CUTLERY DISPENSER AND RELATED METHODS

• US 20150028046A1
• Filed: 07/21/2014
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GPCP IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Dixie Consumer Products LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Oakes, Shawn A., Case, Abby C.
• Granted Patent: US 10,220,997 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 221/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 10/06 for restaurant service systems table equipment A47G ; dirty crockery transport in association with crockery washing machines A47L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/42 Chains of interconnected packages

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a cutlery dispenser for dispensing wrapped cutlery. The cutlery dispenser may include a wrapped cutlery band comprising a plurality of cutlery packets separably connected to one another in a serial manner. The cutlery dispenser also may include a nozzle assembly configured to allow the cutlery packets to be dispensed therethrough. The present disclosure also provides a method for dispensing wrapped cutlery. The method may include the step of providing a cutlery dispenser comprising a nozzle assembly and a wrapped cutlery band, wherein the wrapped cutlery band comprises a plurality of cutlery packets separably connected to one another in a serial manner. The method also may include the step of dispensing the cutlery packets through the nozzle assembly.

Claims

1. A cutlery dispenser for dispensing wrapped cutlery, the dispenser comprising:

a wrapped cutlery band comprising a plurality of cutlery packets separably connected to one another in a serial manner; and

a nozzle assembly configured to allow the cutlery packets to be dispensed therethrough.

2. The cutlery dispenser of claim 1, wherein each cutlery packet comprises a pouch and a cutlery utensil disposed within the pouch.

3. The cutlery dispenser of claim 1, wherein each cutlery packet is individually sealed by one or more seals extending along the pouch.

4. The cutlery dispenser of claim 1, wherein the cutlery packets are separably connected to one another by zones of weakness extending between adjacent cutlery packets.

5. The cutlery dispenser of claim 1, wherein the cutlery packets have an elongated shape and are connected end to end.

6. The cutlery dispenser of claim 1, wherein the nozzle assembly comprises a nozzle configured to allow the cutlery packets to be dispensed one at a time therethrough.

7. The cutlery dispenser of claim 6, wherein the nozzle defines an orifice extending therethrough and configured to expand to allow the cutlery packets to be pulled therethrough.

8. The cutlery dispenser of claim 7, wherein each cutlery packet comprises a pouch and a cutlery utensil disposed within the pouch, and wherein a natural state diameter of the orifice is less than a maximum width of the cutlery utensil.

9. The cutlery dispenser of claim 8, wherein the cutlery utensil comprises a head and a handle, and wherein the natural state diameter of the orifice is less than a width of the head and less than a width of the handle.

10. The cutlery dispenser of claim 9, wherein the nozzle is configured such that a pulling force required to pull the head therethrough is greater than a tensile force required to separate adjacent cutlery packets.

11. The cutlery dispenser of claim 6, wherein the nozzle is configured such that a pulling force required to pull one of the cutlery packets therethrough is greater than a tensile force required to separate adjacent cutlery packets.

12. The cutlery dispenser of claim 6, wherein the cutlery packets are separably connected to one another by zones of weakness extending between adjacent cutlery packets, and wherein the zones of weakness are configured such that a tensile force required to separate adjacent cutlery packets is less than a pulling force required to pull one of the cutlery packets through the nozzle.

13. The cutlery dispenser of claim 6, wherein the nozzle is configured to separate adjacent cutlery packets dispensed therethrough.

14. The cutlery dispenser of claim 6, wherein the nozzle assembly further comprises a nozzle housing, and wherein the nozzle is supported by the nozzle housing.

15. The cutlery dispenser of claim 14, wherein the nozzle housing comprises a mounting portion and a support portion, wherein the mounting portion is adapted to be mounted on a wall, and wherein the support portion supports the nozzle.

16. The cutlery dispenser of claim 14, wherein the nozzle housing comprises an opening defined therethrough, and wherein the nozzle is disposed at least partially within the opening.

17. The cutlery dispenser of claim 14, wherein the nozzle housing comprises a utensil indicator configured to indicate a type of cutlery utensil to be dispensed from the nozzle assembly.

18. The cutlery dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a cabinet, wherein the nozzle assembly is mounted on the cabinet.

19. The cutlery dispenser of claim 18, further comprising a case, wherein the case is disposed within a storage space of the cabinet, and wherein a portion of the wrapped cutlery band is disposed within the case.

20. A method for dispensing wrapped cutlery, the method comprising:

providing a cutlery dispenser comprising a nozzle assembly and a wrapped cutlery band, wherein the wrapped cutlery band comprises a plurality of cutlery packets separably connected to one another in a serial manner; and

dispensing the cutlery packets through the nozzle assembly.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein dispensing the cutlery packets through the nozzle assembly comprises dispensing the cutlery packets one at a time through the nozzle assembly.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein dispensing the cutlery packets through the nozzle assembly comprises pulling the cutlery packets through the nozzle assembly.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein dispensing the cutlery packets through the nozzle assembly comprises pulling a first cutlery packet through the nozzle assembly and a second cutlery packet partially through the nozzle assembly.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein pulling the second cutlery packet partially through the nozzle assembly comprises pulling the second cutlery packet by pulling the first cutlery packet.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein pulling the second cutlery packet partially through the nozzle assembly separates the first cutlery packet from the second cutlery packet.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the first cutlery packet and the second cutlery packet are separably connected to one another by a zone of weakness, and wherein a pulling force required to pull the second cutlery packet completely through the nozzle assembly is greater than a tensile force required to separate the first cutlery packet from the second cutlery packet.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein dispensing the cutlery packets through the nozzle assembly further comprises separating the first cutlery packet from the second cutlery packet.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein each cutlery packet comprises a pouch and a cutlery utensil disposed within the pouch.

