deformable middle portion (8) having a narrowing cross-section.

3. A dispensing container according to Claim 2, characterized in that said narrowing cross-section middle portion (8) has a profile to an arc of a circle along a meridian direction thereof.

4. A dispensing container according to Claim 3, characterized in that said body (2) has a funnel-shaped portion (7) adjacent said mouth (4).

5. A dispensing container according to Claim 4, characterized in that it comprises a delivery member (10) configured funnel-like and snap fitted to the mouth (4) of the bottle-like body (2).

6. A dispensing container according to Claim 5, characterized in that it comprises a cap-type of stopper (17) for said delivery member (10).

7. A dispensing container according to Claim 6, characterized in that said cap-type stopper (17) is formed integrally with the delivery member (10) and connected thereto by an elastically deformable bridge (18) of suitable length.

8. A dispensing container according to Claim 7, characterized in that said body (2) has a portion (5) adjacent the bottom (3) with a cylindrical shape and set height for application of a label.

Drawing