Claims:1. A dispensing device, comprising:
a housing comprising a filling opening for receiving a material from a container and a dispensing opening for dispensing the material;
a transport unit that is adapted to be slidably movable from a filling position to a dispensing position within the housing, wherein the transport unit comprises a variable volume opening that at least partially aligns with the filling opening at the filling position and entraps the material received via the filling opening from the container; and
a volume adjusting unit that is adapted to be slidably mounted on the transport unit, wherein the volume adjusting unit comprises a volume adjusting block that is adapted to slidably move back and forth through the variable volume opening from one end of the variable volume opening for selectively adjusting a desired amount of the material to be entrapped.

2. The dispensing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the variable volume opening, adapted to entrap the desired amount of the material, is at least partially aligned with the dispensing opening to dispense entrapped material when the transport unit slidably moves to the dispensing position.

3. The dispensing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the volume adjusting unit further comprises a first arm that is attached to a first end of the volume adjusting block, and a second arm that is attached to a second end of the volume adjusting block, wherein the first end is opposite end to the second end.

4. The dispensing device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first arm comprises a locking assembly.

5. The dispensing device as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a slider that comprises one or more engaging walls that are adapted to engage with the locking assembly of the first arm.

6. The dispensing device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the transport unit further comprises a first arm receiving slot, a second arm receiving slot, a slider receiving slot that is located parallel to the first arm receiving slot, and a resting wall.

7. The dispensing device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the one or more engaging walls of the slider are positioned within the first arm receiving slot via the slider receiving slot, and the locking assembly of the first arm is positioned within the first arm receiving slot to receive the one or more engaging walls to move the volume adjusting block into the variable volume opening.

8. The dispensing device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the slider, adapted to slide through the slider accommodating slot, is moved from a first position to a second position within the slider accommodating slot such that the first arm slides into the first arm receiving slot, the second arm slides into the second arm receiving slot, and the volume adjusting block slides into the variable volume opening simultaneously for adjusting the desired amount of the material to be entrapped.

9. The dispensing device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the housing further comprises one or more guide rails that rest against the resting wall of the transport unit for guiding the transport unit from the filling position to the dispensing position.

10. The dispensing device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the housing further comprises one or more outward stoppers that are adapted to engage with the resting wall at the filling position and prevent the transport unit from projecting out of the housing.

11. The dispensing device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the housing further comprises one or more inward stoppers that are adapted to engage with the resting wall at the dispensing position and enable the variable volume opening to align with the dispensing opening by preventing further axial movement of the transport unit.

12. The dispensing device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an elastic material that is adapted to bring back the transport unit from the dispensing position to the filling position.

13. The dispensing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transport unit is made of flexible material such that the transport unit is brought back from the dispensing position to the filling position automatically upon releasing a force used to dispense the material.
, Description:The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.

