Claims:WE CLAIM:
1. A dispenser (100) for regulating discharge of a material, said dispenser (100) comprising:
• a canister defined at an operative bottom portion of said dispenser (100), said canister configured to contain said material;
• a piston assembly linearly displacably mounted in said canister, said piston assembly comprising:
o a piston rod (112) having an operative top end and an operative bottom end, said piston rod (112) having thread formations configured thereon;
o a metering scale (114) attached to said piston rod (112) along the length of said piston rod (112);
o a piston head fitted at said operative bottom end of said piston rod (112); and
o a first metering unit (118) coupled to said piston rod (112) at said operative top end, said first metering unit (118) facilitating linear movement of said piston rod (112) along said metering scale (114) for enabling coarse dispensation of said material from said canister by a first pre-determined value; and
• a second metering unit (120) coupled to said piston rod (112), said second metering unit (120) comprising:
o a knob (126) having a microsetting gauge; and
o a bevel gear arrangement (130) having a first gear and a second gear, wherein said first gear is connected to said knob (126), and said second gear engages with threads of said piston rod (112);
the arrangement (130) being such that the angular displacement of said first gear with the help of said knob (126) translates to a controlled and precise linear displacement of said piston rod (112) and consequently facilitate precise dispensation of material by a second pre-determined value through said canister with a reduced amount of human effort required to dispense a precise amount of material therefrom.
2. The dispenser (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said dispenser (100) is coupled to a container containing said material via a valve at an operative bottom portion of said dispenser (100).
3. The dispenser (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first metering unit (118) includes a cap (122) which is coupled to said operative top end of said piston rod (112).
4. The dispenser (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second metering unit (120) further includes a spring (136) disposed operatively below said bevel gear arrangement (130) for reducing backlash in said bevel gear arrangement (130).
5. The dispenser (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second gears of said bevel gear arrangement (130) are made of nylon and said bevel gear arrangement (130) is configured to limit backlash to 30 arc-minutes.
6. The dispenser (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said metering scale (114) is configured to have a plurality of holes for facilitating locking of said piston rod (112) at the end of said coarse dispensation or said precise dispensation of said material from said canister.
7. The dispenser (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said metering scale (114) has a U-shape configuration.
8. The dispenser (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said metering scale (114) is made of stainless steel.
9. The dispenser (100) as claimed in claim 1, which includes a pipe (107) configured to cover said canister.

, Description:FIELD
The present disclosure relates to the field of mechanical engineering. Particularly, the present disclosure relates to the field of dispensers.
BACKGROUND
Conventionally, mixtures are formed by adding measured quantity of a plurality of materials. To get the desired mixture, it is important to accurately measure the quantity of each of the materials before mixing them. For example, to prepare a particular color variant, it is essential to introduce right amount of colorants in a mixing chamber from a dispenser.
Conventional dispensers typically include a stopping means for facilitating dispensation of a pre-defined amount of each of the materials. However, the stopping means of the conventional dispensers are provided discretely in the dispensers and do not provide fine increment dispensation of the materials to cater the requirement of very small quantities of the materials to form the desired mixture. Take an example of preparing a particular shade of paint by using a color combination of colorants such as green and blue, wherein it may be required to add 20.52 ml of green color and 10.93 ml of blue color. The conventional dispenser can be used to dispense 20.5 ml of green color and 10.9 ml of blue color. However, it is difficult to dispense the remaining quantity of 0.02 ml of green color and 0.03 ml of blue color using the conventional dispensers accurately, which results in obtainment of incorrect shade of the paint.
Hence, in order to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks, there is need of a dispenser that reduces the amount of human effort required to dispense a precise amount of material therefrom. Further, there is need of a dispenser with improved the ergonomics. Furthermore, there is need of a dispenser that is easy to operate, does not require highly skilled labor, and is less vulnerable to human error.

OBJECTS
Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies, are as follows:
An object of the present disclosure is to provide a dispenser that facilitates precise dispensation of materials therefrom.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a dispenser that reduces the amount of human effort required to dispense a precise amount of material therefrom.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a dispenser that improves the ergonomics.
Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a dispenser that has a unique design and is easy to carry and use.
Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a dispenser that is easy to operate.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a dispenser that does not require highly skilled labor.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a dispenser that is less vulnerable to human error.
Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a dispenser that has low maintenance cost.
Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide a dispenser that has a time-effective operation mechanism.
Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description, which is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
SUMMARY
The present disclosure envisages a dispenser for regulating discharge of a material therefrom. The dispenser comprises (i) a canister, (ii) a piston assembly having a piston rod, a metering scale, a piston head, and a first metering unit, and (iii) a second metering unit. The canister is defined at an operative bottom portion of the dispenser and is configured to contain the material.
