Portion dispensing container
A portion dispensing container. The container includes a base supporting a hopper to store the food, with a cover sealing the hopper. A cup may be inserted into and removed from the base, and interacts with a slider to dispense a predetermined quantity of food into the cup upon each insertion. The hopper may include a scraper portion to assist in closing off the flow of food from the hopper during dispensing.
1. A portion dispensing container, comprising:
a base having a platform, a cup slot extending below said platform, said cup slot ending in a closed end, said cup slot having at least one cam ledge having a free end;
a hopper supported upon said base, said hopper adapted to hold dry food for storage and dispensing, said hopper including a bottom wall formed as a funnel leading toward an aperture means for dispensing said dry food;
a slider including a blocking plate having a slide notch extending towards a closed end of said slide notch, a cup stop extending from said blocking plate, and at least one guide block having a cam clamp for biased movement between relaxed and compressed positions, said slider being mounted within said base for reciprocation between a storage position and a dispensing position with said blocking plate sliding upon said platform, and said at least one guide block received in said at least one cam ledge, and said aperture means located above said cup slot in said storage position, and said blocking plate closing said aperture means in said dispensing position; and
a cup sized to be received within said cup slot for reciprocation between said storage and dispensing positions, said cup including a cavity to receive said dry food, said cavity being located below said aperture means in said storage position.
2. A container as in claim 1 , wherein said aperture means is circular, and said closed end of said slide notch is semi-circular.
3. A container as in claim 1 , wherein said cam clamp is located within said at least one cam ledge at said storage position and is biased to said compressed position by said at least one cam ledge, and wherein said cam clamp is located beyond said free end of said at least one cam ledge at said dispensing position and is released to said relaxed position.
4. A container as in claim 3 , wherein said cam clamp in said compressed position is located to secure said cup cavity between said cam clamp and said cup stop.
5. A container as in claim 4 wherein said at least one cam ledge comprises two said cam ledges, and said at least one guide block and cam clamp comprise two said guide blocks and cam clamps.
6. A container as in claim 1 , wherein said aperture means includes a scraper portion having reduced thickness and increased flexibility, positioned to interact with said closed end of said slide notch as said aperture means is being fully closed by said blocking plate.
7. A container as in claim 6 , wherein said aperture means further includes a hopper cap secured to said hopper.
8. A container as in claim 7 , wherein said cam clamp is located within said at least one cam ledge at said storage position and is biased to said compressed position by said at least one cam ledge, and wherein said cam clamp is located beyond said free end of said at least one cam ledge at said dispensing position and is released to said relaxed position.
9. A container as in claim 8 , wherein said cam clamp in said compressed position is located to secure said cup cavity between said cam clamp and said cup stop.
10. A container as in claim 9 wherein said at least one cam ledge comprises two said cam ledges, and said at least one guide block and cam clamp comprise two said guide blocks and cam clamps.