DEVICE FOR DISPENSING MATERIALS

BACKGROUND

[0001] Embodiments of the present specification relate generally to a dispensing device, and more particularly to an efficient dispensing device capable of dispensing variable volumes of desired materials.
[0002] Dispensing devices are used to dispense small quantities of a material from a container. A simple and a well-known example of such dispensing devices is a powder dispenser (e.g., a salt or a pepper powder dispenser) used usually at homes and restaurants. A lid of the powder dispenser has one or more openings through which the material is dispensed out by reversing and shaking the container. However, in such type of dispensers, there are no ways to regulate an amount of material to be dispensed. Further, humidity level within the container has to be maintained, especially if the container accommodates hygroscopic materials that tend to attract water molecules from the surrounding environment and become caked.
[0003] Certain attempts have been made to address the issue of regulating an amount of material to be dispensed by developing dispensing devices that are capable of dispensing a predetermined amount of material from a container. Actuation of these dispensing devices dispenses almost the same amount of material every time. For example, the US patent applications US6811061 and US6450371 describe such dispensing devices that are capable of dispensing a predetermined amount of material every time in a single stroke by actuating a slide mechanism.
[0004] However, in practical scenarios, a user may wish to dispense different amounts of the material in different scenarios. For example, if a user intends to dispense more than a predetermined amount of the material that can be delivered by a single actuation, the user has to actuate the slide mechanism multiple times. Still, the user may not able to dispense an exact amount of the material unless the amount of the material to be dispensed is a multiple of the predetermined amount of material. In another example, if a user intends to dispense an amount of the material that is less than the predetermined amount of material that can be delivered by the single actuation, there are no options available at all for the user. The user is forced to dispense more than a required quantity of the material.
[0005] Additionally, the slide mechanism described in the above-mentioned US patent applications extends obtrusively from the dispensing device’s contour. This extended slide mechanism causes inconvenience to a user while operating the dispensing device. Especially with a dispensing device having a lengthy slide mechanism, the user has to stretch out his/her finger in order to reach and press the extended slide mechanism. The extended slide mechanism also affects aesthetic characteristics of the dispensing device. Accordingly, there remains a need for a dispensing device that is capable of dispensing variable volumes of desired materials with enhanced user convenience.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0006] According to an exemplary aspect of the present specification, a dispensing device is provided. The dispensing device includes a housing, a transport unit, and a volume adjusting unit. The housing includes a filling opening for receiving a material from a container and a dispensing opening for dispensing the material. The transport unit is adapted to be slidably movable from a filling position to a dispensing position within the housing. The transport unit includes a variable volume opening that at least partially aligns with the filling opening at the filling position and entraps the material received via the filling opening from the container. The volume adjusting unit is adapted to be slidably mounted to the transport unit by a lock. The volume adjusting unit comprises a volume adjusting block that is adapted to move slidably into the variable volume opening from one end of the variable volume opening for selectively adjusting a desired amount of the material to be entrapped.
[0007] Sliding movement of the transport unit to the dispensing position may cause the variable volume opening that entraps the desired amount of the material to at least align with the dispensing opening to dispense entrapped material partially. The volume adjusting unit may further include a first arm that is attached to a first end of the volume adjusting block, and a second arm that is attached to a second end of the volume adjusting block. The first end may be opposite to the second end. The first arm includes a locking assembly. The volume adjusting unit may further include a slider that includes one or more engaging walls that are adapted to engage with the locking assembly of the first arm.
[0008] The transport unit may further include a first arm receiving slot, a second arm receiving slot, a slider receiving slot that is located in parallel to the first arm receiving slot, and a resting wall. The lock is formed by positioning the one or more engaging walls of the slider into the first arm receiving slot via the slider accommodating slot and locking the one or more engaging walls with the locking assembly of the first arm such that a surface of the transport unit is held in between the slider and the first arm.
[0009] A position associated with the slider, that is adapted to slide through the slider accommodating slot, is adjusted such that the first arm slides into the first arm receiving slot, the second arm slides into the second arm receiving slot, and the volume adjusting block slides into the variable volume opening simultaneously. One or more guide rails of the housing rest against the resting wall of the transport unit for guiding the transport unit from the filling position to the dispensing position. Further, one or more outward stoppers of the housing are adapted to engage with the resting wall at the filling position and prevent the transport unit from projecting out of the housing.
[0010] Additionally, one or more inward stoppers of the housing are adapted to engage with the resting wall at the dispensing position and enable the variable volume opening to align with the dispensing opening by preventing further axial movement of the transport unit. The dispensing device may further include a spring that may be adapted to bring back the transport unit from the dispensing position to the filling position by spring action. Alternatively, the transport unit may be made of flexible material such that the transport unit is brought back from the dispensing position to the filling position automatically upon releasing a force used to dispense the material.
[0011] In another aspect, a dispensing device is provided. The dispensing device includes a housing, an inner plate, a transport unit, and a volume-adjusting unit. The housing includes a container coupling end and a material dispensing end. The container coupling end is adapted to be coupled to a container that stores a material to be dispensed. The material dispensing end comprises a dispensing opening for dispensing the material. The inner plate is adapted to be mounted to the container coupling end and having a filling opening. The transport unit is adapted to be slidably movable from a filling position to a dispensing position within the housing. The transport unit includes a variable volume opening that at least partially aligns with the filling opening at the filling position and entraps the material received via the filling opening from the container. The volume adjusting unit is adapted to be slidably mounted to the transport unit by a lock. The volume adjusting unit includes a volume adjusting block that is adapted to slidably move into the variable volume opening from one end of the variable volume opening for selectively adjusting a desired amount of the material to be entrapped. Sliding movement of the transport unit to the dispensing position may cause the variable volume opening that entraps the desired amount of the material to at least partially align with the dispensing opening to dispense entrapped material.

