Cutlery dispenser
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A cutlery dispenser comprising:
- a base comprising a base bottom configured to rest on a surface, a base top opposite the base bottom, and a base height extending from the base bottom to the base top;
a cartridge attached to the base and comprising a cartridge bottom, a cartridge top, a cartridge height extending from the cartridge bottom to the cartridge top, and a chamber;
a stack of cutlery pieces located in the cartridge chamber, each cutlery piece having an eating portion comprising an eating portion tip, a handle comprising a handle tip and a cutlery piece length extending from the eating portion tip to the handle tip, the cutlery piece length generally perpendicular to the cartridge height, the stack of cutlery pieces comprising a top comprising a top cutlery piece, a bottom comprising a bottom cutlery piece and a stack height extending from the top cutlery piece to the bottom cutlery piece and generally parallel to the cartridge height;
a system dispensing mechanism configured to move between a resting position in which the cutlery stack is stationary within the cartridge chamber to a dispensing position in which the system dispensing mechanism ejects at least a portion of a piece of cutlery out of the cartridge chamber, the system dispensing mechanism comprising a base dispensing mechanism forming a portion of the base and a cartridge dispensing mechanism located in the cartridge chamber, the base dispensing mechanism removably engaged with the cartridge dispensing mechanism; and
an actuator configured to move the system dispensing mechanism from the resting position to the dispensing position,wherein the base dispensing mechanism and the cartridge dispensing mechanism are configured to move together in a coupled fashion to eject the portion of the piece of cutlery out of the cartridge chamber, andfurther wherein the base dispensing mechanism comprises a base cam shaft attached to the base and the cartridge dispensing mechanism comprises a cartridge cam shaft attached to the cartridge, the cartridge cam shaft and the base cam shaft configured to rotate together along an aligned axis of rotation in the same direction in a coupled fashion to eject the portion of the piece of cutlery out of the cartridge chamber.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A plastic cutlery dispenser having a base and a cartridge is described. The cartridge may be slideable relative to the base. In some embodiments, the base has a base dispensing mechanism and the cartridge has a cartridge dispensing mechanism configured to mate with the base dispensing mechanism. In some embodiments, when the base and cartridge dispensing mechanisms mate, the cutlery dispenser is configured to dispense cutlery located within the cartridge one piece of cutlery at a time.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A cutlery dispenser comprising:
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a base comprising a base bottom configured to rest on a surface, a base top opposite the base bottom, and a base height extending from the base bottom to the base top; a cartridge attached to the base and comprising a cartridge bottom, a cartridge top, a cartridge height extending from the cartridge bottom to the cartridge top, and a chamber; a stack of cutlery pieces located in the cartridge chamber, each cutlery piece having an eating portion comprising an eating portion tip, a handle comprising a handle tip and a cutlery piece length extending from the eating portion tip to the handle tip, the cutlery piece length generally perpendicular to the cartridge height, the stack of cutlery pieces comprising a top comprising a top cutlery piece, a bottom comprising a bottom cutlery piece and a stack height extending from the top cutlery piece to the bottom cutlery piece and generally parallel to the cartridge height; a system dispensing mechanism configured to move between a resting position in which the cutlery stack is stationary within the cartridge chamber to a dispensing position in which the system dispensing mechanism ejects at least a portion of a piece of cutlery out of the cartridge chamber, the system dispensing mechanism comprising a base dispensing mechanism forming a portion of the base and a cartridge dispensing mechanism located in the cartridge chamber, the base dispensing mechanism removably engaged with the cartridge dispensing mechanism; and an actuator configured to move the system dispensing mechanism from the resting position to the dispensing position, wherein the base dispensing mechanism and the cartridge dispensing mechanism are configured to move together in a coupled fashion to eject the portion of the piece of cutlery out of the cartridge chamber, and further wherein the base dispensing mechanism comprises a base cam shaft attached to the base and the cartridge dispensing mechanism comprises a cartridge cam shaft attached to the cartridge, the cartridge cam shaft and the base cam shaft configured to rotate together along an aligned axis of rotation in the same direction in a coupled fashion to eject the portion of the piece of cutlery out of the cartridge chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A cutlery dispenser comprising:
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a base comprising a base bottom configured to rest on a surface, a base top opposite the base bottom, a base height extending from the base bottom to the base top, and a base upper surface; a cartridge comprising a cartridge bottom, a cartridge top, a cartridge height extending from the cartridge bottom to the cartridge top, and a chamber; a stack of cutlery pieces located in the cartridge chamber, each cutlery piece having an eating portion comprising an eating portion tip, a handle comprising a handle tip and a cutlery piece length extending from the eating portion tip to the handle tip, the cutlery piece length generally perpendicular to the cartridge height, the stack of cutlery pieces comprising a top comprising a top cutlery piece, a bottom comprising a bottom cutlery piece and a stack height extending from the top cutlery piece to the bottom cutlery piece and generally parallel to the cartridge height; a cartridge cam shaft located in the cartridge chamber, the cartridge cam shaft comprising a cartridge cam shaft tab; a wall tab located in the cartridge chamber; and a base cam shaft forming a portion of the base, wherein the cartridge is slideable along the base upper surface between a cartridge locked position in which i) the cartridge cam shaft is engaged with the base cam shaft, ii) the cartridge cam shaft tab is disengaged with the wall tab; and
iii) the cartridge cam shaft is permitted to rotate between a resting position in which the cutlery stack is stationary within the cartridge chamber to a dispensing position in which the cartridge cam shaft rotates to eject at least a portion of a piece of cutlery out of the cartridge chamber, anda cartridge unlocked position in which i) the cartridge cam shaft is disengaged from the base cam shaft and ii) the cartridge cam shaft tab is engaged with the wall tab and prevents the cartridge dispensing mechanism from rotating between the resting position and the dispensing position. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A cutlery dispenser comprising:
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a base comprising a base bottom configured to rest on a surface, a base top opposite the base bottom, a base height extending from the base bottom to the base top, a base front end, a base rear end, a base length extending from the base front end to the base rear end, and a generally flat base upper surface extending generally parallel to the base length; a cartridge comprising a cartridge bottom, a cartridge top, a cartridge height extending from the cartridge bottom to the cartridge top, and a chamber, the cartridge horizontally slideable along the base upper surface generally parallel to the base length; cutlery pieces vertically stacked in the cartridge chamber, each cutlery piece having an eating portion comprising an eating portion tip, a handle comprising a handle tip and a cutlery piece length extending from the eating portion tip to the handle tip, the cutlery piece length generally perpendicular to the cartridge height, the stack of cutlery pieces comprising a top comprising a top cutlery piece, a bottom comprising a bottom cutlery piece and a stack height extending from the top cutlery piece to the bottom cutlery piece and generally parallel to the cartridge height; and a system dispensing mechanism configured to move between a resting position in which the cutlery stack is stationary within the cartridge chamber to a dispensing position in which the system dispensing mechanism ejects at least a portion of a piece of cutlery out of the cartridge chamber, wherein the cartridge is configured to slide horizontally relative to the base from a first position to a second position, wherein the cartridge comprises a front end, a rear end opposite the front end, a cartridge length extending from the front end to the rear end, wherein the cutlery pieces are stacked in the cartridge chamber with the eating portions adjacent to the cartridge rear end and the handle tips adjacent to the cartridge front end, wherein the cutlery piece length is generally parallel to the cartridge length, wherein the cartridge comprises a ramp comprising a top end adjacent to the cartridge rear end, and a bottom end adjacent to the cartridge front end, and further wherein, in the dispensing position, the system dispensing mechanism is configured to eject the portion of the piece of cutlery out of the cartridge chamber into a chute located laterally relative to the vertical stack of cutlery pieces and down the ramp so that the handle tip contacts the ramp bottom before the eating portion, wherein the base comprises two sidewalls comprising longitudinal grooves, the longitudinal grooves and two sidewalls located on opposite of the base and bordering the base upper surface and extending generally parallel to the base length, and further wherein the cartridge comprises a flange located adjacent to the cartridge bottom and configured to engage the longitudinal grooves and slide along the longitudinal grooves as the cartridge horizontally slides along the base upper surface generally parallel to the base length, and further wherein the base is generally L-shaped and comprises a horizontal extension comprising the base upper surface and the longitudinal grooves and a vertical extension extending generally perpendicular to the horizontal extension and further wherein the cartridge is configured to slide horizontally along the longitudinal grooves and base upper surface until the cartridge rear end contacts the base vertical extension, and further wherein, when the cartridge rear end contacts the base vertical extension, the ramp is located directly above the base upper surface. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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Specification