The piston assembly is linearly displacably mounted in the canister. The piston rod of the piston assembly has an operative top end and an operative bottom end. The piston rod also has thread formations configured thereon. The metering scale is attached to the piston rod along the length of the piston rod. The piston head is fitted at the operative bottom end of the piston rod. The first metering unit is coupled to the piston rod at the operative top end. The first metering unit is configured to facilitate linear movement of the piston rod along the metering scale for enabling coarse dispensation of the material from the canister by a first pre-determined value.
The second metering unit is coupled to the piston rod. The second metering unit comprises a knob and a bevel gear arrangement. The knob has a microsetting gauge and the bevel gear arrangement has a first gear and a second gear connected thereto. The first gear is connected to the knob, and the second gear engages with threads of the piston rod.
The arrangement of the bevel gear being such that the angular displacement of the first gear with the help of the knob translates to a controlled and precise linear displacement of the piston rod and consequently facilitate precise dispensation of material by a second pre-determined value through the canister.
In an embodiment, the dispenser is coupled to a container containing the material via a valve at an operative bottom portion of the dispenser. In another embodiment, the first metering unit of the dispenser includes a cap which is coupled to the operative top end of the piston rod.
In yet another embodiment, the second metering unit of the dispenser further includes a spring which is disposed operatively below the bevel gear arrangement. The spring is configured to reduce backlash in the bevel gear arrangement caused during operation.
In still another embodiment, the first and second gears of the bevel gear arrangement are made of nylon. The bevel gear arrangement is configured to limit backlash to 30 arc-minutes.
In yet another embodiment, the metering scale of the dispenser is configured to have a plurality of holes for facilitating locking of the piston rod at the end of the coarse dispensation or the precise dispensation of the material from the dispenser. The metering scale may have a U-shape configuration. The metering scale can be made of stainless steel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING
A dispenser for regulating discharge of a material, of the present disclosure will now be described with the help of the accompanying drawing, in which:
Figure 1 illustrates an isometric view of the dispenser, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and
Figure 2 illustrates a schematic view of the dispenser of figure 1.
Reference numeral References associated with reference numeral
100 Dispenser
107 Pipe
112 Piston Rod
114 Metering Scale
115 Scale Lock Unit
118 First Metering Unit
120 Second Metering Unit
122 Cap
124 Cap Cover
126 Knob
128 Rotating Shaft
130 Bevel Gear Arrangement
136 Spring
140 Bevel Gear Housing
145 Inner Piston Holder
150 Inner Pipe Holder
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Conventionally, mixtures are formed by adding measured quantity of a plurality of materials. To get the desired mixture, it is important to accurately measure the quantity of each of the materials before mixing them. For example, to prepare a particular color variant, it is essential to introduce right amount of colorants in a mixing chamber from a dispenser.
Conventional dispensers typically include a stopping means for facilitating dispensation of a pre-defined amount of each of the materials. However, the stopping means of the conventional dispensers are provided discretely in the dispensers and do not provide fine increment dispensation of the materials to cater the requirement of very small quantities of the materials to form the desired mixture.
The present disclosure envisages a dispenser, which is configured to regulate the discharge of a material therefrom. The dispenser of the present disclosure, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure is now described with reference to the embodiments, which do not limit the scope and ambit of the disclosure. The description of the dispenser is provided purely by way of example and illustration.
The dispenser of the present disclosure is now described with reference to figure 1 and figure 2. Figure 1 illustrates an isometric view of a dispenser 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 illustrates a schematic view of the dispenser 100.
The dispenser 100 of the present disclosure is configured to regulate discharge of a material therefrom. The dispenser 100 comprises a canister (not shown in the figures), a piston assembly (not exclusively labelled in the figures) having a piston rod 112, a metering scale 114, a piston head (not shown in the figures), and a first metering unit 118, and (iii) a second metering unit 120. The canister is defined at an operative bottom portion, typically at an operative bottom end of the dispenser 100 and is configured to contain the material. In an embodiment, the dispenser 100 is coupled to a container containing a large amount of the material via a valve (not shown in the figures). In a preferred embodiment, the valve is configured at the operative bottom portion of the dispenser 100 for facilitating fluidic communication between the container and the canister. In an embodiment, the dispenser 100 may include a pipe 107 configured to cover the canister.
The piston assembly is linearly displacably mounted in the canister. The piston rod 112 of the piston assembly has an operative top end (not exclusively labelled in the figures) and an operative bottom end (not exclusively labelled in the figures). The surface of the piston rod 112 is configured with thread formations. In a preferred embodiment, the thread formations are configured along the entire length of the piston rod 112.
The metering scale 114 of the piston assembly is attached to the piston rod 112 along the length of the piston rod 112. The metering scale 114 is configured to assist user to determine the amount of material dispensed from the canister.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the metering scale 114 of the dispenser 100 is configured to have a plurality of holes thereon. In an embodiment, the metering scale 114 has a U-shaped configuration and is made of stainless steel. The stainless steel metering scale 114 provides long life to the scale for measuring the amount of material dispensed from the dispenser 100. In yet another embodiment, the U-shaped metering scale 114 is configured to have two holes side by side along the entire length of the metering scale 114.
