Method and apparatus for distributing and dispensing items

Abstract

A system and method for distribution and dispensing of particulate items, and preferably to the distribution of bulk dry food in a sealed packaging in a sealed packaging unit, and the dispensing thereof. The bulk item dispenser is a two-part system, comprising a dispensing unit and a packaging unit. The packaging unit is filled with particulate items at a distribution location. The items are held within the unit with a sidably removable material-retaining element. The packaging unit is shipped to a distribution location, where the unit is assembled with a dispensing unit. Assembly is a two-step process. In the first step, the dispensing unit snap fits to a first location on the packaging unit. The element remains in the packaging unit. Next, the element is removed. The dispensing unit snap fits to a second location on the packaging unit. The second location is distal to where the element had been.

1 . A method of packaging particulate materials at a packaging location and then dispensing the particulate materials at a dispensing location, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a packaging unit comprising a container initially open at one end where the packaging unit is designed to be first filled with the material at the packaging station;    filling the packaging unit with the particulate material at the packaging location through the open end thereof;    placing a material retainer proximate the open end of the packaging unit in a package closing position to close the open end to prevent the spillage when the unit is shipped to the dispensing location;    shipping the packaging unit to the dispensing location and providing thereat a dispensing unit having a normally closed bottom dispensing opening and a handle which opens the normally closed dispensing opening when manually operated and a normally open end at the top thereof;    dropping the end of the packaging unit closed by the material retainer to allow the particulate material to drop by force of gravity when allowed to do so into the dispensing unit, while supporting the packaging unit in this position;    removing said material retainer from said package closing position so said material can drop into said dispensing unit; and    manually operating the dispensing unit handle to open the then bottom end of the packaging unit to allow a desired amount of the particulate material to be discharged from the dispensing unit.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the material retainer is a rigid strip slidably mounted proximate the end of the packaging unit.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the handle is a pull-down handle.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the pull-down handle is connected to a material moving element which stirs the particulate material.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the material moving element moves the particulate material toward the dispensing opening.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the material moving element moves the particulate material toward the dispensing opening when the handle is operated.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a removable metering element is disposed in the path of travel of the particulate material dropping from the dispensing opening and having a selected opening size to control an amount of material dropping into the dispensing opening when the handle is operated.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a display rack is provided for supporting a plurality of dispensing units with a separate one of the dispensing units attached to the open end of each packaging unit with its material retainer removed therefrom to permit the particulate material to be dispensed therefrom.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the display rack is round and each packaging unit is mounted on the rack at an angle with the open end of each such unit being positioned near the bottom thereof and the length of each such unit being tapered to allow the maximum number of dispensing units in contiguous side-by-side relation to be mounted on the rack.  
     
     
         10 . A packaging unit, comprising: 
 a container constructed of at least a semi-rigid material, the container comprising:    an open end;    a first wall adjoining the open end; and    a material retainer-receiving slot incorporated into the first wall proximate to the open end; and,    and,    a material retainer to be slidably inserted into said slot, the material retainer comprising:    a first region approximately equal in dimension to a cross-section of the container    at the slot and to be inserted in said slot and,    a second region connected to said first region and to extend beyond said container when said material retainer is inserted in said slot so that it can be grasped to remove the material retainer from said slot.    
     
     
         11 . (Canceled)  
     
     
         12 . The packaging unit of  claim 10 , wherein the container expands as the material retainer element is inserted into said slot to seal at the receiving area as the first region is received, where the expansion secures the material retainer in place and seals the packaging unit.  
     
     
         13 . The packaging unit of  claim 10 , wherein the container is corrugated into parallel ribs on the first wall and each wall adjoining the first wall and the open end.  
     
     
         14 . The packaging unit of  claim 10 , wherein the material retainer is constructed of a rigid material.  
     
     
         15 . A dispensing unit for dispensing particulate material, comprising: 
 a shell, the shell comprising: 
 a normally closed bottom dispensing opening; and  
 a normally open end at the top thereof;  
 a handle rotatably engaged to the shell; and  
 a scoop attached to the handle, wherein the scoop operates to close the bottom dispensing opening when the handle is in a first position, and the scoop operates to open the bottom dispensing opening when the handle is moved to a second position, the opening at the second position allowing a desired amount of particulate material to be discharged from the dispensing opening.  
   
     
     
         16 . The dispensing unit of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 one or more springs, the one or more springs positioned outside the shell and engaging the handle and the shell for positioning the handle in the first position.    
     
     
         17 . The dispensing unit of  claim 15 , wherein the scoop further operates to agitate the particulate material.  
     