DRAWINGS

[0012] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the claimed subject matter will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a dispensing device that is mounted on a container for dispensing a desired amount of material from the container;
[0014] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the dispensing device of FIG. 1;
[0015] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a volume adjusting unit and a slider in the dispensing device of FIG. 1;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a cross-section of a side perspective view of the dispensing device of FIG. 1;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a cross-section of another side perspective view of the dispensing device of FIG. 1;
[0018] FIG. 6 is an exemplary top perspective view of the housing of FIG. 1; and
[0019] FIG. 7 is a cross-section of an exemplary top perspective view of the dispensing device 102 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The following description presents exemplary systems and methods for dispensing variable volumes of a material from a container using a dispensing device. The dispensing device includes a volume adjusting unit and a slider mechanism that facilitate selecting a setting for varying a desired amount of material to be dispensed.
[0021] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view 100 of a dispensing device 102 that is mounted on a container 104 for dispensing a desired amount of material from the container 104. The dispensing device 102 and the container 104 may be made of any suitable material. Examples of such a material include plastic, fiber, cardboard, thick sheets of paper, polymer, glass, metal, and/or alloys. In one embodiment, the container 104 stores a material to be dispensed, and is open at one end (e.g., either at a top surface or a bottom surface of the container 104). In certain embodiments, the material that is stored in the container 104 and is dispensed via the dispensing device 102 is a granular material. Examples of such granular material include, but are not limited to, powdered materials such as coffee, dried milk, sugar, flour, detergents, nuts, rice, fertilizer, a solid medical formulation, and a medical composition.
[0022] In certain embodiments, the dispensing device 102 may be used as a lid of the container 104, where it is mounted or retrofitted at the open end of the container 104 for regulating a flow of the material from the container 104 and for dispensing a desired amount of the material. In one embodiment, the dispensing device 102 and the container 104 are held together as a single unit that are not separable from each other. For example, the dispensing device 102 and the container 104 may be molded as a single unit such that the dispensing device 102 is not separable from the container 104. In an alternative embodiment, however, the dispensing device 102 and the container 104 may be separable components that are coupled together via a suitable coupling mechanism such as by using adhesive or screws.
[0023] In a presently contemplated embodiment, the dispensing device 102 and the container 104 have a rectangular shape. In alternative embodiments, the dispensing device 102 and the container 104 can be made in any shape, including but not limited to, a circle, a square, and a cylinder. In one embodiment, both the dispensing device 102 and the container 104 are of a similar shape, as shown in the example embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1. In another embodiment, the dispensing device 102 and the container 104 are of different shapes. For example, in one embodiment, the container 104 may be of cylindrical shape and the dispensing device 102 may be of circular shape. In this embodiment, circular bottom of the dispensing device 102 may be securely mounted over a cylindrical end surface of the container 104 such that there is no gap formed between the dispensing device 102 and the container 104.
[0024] The FIG. 1 shows an example embodiment of the container 104 having a first end 106 that is open and a second end 108 that is closed. The dispensing device 102 is mounted on the first end 106 of the container. The dispensing device 102 includes a housing 110 that includes a container coupling end 112 and a material dispensing end 114. The container coupling end 112 is coupled to the first end 106 of the container 104 in an airtight fashion such that ambient air is prevented from entering the container 104. The material dispensing end 114 includes a dispensing opening 116 through which a desired amount of the material is dispensed out of the housing 110. Although, in the embodiment described herein, the dispensing device 102 is mounted on the container 104 at the first end 106, in an alternative embodiment, the dispensing device 102 can be mounted at the second end 108 of the container 104. In this embodiment, the first end 106 is closed and the second end 108 is open.
[0025] The dispensing device 102 further includes a variable volume opening that is capable of accurately entrapping only a desired amount of material as set by a user using a volume adjusting unit. The variable volume opening at least partially aligns with the dispensing opening 116 while a transport unit is moved to a dispensing position to dispense the entrapped material through the dispensing opening 116. The transport unit, the volume adjusting unit, and the variable volume opening are described in greater detail with reference to FIG. 2.
