Field of the invention
The present invention relates to powdered / granular material dispensing closure and
container. More particularly, the invention relates to a closure designed to achieve
functionality of controlled dispensing.
Background and prior art
Powdered / granular products, for example talcum powder, spices, salt etc. are stored and
dispensed from containers that have apertures in the cap which enable dispensing of the
products without removing the cap from the body of the container.
Conventionally, talc is sold in tin cans wherein the consumer can prick as many holes as
required to dispense enough talc. There is a need to be able to control the amount of talc
that is dispensed and also to control the amount of talc that is wasted as a result of
flyaway. Similar is the case with spices, salt and other powdered / granular products.
Moreover, while most of the market products sell talc in plastic bottles, even today, most
of the brands at the premium end of the category sell in tin cans.
US 5971154 discloses a dispensing container having a hollow body to store product and a
dispensing port that is selectively opened to dispense product from the hollow body; the
dispensing port including first, second and third apertured plates, the first plate being
furthest from the hollow body, the three plates being moveable relative to each other to
open the port when the apertures of the three plates are aligned, and otherwise to close the
port; and there being first formations co-operable between the first and second apertured
plates to allow movement of the first plate relative to the second plate within a
predetermined range and to constrain the second plate to move with the first plate when
the first plate is moved outside of the predetermined range.
US6666237 discloses a dispensing device in machines for filling containers with powder
material, comprising: a feed duct referable to a longitudinal axis and furnished with at
least one outlet from which powder material is dispensed into a corresponding container;
and closure means associated with the outlet, capable of movement between an operating
condition in which the outlet is closed to disallow the passage of the powder material and
a non-operating condition in which the outlet remains open, wherein the closure means
comprises a plurality of occluding elements each capable of movement between a first

position corresponding to the operating condition of the closure means and at least a
second position corresponding to the non-operating condition of the closure means, each
occluding element obscuring a part of the dispensing outlet when in the first position and
combining with the remaining elements when in the second position to establish a flow
section affording a passage to the powder material, each occluding element being directly
and mechanically connected with at least one other adjacent occluding element.
WO2005/114115 discloses a metering and dispensing closure for dispensing powder
material from a container comprising: a container cap member attachable to the container,
the container cap member having a first side adapted to be mounted facing an inside of the
container and a second side adapted to be mounted facing an outside of the container, a
measuring chamber positioned in the container cap member; a first rotatable disk member
having at least one passage therein, the first rotatable disk member mounted on the first
side of the container cap member; a second rotatable disk member having a passage
therein, the second rotatable disk member mounted on the second side of the container cap
member; and wherein when the disk members are rotated, powder material passes
sequentially through the one passage in the first disk member, into the measuring chamber
of the cap member, and then through the passage of the second disk.
However, the present inventors have surprisingly found that providing means for
selectively opening and closing of the apertures on the cap of the container leads to
controlled dispensing of the powder and reduction in wastage from flyaway.
Objects of the invention
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a closure means for ensuring smooth
opening and closing of the apertures in the cap.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing closure and container
for controlled dispensing of granular and/or powder material.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing closure and container
for controlled dispensing of granular and/or powder material leading to reduction of
flyaway.
Summary of the invention
Accordingly, the present invention relates to a controlled dispensing closure for controlled
dispensing of granular and powdered material from a container comprising:
a closure member attachable to the container, said closure member comprising a base
component, said base component being operativeiy connected to inner portion of the
container;
a top component being operativeiy connected to outer side of the container and
a swivel placed between the base and the top component;
wherein each of said base and top component has plurality of apertures for dispensing the
powder / granular material; wherein said swivel moves through plurality of positions to
selectively open and close the apertures of the top and base component so as to dispense
the powder/ granular material in a controlled manner.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a container with closure comprising:
a closure member attachable to the container, said closure member comprising a base
component, said base component being operativeiy connected to inner portion of the
container;
a top component being operativeiy connected to outer side of the container;
a swivel placed between the base and the top component;
wherein each of said base and top component has plurality of apertures for dispensing of
the powder/granular material; wherein said swivel moves through plurality of positions to
selectively open and close the apertures of the top and base component so as to dispense
the powder/ granular material in a controlled manner; and
a body.
Brief Description of the drawings
Figure 1 illustrates the top view of the cap assembly
Figure 2 illustrates the front view of cap assembly
Figure 3 illustrates the perspective view of cap assembly
Figure 4 illustrate non-operating position of the swivel.
Figures 5 and 6 illustrate operating position of the swivel.
Detailed description of the invention
Accordingly, the present invention relates to powder / granular material dispensing
closure and container for the same. It is an aspect of the present invention to provide a cap
designed to achieve the functionality of controlled dispensing of the powder / granular
material as per the requirement. The closure of the present invention allows for differential
closure and opening of apertures and thereby provide the consumer with differential levels
of powder / granular material dispensing.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided closure ensuring smooth
opening and closing of the cap. The said closure comprises plurality of occlusive
means/apertures each capable of opening and closing due to its occlusion brought about by
movement of the swivel between the corresponding positions. The movements of the
swivel are controlled by means of a notch, which co-ordinates with the swivel to move
between the operating and non-operating position of the closure apertures so as to achieve
occlusion of the required apertures to bring about controlled dispensing of the powder /
granular material.
Further, the said closure is able to achieve controlled dispensing through the specially
designed 3-component closure structure. The components as mentioned above comprising
(i) a base component; (ii) the top component; and (iii) the swivel sandwiched between the
two, are together able to allow for differential opening and closure of apertures and
thereby provide the consumer with differential levels of powder / granular material
dispensing.
Accordingly, the said closure is provided with a physical meter for controlled dispensing
of powder/ granular material. The said swivel can be slid through plurality of positions,
preferably three positions, namely the closed position; the two-aperture opening; and the
four-aperture opening.
The notch is provided on the base component in the mid position, to provide a slight
resistance and thereby making it easier for the consumer to stop at the 2-hole opening
position. The swivel fits perfectly between the other two components and acts as an
effective seal to prevent leakage during closed position.
The working of the present invention is further described by way of non limiting
illustrative preferred embodiments as in the figures 4 to 6 while figures 1 to 3 povide the
top view, front view and perspective view of the cap respectively. When the swivel (1') is
at position '0', the said apertures namely A, A', A", B, B',B", C, C', C", D, D, D" are
blocked due to non alignment and the said apertures are closed as demonstrated in figure
4. In Figure 5, when the swivel (P) is at position 'P, the apertures are in partial alignment
i.e., A, A', A" and D, D, D" are in alignment respectively but B, B',B" and C, C', C" are
in non-alignment. In Figure 6 when the swivel (P) is at position '2', all the aperture
passages of the closure namely A, A', A", B, B', B", C, C', C" D, D, D" are in alignment
and the closure is in operating position. Thus all the apertures are not always in closed or
open position and may be varied according to the need of the user. Accordingly when the
user wishes to dispense less amount of powder he may turn the swivel to position 1 where
some of the apertures are closed. If he requires large amount of powder to be dispensed the
swivel is rotated to position 2 so that none of the apertures are closed. Thus differential
dispensing of powder / granular material from the container occurs due to the working of
the closure.