29. The method of claim 20, wherein the nozzle assembly comprises a nozzle, and wherein dispensing the cutlery packets through the nozzle assembly comprises pulling the cutlery packets through the nozzle.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the nozzle defines an orifice extending therethrough, and wherein pulling the cutlery packets through the nozzle comprises expanding the orifice.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein each cutlery packet comprises a pouch and a cutlery utensil disposed within the pouch, and wherein a natural state diameter of the orifice is less than a maximum width of the cutlery utensil.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the cutlery utensil comprises a head and a handle, and wherein the natural state diameter of the orifice is less than a width of the head and less than a width of the handle.

33. A nozzle assembly for dispensing wrapped cutlery, the nozzle assembly comprising:

a nozzle configured to allow a wrapped cutlery band to be dispensed therethrough, the wrapped cutlery band comprising a plurality of cutlery packets separably connected to one another in a serial manner;

wherein the nozzle defines an orifice extending therethrough and configured to expand to allow the cutlery packets to be pulled therethrough.

34. The nozzle assembly of claim 33, wherein the nozzle is configured such that a pulling force required to pull one of the cutlery packets therethrough is greater than a tensile force required to separate adjacent cutlery packets.

35. A cutlery dispenser for dispensing wrapped cutlery, the dispenser comprising:

a case configured to move from a closed configuration into an open configuration; and

a wrapped cutlery band disposed within the case and configured to be dispensed therefrom when the case is in the closed configuration, wherein the wrapped cutlery band comprises a plurality of cutlery packets separably connected to one another in a serial manner.

36. The cutlery dispenser of claim 35, wherein each cutlery packet comprises a pouch and a cutlery utensil disposed within the pouch.

37. The cutlery dispenser of claim 35, further comprising a nozzle disposed about a dispensing face of the case and configured to allow the cutlery packets to be dispensed one at a time therethrough.

38. The cutlery dispenser of claim 37, wherein the nozzle comprises a first nozzle portion and a second nozzle portion separate from the first nozzle portion.

39. The cutlery dispenser of claim 38, wherein the first nozzle portion and the second nozzle portion are configured to separate to allow the cutlery packets to be dispensed therebetween.

40. The cutlery dispenser of claim 38, wherein the case comprises a base and a lid configured to move with respect to the base, wherein the first nozzle portion is supported by the lid and configured to move therewith, and wherein the second nozzle portion is supported by the base and configured to remain stationary therewith.

41. The cutlery dispenser of claim 38, wherein the nozzle is configured such that a pulling force required to pull one of the cutlery packets therethrough is greater than a tensile force required to separate adjacent cutlery packets.

42. The cutlery dispenser of claim 37, wherein the nozzle has a unitary construction.

43. The cutlery dispenser of claim 42, wherein the case comprises a base and a lid configured to move with respect to the base, and wherein the nozzle is supported by the lid and configured to move therewith.

44. The cutlery dispenser of claim 42, wherein the case comprises a base and a lid configured to move with respect to the base, and wherein the nozzle is supported by the base and configured to remain stationary therewith.

45. The cutlery dispenser of claim 37, wherein a majority of the cutlery packets are disposed in a stack within a lower portion of the case, and wherein the dispenser defines a headspace between a top of the stack and the nozzle.

46. The cutlery dispenser of claim 45, wherein each cutlery packet comprises a pouch and a cutlery utensil disposed within the pouch, and wherein a height of the headspace is greater than half of a length of the cutlery utensil.

47. The cutlery dispenser of claim 45, wherein each cutlery packet comprises a pouch and a cutlery utensil disposed within the pouch, and wherein a height of the headspace is approximately equal to a length of the cutlery utensil.

48. A nozzle assembly for dispensing wrapped cutlery, the nozzle assembly comprising:

a nozzle configured to allow a wrapped cutlery band to be dispensed therethrough, the wrapped cutlery band comprising a plurality of cutlery packets separably connected to one another in a serial manner;

wherein the nozzle comprises a first nozzle portion and a second nozzle portion separate from the first nozzle portion; and

wherein the first nozzle portion and the second nozzle portion are configured to separate to allow the cutlery packets to be dispensed therebetween.

49. The nozzle assembly of claim 48, wherein the nozzle is configured such that a pulling force required to pull one of the cutlery packets therethrough is greater than a tensile force required to separate adjacent cutlery packets.