GB2121004A

GB2121004A - A dispenser

Info

Publication number: GB2121004A
Application number: GB08210435A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Vincent John Mcdermott
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-04-08
Filing date: 1982-04-08
Publication date: 1983-12-14

Abstract

A dispenser and especially for dispensing elongate articles, for example cocktail sticks, matchsticks, toothpicks or cigarettes from a holder (3) comprises a holder (3) for articles (12) and a support (2) for the holder. By reciprocating movement of the holder (3) upwards and then downwards relative to the support (2) an individual article can be received, at the lower region of the holder (3), by the extremity 2A of the support and then located at an aperture (4) in the upper region of the holder (3) where it can be removed. In the case of elongate articles the support (2) is preferably in the form of a plate and the holder (3) is tubular and, preferably, prismatic in form. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A dispenser This invention relates to a dispenser and especially to a dispenserfor dispensing elongate articles, for example, cocktail sticks, matchsticks, tooth picks or cigarettes.

The present invention provides a dispensercom prising a holder for articles and a support for the holder,the holder having two apertures and being mounted on the support for reciprocating movement between two positions relative to the support, one position being an article-receiving position in which an extremity ofthe support receives an article to be dispensed, and the other position being an articledispensing position in which an article can be removed from the extremity of the supportfrom outside the holder, the dispenser having a normal operating position in which one of the apertures is at a higher level than the other and the articles moves under gravity towards the lower aperture, wherein in the article-receiving position ofthe holderthe extremity ofthe support closes the lower aperture and in the article-dispensing position ofthe holder both apertures are closed by the support, the higher aperture being closed by the extremity of the support.

The dispenser according to the invention enables individual articles to be dispensed by reciprocating movement of the holder upwards and then downwards relative to the support.

Means, for example baffles, may be provided within the holderto promote movement of the articles towards the lower aperture but it is preferred if the inner walk ofthe holder is so shaped that, in the normal position of the dispenser, the articles move under gravity towards the lower aperture. As the holder is moved from its article-dispensing position to its article-receiving position, the support is withdrawn through the lower aperture and in so doing the articles within the holder are sufficiently dislodged to enable one of them to be received on the extremity of the support.

For example, ifthe articles are of generally spherical or pill or capsule-like form, at least that portion of the internal wall surface ofthe holder, in the region of the loweraperture, maybe rotationtionallysymmetrical about an axis passing through the lower aperture (for example, it may be part-conical or part-spherical in form) so thatthe articles are impelled towards the lower aperture irrespective ofthe position of the articles in the holder. In this case, the holder may be a hollow (complete or partial) sphere, cone, double cone, ellipsoid, or other rounded structure ora polyhedron or other similar structure.

In the case of articles ofelongateform, however,the internal wall surface ofthe holder may comprise two surfaces which converge towards the lower aperture so that the articles are impelled towards the lower aperture whilst remaining substantially parallel. In this case the holder may be tubular in form, for example in the form of a hollow (complete or partial) prism, the lower aperture being formed in one longitudinal edge ofthe prism, or it may be in the form of a (complete or partial) cylinder, the lower aperture being formed in the cylindrical surface.

More securely to maintain an article in position on the support it is of advantage if the extremity of the support is provided with a depression for receiving the article. The form of the depression depends on the shape ofthe article to be dispensed. For example, if the article is spherical or pill-like in form, then the depression may be in the form of a dished recess, whereas if the article is elongate in form, then the depression may be in the form of a groove.

In one form of the dispenser the support is verticiil when the dispenser is in its normal position.

In another form of the dispenser, the support is at an angle to the vertical when the dispenser is in its normal position.

The support may take many forms. For example, the support may be in the form of a postortube and a dispenserincorporatingsuch asupportcould be used to dispense spherical or pill-like articles.

If the articles are elongate in form, however, it is preferred if the support is in the form of a plate and the apertures of the holder are in the form of slots.

There are many ways in which the holder can be mounted on the support, but it is preferred if the holder is slidably mounted on the support by means of at least one member engaging in at least one slot.

Preferably the slot is provided in the support and the said one member is provided on the holder.

