Dispensing mechanism for utensil dispenser and related methods

• US 9,345,340 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2011
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GPCP IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Dixie Consumer Products LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Walters, Richard S., Lowery, Morgan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): COLLINS, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US13/315,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20120145736A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• Field of Search: 221/191, 221/194, 221/195
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/10 having mechanical dispensing means , e.g. with buttons or handles
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 2001/103 for cutlery

Abstract

A dispenser for dispensing cutlery may include a housing configured to contain a plurality of utensils for dispensing, a dispensing mechanism comprising at least one pair of indexing members configured to separate a utensil from a stack of utensils, and a receptacle configured to receive the utensil separated from the stack of utensils. A dispensing mechanism may alternatively include a plurality of linked members configured to separate a utensil from a stack of utensils.

Claims

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

a housing configured to contain a plurality of utensils for dispensing;

a dispensing mechanism comprising at least one pair of first and second indexing members configured to separate a utensil from a stack of utensils, wherein the first indexing member rotates in a generally clockwise direction and the second indexing member rotates in a generally counter-clockwise direction when separating the utensil from the stack, and the first indexing member rotates in a generally counter-clockwise direction and the second indexing member rotates in a generally clockwise direction after the utensil is separated from the stack, and wherein the stack is at least partially disposed between the pair of indexing members; and

a receptacle configured to receive the utensil separated from the stack of utensils.

2. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the indexing members rotate in a first rotational direction from an initial orientation an amount sufficient to separate a utensil from the stack of utensils, and thereafter rotate in a second rotational direction that is opposite of the first direction to return to the initial orientation.

3. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the dispensing mechanism comprises at least one spring configured to influence the orientation of the indexing members by providing a counter-rotational force to return the dispensing mechanism to a pre-dispensing position.

4. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the first and second indexing members are configured to rotate in opposite directions by increments sufficient to separate a utensil from the stack of utensils.

5. A dispenser for dispensing cutlery, the dispenser comprising:

a housing configured to contain a stack of utensils for dispensing, wherein the stack of utensils comprises a lowermost utensil to be dispensed from the stack and a next-in-line utensil disposed above the lowermost utensil;

a dispensing mechanism comprising a first row and a second row of linked members disposed about the stack, both the first and second rows of linked members adapted to engage the stack of utensils, the dispensing mechanism configured to separate a utensil from a stack of utensils;

wherein the linked members comprise at least two members coupled via a joint, and wherein at least one linked member from the first row rotates in a generally clockwise direction to hold back the next-in-line utensil from being dispensed and at least one linked member from the second row rotates in a generally counter-clockwise direction to hold back the next-in-line utensil from being dispensed when separating the lowermost utensil from the stack, and wherein the at least one linked member from the first row rotates in a generally counter-clockwise direction and the at least one linked member from the second row rotates in a generally clockwise direction after the lowermost utensil is separated from the stack, and

a receptacle configured to receive the utensil separated from the stack of utensils.

6. The dispenser of claim 5, wherein at least one of the linked members in the first row and the second row is configured to provide one of a separating force and a retaining force to at least one utensil.

7. The dispenser of claim 5, wherein the stack of utensils further comprises a plurality of utensils disposed above the next-in-line utensil.

8. The dispenser of claim 5, wherein the dispensing mechanism comprises at least one spring configured to influence an orientation of the linked members.

9. The dispenser of claim 5, wherein the dispensing mechanism comprises at least one self-biasing joint configured to influence an orientation of the linked members.

10. The dispenser of claim 5, wherein the stack of utensils is at least partially disposed between the first row of linked members and the second row of linked members.

11. A method for dispensing cutlery from a dispenser, the method comprising:

providing a dispenser for dispensing cutlery;

providing a plurality of utensils for dispensing, the utensils adapted to be positioned within the dispenser;

indexing first and second indexing members such that a utensil can be separated from a stack of utensils, wherein the first indexing member rotates in a generally clockwise direction and the second indexing member rotates in a generally counter-clockwise direction when separating the utensil from the stack, and the first indexing member rotates in a generally counter-clockwise direction and the second indexing member rotates in a generally clockwise direction after the utensil is separated from the stack, and wherein the stack is at least partially disposed between the first and second indexing members; and

providing access to the utensil separated from the stack of utensils.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein providing a plurality of utensils comprises providing a plurality of separably coupled utensils.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein indexing first and second indexing members comprises:

rotating the first and second indexing members in opposite directions from an initial orientation such that a utensil is separated from the stack of utensils; and

returning the first and second indexing members to the initial orientation.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein returning the first and second indexing members to the initial orientation is facilitated by at least one spring.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein indexing the first and second indexing members is facilitated by activating an actuator operably coupled to the first and second indexing members.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein providing access to the utensil comprises providing a receptacle positioned to receive the utensil separated from the stack of utensils.

