Pouring device

Abstract

A pouring device, e.g. a funnel (1) or a container with a pouring opening or with a sieve-like cover having a plurality of pouring openings is equipped with a light source (7) and a gravity actuated switch (6) arranged for activating the light source (7). The gravity actuated switch (6) is in its off-position when the device is in a non-pouring or upright position in which pouring is not possible. The switch (6) is brought into its on-position, i.e. the light source (7) is turned on, when the device is brought from its non-pouring position into its pouring position by being turned up-side down or by being inclined. The light emitted by the light source (7) is preferably coupled into a jet of liquid or granular material exiting the pouring device on pouring thus effectively facilitating pouring.

Description

The invention is in the field of equipment for every-day life and concerns a pouring device according to the preamble of the independent claim. The device serves for pouring a flowable, i.e. liquid or granular medium. The pouring device is in particular a funnel or a container with a pouring opening or a sieve-like cover comprising a plurality of pouring openings, wherein both the funnel and the container are usually kept in an upright or non-pouring position in which pouring is not possible and, for pouring, are brought into a pouring position by being turned upside down or at least inclined relative to the non-pouring position.

For facilitating pouring, the publications U.S. Pat. No. 6,758,308 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,577,857 propose to equip a funnel or an oil can respectively with a light source. The light shines from one side of the spout in the direction of the poured liquid and is said to serve as a positioning aid, i.e. it is supposed to facilitate the finding of an opening into which the spout of the funnel is to be introduced for pouring or a location to which the oil is to be applied. In both cases, the light source is activated manually with a corresponding switch.

It is the object of the invention to create a pouring device equipped with a light source. The pouring device is to facilitate pouring even better than the pouring devices of the state of the art and is to handled more easily. Furthermore, the pouring device according to the invention is to make it possible to use the light emitted by the light source in a more effective manner for the pouring process itself.

This object is achieved by the pouring device as defined in the claims.

The pouring device according to the invention comprises a light source and a gravity actuated switch for activating the light source. This switch is designed and arranged in the pouring device such that the light is on when the pouring device is in a pouring position and is off when the device is in a non-pouring position, i.e. switching is effected by changing the orientation of the pouring device relative to gravity, which is usually the case at least at the start of pouring. The gravity actuated switch comprises e.g. a switch cavity which is fixedly mounted on the pouring device. Within the switch cavity, a switching element is arranged to be moveable by gravity such that depending on the orientation of the switch cavity relative to gravity the switching element has different positions in which it either closes an electric circuit (light source is on) or not (light source is off).

The lighting equipment of the pouring device according to the invention is preferably not designed for lighting the surrounding of the pouring opening or location in which the pouring opening is to be positioned but it is designed for lighting the jet of liquid or of granular material which is to be poured with the aid of the device, i.e. for coupling the light of the light source into this jet. The light source is therefore mounted on the device such that the light is emitted within the jet of liquid or granular material being poured or the light emitted by the light source is suitably guided into this jet, advantageously through the material of the pouring device. Advantageously, the light is coupled into the jet such that as little light as possible is dispersed to the surroundings. The result of such arrangement of the light source is the fact that the pouring process is light-assisted very effectively with very little electric energy.

A few exemplary embodiments of the pouring device according to the invention are described in connection with the following Figs., wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of the pouring device according to the invention which device is a funnel;

FIG. 2 shows diagrammatically a first embodiment of a gravity actuated electric switch applicable for a device according to the invention;

FIG. 3 shows a lighting module applicable for a device according to the invention;

FIG. 4 shows a further exemplary embodiment of the pouring device according to the invention, which device is a container with a sieve-like cover comprising a plurality of pouring openings;

FIGS. 5 and 6 show two further embodiments of gravity actuated switches applicable in pouring devices according to the invention.

FIG. 1 shows in section a funnel 1 to be used for pouring a liquid, preferably a light transparent liquid. The funnel is equipped according to the invention, i.e. it comprises a light source and a gravity actuated switch for activating the light source. The funnel has a relatively wide opening 2 on its one side and a narrower pouring opening 3 on its other side. It further comprises a lateral handle 4. When the funnel is positioned for pouring (pouring position as shown in FIG. 1) the wide opening is facing upwards and the narrow opening is facing downwards. The funnel 1, when put aside, is advantageously turned (wide opening 2 facing downwards, pouring opening 3 facing upwards; non-pouring position) in which position it is able to stand in a stable manner on a planar surface.

The funnel 1 comprises, arranged e.g. within the handle 4, a lighting means 5, which comprises a gravity actuated switch 6, a light source 7 (advantageously a light emitting diode) and a battery 8 (or plug means for connection to an external source of electric power).

