AU724407B2

AU724407B2 - Storage and dispenser unit

Info

Publication number: AU724407B2
Application number: AU45196/97A
Authority: AU
Inventors: William Metcalfe
Original assignee: Cyplex Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Cyplex Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1996-11-13
Filing date: 1997-11-13
Publication date: 2000-09-21
Anticipated expiration: 2017-11-13
Also published as: AU4519697A

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT STORAGE AND DISPENSING UNIT The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- The invention relates to a storage and dispenser unit for discrete food articles such as bread rolls.

It is known to provide in supermarkets and other stores displays of bread rolls and •iother food articles which allow selection of the desired number of rolls by the 10 customer. Often this will consist simply of a clear storage bin with a hinged lid, the customer simply reaching into the bin to take the desired number of rolls. This arrangement is far from hygienic, allowing contact between the customer's hands and oo o the rolls remaining in the bin.

S" 15 The present invention provides a storage and dispensing unit for discrete food articles, including a storage portion, user-actuable means extending into the unit from the exterior of the unit for removing one or more food articles from the storage portion, a door in a wall of said unit including a food receiving portion behind an outer face of the door, said food receiving portion being adapted to support one or more of said food articles and to be accessible for removal of the said one or more food articles from the unit when the door is opened.

Preferably, the unit includes a ramp surface leading

II,

-2from an open side of the storage portion to the food receiving portion of the door. The ramp may be formed at least in part by a rear portion of the door.

Further preferred embodiments will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic isometric view of a preferred dispenser; Fig. 2 is a schematic side view of the front portion of the dispenser, with the door closed; and Fig. 3 is the view of Fig. 2 when the door is opened.

The storage and dispenser unit 10 is generally box-shaped with parallel side walls 12, a rear wall 14, a front wall 16 and a top 18. The unit is elongate from front to rear, to facilitate side-by-side placement of 20 several such units in a shop display.

oo The rear portion of the unit constitutes a concave storage portion 20, with front and rear inclined floor panels 22, 24 forming a V-shaped floor which supports a pile of the bread rolls 26. The rear part 28 of the top A 18, above the storage portion 20, is a hinged lid for supplying bread rolls to the unit.

~The apex 32 of the front floor panel 24 has a downwardly angled flange 34 depending therefrom.

The front wall 16 of the unit has a slot 36 allowing the handle 38 of a hook 40 to extend to the exterior of the unit where it may be accessed by customers. Preferably, the hook is sufficiently long to reach to the lowermost part of the storage portion 20 while the handle is being held by the user, but shorter than the internal length of the unit so that it can be inserted into the unit through the hinged lid 28 rather than being insertable/removable through the slot 36 in the front wall.

Below slot 36, the front wall has a larger opening for a door 42 which hinges about a horizontal axis 44. The door is generally N-shaped, with a front panel 46 which, when closed (Fig. is parallel to the front wall, an inclined section 48 which angles upward and rearward from the bottom of the front panel so as to form an open-top food receiving cavity 50 within the door. This inclined section 48 has a flange 52 for abutting the downwardly angled flange 34 of the storage portion, so that the flanges 52 and 34 and the inclined door section 48 form a ramp which guides any food article forward of apex 32 into the cavity 50. The door preferably further has a downwardly depending panel 54 with a rearward flange 56 at its lower edge, which weight the door 20 towards this closed position.

In its open position (Fig. the door is tilted forward by the customer using handle 58 so that the bread roll may be taken by the customer. Forward 25 tilting of the door is limited by the rearwards flange 56 on the door contacting the floor of the storage portion. The downwards depending door panel 54 also prevents bread rolls falling into the gap between the storage portion 20 and the inclined door panel 48 when the door is opened.

When the storage portion is relatively full of bread rolls, the rolls form a pile and one of the top rolls in the pile can readily be pulled forward by the hook, over apex 32 and travel down the ramp into the cavity, from where it can be retrieved upon opening the door. When the pile of bread rolls has diminished and is below the 4 level of apex 32, the inclined floor of the storage portion ensures that they slide towards the lowermost point of the concave floor, where they are within reach of the hook and may be pulled over the sloping front floor panel 22 into the door cavity.

The illustrated embodiment is readily adapted for manufacture from plastics material, preferably from sheets of clear plastics material such as perspex or polycarbonate, which may be formed into the desired shapes by cutting and folding. The bread rolls or other food articles within the unit are therefore within view of the customers. To prevent accumulation of crumbs at the lower region of the storage portion and of the food receiving cavity, these lowermost regions may have open slots 60 and 62 large enough to allow the escape of crumbs but smaller than the food articles for which the unit is used. A removable tray or the like may be provided below these regions to allow removal of these crumbs.

0 While particular embodiments of this invention have been described, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments and examples are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention beingindicated by the appended claims 20 rather than the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

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Claims

1. A storage and dispensing unit for discrete food articles, including a storage portion, user-actuable means extending into the unit from the exterior of the unit for removing one or more food articles from the storage portion, a door in a wall of said unit including a food receiving portion behind an outer face of the door, said food receiving portion being adapted to support one or more of said food articles and to be accessible for removal of the said one or more food articles from the unit when the door is opened.

2. A storage and dispensing unit according to claim 1 including a ramp surface leading from an open side of the storage portion to the food receiving portion of the door. o•

3. A storage and dispensing unit according to claim 2 wherein the ramp surface is 0000 formed at least in part by a rear portion of the door. 0000

4. A storage and dispensing unit according to any preceding claim wherein the 20 door pivots between a closed position in which the food receiving portion receives the food article and an open position inwhich the food article is accessible. 9 0 0

5. A storage and dispensing unit according to claim 4 wherein the door is biased towards the closed position.

6. A storage and dispensing unit according to claim 2 wherein the storage portion includes a front inclined floor panel forming an apex with the ramp surface. 4 A 16 -6-

7. A storage and dispensing unit according to any preceding claim wherein the user actuable means comprises a hook extending through a front wall of the unit for manipulation to pull said one or more food articles forward from the storage portion towards the door.

8. A storage and dispensing unit according to any preceding claim wherein the unit is elongate from front to rear for side-by-side placement with similar units.

9. A storage and dispensing unit according to claim 1, the unit further including a lid positioned above the storage portion for insertion of food articles.

10. A storage and dispensing unit substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying c, drawings. 20 DATED this 13th day of November 1997 CYPLEX PTY. LIMITED Agent for the Applicant HALFORD CO e S e*