Utensil dispenser
First Claim
1. A utensil dispenser comprising:
- a reservoir configured to store a plurality of utensils;
a rear pedestal configured to contact a rear portion of a next lowermost utensil to be dispensed of the plurality of utensils;
a front pedestal configured to contact one or more detents in a forward portion of the next lowermost utensil, wherein the front pedestal and the rear pedestal are configured to contain the plurality of utensils within the reservoir;
a gravity feed ramp configured to move the next utensil to that is sloped toward an access port of the utensil dispenser;
andan actuator operably connected to a drive mechanism, the actuator configured to halt a dispensing utensil at a ready position based upon contact between the dispensing utensil and the actuator such that, in the ready position, a handle portion of the dispensing utensil is accessible via the access port;
wherein the drive mechanism is configured to contact the next lowermost utensil, and wherein the actuator is further configured to move the drive mechanism into from a ready position to a release position such that where the drive mechanism contacts the next lowermost utensil to push the next lowermost utensil in a longitudinal direction to clear the front pedestal to release the next utensil from the reservoir, allowing that pushed utensil to drop onto the gravity feed ramp when the dispensing utensil is dispensed and to slide toward the access port, andwherein the actuator is further configured to hold the utensil that dropped onto the gravity feed ramp, allowing its handle portion to be accessible through the access port.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A utensil dispenser including a reservoir that stores utensils and front and rear pedestals in contact with a next utensil. The pedestals contain a plurality of utensils within the reservoir. A gravity feed ramp moves the next utensil to an access port of the utensil dispenser. The utensil dispenser includes an actuator operably connected to a drive pin or other drive mechanism. The actuator is configured to halt a dispensing utensil at a ready position based upon contact between the dispensing utensil and the actuator. In the ready position, a handle portion of the dispensing utensil is accessible via the access port. The drive mechanism is configured to contact the next utensil. The actuator is configured to move the drive mechanism to move the next utensil to clear the front pedestal to release the next utensil from the reservoir onto the gravity feed ramp when the dispensing utensil is dispensed.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. A utensil dispenser comprising:
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a reservoir configured to store a plurality of utensils; a rear pedestal configured to contact a rear portion of a next lowermost utensil to be dispensed of the plurality of utensils; a front pedestal configured to contact one or more detents in a forward portion of the next lowermost utensil, wherein the front pedestal and the rear pedestal are configured to contain the plurality of utensils within the reservoir; a gravity feed ramp configured to move the next utensil to that is sloped toward an access port of the utensil dispenser;
andan actuator operably connected to a drive mechanism, the actuator configured to halt a dispensing utensil at a ready position based upon contact between the dispensing utensil and the actuator such that, in the ready position, a handle portion of the dispensing utensil is accessible via the access port; wherein the drive mechanism is configured to contact the next lowermost utensil, and wherein the actuator is further configured to move the drive mechanism into from a ready position to a release position such that where the drive mechanism contacts the next lowermost utensil to push the next lowermost utensil in a longitudinal direction to clear the front pedestal to release the next utensil from the reservoir, allowing that pushed utensil to drop onto the gravity feed ramp when the dispensing utensil is dispensed and to slide toward the access port, and wherein the actuator is further configured to hold the utensil that dropped onto the gravity feed ramp, allowing its handle portion to be accessible through the access port. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 20, 21, 22)
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8. A utensil dispenser, comprising:
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a front pedestal disposed within the dispenser; a rear pedestal disposed within the dispenser; a drive mechanism disposed within the dispenser; an actuator operably connected to the drive mechanism, and a stack of utensils disposed within the dispenser, wherein each utensil comprises; a utensil body having a utensil body front portion and a utensil body rear portion; a winged portion operatively connected to the utensil body front portion, the winged portion disposed on at least one side of the utensil body and configured to at least partially rest on a the front pedestal of a utensil dispenser when the utensil is stored in a reservoir of the utensil dispenser; and a tail portion operatively connected to the utensil body rear portion, the tail portion configured to;
rest on a configured to at least partially rest on the rear pedestal of the utensil dispenser when the utensil is stored in the reservoir of the utensil dispenser, the utensil remaining within the reservoir when the winged portion is resting on the front pedestal and the tail portion rests on the rear pedestal; and
contact a drive mechanism of the utensil dispenser,wherein the actuator is configured to move the drive mechanism configured to selectively push the utensil viato a release position where the drive mechanism pushes the tail portion of a lowermost utensil in the stack of utensils in a longitudinal direction, such that the winged portion of the lowermost utensil clears the front pedestal and the tail portion clears the rear pedestal, permitting the lowermost utensil to fall from the reservoirstack. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method comprising:
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supporting a plurality of utensils within a utensil dispenser, the dispenser having a front pedestal and a rear pedestal for supporting the plurality of utensils; removing a utensil from a the utensil dispenser; moving an actuation component based upon when the utensil is being removed, wherein the utensil is in contact with the actuation component while being removed; engaging a drive mechanism based upon the moving of when the actuation component is being moved; freeing a nextseparating a lowermost utensil from a reservoir onto a gravity feed ramp based uponthe plurality of utensils using the drive mechanism, wherein the drive mechanism pushes the nextlowermost utensil to freeseparate the nextlowermost utensil from the plurality of utensils; and halting the next separated utensil on the gravity feed ramp such that a tail portion of the separated utensil extrudes extends from the utensil dispenser. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 23)
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24. A utensil dispenser comprising:
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a housing for containing a stack of utensils; a front pedestal configured to contact a first portion of a utensil to be dispensed, a drive mechanism configured to contact and push the utensil to be dispensed, wherein the drive mechanism comprises a rear pedestal formed thereon, the rear pedestal configured to support a second portion of the utensil to be dispensed; an actuator operably connected to the drive mechanism; and an access port providing an exit from the housing, wherein the actuator is configured to move the drive mechanism from a ready position to a release position where the drive mechanism pushes a lowermost utensil of the stack in a longitudinal direction to clear the front pedestal, allowing the lowermost utensil to fall from the stack toward the access port. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A utensil dispenser comprising:
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a housing for containing a stack of utensils, each utensil comprising a functional end, a tail end, and at least one detent extending outwardly from the utensil at a location between the functional end and the tail end, a front pedestal disposed within the housing, the front pedestal configured to contact the at least one detent of the utensil to be dispensed, a rear pedestal disposed within the housing, the rear pedestal configured to contact the tail end of the utensil to be dispensed; a drive mechanism disposed within the housing, the drive mechanism configured to contact and push the tail end of the utensil to be dispensed; an access port providing an opening to the housing, and an actuator operably connected to the drive mechanism, wherein the actuator moves the drive mechanism from a ready position to a release position where the drive mechanism contacts and pushes the tail end of the utensil to be dispensed, allowing the pushed utensil to move in a longitudinal direction to clear the front pedestal and then fall from the stack of utensils. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification