Dispenser Adapted To Engage A Bottle And For Use With Consumable Fluid Having Solid Ingredients

Abstract

A dispenser adapted for use with thick salad dressing or other consumable fluid which may have large solid ingredients therein.

1 . A dispenser adapted for use with thick salad dressing having solid ingredients therein, comprising:
 a dispenser body defining a hopper adapted to hold a predetermined amount of salad dressing;   a collar engaged with the dispenser body and adapted to secure the dispenser to a bottle;   a membrane located on the dispenser body and positioned to be inside of the bottle when the collar is secured to the bottle, the membrane being adapted to allow flow therethrough from the bottle to the hopper, but not from the hopper to the bottle, of salad dressing having solid ingredients with a largest dimension of up to at least one quarter of an inch while allowing the solid ingredients to transport through the membrane and into the hopper;   wherein the dispenser is adapted to allow dispensing of the salad dressing including the solid ingredients in the predetermined amount from the hopper.   
     
     
         2 . The dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the membrane, when in a closed position, is generally convex such that an apex extends inside the hopper. 
     
     
         3 . The dispenser of  claim 2 , wherein the collar has first and second collar ends, at least a portion of the hopper is located on the first collar end so that the at least a portion of the hopper is located outside of the bottle when the dispenser is attached thereto, the hopper further comprising a tube that extends through the collar and is adapted to be located within the bottle when the dispenser is attached thereto. 
     
     
         4 . The dispenser of  claim 3 , wherein the membrane is adapted to allow solid ingredients entrained in salad dressing to pass therethrough and into the hopper, the membrane being adapted to allow flow therethrough of salad dressing having solid ingredients with the largest dimension of up to at least one half of an inch. 
     
     
         5 . The dispenser of  claim 4 , wherein the membrane has a generally circular shape formed by a plurality flaps joined together to form a circumference of the membrane, the hopper having a first hopper end adapted to be located distally from the bottle, the first hopper end having a generally oval shape, the dispenser flaring generally conically outwardly from the bottle to create at least a portion of a hand grip adapted to facilitate pouring salad dressing from the hopper. 
     
     
         6 . The dispenser of  claim 3 , wherein the membrane is adapted to allow solid ingredients entrained in salad dressing to pass therethrough and into the hopper, the membrane being adapted to allow flow therethrough of salad dressing having solid ingredients with the maximum dimension of up to at least three eighths of an inch, the membrane not being suitable for preventing the passage of alcoholic beverages therethrough from the hopper back to the bottle. 
     
     
         7 . The dispenser of  claim 6 , further comprising a plurality of markings located on the hopper, the plurality of markings being adapted to allow one of a plurality of different predetermined amounts of salad dressing to be secured in the hopper. 
     
     
         8 . The dispenser of  claim 7 , wherein at least some of the dispenser body is at least one of translucent and transparent, the at least some of the dispenser body being adapted to facilitate comparing an amount of salad dressing in the hopper with the plurality of markings. 
     
     
         9 . The dispenser of  claim 3 , wherein the dispenser body is rotatably connected to the collar and adapted to be rotatable while the collar is secured to the bottle. 
     
     
         10 . The dispenser of  claim 3 , further comprising a vent between the hopper and an interior of the bottle to establish a fluid passageway therebetween separate from the membrane that is adapted to allow air to enter the bottle after salad dressing has been driven from the bottle, through the membrane, and into the hopper. 
     
     
         11 . The dispenser of  claim 10 , wherein the vent comprises a check valve. 
     
     
         12 . The dispenser of  claim 3 , further comprising a vent between the hopper and an exterior of the bottle to establish a fluid passageway therebetween separate from the membrane that is adapted to allow air to enter the bottle after salad dressing has been driven from the bottle, through the membrane, and into the hopper, the fluid passageway extending from the bottle, through the dispenser body, and to the exterior of the both the dispenser and the bottle. 
     
     
         13 . The dispenser of  claim 5 , wherein the membrane has first and second membrane sides, the first membrane side having a lip positioned along the perimeter, a ring being positioned against the second membrane side to secure the membrane within a channel in the tube of the hopper of the dispenser body. 
     