For guiding the light emitted by the light source 7 into the jet to be poured from the funnel, a light guiding means is provided. This light guiding means is advantageously the material of which the relevant handle part 4.1 and the pouring channel 10 of the funnel are made, wherein this material is transparent (illustrated in FIG. 1 without hatching) and has advantageously an optical density which is in the range of the optical density of the liquid to be poured with the aid of the funnel 1. Because of a considerable difference in optical density between such material and surrounding air, most light beams hitting the surface of the material from within are reflected back into the material (total reflection) such that the light is caught within the material.

When, on pouring, the pouring channel 10 is filled with liquid the light coupled into the transparent material of the channel wall is able to pass from this wall into the jet of liquid because the difference in optical density across the inner channel surface is much smaller than for the empty channel. Therefore, light enters the liquid jet which on exiting the pouring channel acts again as a light guiding means guiding the light into liquid further down and in particular lighting a liquid surface which, because of the pouring, is rising and should be kept under control by the person who is pouring.

It may be advantageous to coat the outside surface of the handle part 4.1 serving as a light guiding means and of the pouring channel 10 with a reflective layer for restricting the light to an even higher degree to within the transparent material.

Of course it is possible for the whole funnel 1 to consist of the transparent material and to be coated at least on its outer surface and on the handle with a reflective layer. It is of course possible also to provide a separate light guiding means, e.g. a strand of light conducting fibers and to arrange one strand end near the light source and the other strand end within the pouring channel 10 or in the pouring opening 3 of the funnel 1.

The funnel is preferably made of an inert polymer material which is resistant against chemical attack, e.g. of polyethylene or polypropylene, which are both suitable materials for light guiding means.

FIG. 2 shows in a very diagrammatic way an electric circuit 11 with a power source 12, a light source 7 und a gravity actuated switch 6. The switch is shown in two positions A and B.

A switch cavity 6.1, in the present embodiment having the form of a switch channel, constitutes the main part of the switch 6 and is arranged on an object such that a predetermined change of the object orientation changes the orientation of the channel length relative to gravity. At one end of the switch channel 6.1, one of the electric leads 11.1 connecting the power source 12 with the light source 7 is interrupted, the corresponding two lead ends 11.3 and 11.4 projecting into the switch cavity 6.1. Caught within the switch cavity 6.1 is a switching element 6.2, e.g. a sphere of an electrically conducting material. In the switch position A, the switch 6 is in an off-position (switching element 6.2 in channel position opposite the projecting lead ends 11.3 and 11.4). In the position B, the switch 6 is in an on-position (switching element 6.2 in the channel position of the lead ends 11.3 and 11.4 which are both in contact with the switching element 6.2 and therefore are connected to each other).

The switch 6 as shown in FIG. 2 is in an on-position, as long as the channel end comprising the lead ends 11.3 and 11.4 is lower than the opposite channel end. It is in an off-position as long as the channel end comprising the lead ends is higher than the opposite end. This means that if position A represents the upright or non-pouring position of a device according to the state of the art, the device needs to be inclined by at least 90° for the light to be switched on. For the funnel as shown in FIG. 1, it means that if position B represents the pouring position (light is on) the funnel needs to be positioned upside down when not pouring for the light to switch off. If the funnel is laid on its side, the light would not switch off.

Further embodiments of gravity activated switches having different switching characteristics are shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

FIG. 3 shows a lighting module 20 based on the principle of a gravity actuated switch 6 as shown in FIG. 2. The module 20 can e.g. be fabricated in a simple and little expensive way by injection molding. Such module can be fabricated to be very small and therefore very suitable for a device according to the invention. The module is advantageously mounted on the device according to the invention in an exchangeable manner. The module 20 comprises a battery compartment 8 with a snapped-on cover such that a battery positioned in the compartment can be exchanged. The module further comprises a switch cavity 6.1 with a switching element 6.2 and a light source 7, wherein these elements are connected by suitable electric leads (wide black lines) designated with 11.

The module 20 may further comprise fixing means for the module to be fixed to a funnel or container. The fixing means is e.g. a thread 21 or snap element.

FIG. 4 shows, again in section, a further exemplary embodiment of the pouring device according to the invention. This embodiment is a container 30 (only neck portion shown) with a sieve-like cover 31 equipped with a plurality of pouring openings 3 and being made of a material which is transparent for light. The device serves e.g. for pouring salt or another granular or liquid material. The cover 31 is equipped with a lighting module 20 e.g. as shown in FIG. 3, the module 20 being snapped on a central inside protrusion 32 of the cover 31 such that the light source 7 faces the protrusion 32 and that light emitted by the light source is coupled into the cover material from which it enters the material poured through the pouring openings 3.

