Cartridge for storing honey therein and dispensing honey therefrom, a device for dispensing honey and a method for dispensing honey

Abstract

A cartridge for dispensing honey, comprising: a container (1), having an axisymmetrical shape similar to a bottle without a bottom, an outlet nozzle (4), located on one side of the container (1), which serves as an outlet for honey from the container (1), a piston (2), adapted to squeeze honey out of the container, placed in the container (1) on the side opposite to the side where the outlet nozzle (4) is located, wherein the piston (2) is positioned in the container in a movable manner so that part of the piston (2) is inside the container (1) and the piston (2) is adapted to move inside the container along its longitudinal axis of symmetry, wherein the nozzle (4) has an outlet opening (4b) and is attached to the container (1) or is manufactured as an integral part of the container (1). There is also a ring-shaped locking element (7) fitted to the top of the container (1) so that it blocks the piston (2) from sliding out of the container (1), wherein the container (1) is a thin-walled element with a wall thickness in the range of 0.1-1 mm in the cylindrical and conical parts.

Description

[0001] Cartridge for storing honey therein and dispensing honey therefrom, a device for dispensing honey and a method for dispensing honey

[0002] Field of the Invention

[0003] Objects of the invention are a cartridge for storing honey therein, transporting and dispensing honey therefrom, as well as a device for dispensing honey and a method for dispensing honey. The invention relates in particular to a device and method for automatically dispensing honey.

[0004] Prior Art

[0005] Honey dosing devices are known in the prior art, mainly for use in manual honey dosing.

[0006] The solution in document IN2021 1 1039510A relates to a mixing and dispensing device, in particular to a micromotor mixer and dispensing device for mixing herbal powders with liquid or semi-liquid material such as honey, buttermilk and milk. This device has a complex design and is not suitable for use in an automatic honey dispensing process.

[0007] Document W02020106235A1 relates to a liquid product dispensing unit, intended for dispensing liquid foods, including honey, which is reusable and dispenses only desired quantities. The disclosed dispensing unit takes the form of a cylinder with a removable lid, for manual dispensing of the stored product, while the removable lid allows refilling of the container. However, the disclosed dispensing unit is a fully self- contained solution, not designed to work with any other device.

[0008] Document KR101764883B1 presents a honey dispenser, which includes a container body to contain the honey therein; an outlet opening projecting diagonally forward, in the lower direction, and a button for controlled release of honey from the dispenser. This solution is a possibly simple example of a user-operated honey dispenser and is not suitable for working directly with another device.

[0009] An aim of the invention is to provide a lightweight and low-cost cartridge for storing and dispensing honey therefrom, for use in an automatic honey dispensing process. Furthermore, it is an aim of the invention to provide a device capable of working with such a cartridge to enable convenient and automated dispensing of honey. Finally, it is also an aim of the invention to provide a method of dispensing honey using the cartridge and device according to the invention, which will reduce the risk of honey dripping. The Essence of the Invention

[0010] An object of the invention is a cartridge, for storing honey therein and dispensing honey therefrom, comprising: a container, having an axisymmetrical shape similar to a bottle without a bottom, suitable for storing honey therein, an outlet nozzle, located on one side of the container, which serves as an outlet for honey from the container, a piston, adapted to squeeze honey out of the container through the outlet nozzle, placed in the container on the side opposite to the side, where the outlet nozzle is located, wherein the piston is positioned in the container in a movable manner so that part of the piston is inside the container and the piston is adapted to move inside the container along its longitudinal axis of symmetry, wherein the nozzle has an outlet opening and is attached to the container, characterised in that in the container, there is also a ring-shaped locking element fitted to the top of the container so that it blocks the piston from sliding out of the container, wherein the container is a thin-walled element with a wall thickness in the range of 0.1 - 1 mm in the cylindrical and conical parts of the container.

[0011] Preferably, the ring-shaped locking element is made of a resilient steel element.

[0012] Preferably, the piston comprises at least one groove arranged around the entire circumference of the part of the piston located inside the container, wherein the groove accommodates a gasket, the gasket being in contact with the inner surface of the container. Preferably, the piston contains two grooves, in which there are two gaskets respectively.

[0013] Preferably, the gasket or gaskets are made of flexible elements made of materials suitable for food contact, preferably EPDM material.

[0014] Preferably, the container, at the point where the nozzle is located, is terminated with a threaded tip onto which this nozzle is screwed.

[0015] Preferably, the shape of the part of the piston located inside the container is complementary to the shape of the part of the container in which the nozzle is located.

[0016] Preferably, the container, at the end opposite to the location of the nozzle, comprises a circumferential groove in which a locking element in the form of a resilient ring is placed.

[0017] Preferably, the piston is made of plastic.

[0018] Preferably, the container is made by blow moulding of a semi-finished product in the form of a standard preform made of PET plastic or plastic wholly or partly derived from recycled rPET or biodegradable PLA.

[0019] An object of the invention is also a device for dispensing honey, comprising a cartridge according to the invention, characterised in that it comprises a shaped body, for placing a container therein, the inner shape of the body being complementary to the shape of the container and being able to receive the container without any clearance between the interior of the body and the side walls of the container, wherein the body provides support to the side walls of the container over essentially the entire range of travel of the piston in the container.

[0020] Preferably, the device further comprises a handle adapted to grip and hold the end of the piston, the handle having a receptacle to receive the end of the piston.

[0021] Preferably, the body is made of a transparent material, preferably glass or plastic. An object of the invention is also a method for dispensing honey, using the device according to the invention, comprising the following steps:

[0022] - moving the piston by a specific stroke towards the outlet nozzle in order to push a portion of honey out of the container,

[0023] - having pushed out a portion of honey, halting the movement of the piston towards the nozzle and moving the piston in the opposite direction - away from the nozzle, in order to stop honey from leaking from the container,

[0024] - stopping the movement of the piston.

[0025] Advantages of the Invention

[0026] By developing the present invention, it is possible to significantly reduce the cost of manufacturing a cartridge for storing honey therein, while providing a simple and easy-to-use solution that also reduces the use of plastics.

[0027] Furthermore - by using the solution according to the invention, leakage of honey from the container is prevented during automatic dispensing of honey, especially at the end of a single dispensing operation.

[0028] Safe storage and transport of honey in a closed container without access to the surrounding air, at the same time allowing the honey to be dispensed in the unit without the need to pour the honey into another container, which ensures high hygienic use.

[0029] Brief Description of the Drawing Figures

[0030] The invention will now be presented in more detail in preferable embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

[0031] Fig. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of the honey dispenser

[0032] Fig. 2 shows a view of detail A at a scale of 2:1 .

[0033] Fig. 3 shows a view of detail B at a scale of 2:1 .

[0034] Detailed Description of Preferable Embodiments of the Invention The cartridge for storing honey therein and dispensing honey therefrom and the device for dispensing honey are presented in detail in Fig. 1 .

[0035] The cartridge, for storing honey therein and dispensing therefrom, is in the form of a container 1 . The container 1 is of an axisymmetric shape, similar to that of a bottle without a bottom (or, to put it another way, a tube / sleeve shape, with one end tapered to form a funnel), and is suitable for storing honey therein (especially with regard to the requirements for materials approved for food contact).

[0036] The container 1 has an outlet nozzle 4, located on one side of the container 1 , which serves as an outlet for honey from the container 1 .

[0037] The container 1 also comprises a piston 2, adapted to squeeze honey out of the container through the outlet nozzle 4, placed in the container 1 on the side opposite the side, where the outlet nozzle 4 is located. The piston 2 is positioned in the container in a movable manner so that part of the piston 2 is inside the container 1 and the piston 2 is adapted to move inside the container along its longitudinal axis of symmetry. Thus, it is possible to dispense honey through the outlet nozzle 4 by the movement of the piston 2 (i.e. squeezing honey from the container 1 by the piston 2). Preferably, the shape of the part of the piston 2 located inside the container 1 is complementary to the shape of the part of the container 1 in which the nozzle 4 is located in order to maximise the quantity of honey discharged from the container 1 . Preferably, the piston 2 is made of plastic, although any other material commonly used to manufacture pistons in food dispensers may be used.

