GB2193197A - Nested drinking cup separator - Google Patents

Abstract

A separator for separating the bottom cup 21 from a stack of nested cups 21, 22, 23, comprises a frame 10 having a pair of limbs 12 each having a cranked portion 13 such that the spacing between the limbs is smaller along first portions 14 thereof than along second portions 15. Each cup has a lip 24 around its mouth, which lip may rest on first portions 14 to support the stack but which may pass between second portions 15. A U-shaped frame 18 is attached to frame 10 and has a pair of limbs 20 with substantially the same spacing as first portions 14, but lying at a shallow angle thereto. Cups are separated by moving the frame from a first position where the cups are located adjacent frame base section 11 to a second position where the cup 22 next adjacent the lowermost cup 21 bears on limbs 20 and the lowermost cup 21 is free of the frame, and then by moving the frame back to its first position. During this, the stack of cups is lifted by frame 18, whilst the lip of the lowermost cup 21 bears on the underside of first portions 14, so prising that cup from the stack. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Drinking cup separator This invention relates to apparatus arranged to separate drinking cups one at a time from a nested stack thereof, which apparatus is suitable for use in drink dispensing and/or vending machines.

Drink dispensing and/or vending machines (hereinafter referred to simply as 'drinks machines') conventionally are loaded with a stack of nested cups each manufactured from relatively thin walled plastics material and each cup being generally frusto-conical in form but with a thickened external lip around the mouth of the cup. The cups may be nested together to form a stack or column, with each cup (except for the cup at one end of the stack) largely received within the next adjacent cup, leaving a small gap between the lips of adjacent cups. When nested, there is a tendency for the cups to stick together in view of the conical angle of the cups, and the likelihood of sticking is increased if the stack is subjected to any end-wise pressure.The separation of the cups to permit the delivery thereof by a drinks machine one at a time upon demand causes some difficulties: often, a drinks machine may deliver two cups at the same time, or-worse still-no cup at all.

Recently, drinks machines have been designed to operate on the so-calied "in-cup system", where each cup is pre-loaded with dry powdered ingredients for a drink to be dispensed, the pre-loaded cups being nested in a stack and then being dispensed one at a time upon demand, ready for filling with hot water alone. Cups designed for use in an incup system drinks machine are usually provided with means to ensure'that between the bases of adjacent cups in a stack there is a chamber for the storage of the dry ingredients. Typically, each cup has an internal land around the side wall of each cup which land is spaced from the cup bottom by a relatively small distance and which is engageable by the external periphery of the base of the next adjacent cup nested into the first cup-and so on along the stack.The lips of adjacent cups in a stack of such cups are spaced by a greater distance (equal to the height of the ingredient chamber) than is the case with a stack of the previously-described conventional cups.

Particularly in the case of an in-cup system of drinks dispensing, it is most important that the drinks machine is able reliably to separate the cups, one at a time from a stack thereof, on demand. To this end, there have been designed several mechanisms to effect separation, these employing a variety of arrangements all of which have several moving parts intended to apply separating forces to adjacent cup lips at spaced locations around the periphery thereof. For example, mechanisms are known employing a plurality of fingers which are moved to a position where they engage between adjacent cup lips, and which fingers then are relatively separated so as to push the lowermost cup away from a generally vertically disposed stack thereof.Other mechanisms employ a plurality of cams suitably disposed so as to be engageable between adjacent cup lips; simultaneous rotation of all of the cams then pushes the lowermost cup of a stack away from the stack.

A disadvantage of the known cup-separating mechanisms is that they employ a plurality of moving parts and must be provided with a suitable drive arrangement. This may be power-operated, or may be connected for manual operation by a person requiring a drink. In either case, the production and manufacture of such separating mechanisms are relatively expensive, in view of their complexity and the number of parts required. Moreover, the mechanisms are prone to poor reliability, on account of a part failing altogether or a moving part sticking or jamming, for instance on being contaminated by a drink ingredient.

It is consequently a principal aim of the present invention to provide apparatus for separating cups one at a time from a nested stack thereof, which apparatus employs no complex moving parts and associated drive mechanisms and so which is relatively cheap and simple to manufacture as well as extremely reliable in operation.

Accordingly, this invention provides apparatus for separating drinking cups one at a time from a stack of nested cups each of which has an external lip around the mouth thereof, which apparatus comprises a frame adapted to support a stack of nested cups and a separator slidably mounted in the frame for reciprocating movement between initial and second positions in a plane substantially at right angles to the axis of the stack, the separator defining a slot with a first portion the width of which is such that the lip of the end cup of the stack may bear on the upper side edges of the slot when the separator is in its initial position and a second portion the width of which is sufficiently great to permit the lip of said end cup to pass therethrough when the separator is in its second position, the separator further including selector means extending in the region of the slot second portion and engageable with the lip of a cup in the stack as the separator moves to its second position to permit the lip of the end cup to pass through the slot second portion whilst supporting at least the remainder of the stack of cups, and wedging means engageable between the lips of said end and next adjacent cups to prise the end cup away from the stack on movement of the separator from its second position back to its initial position.

In the most preferred embodiment of this invention, the selector means and wedging means are together defined by a pair of flanks which respectively overlie at least a part of the side edges of both the first and second portions of the slot, the distance between the flanks being such that the lip of a cup may bear on the side edges of the flanks, and the common plane of the flank side edges extending at an angle to the plane of the slot side edges such that the spacing between the flanks and the slot side edges increases in the sense from the second slot portion to the first slot portion.The arrangement should be such that the end cup of a stack initially is supported by the upper side edges of the slot first portion, and on movement of the separator to its second position to have the slot second position aligned with the stack, the end cup comes free of the separator but the stack -is supported by the lip of the cup next adjacent the end cup engaging the flank upper edges. In this position; the lip of the end cup should lie wholly on the lower side of the slot side edges, opposed to those edges which support the stack when the separator is in its initial position.Then on movement of the separator back to its initial position, said opposed side edges of the slot co-operating with the flank upper edges serve to prise the end cup away from the stack so that the end cup comes free of the stack, said next adjacent cup then supporting the stack with its lip engaged with the slot first portion side edges.

Typically, the stack of nested cups should be supported substantially vertically with the separator mounted for sliding movement in a generally horizontal plane. In the initial position, the lip of said end cup of the stack (that is, the cup which has said next adjacent cup nested therewithin) will rest on the side edges of the first portion of the slot, with the greater part of the cup projecting through the slot. From there, in order to release said end cup from the stack, the separator is reciprocated to its second position and then back to its initial position, the stack of cups being in register with the second portion of the slot when the separator is in its second position.

During this action, said end cup is prised away from the stack, leaving said next adjacent cup in the stack supported by the side edges of the first portion of the slot.

Though normally the stack of cups will extend substantially vertically, especially in the case of an in-cup system drinks machine, it would be possible for the stack to lie at some angle to the vertical, depending upon the design of the drinks machine incorporating the apparatus of this invention. If the angle of the stack to the horizontal becomes too shallow, then a spring bias may be exerted on the stack, to ensure said end cup bears on the separator until released from the stack. However, references herein to "upper" and "lower" assume that the stack is supported generally vertically.

During the reciprocating action of the separator, the lip of said end cup initially rests on, and slides along, the upper edge of the slot first portion. When that cup lies wholly within the confines of the slot second portion, the lip of that cup no longer is supported by the separator but the remainder of the stack is still supported by virtue of the lip of the next adjacent cup bearing on the flank side edges; the stack as a whole will therefore drop slightly. Then, on moving the separator back to its first position, the lip of said next adjacent cup rides up the flank so lifting the remainder of the stack, but the upper surface of the lip of the dropped end cup will engage behind the lower side edges of the slot first portion (i.e. on the side edges of the slot first portion facing away from the stack).Continued movement of the separator will lift the remainder of the stack as said next adjacent cup lip rides up the flanks, but the end cup is restrained against lifting by virtue of the engagement of its lip with the underside of the separator: the lowermost cup is thus prised away from the remainder of the cups in the stack. The cycle is completed by the remainder of the stack of cups coming free of the flanks as the separator returns fully to its initial position, whereafter the lip of the new end cup of the stack engages the side edges of the slot first portion so supporting the stack ready once more for a fresh cycle of operation.

Most preferably, the separator is manufactured from wire of circular cross-sectional shape, appropriately formed so as to define the slot first and second portions. Thus, the wire may be formed to have essentially a Ushape, the limbs extending substantially parallel to one another, but each limb being cranked part-way therealong so as to change the distance between the limbs, thereby defining the slot first and second portions. Equally, the flanks may be defined by a further length of wire also formed to have a U-shape and attached to the separator, the limbs of the flank-defining U-shape extending substantially parallel to one another and the spacing therebetween being substantially equal to the smaller spacing between the limbs of the separator U-shape. The limbs of the flank-defining Ushape should extend in a common plane lying at an angle to the limbs of the separator Ushape. For a case where the slot first portion is adjacent the base of the separator U-shape, then the flank-defining U-shape wire should be attached with its base at or adjacent the ends of the limbs defining the slot second portion.

However, if desired the limbs defining that slot second portion may continue beyond the flank-defining U-shape, so that a convenient bearing surface for slidably mounting the separator in the drinks machine frame may be provided.

The free ends of the limbs of the flankdefining U-shape may be curved in the plane of the limbs, initially inwardly of the U-shape and then outwardly thereof, so as to assist and assure the engagement of the flank limbs between the lips of the end and next adjacent cups, on movement of the separator from its initial to its second position.

In an alternative form of this invention, the wedging means is defined by the separator itself, by providing at least the region of the slot first portion with an increasing thickness, in the direction away from the slot second portion. In this embodiment, the selector means must allow the stack of cups to drop slightly when the separator is in its second position, whilst still supporting the stack of cups, and then on subsequent movement of the separator from its second position back to its initial position, the lips of the end and next adjacent cups will lie on opposite sides of the separator slot first portion, so permitting the increasing thickness thereof to prise the end cup away from the stack as the separator movement towards its initial position continues.It will thus be appreciated that the selector means must permit the stack of cups to fall by an extent sufficient to ensure that the lip of the end cup lies on the opposite side of the separator to the remainder of the stack, when the separator is at its second position.

In this embodiment, the selector means may be located on either side of the separator, as desired. If the selector means is on the upper side of the selector (that is, the side facing the stack of cups) then on movement of the separator to its second position, the separator means will engage between the first and second cup lips; on the separator fully reaching its second position, the end cup may pass through the slot second portion with the entire stack dropping until the selector means is engaged by the lip of the next adjacent cup.

In the alternative, the selector means may be located below the separator (that is, the side facing away from the stack of cups) in which case the selector means will support the entire stack of cups including the end cup, on the separator reaching its second position.

By way of example only, two specific embodiments of apparatus for separating cups in accordance with this invention and suitable for incorporation in a drinks machine will now be described in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of the first embodiment of separator, in association with three cups and showing three stages of movement of the separator, from its initial to second positions; Figure 2 is a top plan view on the arrangement illustrated in Figure 1; Figure 3 is an underplan view on the arrangement illustrated in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a view corresponding to that of Figure 1, but during a movement of the separator from its second to initial positions; Figure 5 is an underplan view of the arrangement illustrated in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a detail view of part of the separator; and Figure 7 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of separator of this invention.

Referring initially to Figures 1 to 6, there is shown a separator 10 of this invention and manufactured from rigid wire of circular crosssectional shape, by an appropriate forming operation. The separator comprises a principal part 10 generally of U-shaped form and including a base section 11 and two limbs 12.

The limbs 12 extend generally parallel to one another, but each limb is cranked at 13, such that the lateral spacing between the limbs 12 is smaller over a first portion 14 of their length than over a second portion 15 to the other side of the cranked region. Nearer the free ends of the limbs 12, both limbs are cranked again at 16, so that the end portions 17 of the limbs extend parallel to one another with substantially the same spacing as over first portion 14.

A U-shaped frame 18 including a base section 19 and limbs 20 is secured to the end portions 17 of the principal part 10, adjacent the cranked regions 16, such that the limbs 20 extend generally in the same direction as the limbs 12, towards the base section 11.

The frame 18 is however mounted so that the plane containing the limbs 20 lies at a shallow angle to the plane containing the limbs 12, as best appreciated from Figures 1 and 4. The free end of each limb 20 is given a rounded form as best seen in Figure 6, the free end first being turned towards the other limb 20 and then being turned in the opposite sense.

The separator described above is mounted for sliding movement in a frame (not shown) of a drinks machine (also not shown), there being one such separator for each stack of cups. In a drinks machine employing the incup system, there will be one such stack and separator for each variety to be dispensed.

The separator is slidably mounted in the frame conveniently by means of the end portions 17 of the limbs 12 extending through suitable apertures in a frame part, and also by means of further supports engaged with the limbs 12 immediately adjacent the base section 11. The plane of movement of the separator should be substantially at 90" to the stack of cups to be separated, which latter normally will extend vertically in a drinks machine.

Three cups 21, 22 and 23 of a stack are illustrated in the Figures, these cups being nested together. Each cup has a lip 24 around its mouth, and when stacked there is a significant gap between the lips 24 of adjacent cups, as shown in Figures 1 and 4. The dis tance between the limbs 12 in the region of first portion 14 is such that the whole of a cup body may pass therebetween but not a cup lip, whereas the distance between the limbs 12 in the region of the second portion 15 is such that all of a cup, including lip 24, may pass therebetween. As the distance between limbs 20 is substantially the same as that between limbs 12 over first portion 14, a cup body may pass therebetween, but not the lip of a cup.

The initial position of the separator with respect to a stack of cups is shown in Figures 1 to 3, where the stack of cups is located adjacent the base section 11, as illustrated in broken lines. From this initial position, the separator is moved to the left with respect to the stack of cups, as shown by arrow A, the lip 24 of end cup 21 sliding along the upper face of limbs 12 during this movement. Partway through this sliding movement, the free end portions of the limbs 20 of the frame 18 engage between the lips 24 of the end cup 21 and the next adjacent cup 22.

When the separator has moved fully to the left, the cups are positioned between the second portion 14 of the limbs 12. Here, the lip 24 of the end cup 21 passes between the limbs 12, the stack of cups thus falling until the next adjacent cup 22 has its lip 24 bearing on the limbs 20. In this position, lip 24 of the end cup 21 is below the limbs 12 and only remains in that position by virtue of the cup 21 sticking to cup 22. If in fact cup 21 does not stick to the remainder of the stack, then it may immediately fall away. If however the cup does stick, it will be prised away from the remainder of the stack on rightward movement of the separator, back to its initial position. This is achieved by virtue of the wedging action between limbs 12 and 20, on movement of the separator in the direction of arrow B, as shown in Figure 4.During this movement, the stack of cups (except for cup 21) is lifted by the limbs 20 as the separator moves to the right, but cup 21 is held against such lifting movement by virtue of the interengagement between its lip 24 and the underside of limbs 12 of the separator. In view of the conical shape of the cups, only a relatively small axial separation is required between cups 21 and 22 to ensure cup 21 comes completely free. Continued movement of the separator back to its initial position results in the remaining cups of the stack riding off the end portions of limbs 20 so that the remainder of the stack once more is supported by the lip 24 of the end-most cup 22, bearing on limbs 12. From here, the apparatus is ready once more to perform another cycle of operation.

Figure 7 shows an alternative embodiment of this invention, wherein the separator has a principal part 10, corresponding substantially to that described above, with reference to Figures 1 to 6. However, in this embodiment, the limbs 12 in the region of the first portion 14 have wedging plates 30 attached to the underside thereof, which plates have an increasing thickness in the plane extending at right angles to the plane of the principal part 10, the thickness increasing towards the base section 11. In this embodiment, there is provided a frame 31 corresponding generally to frame 16, but the limbs 32 extend substantially parallel to limbs 12 of the principal part 10, but the region of the limbs 32 where they join the base section 33 of the frame 31 is different from that illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, in that the limbs 32 are stepped downwardly with respect to the principal part 10.

The just-described separator operates in a generally similar manner to that described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. However, in this embodiment, on the movement of the separator towards its second position, the stack of cups falls until the lip of the end cup (not shown) falls through the limbs 12 and rests on limbs 32. Then, on returning movement of the separator, the lip of the cup adjacent the end cup will ride along the upper surface of the limbs 12, whilst the upper edge of the lip of the end cup will be pushed downwardly by the wedging plates 30, until that cup falls away.

In a modification (not shown) of the separator shown in Figure 7, frame 31 may be mounted on the upper side of the separator, so that limbs 32 slide between the lips of the two end most cups of a stack, on movement of the separator to the left from its initial position. The limbs 32 are positioned suitably with respect to limbs 12, so that the lip of the end cup may lie beneath the limbs 12 when the separator has been moved to its second position, the remainder of the stack then being supported by the limbs 32 engaged with the lip of the next adjacent cup in the stack. Thereafter, return movement of the separator prises the end cup away from the remainder of the stack, as described above.

Claims (14)

1. Apparatus for separating drinking cups one at a time from a stack of nested cups each of which has an external lip around the mouth thereof, which apparatus comprises a frame adapted to support a stack of nested cups and a separator slidably mounted in the frame for reciprocating movement between initial and second position in a plane substantially at right angles to the axis of the stack, the separator defining a slot with a first portion the width of which is such that the lip of the end cup of the stack may bear on the upper side edges of the slot when the separator is in its initial position and a second portion the width of which is sufficiently great to permit the lip of said end cup to pass therethrough when the separator is in its second positions, the separator further including selector means extending in the region of the slot second portion and engageable with the lip of a cup in the stack as the separator moves to its second position to permit the lip of the end cup to pass through the slot second portion whilst supporting at least the remainder of the stack of cups, and wedging means engageable between the lips of said end and next adjacent cups to prise the end cup away from the stack on movement of the separator from its second position back to its initial position.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selector means and wedging means are together defined by a pair of flanks which respectively overlie at least a part of the side edges of both the first and second portions of the slot, the distance between the flanks being such that the lip of a cup may bear on the side edges of the flanks, and the common plane of the flank side edges extending at an angle to the plane of the slot side edges such that the spacing between the flanks and the slot side edges increases in the sense from the second slot portion to the first slot portion.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein means are provided to support the stack of nested cups in a substantially vertical disposition, with the separator mounted for sliding movement in a generally horizontal plane.

4. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the separator is manufactured from wire of circular cross-sectional shape, appropriately formed so as to define the slot first and second portions.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the wire is formed to have essentially a Ushape with the limbs extending substantially parallel to one another, each limb being cranked part-way therealong so as to change the distance between the limbs and thus to define the slot first and second portions.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the flanks are defined by a further length of wire formed to have a U-shape and attached to the separator, the limbs of the flank-defining U-shaped wire extending substantially parallel to one another with the spacing therebetween being substantially equal to. the smaller spacing between the limbs of the separator U-shaped wire.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the limbs of the flank-defining U-shaped wire extend in a common plane lying at an angle to the limbs of the separator U-shaped wire.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the free ends of the limbs of the flank-defining U-shaped wire are curved in the plane of the limbs, initially inwardly of the U-shaped wire and then outwardly thereof.

8. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the wedging means is defined by the separator which is provided with an increasing thickness at least in the region of the slot first portion, in the direction away from the slot second portion.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the selector means is located on the side of the selector facing a stack of cups.

10. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the selector means is located on the side of the separator facing away from a stack of cups.

11. Apparatus for separating drinking cups one at a time from a stack of nested cups, which apparatus is substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 6 or in Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.

12. A drinks machine (as hereinbefore defined) whenever incorporating apparatus for separating drinking cups from a stack thereof and according to any of claims 1 to 11.

13. A method for separating drinking cups one at a time from a stack of nested cups each of which has an external lip around the mouth thereof, and using a separator which is mounted for reciprocating sliding movement between initial and second positions in a plane substantially at right angles to the axis of the stack, in which method the end cup- of the stack initially extends through a first portion of a slot in the separator the width of which is such that the lip of said end cup bears on the upper side edges of the slot when the separator is in its initial position, the separator is moved to its second position whereat the width of the second portion of the slot is sufficiently great to permit the lip of said end cup to pass therethrough but the stack is supported by selector means forming a part of the separator and extending in the region of the slot second portion, the selector means engaging the lip of the next adjacent cup in the stack, and then the separator is moved back to its initial position during which action wedging means are engaged between the lips of said end and next adjacent cups to prise the end cup away from the stack.

14. A method of separating drinking cups one at a time from a nested stack thereof and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.