17. A method for dispensing cutlery from a dispenser, the method comprising:

providing a dispenser for dispensing cutlery, the dispenser including a dispensing mechanism comprising a first row and a second row of linked members disposed about a stack of utensils, both the first and the second rows of linked members adapted to engage the stack of utensils, wherein the stack of utensils comprises a lowermost utensil to be dispensed from the stack and a next-in-line utensil disposed above the lowermost utensil; and

wherein the linked members comprise at least two members coupled via a joint;

manipulating at least one linked member from the first row in a generally clockwise direction to hold back the next-in-line utensil from being dispensed and at least one linked member from the second row in a generally counter-clockwise direction to hold back the next-in-line utensil from being dispensed when separating the lowermost utensil from the stack, and wherein the at least one linked member from the first row rotates in a generally counter-clockwise direction and the at least one linked member from the second row rotates in a generally clockwise direction after the lowermost utensil is separated from the stack, and

providing access to the utensil separated from the stack of utensils.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein at least one of the rows of linked members comprise a plurality of rotatably-linked members.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein manipulating the linked members further comprises providing a separating force to the lowermost utensil and a retaining force to the next-in-line utensil.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein manipulating the linked members comprises rotating at least one linked member of each row about the joint.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein manipulating the linked members is facilitated by activating an actuator operably coupled to the linked members.

22. A method for dispensing cutlery from a dispenser, the method comprising:

providing a dispenser for dispensing cutlery;

providing a plurality of utensils for dispensing within the dispenser;

indexing first and second indexing members such that a utensil can be separated from a stack of utensils, each indexing member comprising one or more protrusions that are adapted to engage a utensil to be dispensed from the stack, wherein the first indexing member rotates in a generally clockwise direction and the second indexing member rotates in a generally counter-clockwise direction when separating the utensil from the stack, and the first indexing member rotates in a generally counter-clockwise direction and the second indexing member rotates in a generally clockwise direction after the utensil is separated from the stack, and wherein the stack is at least partially disposed between two of the first and second indexing members; and

dispensing the utensil separated from the stack of utensils.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the plurality of utensils comprises a plurality of separably coupled utensils.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the first and second indexing members are adapted to engage the lowermost utensil of the stack of utensils.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein each of the first and second indexing members comprises two protrusions, and wherein the separated utensil is disposed between the two protrusions from each indexing member.

26. A dispenser for dispensing cutlery, the dispenser comprising:

a housing configured to contain a plurality of utensils for dispensing;

a dispensing mechanism comprising at least one pair of first and second indexing members configured to separate a utensil from a stack of utensils, each indexing member comprising one or more protrusions that are adapted to engage a utensil to be dispensed from the stack, wherein the first indexing member rotates in a generally clockwise direction and the second indexing member rotates in a generally counter-clockwise direction when separating the utensil from the stack, and the first indexing member rotates in a generally counter-clockwise direction and the second indexing member rotates in a generally clockwise direction after the utensil is separated from the stack, and wherein the stack is at least partially disposed between the pair of indexing members; and

a receptacle configured to receive the utensil separated from the stack of utensils.

27. The dispenser of claim 26, wherein the indexing members rotate in a first rotational direction from an initial orientation an amount sufficient to separate a utensil from the stack of utensils, and thereafter rotate in a second rotational direction that is opposite of the first direction to return to the initial orientation.

28. The dispenser of claim 26, wherein the first and second indexing members are configured to rotate in opposite directions by increments sufficient to separate a utensil from the stack of utensils.

29. The dispenser of claim 26, wherein each of the first and second indexing members comprises two protrusions, and wherein the separated utensil is disposed between the two protrusions from each indexing member.

30. The dispenser of claim 26, wherein the first and second indexing members are adapted to engage the lowermost utensil of the stack of utensils.

31. A method for dispensing cutlery from a dispenser, the method comprising:

providing a dispenser for dispensing cutlery;

providing a plurality of utensils for dispensing, the utensils adapted to be positioned within the dispenser;

indexing first and second indexing members such that a utensil can be separated from a stack of utensils, wherein the first indexing member rotates in a generally clockwise direction and the second indexing member rotates in a generally counter-clockwise direction when separating the utensil from the stack, and the first indexing member rotates in a generally counter-clockwise direction and the second indexing member rotates in a generally clockwise direction after the utensil is separated from the stack, and wherein the stack is at least partially disposed between the first and second indexing members; and

providing access to the utensil separated from the stack of utensils.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein indexing first and second indexing members comprises:

rotating the first and second indexing members in opposite directions from an initial orientation such that a utensil is separated from the stack of utensils; and

returning the first and second indexing members to the initial orientation.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein indexing the first and second indexing members is facilitated by activating an actuator operably coupled to the first and second indexing members.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the first and second indexing members are adapted to engage the lowermost utensil of the stack of utensils.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein each of the first and second indexing members comprises two protrusions, and wherein the separated utensil is disposed between the two protrusions from each indexing member.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein providing access to the utensil comprises providing a receptacle positioned to receive the utensil separated from the stack of utensils.