     
         18 . The dispensing unit of  claim 17 , wherein the scoop moves the particulate material through the dispensing opening in a first-in/first-out (FIFO) manner.  
     
     
         19 . The dispensing unit of  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 a flow control device for regulating the dispensing of the particulate material from the bottom dispensing opening, the flow control device located inside the shell and distal to the bottom-dispensing opening.    
     
     
         20 . The dispensing unit of  claim 19 , wherein the flow control device comprises: 
 a first central orifice; and    a concentric ring about the central orifice, the central ring being formed from two or more curved perforations in the flow control device.    
     
     
         21 . The dispensing unit of  claim 20 , wherein a second central orifice may be emplaced in the flow control device by removing material from between the curved perforations.  
     
     
         22 . The dispensing unit of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 one or more fasteners for attachment to a packaging unit, the one or more fasteners located at the open end.    
     
     
         23 . A display unit for holding a plurality of particulate item dispensers each having a bottom dispensing opening, comprising: 
 a base;    an assembly drawer, the assembly drawer positioned at the base;    a row for holding the particulate item dispensers, comprising: 
 an upper holding structure; and  
 a lower holding structure, wherein the dispensers are supported against and between these structures and so that the lower holding structure supports the bottom of each dispenser; and a spill tray positioned below the lower holding structure so as to catch particulate matter dispensed from the dispenser.  
   
     
     
         24 . The display unit of  claim 23 , wherein the row holds the dispensers at an angle so as to increase the flow of particulate items from the dispenser.  
     
     
         25 . The display unit of  claim 23 , wherein the assembly drawer slides from a first position to a second position, where at the second position a dispensing unit of the dispenser is capable of being placed in a receptacle, the receptacle incorporated into the drawer, so that a packaging unit may be assembled to or disassembled from the dispensing unit.  
     
     
         26 . The dispensing unit of  claim 17  wherein the scoop also operates to move the particulate material through the dispensing opening.  
     
     
         27 . A plurality of parts to form a package to be filled with particulate material comprising: 
 a container body for holding said material and having an open end and a closed end;    said container body having a slide element-receiving slot extending generally parallel to said open end; and    a slide element to be fitted into said slot to close said open end of said body when it is filled with said material, as when said body is oriented with the open end at the top of the container body where said material can be dropped into said open end.    
     
     
         28 . The plurality of parts of  claim 27  wherein said slide element has a pull tab which will project beyond the container body when said slide element is fully inserted into said slot to close the container body and which can be grasped to remove the same from the container body.  
     
     
         29 . The plurality of parts of  claim 27  where said container body is made of a semi-rigid material which expands when a slide element is forced into said slot to seal the container body interior, said slide element being dimensioned to tightly fit into said slot to expand said container body to form said seal therewith.  
     
     
         30 . The plurality of parts of  claim 27  assembled to form a slide element-sealed container; 
 a dispensing unit to receive said assembly, said dispensing unit having an open end sized to receive the slide-element containing end of said assembly and an opposite end with a projecting spout around which may be placed a bag to receive particulate material dropping therefrom, said spout having an upper inlet end to receive particulate material dropping into the same and a lower end;  
 and a dispensing unit closing structure having an exterior handle attached to a closure element which is moved by operation of said handle from a normal dispensing element closing position preventing the particulate material from dropping from said spout to a position allowing said material to drop from said spout.  
 
     
     
         31 . The plurality of parts and dispensing unit of  claim 30  wherein the upper end of said dispensing unit having means for interlocking with the slide element-containing end of said container body when said body is placed into the open upper end thereof.  
     
     
         32 . The plurality of parts and dispensing unit of  claim 31  where said interlocking means including means on said dispensing unit contacted by said pull tab of said slide element when inserted into and projecting from said container body to prevent further insertion of said container body into said dispensing unit, upon removal of said slide element from said container body said container body being further insertable into said dispensing unit into a fully interlocked condition.  
     
     
         33 . The plurality of parts and dispensing unit of  claim 32  combined with a structure for assembling said container body and dispensing unit, said structure being a receptacle into which said dispensing unit can be dropped with its open end facing upward to receive the slide element-containing end of said container body inserted into the open top thereof.  
     
     
         34 . The plurality of parts, dispensing unit and receptacle of  claim 33  combined with a display rack upon which a plurality of pairs of said packaging units attached to said dispensing units can be supported in positions where the dispensing spouts thereof face downwardly to receive said bags therearound which become filled with said particulate material when said slide element is removed from said container body and said handle is operated.