Cutlery dispenser system

• US 20050082307A1
• Filed: 10/21/2003
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Terence Tucker
• Original Assignee: Terence Tucker
• Inventors: Tucker, Terence
• Application Number:
  US10/690,288
• Publication Number:
  US 20050082307A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 221/67
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/065 for nested articles, e.g. cups, cones
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 2001/103 for cutlery

Abstract

Provided is a cutlery dispenser system for dispensing cutlery utensils wherein each one of the utensils has an elongate handle extending from an eating portion. The cutlery dispenser system comprises a support rack, at least one bin and at least one cartridge. The bin is configured to be removably mountable to the support rack and has an open bin front. The bin may have a bin top that is covered by a bin cover. The cartridge is configured to be removably insertable into the bin through the bin front. The cartridge has at least one vertical slot which opens to the cartridge top and the cartridge side. The vertical slot is configured to contain a stack of the utensils wherein the handles protrude laterally beyond the cartridge side such that at least one of the utensils may be removed by upward movement beyond the cartridge top.

Claims

1. A cutlery dispenser system for dispensing cutlery utensils, each one of the cutlery utensils having an elongate handle, the dispenser system comprising:

a bin having an open bin front; and

a cartridge being removably insertable into the bin through the bin front and having at least one vertical slot opening to a cartridge top and a cartridge side, the vertical slot being configured to contain a stack of the utensils such that the handles thereof protrude laterally beyond the cartridge side and wherein the vertical slot is configured such that at least one of the utensils may be removed by upward movement thereof beyond the cartridge top.

2. The cutlery dispenser system of claim 1 further comprising a bin cover and wherein the bin has an open bin top, the bin cover being disposed upon the bin top to partially enclose the bin.

3. The cutlery dispenser system of claim 1 wherein the vertical slot is shaped complementary to an outline of one of the cutlery utensils.

4. The cutlery dispenser system of claim 1 wherein the vertical slot is sized to accommodate knives or forks or spoons.

5. The cutlery dispenser system of claim 1 further including a lid member removably engagable to the cartridge top.

6. The cutlery dispenser system of claim 1 wherein the bin has a bottom panel, a rear wall and opposing side walls interconnected by the bottom panel and the rear wall.

7. The cutlery dispenser system of claim 6 wherein the bottom panel has a vertical lip extending upwardly therefrom to restrict movement of the cartridge.

8. The cutlery dispenser system of claim 1 wherein the bin includes a plurality of bays with adjacent ones of the bays being separated by a divider panel, each one of the bays being configured to receive one of the cartridges.

9. The cutlery dispenser system of claim 1 further including a support rack configured to removably mount the bin thereto.

10. The cutlery dispenser system of claim 9 wherein the support rack has an elongate groove formed in an upper portion thereof, the bin has a hook flange formed on a side opposite that of the bin front, the hook flange being configured to be removably engagable to the groove for securing the bin to the support rack.

11. The cutlery dispenser system of claim 9 wherein the support rack is sized and configured to support a plurality of bins in side-by-side arrangement.

12. The cutlery dispenser system of claim 9 wherein the support rack includes a pair of spaced-apart opposing side members interconnected by a first transverse member, the elongate groove being formed in an upper portion of the first transverse member.

13. The cutlery dispenser system of claim 12 wherein the support rack further includes a second transverse member disposed in generally parallel spaced arrangement to the first transverse member in a tiered configuration, the second transverse member being configured to support at least one of the bins.

14. The cutlery dispenser system of claim 1 wherein the cartridge, the bin and the support rack are each fabricated of polymeric material.

15. The cutlery dispenser system of claim 1 wherein the support rack is mounted to a rotatable base.

16. A cutlery dispenser system for dispensing cutlery utensils, each one of the cutlery utensils having an elongate handle, the dispenser system comprising:

a support rack;

a bin being removably mountable to the support rack and having an open bin front; and

a cartridge being removably insertable into the bin through the bin front and having at least three vertical slots disposed in side-be-side arrangement, each one of the vertical slots opening to a cartridge top and a cartridge side and being configured to contain a stack of the utensils such that the handles thereof protrude laterally beyond the cartridge side and wherein the vertical slots are configured such that at least one of the utensils in a respective one of the stacks may be removed by upward movement thereof beyond the cartridge top.

17. The cutlery dispenser system of claim 16 further comprising a bin cover and wherein the bin has an open bin top, the bin cover being disposed upon the bin top to partially enclose the bin.

18. The cutlery dispenser system of claim 16 wherein the vertical slots are shaped complementary to an outline of one of the cutlery utensils.

19. The cutlery dispenser system of claim 16 wherein the vertical slots are substantially identically shaped.

20. The cutlery dispenser system of claim 16 further including a lid member removably engagable to the cartridge top.

21. The cutlery dispenser system of claim 16 wherein the support rack has an elongate groove formed in an upper portion thereof, the bin has a hook flange formed on a side opposite that of the bin front, the hook flange being configured to be removably engagable to the groove for securing the bin to the support rack.