We claim:
1. A dispensing closure for controlled dispensing of granular and powdered material
from a container, said closure comprising:
a closure member attachable to the container, said closure member comprising a
base component, said base component being operatively connected to inner
portion of the container;
a top component being operatively connected to outer side of the container and
a swivel placed between the base and the top component;
wherein each of said base and top component has plurality of passage for
dispensing of the powder / granular material; and wherein said swivel moves
through plurality of positions to selectively open and close the apertures of the top
and base component so as to dispense the powder / granular material in a
controlled manner.
2. Accordingly, the said closure is provided with a physical meter for controlled
dispensing of powder/granular material.
3. A dispensing closure for controlled dispensing as claimed in claim I, wherein the
said base component is provided with a notch member co-ordinating the
movement of the swivel.
4. A dispensing closure for controlled dispensing as claimed in claim 1, wherein
said notch co-ordinates the swivel movement so as to offer a resistance which is
overcome as and when the swivel moves through plurality of positions to
selectively open and close the apertures of the top and base component so as to
provide controlled dispensing of the powdered / granular material.
5. A dispensing closure for controlled dispensing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
said swivel fits perfectly between the said top and base component and acts as an
effective seal to prevent leakage during closed position.
6. A dispensing closure for controlled dispensing as claimed in the preceding claims
wherein the closure apertures are in non-alignment in the non-operating position.
7. A dispensing closure for controlled dispensing as claimed in the preceding claims
wherein the closure apertures are in selective alignment in the operating position

such that the number of open apertures in alignment controls the dispensing of
powder / granular material.
8. A container with dispensing closure comprising:
a closure member attachable to the container, said closure member comprising a
base component, said base component being operatively connected to inner portion
of the container;
a top component being operatively connected to outer side of the container;
a swivel placed between the base and the top component;
wherein each of said base and top component has plurality of apertures for
dispensing of the powder / granular material; and wherein said swivel moves
through plurality of positions to selectively open and close the apertures of the top
and base component so as to dispense the powder / granular material in a
controlled manner; and
a body.
9. A container with dispensing closure as claimed in claim 7, wherein base
component of the closure is provided with notch operatively connected with
swivel and said notch co-ordinates with the swivel movement so as to offer a
resistance which is overcome as and when the swivel moves through plurality of
positions to selectively open and close the apertures of the top and base
component so as to provide controlled dispensing of the powdered / granular
material from the container.
10. A container with dispensing closure as claimed in any of claim 8 to 9 wherein the
closure apertures are in selective alignment in the operating position such that the
number of open apertures in alignment controls the dispensing of powder /
granular material from the container effecting differential/controlled dispensing.

A dispensing closure for controlled dispensing of granular and powdered material from a
container, which comprises a closure member attachable to the container, said closure
member comprising a base component, said base component being operatively connected
to inner portion of the container; a top component being operatively connected to outer
side of the container and a swivel placed between the base and the top component;
wherein each of said base and top component has plurality of passage for dispensing of
the powder / granular material; and wherein said swivel moves through plurality of
positions to selectively open and close the apertures of the top and base component so as
to dispense the powder / granular material in a controlled manner. A container
comprising the dispensing closure and a body.