The plurality of holes of the metering scale 114 may be provided with a locking mechanism comprising a scale lock unit 115 for facilitating locking of the piston rod 112. In an operative configuration when the material is subjected to dispensation, the locking mechanism is enabled to lock further movement of the piston rod 112 after a certain amount or desired amount of material is dispensed, such as after coarse dispensation or precise dispensation of the material from the dispenser 100.
The piston head of the piston assembly is fitted at the operative bottom end of the piston rod 112. In an embodiment, the piston head abuts the internal surface of the canister and is configured to slide upward and downward therewithin under the stroke applied by the first metering unit 118 and the second metering unit 120 of the dispenser 100.
The first metering unit 118 is coupled to the piston rod 112 at the operative top end of the piston rod 112. The first metering unit 118 is configured to facilitate linear movement of the piston rod 112 along the length of the metering scale 114 for enabling coarse dispensation of the material from the canister by a first pre-determined value. In an embodiment, the first metering unit 118 of the dispenser includes a cap 122 and a cap cover 124. The cap 122 is coupled to the operative top end of the threaded piston rod 112 and is subjected to rotational motion which gets translated to linear motion (vertical movement) of the piston rod 112 thereby in an operative configuration dispenses the material from the canister.
The second metering unit 120 is coupled to the piston rod 112 at the operative top portion of piston rod 112. The second metering unit 120 comprises a knob 126, a rotating shaft 128, and a bevel gear arrangement 130. The knob 126 has a microsetting gauge. The knob 126 is connected to the bevel gear arrangement 130 by means of the rotating shaft 128. The bevel gear arrangement 130 comprises a first gear and a second gear connected to each other. The first gear is connected to the knob 126, and the second gear engages with threads of the piston rod 112 thereby coupling the bevel gear arrangement 130 with the piston rod 112.
The first gear and the second gear of the bevel gear are arranged such that the angular displacement of the first gear with the help of the knob 126 translates to a controlled and precise linear displacement of the piston rod 112. Consequently the precise linear displacement of the piston rod 112 facilitates precise dispensation of material by a second pre-determined value through the canister under the subjection of a stroke applied by the second metering unit 120 of the dispenser 100.
In an embodiment, the second metering unit 120 of the dispenser 100 further includes a spring 136 which is disposed operatively below the bevel gear arrangement 130. The spring 136 is configured to reduce backlash in the bevel gear arrangement 130 caused during operation by ensuring continuous abutment of the second gear with the first gear. The bevel gear arrangement 130 with the spring 136 is configured to limit the backlash to 30 arc-minutes. In still another embodiment, the first and second gears of the bevel gear arrangement 130 are made of nylon.
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the dispenser 100 further comprises: (i) a bevel gear housing 140 for covering the bevel gear arrangement 130 and insulating it from interference of any foreign particle, (ii) an inner piston holder 145 having a bore thereon for allowing passage of the piston rod 112 and for providing support to the piston rod 112, and (iii) an inner pipe holder 150 configured to hold and support the pipe 107.
The dispenser 100 of the present disclosure has many applications. One such application is in the preparation of paint. Paint is made by mixing a plurality of distinct colorants and to prepare a particular shade of paint, it is necessary to mix accurate amount of each of the colorants. In a typical colorant dispensing unit, 16 containers filled with different colorants are used, each of which is attached with a separate dispenser for dispensing the accurate amount of the colorant.
The dispenser 100 disclosed in the present disclosure has a bevel gear arrangement coupled with microsetting gauge on a knob can be used to prepare any shade of paint as the dispenser 100 has the capability to dispense colorant from ¼ shot ounce (0.154 ml) to 2 ounce (59.147 ml).
TECHNICAL ADVANCEMENTS
The present disclosure described herein above has several technical advantages including, but not limited to, the realization of a dispenser that:
• reduces the amount of human effort required to dispense a precise amount of material therefrom;
• improves the ergonomics;
• has a unique design and is easy to carry and use;
• is easy to operate;
• does not require highly skilled labor;
• is less vulnerable to human error;
• has low maintenance cost; and
• has a time-effective operation mechanism.
The foregoing disclosure has been described with reference to the accompanying embodiments which do not limit the scope and ambit of the disclosure. The description provided is purely by way of example and illustration.
The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments so fully revealed the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.
Throughout this specification the word “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.
The use of the expression “at least” or “at least one” suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the disclosure to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results.
Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like that has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the disclosure. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form a part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the disclosure as it existed anywhere before the priority date of this application.
The numerical values mentioned for the various physical parameters, dimensions or quantities are only approximations and it is envisaged that the values higher/lower than the numerical values assigned to the parameters, dimensions or quantities fall within the scope of the disclosure, unless there is a statement in the specification specific to the contrary.
While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation.