U.S. patent application number 10/037359 was filed with the patent office on 2003-07-03 for apparatus for dispensing flat articles.
Invention is credited to Wajda, Krystyna.
Application Number | 20030121932 10/037359 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 21893918 |
Filed Date | 2003-07-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030121932 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wajda, Krystyna |
July 3, 2003 |
Apparatus for dispensing flat articles
Abstract
A dispenser for flat articles comprises a container holding the
flat articles and a driving means on the container operated by a
user for engaging and dispensing the article. The apparatus allows
the user to dispense with the typical manipulations required to
obtain access to a wrapped article such as chewing gum and the
like. The preferred driving means includes a roller that can
frictionally engage a flat article and be rotated by the user to
dispense the article through a slot in the container.
Inventors: |
Wajda, Krystyna; (Yorktown
Heights, NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Michael J. DeSha
P.O. Box 213
Franklinville
NY
14737
US
|
Family ID: |
21893918 |
Appl. No.: |
10/037359 |
Filed: |
December 27, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
221/259 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 83/087
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
221/259 |
International
Class: |
B65H 003/02 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. Apparatus comprising a container for holding in stacked sequence
a plurality of strips of a consumable article, said container
having a slot therein through which a strip may exit the container,
driving means for engaging a topmost one of the sequence and
propelling it out of said container through said slot.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the driving means is at least
one rubber roller for engaging the strip and a thumbwheel connected
to the rubber roller for rotating the rubber roller.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the container further comprises
an angle-arm hinged to a portion of the container and said driving
means comprises an axle rotatably mounted on the container and at
least one roller for engaging a topmost one of the sequence being
mounted on the axle, pinion means mounted on said axle and a rack
hingeably mounted on the angle-arm for engaging the pinion on said
axle for propelling the topmost strip as the angle-arm is moved
toward the strip in said container.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the driving means comprises a
roller and a mounting means for said roller wherein the roller on
said mounting means is movable into engagement with the topmost one
of the sequence of strips.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This invention was first disclosed in Disclosure Document
No. 492752 filed Apr. 24, 2001 and specifically incorporated by
reference herein.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to apparatus for dispensing
articles and more particularly to a device for dispensing strips of
consumables such as Listerine Stripes or the like which might
otherwise require unwrapping to enable access to the consumable
prior to its use.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] In many instances, chewing gums and candies and the like are
individually wrapped in order to keep the pieces separated prior to
consumption and then the pieces are enclosed in yet another
container that serves both as a protective cover and a holder for a
plurality of such pieces. While this has worked well for the
intended protective functions, the user has always had to confront
the tedious manipulations required to obtain access to the wrapped
piece.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] It has been found that such disadvantages can be overcome by
providing a dispensing apparatus in accordance with the invention.
In accordance with the invention, such a dispensing apparatus
comprises a container for holding in stacked sequence a plurality
of strips of a consumable, said container having a slot therein
through which a consumable may exit the container, and driving
means for engaging a topmost one of the sequence and propelling it
out of said container through said slot. The driving means includes
a roller mounted on an axle that can be rotated by the user.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0005] FIGS. 1A and 1B are a sectional side and top view
respectively of a container in accordance with the invention;
[0006] FIGS. 2A and 2B are a respective sectional top view and side
view of a second embodiment of the container in accordance with the
invention;
[0007] FIG. 2C is a section through the container illustrating a
preferred mounting arrangement for the thumbwheel shown in FIGS. 2A
and 2B;
[0008] FIG. 3 is a side view of yet another embodiment of the
container in accordance with the invention;
[0009] FIG. 4 illustrates the axle having a pinion thereon;
[0010] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the rubber rollers through
which the axle is to be inserted; and
[0011] FIG. 6 shows the angle arm with the hinged rack thereon.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0012] FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate at 10 a first embodiment of a
container in accordance with the invention. Container 12 of molded
plastic or like materials well known to those in the art is
fabricated so as to receive a plurality of consumable articles in
the form of strips, one of which is illustrated at 14. A roller 16,
preferably made of rubber, is received on axle 18, the axle 18
being suitably mounted for rotation at each side of container 12 so
as to be rotatable within the container 12. Thumbwheel 20 is
attached at one end of axle 18 so that rotation of the thumbwheel
20 by a user's finger or thumb will cause the rotation of roller
16, which, as illustrated, is pressing upon strip 14 and in
frictional engagement with it, to thereby propel the strip 14
outwardly through slot 22. Thus the strip 14 can be readily engaged
by the user's fingers or mouth so as to avoid having to deal with
unwrapping or otherwise manipulating the strip before consuming or
otherwise using the strip.
[0013] FIGS. 2A and 2B are respective top and side views of another
embodiment of the invention. As seen in these Figures container 40
receives thumbwheel 42 that protrudes through top portion 44 of
container 40. FIG. 2C is an end section illustrating a preferred
method for mounting the thumbwheel 42. As seen in FIG. 2C, top
portion 44 includes molded ears or flaps 46a and 46b having holes
therein for receiving axle 48 on which thumbwheel 42 is affixed.
With this arrangement top portion 44 of container 40 acts as a
leaf-spring such that pressure on thumbwheel 42 will cause it to
move downward into engagement with the top one 50 of the stack of
strips shown at 52. It will also be understood that rotation of the
thumbwheel in a clockwise direction (as seen in FIG. 2B) by a thumb
or other digit will propel the strip 50 from the container through
slot 54. So in using this apparatus, one depresses thumbwheel 42
through the space indicated at 56 into frictional engagement with
the topmost strip 50 while simultaneously rotating thumbwheel 42 to
propel strip 50 through slot 54.
[0014] FIG. 3 is a side view in section illustrating yet another
embodiment of the invention. As seen in FIG. 3, container 60 has a
closable angle-arm 62 hinged for example as shown at 64. Axle 66,
also shown in FIG. 4, having pinion 68 mounted thereon, is
rotatably received in container 60 in a suitable manner that may be
similar to that shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 illustrates a pair of
rollers 70a and 70b, preferably made of rubber, which are received
on axle 66 and engage as seen in FIG. 3 with a consumable strip
72.
[0015] In accordance with the invention, rack 74 is hingeably
mounted on angle-arm 62 so that the teeth on rack 74 mesh with
teeth on pinion 68. It thus will be appreciated that the action of
moving the hinged angle-arm 62 downwardly toward the consumable
strip 72 will rotate pinion 68 to thereby cause the rotation of
rollers 70a and 70b to propel the consumable strip from the
container 60 through slot 76.
[0016] A preferred hinge arrangement of the angle arm is shown in
FIG. 6. As illustrated, angle-arm 62, preferably of molded plastic,
includes spur 78 that serves as a counter-force to the downward
movement of angle-arm 62. When not in use, angle-arm 62 may be
secured in closed position on container 60 by any suitable means
well known in the art.
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