[0026] FIG. 2 is an exploded view 200 of the dispensing device 102 of FIG. 1. The dispensing device 102 includes an inner plate 202, the housing 110, a transport unit 204, and a volume adjusting unit 206. The inner plate 202 is placed within the housing 110 at the container coupling end 112 above a transport unit opening 208 such that the inner plate 202 is positioned approximately in parallel to the material dispensing end 114. The inner plate 202 securely engages with inner wall surfaces of the housing 110 such that there is no gap formed between one or more outer surfaces 210A-D of the inner plate 202 and the housing 110. In one embodiment, the inner plate 202 securely engages with the inner wall surface surfaces of the housing 110 using adhesives or other mechanical engagement means. Particularly, the inner plate 202 acts as an intermediate wall surface preventing the material in the container 104 from directly falling into the housing 110 due to gravity when the container 104 is held upside down. Further, the inner plate 202 includes at least one filling opening 212 through which the material from the container 104 is dispensed into the housing 110. In one embodiment, the inner plate 202 is integrated with the housing 110 as a single unit, such that, the inner plate 202 is not considered as a separate component of the dispensing device 102 but as a top portion of the housing 110 having the filling opening 212. In such an embodiment, the transport unit 204 entraps the material that is dispensed into the housing 110 through the filling opening 212.
[0027] The transport unit 204 is positioned within the housing 110 in between one or more outward movement stoppers and inward movement stoppers (shown in FIGS. 6 and 7). Further, the transport unit 204 is adapted to move within the housing 110 from a filling position (shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6) to a dispensing position (shown in FIG. 7) within the housing 110. In one embodiment, a rear end portion 214 of the transport unit 204 faces a rear wall 216 of the housing 110 when the transport unit 204 is placed within the housing 110. The rear end portion 214 includes a first resting wall 218 and a second resting wall 220 that extend sideward from the rear end portion 214. A front end portion 222 of the transport unit 204 vertically aligns with respect to a front wall 224 of the housing 110 in order to cover the transport unit opening 208, when the transport unit 204 is positioned within the housing 110 at the filling position. The front end portion 222 includes a third resting wall 226 and a fourth resting wall 228 that extend sideward from the front end portion 222. The front end portion 222 further includes a slider accommodating slot 230 that extends transversely across a plane surface of the front end portion 222.
[0028] The transport unit 204 further includes a middle portion 232 that exists in between the rear end portion 214 and the front end portion 222. The middle portion 232 includes a first portion 234, a second portion 236, and a variable volume opening 238 formed in between the first portion 234 and the second portion 236. The variable volume opening 238 is formed by a slot that extends inwardly from a sidewall portion 240 of the transport unit 204 towards opposite sidewall portion 242. In addition, the slot extends along the entire thickness of the transport unit 204 such that the variable volume opening 238 also extends from a top end portion 244 to a bottom end portion 246 of the transport unit 204.
[0029] The first portion 234 and the second portion 236 extend along the thickness of the transport unit 204 and have a first arm receiving slot 248 and a second arm receiving slot 250, respectively. Specifically, the first arm receiving slot 248 is present in the first portion 234 at a position that is adjacent to the slider accommodating slot 230 in the front end portion 222. The first arm receiving slot 248 extends inwardly from the sidewall portion 240 towards the opposite sidewall portion 242 in parallel to the slider accommodating slot 230. Similarly, the second arm receiving slot 250, present in the second portion 236, extends inwardly from the sidewall portion 240 towards the opposite sidewall portion 242 in a direction that is parallel to the slider accommodating slot 230 and the first arm receiving slot 248. In one embodiment, the slider accommodating slot 230, the first arm receiving slot 248, and the second arm receiving slot 250 are positioned at similar heights with respect to the top end portion 244 or the bottom end portion 246 such that the slots 230, 248, and 250 are aligned along a common axis. The variable volume opening 238 is adapted to receive the volume adjusting unit 206 from the sidewall portion 240 in order to set or adjust a desired volume of the material to be entrapped by the variable volume opening 238.
[0030] The volume adjusting unit 206 includes a volume adjusting block 252 having a first arm 254 coupled to a first end 256 and a second arm 258 coupled to a second end 260 of the volume adjusting block 252. In one embodiment, the first arm 254 and the second arm 258 are L-shaped blocks. The first arm 254 is adapted to move back and forth within the first arm receiving slot 248. Similarly, the second arm is adapted to move back and forth within the second arm receiving slot 250. The first arm 254 includes an extended arm portion 262 that includes a locking assembly 264.
[0031] In certain embodiments, the volume adjusting unit 206 further includes a slider 266 for adjusting a position of the volume adjusting block 252 with respect to the variable volume opening 238. The slider 266 is moveably mounted in the slider accommodating slot 230, and is adapted to move back and forth in the slider accommodating slot 230. The slider 266 includes a front face 268, and a rear face 270 having a lock structure that further includes one or more engaging walls 272. The slider 266 is placed within the slider accommodating slot 230 such that the rear face 270 having the one or more engaging walls 272 extends into the first arm receiving slot 248 and is adapted to be locked with the locking assembly 264 of the first arm 254. Thus, the rear face 270 of the slider 266 is connected to the first arm 254 that is connected to the volume adjusting block 252, which in turn, is connected to the second arm 258.
[0032] In one embodiment, a position of the slider 266 is adjusted by axially moving the slider 266 through the slider accommodating slot 230 such that a volume associated with the variable volume opening 238 can be adjusted. For example, when the slider 266 is moved inwardly towards the opposite sidewall portion 242 through the slider accommodating slot 230, the first arm 254 moves into the first arm receiving slot 248, and the second arm 258 moves into the second arm receiving slot 250. Particularly, movement of the slider 266 causes a substantially simultaneous movement of the first arm 254 and the second arm 258 into the slots 248 and 250, respectively, due to the interlocking of the first arm 254 with the engaging walls 272 of the slider 266. Moving the slider 266, thus, causes the volume adjusting block 252 to move into the variable volume opening 238, thereby gradually reducing a volume of the variable volume opening 238. Accordingly, a smaller volume of the material will be entrapped by the variable volume opening 238.
[0033] In another example, when the slider 266 is moved back towards the sidewall portion 240, the first arm 254, the second arm 258, and the volume adjusting block 252 also move back towards the sidewall portion 240 through the slots 248 250, and the variable volume opening 238, respectively. Moving the slider 266 towards the sidewall portion 240 causes the volume adjusting block 252 to move through the variable volume opening 238 towards the sidewall portion 240, thus gradually increasing a volume of the variable volume opening 238. Accordingly, a larger volume of the material will be entrapped by the variable volume opening 238.
[0034] A user can set or vary a desired amount of material to be dispensed by varying a position of the slider 266 such that a volume associated with the variable volume opening 238 is adjusted accordingly to entrap only the desired amount of material. In one embodiment, the front end portion 222 of the transport unit 204 includes reference labels (not shown in FIG. 2) for setting and dispensing a desired amount of material. The slider 266 is moved to match a reference labeling that corresponds to the desired amount of material, and accordingly a volume associated with the variable volume opening 238 varies to entrap only the desired amount of material. For example, when a user desires to dispense 0.1 ounces of a powder material by a single actuation of the transport unit 204, the user has to move the slider 266 to a position matching a reference labeling corresponding to 0.1 ounces such that the volume of the variable volume opening 238 is also capable of entrapping only 0.1 ounces. The variable volume opening 238 that entraps the desired amount of material is configured to at least partially coincide with the dispensing opening 116 to dispense the entrapped material when the transport unit 204 is moved to a dispensing position. Although, the present embodiment describes use of the slider 266 and the volume adjusting unit 206, in alternative embodiments, other suitable mechanisms may be used to similarly increase or decrease the volume of the variable volume opening 238. In alternative embodiments, however, a screw mechanism or foldable wall panels may be used to increase or decrease the volume of the variable volume opening 238. Additionally, in the embodiment described herein, the variable volume opening 238 is surrounded by three fixed walls (not shown in FIG. 2) the volume adjusting block 252 acting as a fourth movable wall. Particularly, the fourth wall formed by the volume adjusting block 252 may be moved from the sidewall portion 240 to adjust a volume associated with the variable volume opening 238. Although the present embodiment describes only one movable wall, in alternative embodiments, opposite walls (a front and a rear wall, or a left and a right wall), or all the walls that surround the variable volume opening 238 may be movable. Specifically, one or more of these walls may be made to move towards or apart from each other such that a resultant volume of the variable volume opening 238 decreases or increases, accordingly.
