Method and Apparatus for Dispensing a Granular Product

Abstract

A dispensing apparatus adapted to dispense powered products, such as protein that tends to compact and stick together, from a storage container into a dispensing chute using a hard rotatable ball or other member that contains one or more elongated slots or cavities. The rotating ball fits tightly into a flexible dispensing cup with a flexible, but tight seal. The ball is rotated by shaft with a handle to load one of the cavities with product. The dispensing cup has one or more hand and finger like structures that extend into the storage container that, when the ball is rotated are caused to move laterally, vibrating and dislodging the powder to flow into one of the cavities. Then, when the ball is rotated 180 degrees, the product drops out of the cavity into the dispensing chute.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for dispensing a powdered product comprising:
 a powder product storage container in communication with a dispensing mechanism;   said dispensing mechanism including a rotatable member attached to a rotatable shaft, the rotatable member having a smooth surface, wherein said smooth surface contains at least one cavity;   a flexible dispensing cup receiving the rotatable member and allowing the rotatable member to turn in the dispensing cup, said dispensing cup also in communication with a dispensing orifice;   at least one hand and finger member having a top and bottom end, the top end extending vertically from the flexible dispensing cup away from the rotatable member and into the powdered product storage container, said hand and finger configured to move laterally and release when the cavity in the rotatable member engages and moves past the bottom end of said hand and finger member;   whereby, in a first position, the cavity fills with a product from the powder product storage container as the finger member moves laterally, and in a second position dispenses the product into the orifice.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said flexible dispensing cup is food-grade silicon rubber. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said rotatable member is spherical. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said cavity is elliptical with an approximately parabolic or Gaussian profile. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the rotatable shaft is terminated in a detent mechanism on a distal end. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said rotatable shaft is terminated with a handle on a proximal end. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the rotatable shaft is affixed to a handle and secured on the distal end by a retaining clip. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said cavity has an approximately parabolic or Gaussian cross-section. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein there are two hand and finger members. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the two hand and finger members are flat and mounted parallel to each other. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of notches on the upper end of said hand and finger member. 
     
     
         12 . A dispenser adapted to dispense a predetermined amount of a powdered product from a storage container into a dispensing chute, the dispenser comprising:
 a flexible member attachable to the storage container having an upper funnel part and a lower spherical part that forms a flexible spherical cavity adapted to receive a sold spherical ball, the spherical ball rotatable in the flexible cavity by a shaft that penetrates the spherical ball, the flexible member having a sealing lip that fits circumferencially around the spherical ball;   the spherical ball having a pair of opposing elongated cavities adapted to receive powder product in one of the cavities in an upward facing orientation and to dispense the product into the dispensing chute when the spherical ball is rotated 180 degrees;   the flexible member having at least one flat finger member that extends upward into the storage container and downward to a point where it touches the spherical ball, the hand and finger member configured to move laterally in the storage container as the spherical ball is rotated and either of the cavities engages and releases the bottom part of the hand and finger member;   wherein, the hand and finger member vibrates to loosen the powdered product in the storage container causing the powdered product to flow into one of the cavities in the spherical ball for dispensing.   
     
     
         13 . The dispenser of  claim 12  wherein there are two flat hand and finger members mounted parallel to one-another. 
     
     
         14 . The dispenser of  claim 12 , wherein the flat hand and finger member has an upper end, and further comprising a plurality of notches on the upper end of the flat hand and finger member. 
     
     
         15 . The dispenser of  claim 13 , wherein the two finger members each have upper ends, and further comprising a plurality of notches on the upper ends of the two finger members. 
     
     
         16 . The product dispenser of  claim 12  wherein the elongated cavities are elliptical with an approximately parabolic cross-section. 
     
     
         17 . The product dispenser of  claim 12  wherein the shaft terminates in a handle.