As long as the container 30 stands upright as shown in FIG. 4 (upright or non-pouring position), pouring is not possible. For pouring, the container 30 needs to be turned upside down or at least inclined by which action the switch 6 is actuated and the light source 7 is turned on.

FIG. 5 shows a further exemplary embodiment of a gravity actuated switch 6 which is applicable in a pouring device according to the invention. This switch comprises again a switch cavity 6.1 containing a freely movable, e.g. spherical switching element 6.2 made of an electrically conducting material. The switch cavity is formed by two opposite bowls 6.3 and 6.4 of an electrically conducting material and being separated from each other by a gap 6.5 or a band of an electrical insulator. The two bowls 6.3 and 6.4 form first and second lead ends of an interrupted electrical lead connecting power source and light source.

Depending on the position of switch 6 relative to gravity, the switching element 6.2 which always assumes in the switch cavity 6.1 the lowest possible position is positioned either on the gap 6.5 thus connecting the two bowls (light on) or within one bowl, i.e. not on the gap 6.5 (light off).

In FIG. 5 the gravity actuated switch is shown in three positions A, B and C, wherein in position A is an on-position and positions B and C are off-positions. If the switch is mounted on the pouring device such that position C corresponds to the upright or non-pouring position this means that the device needs to be inclined by 90° for the light to be switched on. At an inclination of less than 90° (position B) or more than 90° relative to the non-pouring position the light will be switched off again.

FIG. 6 shows a further embodiment of a gravity actuated switch 6 which is applicable in a pouring device according to the invention. The switch 6 again comprises a switch cavity 6.1 and a switching element 6.2. The switch cavity 6.5 comprises a bowl 6.3 of an electrically conductive material and constituting a first lead end of the interrupted electric lead connecting power source and light source. The switching element 6.2 consists of an electrically conducting material and constitutes itself the second lead end by being fastened to this second lead end 11.4 which protrudes from a cavity wall opposite the bowl 6.3 and is enough long for the switching element 6.2 to be located within the bowl 6.3. The lead end 11.4 is enough bendable for being able to be bent by the weight of the switching element, when this weight acts in a direction having a component perpendicular to the lead end.

FIG. 6 again shows the switch 6 in three positions A, B and C, wherein A and B are on-positions and C is an off-position. If position C represents the upright or non-pouring position of a pouring device according to the invention, this means that depending on the bendability of the second lead end, the device needs to be inclined by a smaller or larger angle for the light to be switched on. Therefore the switch 6 as shown in FIG. 6 is particularly suitable for the device according to the invention being a jug or bottle, i.e. having only one non-pouring position (upright position) and a plurality of pouring positions depending on how much liquid they contain.

Claims

1. Pouring device for pouring liquid or granular material, the device comprising at least one pouring opening (3) and the device having at least one non-pouring or upright position which is not suitable for pouring and at least one pouring position which is, relative to the non-pouring position, reversed or inclined, the device comprising a light source (7) and a gravity actuated switch (6) for activating the light source (7), the switch (6) being mounted such that it is in an off-position when the device is one of its non-pouring positions and it is in an on-position when the device is in one of its pouring positions.

2. Pouring device according to claim 1 and being a funnel (1), a container with a sieve-like cover, a bottle or a jug.

3. Pouring device according to claim 1, wherein the light source (7) or one end of a light guiding means arranged for guiding the light of the light source (7) is arranged adjacent or within a jet of liquid or granular material emitted from the pouring device on pouring.

4. Pouring device according to one of claim 3, wherein the device consists at least in the area of the at least one pouring opening of a light transparent material able to function as the light guiding means and the light source is arranged for the emitted light to be coupled into the transparent material.

5. Pouring device according to claim 4, being a funnel (1) and further comprising a handle (4) and a pouring channel (10), wherein the light source (7) is arranged in the handle (4) and a handle part (4.1) arranged between the light source (7) and the pouring channel (10) and the pouring channel (10) are made of the transparent material.

6. Pouring device according to claim 1 and being a container with a sieve-like cover (31), wherein the cover is made of a light transparent material and the light source (7) is arranged on a protrusion (32) on the inside of the cover (31).

7. Pouring device according to claim 1, wherein the gravity actuated switch (6) comprises a switch cavity (6.1) and a switching element (6.2) arranged to be moveable by gravity within the switch cavity (6.1).

8. Pouring device according to claim 7, wherein the switching element comprises an electrically conducting material and wherein the switch cavity comprises first and second lead ends of an interrupted electric lead connecting the light source with a power source.

9. Pouring device according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the light source (7) is part of a lighting module (20), which further comprises a battery compartment (8) and the gravity actuated switch (6) and wherein the light module is detachably fixed to the pouring device.