To improve the stability and to prevent tilting of the holder relative to a support in the form of a plate, it is of advantage if a groove is provided in each of two parallel edges ofthe plate and if a respective one of two members on the holder engages a respective groove in the plate.

Further to prevent tilting of the holder relative to the support, it is preferred if each of the members engaging in the grooves each has an arrow-head configuration the ends of each groove being shaped complementariiy to the upper and lower profiles ofthe arrow-head.

Two dispensers each constructed in accordance with the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. lisa diagrammatic view of a first dispenser, Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic end view partly in section of the dispenser shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is an enlarged exploded view, partly in section, of part of the dispenser shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and Fig. 4 is a diagrammaticview of a second dispenser.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings, the dispenser comprises a base 1, a support 2, and a hopper or holder 3.

The base 1 is intheform of a flat plate and is arranged to be placed on a flatsurface, for example, a table top. When positioned in that way the support 2, which is also intheform of afloat plate, is substantially vertical as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The extremity 2A of the support 2 is provided with a depression 2B in the form of a longitudinal groove.

The holder3 is in the form of a hollow rectangular prism. Each oftwo diagonally opposite longitudinal edge portions ofthe holder is provided with a respective aperture 4 and 5 each in the form of a longitudinal slot.

The holder 3 is mounted on the support 2 for reciprocating movement relative to the support. For that purpose the inner wall of each end face of the holder 3 is provided with a guiding arrangement comprising a projection 6, each projection being slidably engaged in a respective one of two grooves 7 provided in the side edges ofthe support 2.

The form ofthe projection 6 and the form of each groove 7 is more clearly illustrated in Fig. 3. It will be apparent from that figure that the projection takes the form of an arrow head, the shoulders 8 of which engagewith complementary shoulders 9formed at one end ofthe groove 7 when the holder is in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. That position is, in fact, the dispensing position ofthe holder.

When the holder is moved upwards relative to the support2 from its position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the arrow head projection 6 on each face of the holder slides along its corresponging slot7 until the inclined edges 10 ofthe projection 6 engage complementary inclined end edges 11 of the groove 7. When that occurs the holder is in its article receiving position relative to the support 2.

The provision of projections 6 in the form of arrow heads and the shaping ofthe ends of the slot 7 with shoulders 9 and inclined end edges 11 serves to minimisetilting of the holder relative to the support 2 when the holder is in either one of its extreme positions.

To load the holder or hopper3 with articles 1 2the holder is displaced upwardly from the position shown in Fig. 2 until the slot4 is opened, that is to say, so that it is no longerclosed bythe extremity2Aof the support2. When the slot 4 is open, articles can be passed through it so thattheyfall under gravity to the lower end ofthe holder 3.

Assuming the holder3 has been loaded with articles, dispensing ofthe articles is achieved as follows: The holder is moved from its dispensing position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 upwardly until the projections 6 engage the end edges 11 ofthe slots 7.

During the movement, the extremity 2A of the support 2 moves towards the slot and finally resides within that slot. As the extremity 2A of the support 2 completes its movement into the slot 5, the articles 12 are disturbed and fall under gravity towards the slot 5.

During that movement one ofthe articles becomes engaged in the groove 2B formed in the extremity 2A of support 2 and remains in position in that groove.

It will be evidentthatthe converging lowerwalls of the holder3 promote generally downward movement ofthearticles l2andtherebyfacilitate engagement of one of those articles in the groove 2B.

The holder 3 is now moved downwards relative to the support 2 until theshoulders 8 engage the complementary shoulders 9 in the slot 7. The holder 3 is then in its position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and as shown in Fig. 2, the article 1 2A received in the groove 2B is supported outside the holder 3 from where it can be removed.

It will be seen, therefore, that by simple reciprocation ofthe holder3 relative to the support 2, articles can be individually dispensed through the slot4 ofthe holder 3.

To facilitate and to ensure that an article is received in the groove 2B, especiallywhenthere is asmall number of articles in the holder, it is preferable for the holder 3 to be rapidly moved from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2to its article receiving position. Rapid movement of the holder3 promotes greater agitation of the articles 12 and therefore increases the likelihood that one ofthem will be lodged in thegroove 2B.

The dispenser shown diagrammatically in Figs. 1 to 3, can be used to dispense various articles, for example, matchsticks, cocktail sticks, tooth-picks or any other article of generally elongate form.