[0035] In certain embodiments, the adaptive dose dispensing device 102 with the transport unit 204 and the volume adjusting unit 206 are placed within the housing 110. The housing 110 includes the rear wall 216 having an elastic material accommodating slot 274 for accommodating an elastic material 275, and the front wall 224 having the transport unit opening 208. Further, the housing 110 includes a right sidewall 276, a left sidewall 278, and a bottom wall 280 that acts as the material dispensing end 114 having the dispensing opening 116.
[0036] In one embodiment, the bottom end portion 246 of the transport unit 204 moveably rests on an inner surface of the bottom wall 280. Upon actuation, the transport unit 204 is adapted to move axially within the housing 110 between a filling position and a dispensing position. In the filling position, the variable volume opening 238 of the transport unit 204 and the filling opening 212 at least partially coincides with each other (shown in FIG. 4). When the container 104 is held upside down, the material from the container 104 is entrapped within the variable volume opening 238 having its volume pre-adjusted to entrap only a desired amount of material.
[0037] Conventional dispensing devices, such as the devices described in the US patent applications US6811061 and US6450371include slide mechanisms that extend obtrusively from dispensing device’s contour. Unlike such conventional devices, in the filling position, the transport unit 204 is prevented from projecting out of the transport unit opening 208 using outward movement stoppers that are shown and explained with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. Particularly, in the filling position, the front end portion 222 of the transport unit 204 vertically aligns with respect to the front wall 224 of the housing 110 such that front end portion 222 covers the transport unit opening 208. The rear end portion 214 of the transport unit 204 rests against the elastic material 275 (e.g., a spring).
[0038] Further, in the dispensing position, the variable volume opening 238 ,that entraps a desired volume of material, at least partially coincides with the dispensing opening 116 (shown in FIG. 7) for dispensing the entrapped material via the dispensing opening 116. In one embodiment, the transport unit 204 is pushed inwardly from the filling position to the dispensing position by exerting a force at the front end portion 222 of the transport unit 204. Pushing the transport unit 204 inwardly towards the dispensing position compresses the elastic material 275 at the rear end portion 214. Upon releasing a force exerted at the front end portion 222, the elastic material 275 releases stored energy in order to bring back the transport unit 204 to the filling position. The term “elastic material” used in the various embodiments described herein broadly refers to any material that is used to bring back the transport unit 204 from the dispensing position to the filling position, for example, upon releasing a force exerted at the front end portion 222. Examples of the elastic material 275 include a metal spring, a plastic composite spring, an inbuilt flexible plastic arm, an elastomeric material, a flexible material, and a bellows.
[0039] In one embodiment, the transport unit 204 is itself made up of an elastic material. In such a scenario, the dispensing device 102 may not require the elastic material 275 in order to bring the transport unit 204 back to the filling position. The transport unit 204 itself may act as a spring. Accordingly, when force is exerted at the front end portion 222, body of the transport unit 204 is compressed as and moved so as to at least partially coincide with the dispensing opening 116. Upon releasing the force exerted at the front end portion 222, the transport unit 204 automatically returns back to the filling position because of the elastic nature of the material of the transport unit 204.
[0040] FIG. 3 is an exploded view 300 of the volume adjusting unit 206 and the slider 266 of FIG. 2. In one embodiment, the volume adjusting unit 206 and the slider 266 are coupled to each other by a snap-fit joint. Further, the locking assembly 264 disposed at the extended arm portion 262 of the first arm 254 includes an opening into which the one or more engaging walls 272 of the slider 266 are placed and locked. The engaging walls 272 undergo a slight deformation, while being placed within the opening but resiliently revert back to original shape for snap fitting into the opening. Although, in the embodiment described herein, the volume adjusting unit 206 and the slider 266 are coupled by the snap-fit joint, in an alternative embodiment, the volume adjusting unit 206 and the slider 266 may be coupled by any suitable coupling means. Examples of such coupling means include, but are not limited to adhesives, screws, rivets, and welding.
[0041] As previously noted, adjusting a position of the slider 266 varies a position of the volume adjusting block 252 with respect to the variable volume opening 238, thereby varying a corresponding volume. In one embodiment, the volume adjusting unit 206 includes only the volume adjusting block 252, whereas the first arm 254 and the second arm 258 are absent. In such an embodiment, the slider 266 may be directly coupled to the volume adjusting block 252 such that adjusting a position of the slider 266 moves the volume adjusting block 252 with respect to the variable volume opening 238.
