GB2268483A

GB2268483A - Dispenser with selectively locatable partitions

Info

Publication number: GB2268483A
Application number: GB9214623A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Howard John Watts
Original assignee: SPORTING LEISURE Ltd
Current assignee: SPORTING LEISURE Ltd
Priority date: 1992-07-09
Filing date: 1992-07-09
Publication date: 1994-01-12
Anticipated expiration: 2012-07-09
Also published as: GB2268483B; GB9214623D0

Abstract

A dispenser for articles such as shuttlecocks, swimming goggles, swimming arm bands and squash balls comprises a housing (1) and a plurality of demountable substantially planar partition members (14, 18, 20) which can be selectively located and supported within the housing to divide the internal volume thereof into a plurality of compartments in which the articles can be retained in columns. The housing is defined by opposed front and rear walls (3, 4) and opposed end walls (5, 6) and is provided with spaced notches (7, 13, 17) for locating the partition members. The partition members are provided with hooks and pins adapted to cooperate with the notches of the housing. The housing is provided with a bottom member (8) which supports the columns of articles and has an upper surface which is inclined downwardly towards a dispensing aperture (9) defined between the bottom member (8) and the lower edge (10) of the front wall (3) of the housing. <IMAGE>

Description

DISPENSER The invention relates to dispensers for articles and in particular to a dispenser for articles which has a plurality of demountable partition members which can be selectively located and supported within a housing to divide the internal volume of the housing into a plurality of compartments in which articles can be retained in columns for dispensing through a dispensing aperture.

The dispenser has particular application where a range of articles of different shapes and sizes are to be dispensed. For example, the partition members can be selectively located in the housing to provide a plurality of different sized compartments for retaining in columns such packaged articles as shuttlecocks, swimming goggles, swimming arm bands, and squash balls. The dispenser is preferably made of transparent material so that the articles to be dispensed can be seen in the dispenser and are thus displayed.

One preferred embodiment of the invention provides a dispenser for articles comprising a housing and a plurality of demountable substantially planar partition members selectively located and supported within the housing to divide the internal volume thereof into a plurality of compartments in which articles can be retained in columns; wherein the housing is defined by opposed front and rear walls and opposed end walls and is provided with spaced means for locating partition members; and wherein the partition members are provided with engaging means adapted to cooperate with the locating means of the housing; the housing further comprising a bottom member to support the columns of articles and having an upper surface which is inclined downwardly towards a dispensing aperture defined between the bottom member and the lower edge of the front wall of the housing.

Preferably the locating means on the housing are in the form of notches in the top edges of the front and rear walls of the housing and in the upper surface of the bottom member.

Preferably the partition members consist of first partition members adapted to divide the housing along its width and second partition members adapted to divide the housing along its depth; the second partition members having engaging means for cooperating with notches formed in the upper edges of the first partition members and/or of the side walls of the housing and with the notches in the upper surface of the bottom member.

In a preferred embodiment, third partition members are also provided and are adapted to divide compartments formed in the housing either from front to back or from side to side.

Preferably the housing is inclined slightly forwardly at an angle of 0 to 10 , most preferably about 50.

Preferably the horizontal level of the bottom edge of the front wall is above that of the rear edge of the bottom member.

An embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front view of a dispenser housing; Figure 2 is a side view of the dispenser housing; Figure 3 is a side view of a first partition member; Figure 4 is a side view of a second partition member; Figure 5 is a side view of a third partition member; and Figure 6 is an enlarged view of part of the bottom member and a notch therein.

In Figures 1 and 2, the housing of a dispenser is shown without any partition members located in it. The housing 1 consists of a rectangular box-like construction having an open end top 2 through which articles can be loaded into the housing. The housing has opposed front and rear walls 3,4 and opposed side walls 5,6 and is inclined slightly forwardly. Locating means in the form of spaced notches 7 are provided at the top of the front and rear walls but for the sake of clarity only the notches 7 in the front wall 3 are shown in Figure 1. A single notch 17 is also provided at the top of each of the side walls 5,6.

The housing is provided with a bottom member 8 which is inclined downwardly towards a dispensing aperture 9 defined between the lower edge 10 of the front wall 3 and the front edge of the bottom member. The front wall is formed with spaced window openings 11 and the housing is supported on a flat rectangular base 12.

The horizontal level of the bottom edge 10 of the front wall 3 is above that of the rear edge of the bottom member 8. The bottom member 8 is provided with further locating means in the form of a plurality of spaced, generally cruciform notches 13 opposite the notches 7 at the top of the front and rear walls 3,4. As can be seen in Figure 2, the front and rear walls 3,4 of the housing are inclined forwardly at an angle of about 5 .

A first partition member 14 shown in Figure 3 has an outline generally corresponding to the internal profile of the housing as seen in Figure 2. Engaging means in the form of hooks 15 are formed at the top of the first partition members and further engaging means in the form of pins 16 are formed at the bottom of the first partition members. The hooks 15 and pins 16 cooperate with the notches 7,13 to locate the first partition members demountably in the housing to selectively divide the internal volume of the housing into a plurality of side by side compartments across the width of the housing.The first partition members 14 are located and supported within the housing in vertical planes, one of which is indicated on Figure 1 by the line Pl. The widths of the compartments are selected according to the dimensions of the articles to be dispensed from the compartments such that the articles are stacked one above another in columns. In the embodiment shown, a maximum of seven first partition members can be located within the housing; providing eight side by side compartments.

Commonly, only three first partition members will be employed to divide the housing into four equal compartments of square cross-section. These compartments can then be subdivided by second and third partition members as described below.

A second type of partition member 18 is shown in Figure 4. Second partition members are provided with hooks 25 and notches 37 similar to those of the first partition members. The purpose of the second partition members 18 is to divide the compartments formed by the first partition members from front to back to halve the size of the compartments for use with smaller articles.

The hooks 25 of the second partition members 18 cooperate with notches 27 formed at the top of the first partition members and/or with the notches 17 formed at the top of each side wall 5,6. Pins 26 at the bottom of each second partition member cooperate with a cruciform notch 13 in the bottom member. The second partition members 18 are located and supported within the housing in a nearly vertical plane indicated in Figure 2 by the line P2.

A third type of partition member 20 is shown in Figure 5 and is half as wide as the partition members 14,18. The partition members 20 can be located and supported either in the plane P1 or in the plane P2.

When located in a plane P1, the hooks 35 of the third partition members 20 cooperate with a notch 37 in a second partition member and a notch 7 in the front wall 3 of the housing. When located in the plane P2, the hooks 35 of the third partition members 20 cooperate with notches 27 in first partition members and or with notches 17 formed in the end walls 5,6 of the housing. The third partition members 20 are provided with a pin 36 at one side only to cooperate with a wing of a cruciform notch 13.

Figure 6 shows an enlarged view of a portion of the bottom member 8 containing a cruciform notch 13.

Pins 16,36 located in the cruciform notch 13 are shown in dotted lines in Figure 6. In use, the housing is divided into a plurality of side by side compartments by means of the first partition members 14. Some of these compartments can then be divided from front to back by second or third partition members 18,20. Where a compartment has been divided from front to back by a second partition member, it can be divided again, from side to side by a third partition member. Only the front portion of any divided compartments will then be used since the rear portions will not be in communication with the dispensing aperture 9.

The housing and partition members are preferably made from clear perspex sheeting. The housing can be made from a single sheet bent into a rectangular form and glued or welded at the join. In an exemplary embodiment the housing is about 50 cm high, 40 cm wide and 10 cm deep. The notches 7,17,27,37 are about 2.5 cm long. The major dimension of each cruciform notch 13 is also about 2.5 cm. According to the selected location of the first partition members the compartments formed in the dispenser will have a width which is a multiple of about 5 cm.

Whilst it is preferred to provide first, second and third partition members, the dispenser can be used with only first partition members, with first and second partition members, or with first and third partition members.

Claims

1. A dispenser for articles comprising a housing and a plurality of demountable substantially planar partition members which can be selectively located and supported within the housing to divide the internal volume thereof into a plurality of compartments in which articles can be retained in columns; wherein the housing is defined by opposed front and rear walls and opposed end walls and is provided with spaced means for locating the partition members; and wherein the partition members are provided with engaging means adapted to cooperate with the locating means of the housing; the housing further comprising a bottom member to support the columns of articles and having an upper surface which is inclined downwardly towards a dispensing aperture defined between the bottom member and the lower edge of the front wall of the housing.

2. A dispenser as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the locating means on the housing are in the form of notches in the top edges of the front and rear walls of the housing and in the upper surface of the bottom member.

3. A dispenser as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the partition members consist of first partition members adapted to divide the housing along its width and second partition members adapted to divide the housing along its depth; the second partition members having engaging means for cooperating with notches formed in the upper edges of the first partition members and/or of the side walls of the housing and with the notches in the upper surface of the bottom member.

4. A dispenser as claimed in Claim 3, wherein third partition members are also provided and are adapted to divide compartments formed in the housing either from front to back or from side to side.

5. A dispenser as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein, the housing is inclined forwardly at an angle of 0 to 100.

6. A dispenser as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the housing is inclined forwardly at an angle of about 500.

7. A dispenser as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the horizontal level of the bottom edge of the front wall is above that of the rear edge of the bottom member.

8. A dispenser as claimed in any preceding claim, the dispenser is preferably made of transparent material so that the articles to be dispensed can be seen in the dispenser and are thus displayed.

9. A dispenser substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.