Flip-to-fill scoop

Abstract

When used to store liquid, powdered, or granular products, jars often come with a scoop for accessing the product therein. These scoops are often included within the jar when shipped to a consumer and may be substantially buried within the product. The presently disclosed flip-to-fill scoop resolves the shortcomings of traditional scoops by removably securing the flip-to-fill scoop to a top of the jar. This allows the consumer to easily access the scoop, even as the level of product within the jar drops. Further, the flip-to-fill scoop is filled without requiring the consumer to reach into the jar. This may aid with cleanliness and hygiene. Example products that may be accessed using the flip-to-fill scoop include medicines, nutritional supplements, powered food products, and larger granular food products.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A flip-to-fill scoop for a jar comprising:
 a scoop rim separate from a lip and a lid of the jar and sized to fit between the lip and the lid of the jar;   a bucket located within a perimeter defined by the scoop rim; and   one or more stanchions connecting the bucket to the scoop rim and positioning the bucket below the scoop rim.   
     
     
         2 . The flip-to-fill scoop of  claim 1 , wherein the bucket includes a pour spout. 
     
     
         3 . The flip-to-fill scoop of  claim 1 , wherein the stanchions position the bucket offset from a center of the perimeter defined by the scoop rim. 
     
     
         4 . The flip-to-fill scoop of  claim 1 , wherein the stanchions comprise two stanchions located on opposing sides of the bucket. 
     
     
         5 . The flip-to-fill scoop of  claim 1 , wherein the bucket is a spherical cap. 
     
     
         6 . The flip-to-fill scoop of  claim 1 , wherein the scoop rim is continuous around the bucket. 
     
     
         7 . The flip-to-fill scoop of  claim 1 , wherein the scoop rim is discontinuous around the bucket. 
     
     
         8 . The flip-to-fill scoop of  claim 1 , wherein the stanchions are living hinges that allow the bucket to pivot with reference to the scoop rim. 
     
     
         9 . The flip-to-fill scoop of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a handle connected to the bucket to aid a user in physically manipulating the flip-to-fill scoop.   
     
     
         10 . The flip-to-fill scoop of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a gasket or sealing feature on the scoop rim to seal against one or both of the lip and the lid of the jar.   
     
     
         11 . The flip-to-fill scoop of  claim 1 , wherein the flip-to-fill scoop is a unitary plastic structure. 
     
     
         12 . A method of using a flip-to-fill scoop to retrieve product from a jar, comprising:
 positioning a scoop rim of the flip-to-fill scoop separate from a lip and a lid of the jar between the lip and the lid of the jar;   filling a bucket located within a perimeter defined by the scoop rim with the product, wherein one or more stanchions connect the bucket to the scoop rim and position the bucket below the scoop rim; and   pouring the product from the flip-to-fill scoop.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 removing the lid from the jar; and   responsive to the positioning operation, replacing the lid on the jar with the flip-to-fill scoop secured therebetween.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the filling operation includes:
 inverting the jar; and   returning the jar to an upright position.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein pouring operation is responsive to:
 removing the lid from the jar; and   removing the flip-to-fill scoop from the jar.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the bucket includes a pour spout from which the product is poured in the pouring operation. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the stanchions position the bucket offset from a center of the perimeter defined by the scoop rim. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the stanchions comprise two stanchions located on opposing sides of the bucket. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the bucket is a spherical cap. 
     
     
         20 . A flip-to-fill scoop for a jar comprising:
 a continuous scoop rim separate from a lip and a lid of the jar and sized to fit between the lip and the lid of the jar;   a spherical cap bucket including a pour spout located within and offset from a center of a perimeter defined by the scoop rim; and   stanchions connecting the bucket to the scoop rim and positioning the bucket below the scoop rim.