[0042] FIG. 4 is a cross-section of an exemplary side perspective view 400 of the dispensing device 102 of FIGS. 1-2. The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4 depicts the transport unit 204 that is assembled within the housing 110, at a filling position. In the filling position, the variable volume opening 238 of the transport unit 204 coincides with the filling opening 212 of the inner plate 202 for receiving the material from the container 104. Moreover, the slider 266 is mounted at an initial position 402, at which, the first arm 254, the second arm 258, and the volume adjusting block 252 are placed at an entrance of the first arm receiving slot 248, the second arm receiving slot 250, and the variable volume opening 238, respectively. Hence, at the initial position 402, the variable volume opening 238 is fully open and is capable of entrapping a maximum amount of material that can be delivered by moving the transport unit 204 from the filling position to the dispensing position.
[0043] FIG. 5 is a cross-section of another exemplary side perspective view 500 of the dispensing device 102 of FIG. 1. The slider 266 placed at the initial position 402 (shown in FIG. 4) is moved inwardly through the slider accommodating slot 230 to a first position 502 for setting or varying a desired amount of material to be dispensed. Moving the slider 266 to the first position 502 causes a corresponding movement of the first arm 254, the second arm 258, and the volume adjusting block 252 into the first arm receiving slot 248, the second arm receiving slot 250, and the variable volume opening 238, respectively. In one embodiment, the volume adjusting block 252 is positioned within the variable volume opening 238 from the sidewall portion 240 such that the variable volume opening 238 is adapted to entrap only the desired amount of material. When a user desires to increase an amount of material to be dispensed, the slider 266 can be moved from the first position 502 to a second position 504 outwardly towards the sidewall portion 240. Accordingly, the volume adjusting block 252 also moves back towards the sidewall portion 240, and increases an available space within the variable volume opening 238 for entrapping the material.
[0044] FIG. 6 is an exemplary top perspective view 600 of the housing 110 of FIG. 1. One or more guide rails including a first guide rail 602 and a second guide rail 604 are fixed at the right sidewall 276 of the housing 110. One or more opposite guide rails including a third guide rail 606 and a fourth guide rail 608 are fixed at the left sidewall 278 of the housing 110. The guiderails 602, 604, 606, and 608 extend from the front wall 224 towards the rear wall 216 of the housing 110. Additionally, the first resting wall 218 and the second resting wall 220 that extend sideward from the rear end portion 214 of the transport unit 204 engage with the guiderails 602, 604, 606, and 608 at a rear end of the housing 110. Similarly, the third resting wall 226 and the fourth resting wall 228 (shown in FIG. 2) that extend sideward from the front end portion 222 of the transport unit 204 engages with the guiderails 602, 604, 606, and 608 at a front end of the housing 110. The guiderails 602, 604, 606, and 608 engaging with the resting walls 218, 220, 226 and 228 prevent a lateral movement of the transport unit 204 within the housing 110, and allow the transport unit 204 to move steadily in a designated direction within the housing 110 in between the filling position and the dispensing position. Although, in the embodiment described herein, the housing 110 includes four guiderails 602, 604, 606, and 608, in an alternative embodiment, the housing 110 can include any number of guiderails. For example, in one embodiment, only a pair of guiderails that are placed at opposite sidewalls 276 and 278 of the housing 110 is sufficient to guide the transport unit 204 along a designated route within the housing 110.
[0045] In addition, movement of the transport unit 204 may be controlled via use of one or more stoppers. The stoppers, for example, may include a first outward movement stopper 610 and a second outward movement stopper 612 that are fixed at the right sidewall 276 of the housing 110. Moreover, the stoppers may also include one or more opposite outward movement stoppers including a third outward movement stopper 614 and a fourth outward movement stopper 616 that are fixed at the left sidewall 278 of the housing 110. In one embodiment, the outward movement stoppers 610, 612, 614, and 616 are projected towards interior of the housing 110.
[0046] When the transport unit 204 is positioned within the housing 110 at the filling position, the first outward movement stopper 610 and the second outward movement stopper 612 engage with the first resting wall 218. Additionally, the third outward movement stopper 614 and the fourth outward movement stopper 616 engage with the second resting wall 220. The outward movement stoppers 610, 612, 614, and 616, thus, prevent the transport unit 204 from projecting out of the transport unit opening 208 when a user attempts to pull the transport unit 204 out of the transport unit opening 208. Further, once the transport unit 204 moves back to the filling position from the dispensing position, the outward movement stoppers 610, 612, 614, and 616 prevent the transport unit 204 from moving further axially out of the transport unit opening 208. Hence, use of the outward movement stoppers 610, 612, 614, and 616, as described herein, prevent the transport unit 204 from obtrusively extending out of the dispensing device 102 contour.
