DISPENSING GUIDE

Abstract

A dispensing guide for seasoning such as herbs and spices takes the form of a dispensing chute defined by a broad and elongate tongue, the sides of which curl in an arc. The tongue has two resilient arms extending from a base portion of the chute which, together with the curved sides of the tongue, form a semi-circular ring that fits around and secures to a dispensing end of a seasoning dispenser in use. The guide in use prevents steam, moisture or heat from entering the dispensing end of the seasoning dispenser.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of co-pending South African Patent Application No. ZA2012/01880, filed Mar. 14, 2012.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a dispensing guide which is used with or forms part of a dispenser bottle, e.g. an herb or spice bottle. The invention may further extend to a dispenser lid with which the dispensing guide is integral.

Spices and dried herbs are typically sold in and dispensed from a dispenser bottle with a closeable cap including a sifter lid. In an open position of the cap wherein the sifter lid is exposed, spices and dried herbs can be dispensed from multiple apertures defined in the sifter lid.

Herbs and spices are typically dispensed into dishes while the dishes are still being cooked. A cook may merely sift or sprinkle the herbs or spices directly into a dish. One of the drawbacks of known sifter lids or other types of lids comprising apertures for sprinkling herbs, spices or the like onto food is that the moisture, heat and/or steam escaping from food while being cooked may clog up the apertures over time, thereby making the dispensing of the herbs or spices difficult.

It is an object of the present invention to address this shortcoming.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a dispensing guide comprising a dispensing chute defined by a broad and elongate tongue, the sides of which curl in an arc, and two resilient arms, extending from a base portion of the chute and which, together with the curvature of the sides of the tongue, form a semi-circular ring that fits around and secures to a dispensing end of a particulate matter dispenser in use, wherein the dispensing chute in use prevents steam, moisture or heat from entering the dispensing end of the particulate matter dispenser.

Preferably, the tongue has a semi-circular cross-section that in use fits around, e.g., approximately three quarters, the circumference of the dispensing end of the dispenser.

The dispensing guide may be manufactured from a plastics or similar material.

Typically, the dispensing end of a particulate matter dispenser is a lid or cap secured to the dispenser, preferably a sifter or sprinkler lid comprising multiple apertures to dispense the particulate matter.

The particulate matter dispenser may be a dispensing bottle for herbs or spices.

The base portion of the chute and the arms define an internal step formation that fits into a complemental step formation defined in a lid of the dispenser.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a dispenser lid comprising securing means configured to secure the lid to a dispensing end of a particulate matter dispenser, a sifter portion defining one or more apertures to dispense particulate matter from the dispenser in use, and a dispensing chute extending from and integrally formed with a side wall of the lid, the dispensing chute being defined by a broad and elongate tongue the sides of which curl in an arc, wherein the dispensing chute in use prevents steam, moisture or heat from entering the dispensing end of the particulate matter dispenser.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a dispensing guide in accordance with the present invention as secured around the end of a particulate matter dispenser;

FIG. 2a shows a perspective view of the dispensing guide of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2b shows a cross-section of the dispensing guide of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3a shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of a dispensing guide in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3b shows a cross-section of the dispensing guide of FIG. 3a; and

FIG. 4 shows a dispenser lid in accordance with a further aspect of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Turning to FIGS. 1 to 2b, a dispensing guide is generally indicated by reference numeral 10. The dispensing guide 10 fits around the outer perimeter of a dispensing end of a particulate matter dispenser, shown in FIG. 1 as a dispenser bottle 12. The dispenser bottle 12 is typically filled with particulate matter, such as seasoning, spices, dried herbs or the like. The dispensing guide 10 is usually arranged to fit snugly and be secured around a lid 14, such as a sifter or sprinkler lid, of the dispenser bottle 12.

In the example embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the lid 14 defines multiple apertures 16 in a sifter lid 18, the apertures in use dispensing, typically sprinkling or sifting, the particulate matter from the bottle 12.

As best shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b, the dispensing guide 10 comprises a dispensing chute 20 defined by a broad and elongate tongue 22, the sides 24 of which curl in an arc. In use, the tongue 22 lies co-planar with the side of the bottle 12. The tongue 22 may further be narrowed towards its outer end, thereby to assist in dispensing herbs or spices also from the sides 24 of the tongue 22. The dispensing chute 20 extends in use far beyond the end of the bottle 12 to cover the sifter lid 18 when the bottle 12 is held in a horizontal position to dispense the seasoning, herbs or spices. In particular, the dispensing chute 20 prohibits the ingress of steam, heat or moisture into the bottle 12 which may cause the apertures 16 of the lid 18 to clog up with particulate matter held in the bottle.

Extending from a base portion 26 of the chute 20 are two arms 28, which, with the curvature of the sides 24 of the tongue 22, form a semi-circular ring that fits around the lid 14 of the bottle 12. The arms 28 are resilient in order to enable them to be drawn away from each other thereby to fit the dispensing guide 10 around the bottle end.

The tongue 22 with the arms 28 typically has a semi-circular cross-section that in use fits around a portion of the circumference of the lid 14 of the bottle 12. In some instances, the tongue portion may be approximately three quarters to one half of the circumference of the lid 14 thereby to ensure that the apertures 16 of the sifter lid 18 are sufficiently covered.

The dispensing guide 10 is manufactured from a plastics material or any other suitable material.

Turning now to FIGS. 3a and 3b, a second embodiment of the dispensing guide is generally indicated by reference numeral 30. This guide 30 also comprises a broad and elongate tongue 32, the sides 34 of which curl in an arc. From a base portion 36 of the tongue 32 two resilient arms 40 extend, with the base portion 36 and sides 34 of the tongue 32, as well as the arms 40 forming a semi-circular ring that fits around and secures to a lid of a particulate matter dispenser in use. The tongue 32 which effectively forms a dispensing chute, prevents steam, heat or moisture from entering apertures defined in the lid of the dispenser.

In this embodiment, the base portion 36 of the tongue 32 or chute, and optionally the arms, define an internal step formation 40 that fits into a step formation defined in the lid of the dispenser or that fits over the end of the lid. This ensures a tighter fit between the dispensing guide 30 and the lid of the bottle.

FIG. 4 shows a further aspect of the invention where the dispensing guide is integral with the lid of a particulate matter dispenser, such as a bottle for dispensing spices or herbs. A dispenser lid 40 comprises securing means (not shown) configured to secure the lid 40 to a dispensing end (i.e., open end) of a particulate matter dispenser, shown as sectioned bottle 42. In this example embodiment, the lid 40 defines an internal thread that engages a thread 44 defined on the outer perimeter of the bottle 42 thereby to secure the lid 40 to the bottle 42. It will be appreciated that different securing means could be used in other embodiments.

A sifter portion 46 defines one or more apertures 48 to dispense particulate matter from the bottle in use. Similar to the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 3b, a dispensing chute 50 extends from and is integrally formed with a side wall of the lid 40. The dispensing chute 50 is defined by a broad and elongate tongue 52, the sides 54 of which curl in an arc. The chute 50 in use prohibits steam, moisture or heat from entering the bottle 42, in particular when the bottle 42 is held horizontal to dispense its contents over a dish that is being cooked.

In all the above embodiments, the contents of the dispenser or bottle is first dispensed onto the chute, and then sprinkled over the dish to be seasoned. The chute of the dispensing guide thus protects the contents from rising moisture, thereby ensuring that the sprinkler or sifter lid or portion does not clog up. Additionally, the chute of the dispensing guide or lid assists in ensuring that the food is not over-seasoned, as the seasoning, herbs or spices will first be dispensed onto the chute, leaving the user with the option to discard at least some of the seasoning.

Claims

1. A dispensing guide comprising a dispensing chute defined by a broad and elongate tongue, the sides of which curl in an arc, and two resilient arms extending from a base portion of the chute and which, together with the curved sides of the tongue, form a semi-circular ring that fits around and secures to a dispensing end of a particulate matter dispenser in use, wherein the dispensing chute in use prevents steam, moisture or heat from entering the dispensing end of the particulate matter dispenser.

2. The dispensing guide of claim 1 wherein the tongue has a semi-circular cross-section that in use fits around the circumference of the dispensing end of the dispenser.

3. The dispensing guide of claim 2 wherein the tongue extends around approximately three quarters of the circumference of the dispensing end of the dispenser.

4. The dispensing guide of claim 1 which is manufactured from a plastics material.

5. The dispensing guide of claim 1 wherein the dispensing end of said particulate matter dispenser is a sifter or sprinkler lid secured to the dispenser and comprising multiple apertures to dispense the particulate matter.

6. The dispensing guide of claim 1 wherein the particulate matter dispenser is a dispensing bottle for seasoning, herbs or spices.

7. The dispensing guide of claim 1 wherein the base portion of the chute and the arms define an internal step formation that fits into a complemental step formation defined in a lid of the dispenser.

8. A dispenser lid comprising securing means configured to secure the lid to a dispensing end of a particulate matter dispenser, a sifter portion defining one or more apertures to dispense particulate matter from the dispenser in use, and a dispensing chute extending from and integrally formed with a side wall of the lid, the dispensing chute being defined by a broad and elongate tongue the sides of which curl in an arc, wherein the dispensing chute in use prevents steam, moisture or heat from entering the dispensing end of the particulate matter dispenser.