Bottle dispenser

• US 6,112,938 A
• Filed: 05/19/1999
• Issued: 09/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rehrig Pacific Company
• Original Assignee: Rehrig Pacific Company
• Inventors: Apps, William Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Noland, Kenneth W.
• Application Number:
  US09/314,536
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• Field of Search: 221/92, 221/289, 221/287, 221/191, 221/194, 221/133, 221/103, 221/67, 312/42, 312/45, 211/59.2, 211/49.1
• US Class Current: 221/194
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 7/28 for containers, e.g. flasks, bottles , tins, milk packs racks or containers with dispensing arrangements A47F1/04; for lipsticks or markers A47F7/0021; for audio/video cassettes or booklike articles A47F7/14
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 7/285 Show stands having fixation means, e.g. hanging means, slidable fixations, frictional retaining means, theft prevention

Abstract

A bottle dispenser is configured for storing and dispensing bottles having a neck rim. The dispenser includes a substantially rectangular housing with a central opening formed therein. A bottle carrier lid is secured within the central opening and includes a sloped guide track configured for slidably supporting the neck rims of a plurality of bottles for storing and dispensing the bottles. The guide track is sufficiently sloped to advance bottles along the guide track automatically as bottles are dispensed.

Claims

1. A bottle dispenser for dispensing bottles having a neck rim, the dispenser comprising:

a substantially rectangular housing with a central opening formed on a top portion thereof, the central opening receiving a bottle carrier lid covering the central opening; and

a sloped guide track supported by the bottle carrier lid within the housing and configured for slidably supporting the neck rims of a plurality of bottles for receiving, storing and dispensing the bottles in an upright position, wherein the guide track is sufficiently sloped to advance bottles along the guide track automatically as bottles are dispensed such that the bottles are dispensed in the order in which they are received; and

wherein said housing further comprises a first aperture positioned adjacent a first end of the sloped guide track to facilitate insertion of bottles into the dispenser, and a second aperture positioned adjacent a second end of the sloped guide track to facilitate bottle dispensing.

2. The bottle dispenser of claim 1, wherein said guide track is substantially U-shaped with the second end being positioned at a lower vertical position than the first end.

3. The bottle dispenser of claim 1, wherein said bottle carrier lid includes a substantially flat upper portion and said sloped guide track comprises a slope of approximately 5°

to 10°

with respect to the substantially flat upper portion.

4. The bottle dispenser of claim 3, wherein said bottle carrier lid comprises a single injection molded plastic component.

5. The bottle dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a bottle display basket extending from the second aperture, and wherein the bottle dispenser comprises only three injection molded parts.

6. The bottle dispenser of claim 3, wherein the housing and substantially flat upper portion of the bottle carrier lid include a mating recess and protrusion respectively to facilitate stacking of a plurality of bottle dispensers.

7. The bottle dispenser of claim 1, wherein said sloped guide track comprises a pair of opposing flanges for engaging the neck rims, wherein the opposing flanges form a channel therebetween for receiving the necks of the bottles.