[0047] In certain embodiments, the housing 110 further includes one or more inward movement stoppers including a first inward movement stoppers 618 and a second inward movement stoppers 620 that are fixed on the right sidewall 276. A third inward movement stoppers 622 and a fourth inward movement stoppers 624 that are fixed on the left sidewall 278 of the housing 110. The inward movement stoppers 618, 620, 622, and 624 extend towards interior of the housing 110. When the transport unit 204, placed within the housing 110, is moved axially to the dispensing position, the first resting wall 218 engages with the first inward movement stopper 618 and the second inward movement stopper 620. Further, at the dispensing position, the second resting wall 220 engages with the third inward movement stopper 622 and the fourth inward movement stopper 624. The inward movement stoppers 618, 620, 622, and 624 prevent the transport unit 204 from moving further axially, and enable the variable volume opening 238 that is adapted to entrap a desired amount of material to at least partially coincide with the dispensing opening 116 for dispensing the entrapped material.
[0048] Although, in the embodiment described herein, the housing 110 includes four outward movement stoppers 610, 612, 614, and 616, and four inward movement stoppers 618, 620, 622, and 624, in an alternative embodiment, the housing 110 can include any number of such stoppers. For example, in one embodiment, only one outward stopper may be sufficient for preventing the transport unit 204 from projecting out of the transport unit opening 208. Similarly, a single inward stopper may be sufficient for preventing the transport unit 204 from moving further axially upon reaching a dispensing position. In one embodiment, the one or more outward movement stoppers and the one or more inward movement stoppers may be mounted on the sidewalls 276 and 278 of the housing 110 as described herein. Alternatively, these stoppers can be mounted on the guiderails 602, 604, 606, and 608, such that the stoppers project towards the interior of the housing 110.
[0049] FIG. 7 is a cross-section of an exemplary top perspective view of the dispensing device 102 of FIG. 1. The transport unit 204 shown in FIG. 7 is placed within the housing 110 at a dispensing position. The variable volume opening 238 at least partially coincides with the dispensing opening 116 for dispensing entrapped material within the variable volume opening 238. When the transport unit 204 is pushed further inwards towards the rear wall 216 of the housing 110, the first resting wall 218 engages with stoppers 618 and 620, and the second resting wall 220 engages with stoppers 622 and 624 such that the variable volume opening 238 exactly coincides with the dispensing opening 116. Dimensions of the filling opening 212, the variable volume opening 238, and the dispensing opening 116 may be same or may vary.
[0050] During operation, a user has to hold the container 104 upside down, such that, the material from the container 104 falls into the housing 110 within the variable volume opening 238, and fills the variable volume opening 238. Then, the transport unit 204 is actuated to move from a filling position to a dispensing position to dispense the filled material within the variable volume opening 238 via the dispensing opening 116. In an embodiment, where the dispensing device 102 is mounted at the second end 108 of the container 104, the user is not required to hold the container 104 upside down, and can directly move the transport unit 204 to the dispensing position to dispense the desired amount of material.
[0051] Embodiments described herein present the dispensing device 102 capable of dispensing variable volumes of desired materials accurately. As noted, the dispensing device 102 includes the volume adjusting unit 206 coupled to the slider 266 that allows for selection and dispensing of different designated amounts of material from the same device. Specifically, adjusting a position of the slider 266, and therefore, a position of the volume adjusting unit 206 makes the dispensing device 102 deliver a range of desired amount of material. Further, the aesthetic design of the dispensing device 102 prevents the transport unit 204 from extending obtrusively from the dispensing device 102 contour. Hence, a user can conveniently hold the dispensing device 102 and actuate the transport unit 204 for dispensing a desired amount of material. As the amount of material to be dispensed can be adjusted, the dispensing device 102 with such adaptive dose dispensing capabilities finds use in a variety of industries.
[0052] Although specific features of various embodiments of the present systems and methods may be shown in and/or described with respect to some drawings and not in others, this is for convenience only. It is to be understood that the described features, structures, and/or characteristics may be combined and/or used interchangeably in any suitable manner in the various embodiments.
[0053] While only certain features of the present systems and methods have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the claimed invention.