Strip dispenser box

• US 4,911,344 A
• Filed: 03/23/1988
• Issued: 03/27/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tek-Aids Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tek-Aids Incorporated
• Inventors: Kahler, William F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bartuska, F. J.
• Application Number:
  US07/172,203
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 221/228, 221/232, 221/247, 221/250, 221/259, 221/135, 221/267, 206/204, 206/569, 206/39.4, 206/565, 206/560, 206/355, 206/356
• US Class Current: 221/135
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/087 by means of an actuator

Abstract

A disposable strip dispenser for dispensing a single testing strip from a stack of testing strips is constructed with a housing and integrally formed magazine to hold a stack of testing strips. A cap assembly with a strip feeder mechanism is mounted to the housing to form a water proof chamber. The cap assembly is locked to the housing with a rib and channel locking assembly with the body of the cap assembly defining a slot and slide bar assembly slideably mounted in the slot. The slide bar assembly comprises a strip guide bar with a finger grip mount extending from the guide bar through the slot with the bottom of the guide bar engaging the topmost strip on a spring biased stack of strips allowing a single strip to be dispensed from the housing through an aperture defined in the cap assembly while maintaining the remaining strips of the stack of testing strips in a moisture free environment.

Claims

1. A strip dispenser for dispensing a stack of testing strips comprising a housing, magazine means mounted in said housing to hold a stack of testing strips, said housing comprising a base, a plurality of integral side walls, front and rear end walls and magazine means secured to said front and rear end wall, said magazine means comprising a plurality of inner walls extending inward from each end wall of said housing, said inner walls on each end wall being spaced apart a distance greater than the width of a testing strip with the width between the tops of opposing inner walls being greater than the width between the bottoms of the opposing inner walls and linearly aligned with an inner wall extending from the other end wall, feeder means mounted to said housing forming a chamber which is moistureproof during the strip feeding operation, said feeder means mounted to said housing by hinge means and comprising a cap body defining a slot, said cap body defining a blind seat and gasket means mounted in said blind seat to form seal means sealing a strip exit aperture allowing a single strip to be dispensed from said housing while maintaining the remaining strips of a stack of testing strips in a moisture free environment, and a slide bar assembly slideably mounted in said slot, said slide bar assembly comprising strip engaging means and a finger grip means extending from said strip engaging means through said slot.

2. A disposable strip dispenser for dispensing a single testing strip from a stack of testing strips comprising a plastic walled housing, magazine means integrally formed in said housing to hold a stack of testing strips, said magazine means comprising a plurality of inner walls extending inward from each end wall of said housing and extending above the walls of said housing, two inner walls being positioned adjacent to each end wall, each of said two inner walls being constructed with an inclined side which receives and contains testing strips, spring means mounted in said magazine means to engage said stack of testing strips and urge them outward, cap feeder means mounted to said housing forming a waterproof chamber for said testing strips, said cap feeder means comprising a cap body, means on said cap body to engage said housing and hold said cap body to engage said housing and hold said cap body in a lock relationship with housing, said cap body also defining a slot, a slide bar assembly comprising strip engaging means, a finger grip means extending from said strip engaging means through said slot and means on said cap body allowing a single strip to be dispensed from said housing.

3. A strip dispenser as claimed in claim 2 including desiccant means comprising treated paper strips are mounted in said housing.

4. A strip dispenser as claimed in claim 2 wherein said cap body defines a blind seat and a beveled boss positioned adjacent said blind seat and said blind seat holding gasket means mounted therein to form seal means covering a dispensing aperture defined by said cap body and said beveled boss engaging strip engaging means to direct the strip through an aperture in said housing.

5. A strip dispenser as claimed in claim 2 wherein said cap feeder means is mounted to said housing by flexible hinge means.

6. A disposable strip plastic dispenser for dispensing a single testing strip from a stack of testing strips comprising a housing defining a chamber, magazine means mounted in said housing to hold a stack of testing strips, desiccant means mounted to said housing in said chamber, a cap body removably mounted to said housing to form a moisture proof container, said cap body defining a slot, strip exit aperture means and strip guide means, a slide bar assembly slideably mounted in said slot, said cap body defining a blind seat slot with gasket means mounted in said blind seat slot to form seal means sealing said strip exit aperture means, said slide bar assembly comprising strip engaging means, a finger grip means extending from said strip engaging means through said slot and means on said cap body allowing a single strip to be dispensed from said housing while maintaining the remaining strips of said stack of testing strips in a moisture free environment.