[0038] In a preferable embodiment of the invention, the nozzle 4 has an outlet opening 4b (Fig. 3) and is attached to the container 1. The nozzle 4 can be attached to the container 1 by means of connections commonly known in the prior art, e.g. by means of a threaded connection. Preferably, the container 1 , at the point where the nozzle 4 is located, is terminated with a threaded tip 1 a onto which this nozzle 4 is screwed.

[0039] The nozzle 4 may comprise an insert 4a, in which case the outlet opening 4b is located directly in the insert 4a. In a preferable embodiment, in the container 1 , there is also a ring-shaped locking element 7 fitted to the top of the container 1 so that it blocks the piston 2 from sliding out of the container 1 .

[0040] The container 1 itself is a thin-walled element with a wall thickness in the range of 0.1 -1 mm in the cylindrical part and in the conical part of the container 1 . Preferably, in the cylindrical part of the container 1 , the wall thickness is between 0.2 and 0.3 mm, and in the conical part of the container 1 , the wall thickness is between 0.2 and 0.5 mm (taking into account possible variations in thickness resulting from the manufacturing process). Preferably, the container 1 is manufactured by a blow moulding method from plastic, especially PET (or a material wholly or partly derived from recycled rPET or biodegradable PLA), after which the bottom of the manufactured container is cut off. By ensuring the low wall thickness of the container 1 - it is possible to significantly reduce its manufacturing costs. In turn, the possibility of effectively using the cartridge, having the container 1 with such a small wall thickness, is closely related to the specific design of the honey dispensing device in which such a cartridge would be used.

[0041] Preferably, the ring-shaped locking element 7 is made of a resilient element, allowing this element to be easily assembled in order to prevent the piston 2 from sliding out (i.e. the locking element 7 can "push apart" in its own way inside the thin walls of the container 1 , thus fixing its position in the container 1 ). Preferably, the ringshaped locking element 7 is made of steel, such as stainless or acid-resistant steel, or any steel provided with a protective coating.

[0042] Preferably, the piston 2 comprises at least one groove 2b arranged around the entire circumference of the part of the piston 2 located inside the container 1 , wherein the groove 2b accommodates a gasket 3, the gasket 3 being in contact with the inner surface of the container 1 , which is illustrated in Fig. 2. The use of the gasket 3 prevents the honey deposited on the inner walls of the container 1 from escaping and ensures that the honey does not come into contact with the environment.

[0043] In another preferable embodiment of the invention, the piston 2 comprises two grooves 2b, in which grooves 2b, there are two gaskets 3 respectively. This provides even more protection against the escape of honey deposited on the inner walls of the container 1 , e.g. in case one of the gaskets 3 fails.

[0044] Preferably, the gasket or gaskets 3 are made of flexible elements, i.e. elements which are characterised by a high deformability. This makes it possible to ensure the tightness of the pairing of the piston 2 with the container 1 .

[0045] In yet another preferable embodiment of the invention, the container 1 , at the end opposite to the location of the nozzle 4, comprises a circumferential groove 1 b in which a locking element 7 in the form of a resilient ring is placed. The circumferential groove 1 b prevents the locking element 7 from falling out of the container and ensures its stable attachment to the container.

[0046] The honey dispensing device, adapted to use the cartridge according to the invention, comprises a shaped body 5, adapted to accommodate the container 1 , as can be seen in Fig. 1 . The internal shape of the body 5 is complementary to the shape of the container 1 and can accommodate the container 1 without any clearance between the interior of the body 5 and the side walls of the container 1 . This causes the body 5 to provide support to the side walls of the container 1 over essentially the entire range of travel of the piston 2 in the container 1 , thus enabling the use of a thinwalled container 1 because by placing it in the body 5 it will not deform and will not be damaged (this reduces the risk of honey leaking from the cartridge placed in the device).

[0047] The device can further comprise a handle 6 adapted to grip and hold the end of the piston 2, the handle 6 having a receptacle to receive the end of the piston 2.

[0048] Preferably, the body 5 is made of a transparent material, preferably glass or plastic. This makes it possible to visually observe the quantity of honey still remaining in the container 1 .

