CA1056350A

CA1056350A - Cup dispensing sleeve

Info

Publication number: CA1056350A
Application number: CA258,570A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Gerd Waldston
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1976-08-06
Filing date: 1976-08-06
Publication date: 1979-06-12

Abstract

CUP DISPENSING SLEEVE

Abstract of the Disclosure Means for retaining a stack of disposable cups in a container-dispenser and permitting their withdrawl in the form of a plurality of supporting members each presenting a blister projecting towards the axis of the dispenser a distance sufficient to engage the rim of the cups.

Description

~056350 This invention relates to a combined shipping container and dispensing sleeve for disposable cups of flexible material.
Various types of dispensing sleeves have been propos-ed, equipped with means to retain a stack of cups and to allow the bottom one to be withdrawn, when grasped and pulled, while retaining the rest of the stack in place. One such device is shown in U.S. patent 3,462,044 McKenna (1969).
That device uses a heavy tube purely as a dispenser into which the cups are loaded at the dispensing site. The retaining means comprise a plurality of members presenting bristles projecting substantially perpendicularly towards the axis of the dispenser at a distance sufficiently to engage the rims of the cups in position within the dispenser.
An aim of the present invention is to provide a device which works on the same general principal, but is constructed of low cost disposable material so that it may be used at the same time as a shipping container in which the cups are shipped from the manufacturer and as a cup dispenser which can be mounted at its destination.
`, 20 With this in mind, the invention provides container means for supporting cups in a dispenser which is a retaining element having a blister of plastic material which projects ~ -perpendicularly towards the axis of the dispenser at a dis-tance sufficient to engage the cup within the dispenser in a ~ -supporting relationship. Preferably, the dispenser is a sleeve of transparent material. The sleeve is desirably of rectangular cross-section.
- In the preferred form, the retainer means is a blister which has at least one, preferably two or three, elongated juxtaposed cup engaging ribs. This structure can be formed inte~rally in the plastic material of the container-dispenser.

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Preferably, however, it is made as a separate unit comprising a rectangular frame with the blister extending from within said frame to present a pair of end walls and several elongated ribs extending between them. The frame is adhesively secured to the inner wall of the sleeve spaced from its lower end. There are at least two oppositely disposed retainer means provided, for example on opposite walls of the sleeve, or, better still, a rectangular sleeve is provided with a retainer means on each wall.
Having thus generally described the invention, it will be referred to in more detail by reference to the accom-panying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment and in which:-FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a container dispenser according to the invention' FIGURE 2 iS an enlarged fragmentary cross-section showing the relationship between the bottom cups of the stack and the retaining device, and FIGURE 3 iS an enlarged perspective view showing the structure of a preferred retaining device.
More specific reference will now be made to the drawings.
The preferred container dispenser shown is made up of an elongated open-ended sleeve A of transparent plastic material. The sleeve is of rectangular cross-section and has walls 15, 16, 17 and 18. A removable cover 19 seats on the top of the sleeve.
Spaced from the bottom edge of each wall, considering ~' the wall 18 by way of example, there is a retaining device B of , :'.., ' -~-.- . .- ~

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~056350 transparent plastic material. The device s has a flat rectangular frame 21 adhesively secured to the inner face of the wall 18.
Extending inwards from the inner edge of the frame 21 is an integral blister made up of end walls 23, side walls 25 and between the side walls 25, three ribs 27, 29 and 31. Similar retaining devices Bl, B2 and B3 are connected to the walls 15, 16 and 17.
As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a stack of cups C, Cl, C2, etc. of expanded plastic material is held within the sleeve.
The blisters B, Bl, B2 and B3, engage the rim 33 of the lower-most cup C with the latter in a position having a part of its body projecting downward beyond the end of the sleeve A.
The structure and resistance to flexure of the ribs 27, 29 and 31 in conjunction with the resistance to flexure of -the cups is such that under normal conditions the stack of cups will be held from falling down through the bottom of the sleeve. But, the ribs 27, 29 and 31 are slightly flexible as is the rim 33 of the cup C, that is flexible enough in combina-tion to allow the lowermost cup to be withdrawn by a user grasping it and pulling it downwards so that its rim moves down past the blister. This will advance the next cup Cl into the position of the cup C so that its rim 35 will be engaged by the blister and prevent the cup from moving further down under the mere weight of the stack of cups and presenting it ready for dispensing in its turn.
Preferably the walls of the sleeve are made out of transparent synthetic resin. A desirable material is polyvinyl-chloride sheet having a thickness from about 0.0125 to 0.02 inches. This material is sufficiently rigid to retain its form for holding the stack of cups during shipping and to hold the cups as they are dispensed one-by-one. The retaining device ~0563S0 is of a more flexible plastic material.
A desirable material for the blisters is polyvinyl-chloride.

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Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:-

1. In a dispenser for disposable cups and the like means for retaining the cups in the dispenser and permitting their with-drawal, comprising, a plurality of supporting members presenting blisters projecting towards the axis of the dispenser a distance sufficient to engage the rims of cups positioned within the dispenser.

2. Container means, as defined in claim 1, wherein the blister is made up of a plurality of ribs extending transverse-ly to the axis of the dispenser.

3. A dispensing sleeve for cups comprising a tubular body of rectangular cross section having four walls of flexible transparent synthetic resin sheet material and having opposed open ends, spaced integrally from one end on the inside of at least two opposed walls a resilient blister acting as a catch to bear against the bottom cup of a stack and depressable under inward pressure of the bottom cup being withdrawn.

4. A dispensing sleeve, as defined in claim 3, in which each catch member is a patch having an elongated frame adhered to the container wall, and extending inwardly from inside the frame, a blister having at least two ribs.

5. The retainer means, as defined in claim 2, which has three elongated juxtaposed ribs.

6. A combined shipping container and dispenser, comprising, an elongated open-ended sleeve of transparent plastic material, spaced from one end of said sleeve retainer means for supporting cups therein comprising an element having a blister of plastic material which projects perpendicularly towards the axis of the dispenser at a distance sufficient to engage the cups in the dispenser in a supporting relationship and flexible enough to release the bottommost cup under a dispensing pull.

7. A combined shipping container and dispenser, as de-fined in claim 4, in which said sleeve is of rectangular cross-section.

8. A combined shipping container and dispenser, as defined in claim 4 or 5, in which the blister has three elongated juxtaposed ribs.