     
         14 . A dispenser adapted for use with thick salad dressing having solid ingredients therein, comprising:
 a dispenser body defining a hopper adapted to hold a predetermined amount of salad dressing, the hopper having a first hopper end adapted to be located distally from the bottle, the first hopper end having a generally oval shape, the dispenser flaring generally conically outwardly from the bottle to create at least a portion of a hand grip adapted to facilitate pouring salad dressing from the hopper;   a collar engaged with the dispenser body and adapted to secure the dispenser to a bottle, the collar has first and second collar ends, at least a portion of the hopper is located on the first collar end so that the at least a portion of the hopper is located outside of the bottle when the dispenser is attached thereto;   the hopper further comprises a tube that extends through the collar and is adapted to be located within the bottle when the dispenser is attached thereto, the tube having an inner surface defining a channel;   a membrane located on the dispenser body and positioned to be inside of the bottle when the collar is secured to the bottle, the membrane being adapted to allow flow therethrough from the bottle to the hopper, but not from the hopper to the bottle, of salad dressing having solid ingredients with a largest dimension of up to at least one quarter of an inch while allowing the solid ingredients to transport through the membrane and into the hopper, the membrane, when in a closed position, is generally convex such that an apex extends inside the hopper, wherein the membrane has a generally circular shape formed by a plurality flaps joined together to form a circumference of the membrane;   wherein the dispenser is adapted to allow dispensing of the salad dressing including the solid ingredients in the predetermined amount from the hopper.   
     
     
         15 . The dispenser of  claim 14 , wherein the membrane is adapted to allow solid ingredients entrained in salad dressing to pass therethrough and into the hopper, the membrane being adapted to allow flow therethrough of salad dressing having solid ingredients with the maximum dimension of up to at least three eighths of an inch, the membrane not being suitable for preventing the passage of alcoholic beverages therethrough from the hopper back to the bottle when the bottle is shaken. 
     
     
         16 . A dispenser adapted for use with thick consumable fluids having solid ingredients therein, comprising:
 a dispenser body defining a hopper adapted to hold a predetermined amount of consumable fluid, the hopper having a first hopper end adapted to be located distally from the bottle, the first hopper end having a generally oval shape;   a collar engaged with the dispenser body and adapted to secure the dispenser to a bottle, the collar has first and second collar ends, at least a portion of the hopper is located on the first collar end so that the at least a portion of the hopper is located outside of the bottle when the dispenser is attached thereto;   the hopper further comprises a tube that extends through the collar and is adapted to be located within the bottle when the dispenser is attached thereto, the dispenser body flaring generally conically outwardly from the bottle to create at least a portion of a hand grip adapted to facilitate pouring salad dressing from the hopper, the tube defining a channel along an inner surface;   a membrane located on the dispenser body and positioned to be inside of the bottle when the collar is secured to the bottle, the membrane being adapted to allow flow therethrough from the bottle to the hopper, but not from the hopper to the bottle, of consumable fluid having solid ingredients with a largest dimension of up to at least one quarter of an inch while allowing the solid ingredients to transport through the membrane and into the hopper, the membrane, when in a closed position, is generally convex such that an apex extends inside the hopper, the membrane has first and second membrane sides, the first membrane side having a lip positioned along the perimeter, wherein the membrane has a generally circular shape formed by a plurality flaps joined together to form a circumference of the membrane;   a ring positioned against the second membrane side to secure the membrane within the channel in the tube of the hopper of the dispenser body; and   wherein the dispenser is adapted to allow dispensing of the consumable fluid including the solid ingredients in the predetermined amount from the hopper.   
     
     
         17 . A dispenser adapted for use with thick salad dressing having solid ingredients therein, comprising:
 a dispenser body defining a hopper adapted to hold a predetermined amount of salad dressing, the hopper defining a first hole therethrough;   a collar engaged with the dispenser body and adapted to secure the dispenser to a bottle, the collar including a sheath for receiving at least part of the hopper, the sheath defining a second hole therethrough;   wherein the hopper is moveable, relative to the collar, between a first hopper position, in which the first and second holes are not aligned and the salad dressing cannot pass between the bottle and the hopper, and a second hopper position, in which the first and second holes are aligned to allow salad dressing to pass between the bottle and the hopper wherein the dispenser is adapted to allow dispensing of the salad dressing including the solid ingredients in the predetermined amount from the hopper, the dispenser not being suitable for preventing the passage of alcoholic beverages therethrough from the hopper back to the bottle when the bottle is shaken.   
     
     
         18 . The dispenser of  claim 17 , wherein the first and second hole are positioned to be generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the bottle; the hopper is adapted to rotate generally about the longitudinal axis of the bottle when the hopper is moved between the first and second positions. 
     
     
         19 . The dispenser of  claim 18 , wherein the sheath defines a bore and the hopper includes a pair of prongs adapted for insertion into the bore to secure the hopper to the sheath while still allowing rotation therebetween. 
     
     
         20 . The dispenser of  claim 19 , further comprising a guide post in the hopper adapted to engage a slot defined by the sheath, the combination of the slot and guide post being adapted to guide the rotation of the hopper. 
     
     
         21 . The dispenser of  claim 20 , further including a vent adapted to let air enter the bottle when the hopper is in the first hopper position.