[0049] The method for dispensing honey, using the device according to the invention, comprises the following steps:

[0050] - moving the piston 2 by a specific stroke towards the outlet nozzle 4 in order to push a portion of honey out of the container 1 , - having pushed out a portion of honey, halting the movement of the piston 2 towards the nozzle 4 and moving the piston 2 in the opposite direction - away from the nozzle 4, in order to stop honey from leaking from the container 1 ,

[0051] - stopping the movement of the piston 2. By realising the middle step of the dispensing method - i.e. withdrawing the piston - the dispensed flow of honey is interrupted and the cleanliness of use of the device is increased by minimising the risk of honey dripping from the nozzle 4.

Claims

Claims1. A cartridge, for storing honey therein and dispensing honey therefrom, comprising: a container (1 ), having an axisymmetrical shape similar to a bottle without a bottom, suitable for storing honey therein, an outlet nozzle (4), located on one side of the container (1 ), which serves as an outlet for honey from the container (1 ), a piston (2), adapted to squeeze honey out of the container through the outlet nozzle (4), placed in the container (1 ) on the side opposite to the side where the outlet nozzle is located (4), wherein the piston (2) is positioned in the container in a movable manner so that part of the piston (2) is inside the container (1 ) and the piston (2) is adapted to move inside the container along its longitudinal axis of symmetry, wherein the nozzle (4) has an outlet opening (4b) and is attached to the container (1 ), characterised in that in the container (1 ), there is also a ring-shaped locking element (7) fitted to the top of the container (1 ) so that it blocks the piston (2) from sliding out of the container (1 ), wherein the container (1 ) is a thin-walled element with a wall thickness in the range of 0.1 -1 mm in the cylindrical and conical parts of the container (1 ).

2. The cartridge according to claim 1 , characterised in that the ring-shaped locking element (7) is made of a resilient steel element.

3. The cartridge according to claim 2, characterised in that the piston (2) comprises at least one groove (2b) arranged around the entire circumference of the part of the piston (2) located inside the container (1 ), wherein the groove (2b) accommodates a gasket (3), the gasket (3) being in contact with the inner surface of the container (1 ).

4. The cartridge according to claim 3, characterised in that the piston (2) contains two grooves (2b), in which grooves (2b), there are two gaskets (3) respectively.

5. The cartridge according to claim 3 or 4, characterised in that the gasket or gaskets (3) are made of flexible elements made of materials suitable for food contact, preferably EPDM material.

6. The cartridge according to claim 5, characterised in that the container (1 ), at the point where the nozzle (4) is located, is terminated with a threaded tip (1 a) onto which this nozzle (4) is screwed.

7. The cartridge according to claim 6, characterised in that the shape of the part of the piston (2) located inside the container (1 ) is complementary to the shape of the part of the container (1 ) in which the nozzle (4) is located.

8. The cartridge according to claim 7, characterised in that the container (1 ), at the end opposite to the location of the nozzle (4), comprises a circumferential groove (1 b) in which a locking element (7) in the form of a resilient ring is placed.

9. The cartridge according to claim 8, characterised in that the piston (2) is made of plastic.

10. The cartridge according to claim 9, characterised in that the container (1 ) is made by blow moulding of a semi-finished product in the form of a standard preform made of PET plastic or plastic wholly or partly derived from recycled rPET or biodegradable PLA.1 1 .A device for dispensing honey, comprising a cartridge according to any of claims 1 -10, characterised in that it comprises a shaped body (5) to accommodate the container (1 ) therein, wherein the internal shape of the body (5) is complementary to the shape of the container (1 ) and can accommodate the container (1 ) without any clearance between the interior of the body (5) and the side walls of the container (1 ). wherein the body (5) provides support to the side walls of the container (1 ) over essentially the entire range of travel of the piston (2) in the container (1 ).

12. The device according to claim 12, characterised in that it further comprises a handle (6), adapted to grip and hold the end of the piston (2), the handle having a receptacle to receive the end of the piston (2).

13. The device according to claim 13, characterised in that the body (5) is made of a transparent material, preferably glass or plastic.

14. The method for dispensing honey, using the device according to claims 12 or 13, or 14, comprising the following steps:- moving the piston (2) by a specific stroke towards the outlet nozzle (4) in order to push a portion of honey out of the container (1 ),- having pushed out a portion of honey, halting the movement of the piston (2) towards the nozzle (4) and moving the piston (2) in the opposite direction - away from the nozzle (4), in order to stop honey from leaking from the container (1 ),- stopping the movement of the piston (2).

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