Dispensing apparatus for dispensing pieces of ice, or the like

• US 4,913,315 A
• Filed: 11/23/1988
• Issued: 04/03/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ice Optic Limited
• Original Assignee: 501 Ice Optic Limited
• Inventors: Wagner, Malcolm I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Skaggs, H. Grant
• Application Number:
  US07/275,690
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: 222/146.6, 222/108, 222/245, 141/360, 141/362, 141/355, 221/192, 221/191, 221/200, 221/202, 221/204-205, 221/246, 221/254, 221/263, 221/264, 221/269
• US Class Current: 221/200
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/03 Dispensing means , e.g. with buttons or handles
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 19/32 Food containers with dispensing devices for bread, rolls, sugar, or the like; Food containers with movable covers used as shop fittings A47F
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/85 with a vibrating element inside the receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/24 for storing bins ice bins F25C5/182

Abstract

An ice dispenser comprising a housing for receipt of a plurality of pieces of ice, an outlet from the dispenser and a dispensing structure movable between a first location wherein the structure communicates with the housing and a second location wherein the structure communicates with the outlet, wherein movement of the dispensing structure from the first location to the second location causes a piece of ice received in the housing to be dispensed from the outlet.

Claims

1. A dispenser comprising a housing defining a cavity to receive and store a plurality of pieces of ice, an outlet from the cavity, a dispensing structure movable within the cavity between a first location, wherein said dispensing structure communicates with the cavity to receive ice therefrom, and a second location wherein said dispensing structure communicates with the outlet to discharge ice therethrough, movement of the dispensing structure from the first location to the second location causing a piece of ice received in the cavity to be dispensed from the outlet, the first location being lower than the second location, a movable flap disposed within the cavity in closely spaced disposition relative to an opposing housing wall and arranged to provide a gap through which pieces of ice pass sequentially towards the dispensing structure, the cavity having an inclined floor thereto and the said flap being downwardly inclined toward the said floor in opposed relationship with respect to the inclination thereof and the dispensing structure including a platform which, in said first location, is contiguous with said floor, a chute extending downwardly from the housing and on which the dispensing structure is slideably mounted, and manually engageable means cooperatively engaged with the dispensing structure and disposed outwardly of the chute, said manually engageable means serving, upon operation, to move the dispensing structure between said first and second locations, the dispensing structure further including a closure plate positioned for registration with the said outlet when the said structure is in the first location and to provide free access thereto when said structure is displaced from said location.

2. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1, agitating means cooperable with said movable flap and adapted upon actuation to displace said movable flap, said agitating means being in cooperable relationship with the dispensing structure and said movable flap to effect displacement of said movable flap on actuation of said dispensing means. the rod being movable within a plain bearing in the drainage chute, and a manually engageable cup connected to the rod and arranged to slide over the exterior of the drainage chute, movement of the dispensing structure from the first location to the second location causing a piece of ice received by the structure from within the housing to be dispensed from the housing through the outlet.

3. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dispensing structure is arranged, on movement from said first to said second location, to engage the flap to impact movement thereto.

4. A dispenser comprising a housing defining a cavity to receive and store a plurality of pieces of ice, an outlet from the housing, a dispensing structure movable between a first location wherein said structure communicates with the cavity to receive ice therefrom at a position remote from the outlet and a second location wherein said structure communicates with the outlet, and a drainage chute extending from the housing and within which the dispensing structure is guided in moving between the first and second locations, the dispensing structure including a platform, a rod upon which the platform is mounted the rod being movable within a plain bearing in the drainage chute, and a manually engageable cup connected to the rod and arranged to slide over the exterior of the drainage chute, movement of the dispensing structure from the first location to the second location causing a piece of ice received by the structure from within the housing to be dispensed from the housing through the outlet.

5. A dispenser as claimed in claim 4 further including agitating means arranged to agitate pieces of ice in the housing.

6. A dispenser as claimed in claim 4, wherein the cavity has an inclined floor thereto and the dispensing structure includes a platform for engaging and lifting a piece of ice to be dispensed, and for discharging the piece of ice from the outlet when in the second location, the said platform being contiguous with the inclined floor when in the first position of the dispensing structure.

7. A dispenser comprising a housing defining a cavity to receive and store a plurality of pieces of ice, an opening in said housing in communication with said cavity, a dispensing structure movably mounted relative to said housing for movement between first and second positions wherein said structure communicates with the cavity within the housing to take up ice therefrom and with the opening, respectively, a baffle movably mounted within and extending across said cavity, the baffle having an edge arranged in spaced disposition relative to an opposing housing wall, and agitating means cooperable with the baffle and adapted upon actuation to displace said baffle, movement of the dispensing structure from the first to the second position causing a piece of ice received in the dispensing structure in said first position to be dispensed through the outlet, the cavity having an inclined floor thereto and the dispensing structure including a platform which, in the said first position of the structure, is contiguous with said floor, the outlet being disposed at a higher level than said floor and being in horizontal register with the said platform in the second position of the dispensing structure, the housing including a chute in which the dispensing structure is slidably mounted and the dispensing structure including a cup-shaped body disposed outwardly of the chute and slidable thereon.

8. A dispenser comprising a housing defining a cavity for receipt of a plurality of pieces of ice, an outlet from the housing, a dispensing structure movable between a first position wherein said structure communicates with the cavity to receive ice therefrom and a second position wherein said structure communicates with the outlet, and a drainage chute by which the dispensing structure is guided in moving between the first and second positions, the dispensing structure including a platform, a rod upon which the platform is mounted, the rod being movable axially of the drainage chute, and a manually engageable means operatively connected with the rod and extending from the chute, the said manually engageable means including a cup-shaped member slideably mounted coaxially with the chute and arranged outwardly thereof and being adapted and arranged upon manual displacement in an appropriate sense to move the dispensing structure between the said first and second positions, movement of the dispensing structure from the first position to the second position causing a piece of ice received from the cavity to be dispensed from the outlet.

9. A dispenser as claimed in claim 8, wherein the cavity has an inclined floor thereto and the platform of the dispensing structure, in the said first position of the said dispensing structure, is contiguous with said floor, the outlet in the housing being disposed at a higher level than said floor and being in horizontal register with the said platform in the second position of the dispensing structure.