The dispenser itself can be made from virtually any material but it is preferred if at leastthe holder3 is made from opaque material.

It is preferred if the dispenser is made from plastics material. In that case, any one, or each, ofthe holder3, the support 2 and the base 1 may beformed in two parts which are joined together in a central vertical plane containing the axes ofthe slots 7. In a preferred form,the holder is formed in two half parts and two further half partstogetherform the base and the support. The half parts can be joined together, for example, by peg-and-socket connections.

Fig. 4 illustrates a second form of dispenser, again diagrammatically, which is constructed in much the same way as the dispenser shown in Figs. 1 to 3 and which operates in a similarfashion.

Those parts of the dispenser shown in Fig. 4which are similarto those ofthe construction shown in Figs.

1 to 3 are identified bythe same reference characters raised by 100. The main difference is that the support 102 is inclined to the vertical when the base 101 is horizontal and the holder 103 is in the form of a hollow triangular prism. The slots (only one of which 104 is shown) are formed along anytwo longitudinal edges ofthe holder.

The way in which the holder is mounted and guided on the support 102 for limited sliding movement relative thereto can be much the same as thatshown in the construction of Figs. 1 to 3,that isto say, by the provision of grooves 7 and projections 6.

With both dispensers described and illustrated it is possible to use a different guiding arrangement. For example, the support 102 could be provided with an open slot (or slots) and a peg (or pegs) could be provided which isfastened to the holder (for example, it could be passed through the two adjacent side faces of the holder at the base of the holder and nearto the slot 5 in the holder), the peg (or pegs) engaging inthe, ora respective, open slot in the support 102.

Claims

1. A dispenser comprising a holderfor articles and a supportforthe holder, the holder having two apertures and being mounted on the supportfor reciprocating movement between two positions relativetothesupport, one position being an article receiving position in which an extremity ofthe support receives an article to be dispensed and the other position being an article dispensing position in which an article can be removed from the extremity ofthe supportfrom outside the holder, the dispenser having a normal operating position in which one of the apertures is ata higher level than the other and the articles move under gravity towards the lower aper tre,wherein in the article-receiving position of the holder, the extremity of the support closes the lower aperture and in the article-dispensing position ofthe holder both apertures are closed by the support, the higher aperture being closed by the extremity of the support.

2. Adispenser as claimed in claim 1, in which the inner wall ofthe holder is so shaped that, on the normal position ofthe dispenser, the articles move under gravity towards the lower aperture.

3. Adispenser as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the extremity of the supportis provided with a depression for receiving an individual article.

4. A dispenser as claimed in claim 3, in which the depression is in the form of a groove.

5. A dispenser as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, inwhichthe holder is slidably mounted on the support by means of at least one member engaging in at least one slot.

6. A dispenser as claimed in claim Sin which the slit is in the support and the said member is on the holder.

7. A dispenser as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, in which the supportis in the form of a plate and the apertures in the holder are inthe form of slots.

8. A dispenser as claimed in claim 7 when appendantto claim 6, in which a groove is provided in each of two parallel edges ofthe plate, a respective one of two members on the holder engaging in a respective one ofthe grooves.

9. A dispenser as claimed in claim 8, in which each ofthetwo members has an arrow-head configuration, the ends of the grooves being shaped complementari ly to the upper and lower profiles ofthe arrow-head.

10. A dispenser as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 9, in which the holder is tubular in form.

11. A dispenser as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 10, in which the holder is prismatic in form,the lower slot being formed in one lomgitudinal edge of the purism.

12. Adispenser as claimed in claim 11 in which the holder is in the form of a rectangular prism, the upper slot being formed in a longitudinal edge diagonally oppositetothe longitudinal edge formed with the lower slot.

5b A dispenser as claimed in claim 11, in which the holder is in the form of a triangular prism, the upperslot being formed in another longitudinal edge ofthe prism.

14. A dispenser as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, in which, in the normal position of the dispenser, the support is vertical.

15. Adispenser as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, in which, in the normal position of the dispenser, the support is at an angle to the vertical.

16. A dispenser substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated by, Figs. 1 to 3 or Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.