GB2448474A

GB2448474A - Dispensing hand held items

Info

Publication number: GB2448474A
Application number: GB0702120A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kim Marie Jones; Jonathan William Stollery
Original assignee: Schriptor Ltd
Current assignee: Schriptor Ltd
Priority date: 2007-02-02
Filing date: 2007-02-02
Publication date: 2008-10-22
Also published as: GB0702120D0

Abstract

The present invention relates to the dispensing of hand-held items, and in particular to an apparatus and method for dispensing such items, and to elongate items such as pens for dispensing from a dispenser. A dispenser 4 for dispensing hand-held items 10 comprises a chamber 44 for holding at least one of said items 10, a dispensing portion 8 for dispensing said items and an activatable release device 46, 77 for releasing of said items from the chamber 44 to the dispensing portion 8 and which when activated permits an item 10 from the chamber to be released to the dispensing portion 8. The release device 46, 77 is arranged to be activated by an item 10 being dispensed by the dispensing portion to release an item 10 from the chamber to the dispensing portion for subsequent dispensing. The items may be single use pens for use in hospitals, for example.

Description

Dispensing Hand-held Items

BACKGROUND

a. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the dispensing of hand-held items, and in particular to an apparatus and method for dispensing such items, and to elongate items such as pens for dispensing from a dispenser.

b. Related Art The control of infection of patients in hospitals, clinics, and doctors' surgeries has become an ever more pressing concern with the rise of infectious bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics, in particular methicilhin-resistant staphylococcus * aureus (MSRA). In the United Kingdom alone there are thought to be about 5,000 * deaths a year from infections caught in hospitals but some experts believe the *: number could be as high as 20,000. *

S.....

* 20 Research has shown that high levels of MRSA are present on everyday items in hospitals. Samples taken from an intensive care unit at a London hospital found MRSA on charts, bins, pens, medical notes, phones and computer keyboards.

There was also MRSA present on staff aprons and hands. The most common route for MRSA infection is between patients or via a doctor or nurse. Hospital staff can spread MRSA by using such items after having contact with patients.

Research has also shown that if someone has MRSA on their hands, the bacteria would be left on the next four surfaces touched by that person. Once MRSA is on an item it will remain there for up to 80 days unless that item is cleaned.

Patent document WO 2006/100423 therefore proposes the use in clinical environments of single-use pens in order to control and reduce cross-contamination of bacteria, viruses and fungi. The single-use pens have ink sufficient only for a single use by a doctor or nurse when writing notes at a patient's bed-side. After notes have been written, the pen is immediately discarded so that the health care professional does not transmit any infectious organisms or agents on the pen to the next patient's bed-side.

The pens described in WO 2006/100423 each have an identical conical hollow shape having an open end, allowing the pens to be stacked in a compact arrangement one inside another. The dispenser has a dispensing aperture from which the pointed end of an end-most pen in the stack projects.

An advantage of this arrangement is that the outermost pen in the stack about to be dispensed is covered over and therefore protects the subsequent pen from any external contact or contamination unth such time as the outermost pen has been dispensed.

A number of limitations have been noted with such a pen dispensing system. First, owing to the conical shape, the pens are bulkier to hold, which decreases the S...

attractiveness of using the single-use pen. The dispenser also does not ensure that only one pen at a time is dispensed, because in certain circumstances it may be possible for a user gripping the wider portion of the protruding conical pen to apply sufficient force to pull out two or more pens at once.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a more convenient and reliable arrangement for dispensing hand-held items.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention, there is provided a dispenser for dispensing hand-held items, the dispenser comprising: -a chamber for holding at least one of said items; -a dispensing portion for dispensing said items; and -3.- -an activatable release device for releasing of said items from the chamber to the dispensing portion and which when activated permits an item from the chamber to be released to the dispensing portion; wherein the release device is arranged to be activated by an item being dispensed by the dispensing portion to release an item from the chamber to the dispensing portion for subsequent dispensing by the dispenser.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the dispensing portion includes an orifice through which said items are dispensed. Also in a preferred embodiment, TO the dispenser includes a mechanism at this orifice which is part of the release device, so that the release device is activated by an item being dispensed through the orifice to release an item from the chamber to the dispensing portion for subsequent dispensing by the dispenser. * . **S.

In use, the dispenser will include a plurality of elongate items including one item : * partially protruding at one end from the dispensing portion and at least one item held inside said chamber. The release device may then be arranged to release : one of the items held inside the chamber when activated by said item being dispensed by hand from the dispensing portion.

Also according to the invention, there is provided a dispenser for dispensing hand-held elongate Items, comprising: -a housing; -a plurality of said items including at least one item held within the housing; -a dispensing orifice for dispensing said items, said plurality of items including an item having an end partially protruding from said orifice; and -an activatable release device for controlling the release of said items to the dispensing orifice; wherein said release device is activated to release one of said plurality of items to the dispensing orifice for subsequent dispensing from the dispenser under the action of said partially protruding item being dispensed from said orifice.

The energyexpended by a user in removing an item dispensed from the dispenser is therefore used to make the next item ready for subsequent dispensing. At the same time, the items are held back from the dispensing portion until such time as the protruding item has been dispensed. As a result, the elongate items can be any convenient shape, for example in the case of a single-use pen, the generally cylindrical shape of a conventional multi-use pen.

It should be noted that in the context of the present invention, the term "pen" is to be construed broadly and means any hand-writing instrument which dispenses by friction, by contact, -or otherwise a substance on a writing medium. Examples include a pen having its own supply of ink, for example a ballpoint pen or a felt tip pen, or non-ink based writing instruments such as a wax tip pen and also graphite :. tip writing instruments such as a pencil. **4 * I *.

In a preferred embodiment, the housing comprises a chamber for holding at least

II II

: . one item, and a dispensing portion for dispensing said items, with the dispensing * . . . . . * portion including this orifice. The activatable release device is then arranged to be activated by an elongate item being dispensed through the orlface to release an I...

elongate item from the chamber to the dispensing portion for subsequent * 20 dispensing by the dispenser.

The activatable release device may include an activating portion and a releasing portion. The activating portion is then operatively linked to the releasing portion so that when the activating portion is activated by an item being dispensed from the dispenser, the release portion releases an item for subsequent dispensing by the dispenser. The activatable release device may be an electronic device, an electro-mechanical device or be purely mechanical. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the activatable release device is entirely a mechanical mechanism, comprising an activating mechanism and a releasing mechanism. The activating mechanism in a preferred embodiment includes a movable member provided at a dispensing orifice.

For example, the activatable release device may include a first movable member and a second movable member. These members are then linked together with the first movable member being arranged to move under the action of an item being dispensed from the dispenser and thereby move the second movable member to a posItion in which an Item may be released for subsequent dispensing.

The first movable member may include a lever.

The second movable member may include a slider for slideabty moving an item into a position where the Item Is released for dispensing, the slider being operatively connected to the lever.

:. The dispenser is preferably a wall-mounted dispenser arranged to present one :..::: item at a time for dispensing, this item being angled both downwards and S.'.

outwards relative to a mounting wall. The downwards and outwards orientation is *5 *S : * * particularly useful in helping to prevent accidental contact of a user's hand with a body of the dispenser while the user is reaching for and pulling an item from the *: dispenser. **

I

S.'..' * 20 The elongate items may be any hand-help item, particularly hand-held elongate items used in a clinical environment, such as swabs, cotton buds, or disposable thermometers.

The item may be an elongate item, for example a pen, particularly a single-use pen. As a rough guide, the single-use pen may have a limited supply of ink or other medium sufficient for writing a few lines or at most enough to fill with writing an A4 size sheet of paper.

The invention further provides a dispensing system, comprising a dispenser for dispensing elongate items and a cartridge for supplying the dispenser with a plurality of said items for dispensing from the dispenser, wherein the dispenser is according to the invention, said dispenser having means by which the cartridge may be removeably joined to the dispenser and means for releasing the cartridge when emptied of said items.

The invention also provides a cartridge for use in a dispensing system, said dispensing system being according to the invention.

The invention additionally provides a loaded cartridge for use in a dispensing system according to the invention having a cartridge according to the invention including a magazine, said magazine being loaded with a plurality of hand-held elongate items arranged in a planar stack.

In one aspect of the invention, there is provided a pen for use with a pen :. dispenser, said pen having an elongate body, said body having a variable transverse cross-section along the length of the body, and a centre of gravity, wherein said variable transverse cross-section has a pair of regions of locally S. : . reduced cross-section either side of the centre of gravity. S.

The locally reduced cross-sections of the pen may then interact in a pen dispenser with corresponding projecting features in a thamber for holding the pens, such * 20 that the projecting features when not aligned with the locally reduced cross-sections help to support the pen and also to release the pen from the chamber when the pen and the projecting features are moved into correspondence with respect to each other.

In a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a pen for use with a pen dispenser, said pen having an elongate body, and said body having: -afirstend; -a second end opposite said first end; -a writing tip at at least one of said ends; -a shoulder along the length of said body between said opposite ends; -a first portion proximate said first end and extendIng towards said shoulder, said first portion having a first profile in transverse cross-section, said first profile having a substantially uniform first maximum dimension; -a second portion proximate said second end and extending towards said shoulder, said second portion having a second profile in transverse cross-section, said second profile having a substantially uniform second maximum dimension; wherein said first maximum dimension is greater than said second maximum dimension such that the shoulder provides an abrupt transition between said first portion and said second portion.

The shoulder may lie in a middle half of the length of the body of the pen or, more preferably, in a middle quarter of the length of the pen's body. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the shoulder lies proximate a mid-point along the length of the body of the pen, as this allows the provision of an end of the pen projecting from the dispenser being about half the length of the pen, making it easier for a user to grip the pen and pull it from the dispenser without having to . 15 place fingers on the pen so close to the body of the dispenser so as to risk * touching and thereby contaminating the exterior surface of the dispenser. *S*s * **

: . BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS *S. *

20 The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, and with **** reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pen dispensing system according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, showing a pen cartridge plugged into a pen dispenser and a single-use pen projecting from the dispenser ready to be pulled out by a user; Figure 2A is an exploded perspective view of the pen cartridge of Figure 1, showing how pens are stacked and held between two halves forming a housing of the cartridge; Figure 2B is an exploded perspective view of the dispenser of Figure 1, showing an activatable release device between two halves forming a housing of the dispenser, and between the dispenser halves an activatable release mechanism holding a pen; Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view in a vertical plane of one of the cartridge halves and dispenser halves of Figures 2A and 2B, showing the activatable release device and how a pen once released falls into position for dispensing; Figure 4 is a view similar to that of Figure 3, showing a pen ready for dispensing; Figure 5 is a view similar to that of Figure 4, showing a pen partially withdrawn and engaged with a forked end of a lever arm of the activatable :. 15 release device to prevent return of the pen about to be dispensed back into * S..

w* the dispenser housing; *5*. S.

: * * Figure 6 is a view similar to that of Figure 5, with a pen in the process of being fully withdrawn from the dispenser housing, showing how a slideable : 20 tray or shuttle of the activatable release device has been moved by the *SS.

lever arm from a closed position to an open position so that the next pen may drop into position for subsequent dispensing; Figure 7 is an upwards view of the slideable shuttle and next pen taken along line Vll-VIl of Figures 3 and 4, showing how the pen is supported by a pair of laterally inward projecting tabs; Figure 8 is an upwards plan view similar to that of Figure 7, taken along line VllI-Vlll of Figure 6, showing how the shuttle holding the pen has moved to align slots in the pen with the pair of laterally inward projecting tabs so that the pen is ready to fall into position for dispensing; Figure 9 is a fragmentary plan view in a vertical plane of one of the cartridge halves and dispenser halves of Figures 2A and 2B, showing the cartridge before this has been fuHy plugged into a matching recess in the pen dispenser and Figure 10 is a view similar to that of Figure 9, showing how, when the cartridge is fully plugged into the dispenser, the first pen within the dispenser is adapted to fall through the slideable shuttle and into position for dispensing without the need for the shuttle in the dispenser to be moved from the closed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTiON

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pen dispensing system I having an elongate :. 15 pen cartridge 2 and a pen dispenser 4. Both the cartridge 2 and dispenser 4 are * a..

*. generally flat, and lie within the same vertical plane when connected together. The *...

dispenser has a mount 6 by which the dispenser may be secured to a vertical : * * surface such as a wall (not shown). When so mounted, the plane of the dispenser 4 extends at right angles to the plane of the mounting surface. 20 S...

The dispenser extends generally downwards and outwards from the mount 6 towards a lower dispensing portion 8, from a lower edge 9 at which a single-use writing instrument 10, in this example a ballpoint pen, is ready to be pulled from the dispenser by a user. Only a non-writing portion 12 of the ballpoint pen 10 projects from the lower edge 9 of the dispensing portion 8. The projection of the non-writing portion is preferably at least about 25 mm and most preferably between about 40 mm and 60 mm, so that a user may get hold of the projecting non-writing portion without inadvertently touching and potentially contaminating the dispensing portion 8.

Reference is now made also to Figures 2A and 2B which show, respectively, exploded views of the pen cartridge 2 and pen dispenser 4. The dispenser 4 and cartridge 2 each have a main housing 11, 13 formed in halves 14, 15, 16, 17 either side of a centra) vertical plane through the pen dispensing system 1.

The cartridge housing halves 16, 17 each have a rectangular profile, with a common vertical axis 18. The hoHow interior of the assembled cartridge 2 forms a magazine 7 which holds up to 25 ballpoint pens 10 stacked in a vertical plane encompassing the cartridge housing axis 18. Each ballpoint pen 10 is elongate and extends along an axis 19 which is right angles to the cartridge housing axis 18. The ballpoint pens 10 are generally cylindrical, having a smaller diameter cylindrical section which forms the non-writing portion 12 and, coaxial with this, a larger diameter section 20 which forms a writing portion. A shoulder 22 at a midpoint along the length of each ballpoint pen 10 provides a transition between the smaller and larger diameter sections 12, 20.

:. 15 The larger diameter section 20 has a paIr of annular slots 24, 25, provided either * side of a centre of gravity (X) 26 of the ballpoint pen 10. Each slot 24, 25 extends *SS.

:.. fully around the pen's circumference. One slot 24 is near a conical nib 27, being * * separated from this by a narrow annular band 28 having the same diameter as the rest of the larger cylindrical section 20. The other slot is at the shoulder 22, having on one side a reduced diameter conically tapered portion 29 ending at the smaller **S.

diameter cylindrical section 12 and on the other side a main part 30 of the larger *** *** * * diameter cylindrical section 20.

Each of the cartridge halves 16, 17 has on an inner surface 31 a pair of parallel vertically oriented ridges 32, 33, each of which runs the full length of each cartridge half 16, 17 from an upper side 34 towards a lower side 36. The upper side 34 and adjacent long sides 37, 38 are bounded by a common inwardly raised rim 39 which stops short of the lower side to provide an opening 35 along the lower side 36.

The stacked orientation of each of the ballpoint pens 10 within the cartridge housing 13 is maintained by the parallel ridges 32, 33 which engage with the -11 -corresponding slots 24, 25 in the larger diameter cylindrical section 20.

A horizontally slideable gate 40 is retained within the cartridge housing 13 just inside the opening 35. The operation of the gate 40 will be described in more detail below with reference to Figures 9 and 10, but suffice to mention that the gate 40 retains the ballpoint pens 10 in the cartridge magazine 7 prior to use of the cartridge 2 with a dispenser 4. The gate 40 is in the form of a rectangular frame having an inner profile with clearance to permit the ballpoint pens 10 to pass through the gate only after connection of the cartridge 2 to the dispenser 4.

Prior to connection of the pen cartridge 2 to the pen dispenser 4, a peal-off strip 42 seals the opening 35. The strip 42 protects pens within the cartridge 2 from contamination prior to connection of the pen cartridge 2 with the pen dispenser 4.

As an alternative to a tear off strip to be removed by a user before this connection, :. 15 a pierceable strip (not shown) may be provided which Is pierced or broken by the * *** action of connecting the cartridge with the dispenser. *.

: * * The housing halves 14, 15 of the pen dispenser 4 have an irregular profile either side of a vertical axis 18 common with that of the cartridge housing halves 16, 17.

The dispenser housing Ills divided horizontally into an upper recess or chamber *.I.

44 and the lower dispensing portion 8 by a slideable tray or shuttle 46. In use, the * cartridge 2 is plugged into the chamber between the housing halves 14, 15 of the dispenser 4 and is retained by a circular spring button 3 that removably engages with an external circular dimple 5 in cartridge housing 13.

The shuttle includes a rectangular frame 43 and is engaged with each dispensing housing half 14, 15 within a horizontal recess 47 formed partly by a projecting ledge 48 on an inner surface 49 of the housing halves, so that the shuttle 46 is free to slide in a horizontal direction on the ledge 48. The limit of horizontal movement of the shuttle 46 is set by two similarly sized tabs 50, 51 which project inwardly from the inner surface 49. The tabs 50, 51 extend into two corresponding slots 52, 53, each of which is similarly sized and which extends fully through long sides 54, 55 of the shuttle 46. The slots 52, 53 therefore form apertures in the shuttle long sides 54, 55 through which the tabs 50, 51 extend. The slots 52, 53 are each wider in a horizontal direction that the corresponding horizontal width of each tab 50, 51, thereby permitting the shuttle 46 to move horizontally between limits defined by contact of the tabs 50, 51 with the horizontal ends 56 of the slots 52, 53.

The centre-to-centre spacings between the pen's slots 24, 25, between the shuttle's slots 52, 53 and between the tabs 50, 51, are all the same. The pen's slots 24 are also wider than the horizontal width of the inwardly projecting tabs 50, 51, but narrower than that of the slots 52, 53 in the shuttle 46. The tabs 50, 51 do not meet along the central vertical plane through the dispenser housing 11, but are separated by a gap sufficient to let a ballpoint pen 10 fall through the frame of the shuttle 46 when the pen's slots 24, 25 are aligned with the tabs 50, 51. When the :. 15 shuttle 46 is at one end 58 of its travel the pen slots 24, 25 and tabs 50, 51 are not * *..

aligned and when at the other end 59 of Its travel, the pen slots 24, 25 and tabs 50, 51 are aligned so that a pen may be released to fall from the shuttle. * *. * * . * *

With reference now also to Figure 3, the shuttle is retained vertically within the recess 47 by the lower ledge 48 and by a pair of upper overhangs 80, 61 which extend horizontally inwards from a front and rear rims 62, 63 that define * ** **S * corresponding front and rear sides 64, 65 of the dispenser housing 11.

The horizontal gap between the front and rear overhangs 60, 61 is such that a ballpoint pen 10 in the chamber 44 may pass freely between the overhangs 60, 61. The horizontal alignment of the ballpoint pen between the overhangs 60, 61 is set by a pair of ridges 66, 67 which align with the pen's slots 24, 25.

As shown in phantom outline in Figure 3, once a ballpoint pen 10' has been released from the shuttle 46, the newly released pen 10' falls freely and is rotated by contact with a sloping rim 68 angled at about 450 to the vertical and extending between the parallel inner surfaces 49 of the housing halves 15, 16. The smaller diameter cylindrical portion 12 of the ballpoint pen 10 therefore falls first into a funnel 70 at the bottom of the lower dispensing portion 8. The funnel is defined by converging walls of the angled rim 68 and a vertical interior wall formed by equal projecting ridges 72 on the parallel inner surfaces 49 of the housing halves 15, 16.

The funnel narrows to an orifice 72 in the dispenser housing lower surface 9 from which the ballpoint pens 10 are dispensed.

The orifice includes a movable constriction formed by a bifurcated end 78 of a lever arm 77. The arm 77 is retained within a vertically rectangular chamber 78 between the projecting rIdges 72 and a front wall formed by equal projecting front rims 79 along the front side 64 of the dispenser housing 11.

The arm 77 pivots about a pivot rod 80 provided between the housing halves 14, at about a midpoint along the length of the arm. The pivot rod 80 seats in a :. 15 matching circular recess 81 in the inner surface 49 of the housing halves within the * *S.

rectangular chamber 78. The arm is spring biased in a clockwise direction as **** viewed in Figure 3 by means of a leaf 82 integrally moulded with a main portion 83 * : * of the arm 77. The leaf 82 abuts against the waIl 72 in compression towards the main portion 83. *u

The end of the arm 77 opposite the forked end 76 has a pair of parallel finger-like * S.... * .

clasps 84, one either side of the vertical mid-plane of the dispenser housing 11.

The shuttle 46 includes a projection 85 extending from the shuttle frame 43 in the same direction as the pen axis 19 and which terminates between the pair of clasps 84. Near the end of the projection 85, the projection has a cylindrical rod 86 that extends perpendicularly to the vertical mid-plane to rotationally engage with each of the finger-like clasps 84. The rod 86 is free to move vertically within the clasps 84 as the lever arm 77 rotates.

Rotational motion of the lever arm 77 is therefore converted by the engagement between the clasps 84, projection 85 and rod 86 into horizontal motion of the shuttle 46.

Reference is now made also to Figure 4, which shows how the shoulder 22 of the ballpoint pen 10 ready for dispensing initially rests on the forked tip 76 of the lever arm 77. Specifically, it is the tapered conical portion 29 which first comes up against the lever arm tip 76.

As shown in Figure 5, when the free end 12 of the ballpoint pen is pulled outwards, the conical portion 29 of the shoulder 22 brushes past the lever arm tip 76. During the process, the lever arm rotates and moves the shuttle 46 towards the position in which it will release the next ballpoint pen 10 to be dispensed. But because the shoulder conical portion 29 has a reduced diameter compared with that of the main larger diameter cylindrical portion 30, the pivoting arm 77 does not move the shuttle 46 sufficiently for a ballpoint pen to be released, and the fever arm 76 rotates back to its initial position as the lever arm tip 76 engages with the annular :.. 15 recess 25 in the vicinity of the shoulder 22. * * S

The effect of the engagement of the forked fever arm tip 76 with the pen slot 25 is S. * . to lock the movement of the ballpoint pen 10 so that this cannot be pushed back into the dispensing portion 8. ThIs ensures that someone puffing the pen from the dispensing portion 8 cannot change his or her mind and try to return the pen to the **..

dispenser. This helps to avoid potential jams within the dispensing portion from * having two free pens at the same time in the vicinity of the internal funnel 70. This also helps to ensure that only one person will have touched the free end 12 of the ballpoint pen 10 about to be dispensed. A similar engagement between the other pen slot 24 near the nib 27 and the forked tip 76 ensures that a pen once used cannot be re-introduced into the dispensing portion through the exit aperture 72.

A user should then smoothly complete pulling of the ballpoint pen 10 from the dispensing orifice 72. The shoulder 20 then fully moves the fever arm 77 and hence the shuttle 46 so that then next ballpoint pen is poised to fall as shown in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 4, the pen slot 25 has an annular steep waIf 88 which causes a definite and rapid movement of the fever arm 77 and shuttle 46, as shown in Figure 6. It takes time for the next pen to fall and rotate into position, by which time the dispensed pen should be fully removed from the dispensing orifice 72. The length of the larger diameter cylindrical portion is preferably at least mm and most preferably about 40 mm to 60 mm, so that the time the lever arm is maintained with the aperture at the forked end 76 in the dilated state is long enough for an item being dispensed to fall clear of the releasing shuttle 46.

A particular advantage of this arrangement is that the act of a user taking a pen dispensed from the dispenser powers the release of a subsequent pen to be dIspensed from the dispenser.

Therefore, in this embodiment of the invention, the shuttle 46 and lever arm 77 together form an activatable release device for releasingballpoint pens 10 one at a time from the chamber 44 to the dispensing portion 8 and which when activated :. 15 permits a pen from the chamber 44 to be released to the dispensing portion 8. The shuttle 46 serves as releasing portion and the lever arm 77 serves as an activating S...

portion of this activatable release device 46, 77. S. S. S. * S

The forked end 76 of the lever arm 77 serves as a dilatable constriction past which a ballpoint pen 10 to be dispensed from the dispenser must move. The activatable * release device 46, 77 is then activated to release a pen for subsequent dispensing *SS*..

* when this constriction is dilated.

in this embodiment of the invention, the smaller diameter section 12 of the ballpoint pen 10 is more flexible in being bent away from the pen axis 19 than the larger diameter portion 20. The user may not pull exactly along the axis of the pen about to be dispensed and so this makes it easier for a user to quickly pull a pen from the dispenser without causing any damage to the ballpoint pen 10 or the dispensing portion 8.

So that a pen or other item may be conveniently gripped by hand when being dispensed, It is preferred if the thin end of the item being dispensed projects at least 25 mm beyond the shoulder separating the thin end of the item from the thick end of the item on the other side of the shoulder. Most preferably, the thin end of the item extends beyond the shoulder between about 40 mm and 60 mm.

Figures 7 and 8 are upwards views of the slideable shuttle 46. In Figure 7, which corresponds with Figures 3 and 4, the ballpoint pen 10 is supported by the pair of laterally inward projecting tabs 50, 51. As the shuttle moves towards the left, as viewed in Figure 8, the pen slots 24, 25 become aligned with the tabs, 50, 51 allowing the release of the ballpoint pen 10.

Figure 9 shows one of the cartridge halves 17 and dispenser halves 15, during the process of plugging the cartridge 2 into the dispenser 4. The cartridge is manufactured with the slideable gate 40 positioned towards the left, as viewed in Figure 9. With reference again to Figure 2A, the gate 40 has on opposite long :. 15 sides 90, 91 a pair of laterally outward projecting tibs 92, 93. The gate 40 slides within a shallow elongate channel 94 in the internal surface 31 of each cartridge housing half 16, 17. Each channel 94 has a recess 95 into which one of the S. * * laterally outward projecting ribs 92, 93 Is seated. One recess 95 Is visIble In Figure *j* 2A and is shown in phantom outline in Figures 9 and 10. The recesses 95 are wider in a horizontal direction 19 than the ribs 92, 93, and are dimensioned so as ***: * to define the limits of horizontal motion of the gate 40.

*..S.. * .

The gate 40 also has on opposite long sides 90, 91 two pairs of laterally inward projecting ribs 96, 97, 98, 99, visible in Figure 2A and two of which 96, 97 are shown in phantom outline in Figures 9 and 10.

The first ballpoint pen 10" to be released from a new cartridge 2 has a different shape to subsequent pens 10 so that this first pen will fall cleanly through both the gate 40 and shuttle 46 without the shuttle having to be moved into the release position. Therefore the dispensing system I is automatically loaded with the first pen 10" ready to be dispensed whenever a new cartridge 2 is first plugged into the chamber 44.

The first pen 10" is shown in Figures 9 and 10, is similar in shape to subsequent pens, but has additional reduced diameter sections 101, 102 laterally adjacent the pen slots 25, 25, both in the same direction towards one end, here, towards the nib 27. The additional reduced diameter sections 101, 102 have the same diameter as the slots 24, 25, and are positioned to permit the first pen to fall past the inward projections 96, 97 In the gate or the Inward projecting tabs 50, 51 beneath the dispenser shuttle 46 without the shuttle having to be moved from its rest position.

The first pen 10" has a pair of flanges 103, 104 between the additional reduced diameter portions 101, 102 and the pen slots 24, 25. When the gate 40 is to the left, as viewed in Figure 9, the flanges rest on the inward projections 98, 97 in the gate, thereby preventing the first pen from dropping from the gate. *. 15 * *..

The chamber 44 in the dispenser 2 has at the rear sides 65 of the dispenser housing 11 a chamfered feature 105 that projects Inwardly from the rear rim 63 ** *.

: * and which is adapted to engage with a cooperatively chamfered rear edge 106 of the gate 40, in order to slide the gate 40 towards the right when the cartridge 2 is being fully engaged within the dispenser chamber 44. This aligns the inward * projections 96, 97 in the gate with the pen slots 24, 25 and thus releases all the * .* *S* * ballpoint pens 10, 10" in the cartridge magazine 7 to drop towards into the chamber 44 and the shuttle 46.

The first pen 10" then falls through the shuttle 46 to appear at the dispensing orifice 72 while the next pen 10 is stopped by the inward projecting tabs 50, 51 beneath the dispenser shuttle 46.

Therefore, the cartridge gate 40 retains the ballpoint pens 10, 10" in the cartridge magazine 7 prior to use of the cartridge 2 with a dispenser 4. Means 105, 106 are then provided for opening the gate 40 when the cartridge 2 is joined to the dispenser 4 in order to release one of the ballpoint pens 10" into the dispenser portion 8 ready for dispensing.

The dispenser described above may be adapted for use with different types of pen, or indeed for other items such as thermometers, swabs, etc. The dispenser has a dispensing portion with a dispensing orifice from which one of the items to be dispensed projects sufficiently for an end of the item to be gripped by hand and then conveniently pulled from the dispenser. The arrangement is such that the action of pulling an item from the dispenser causes another item in the dispenser to be released and then appear at the dispensing orifice and projecting sufficiently for an end of the item to be gripped by hand. The items are then dispensed one at a time until the dispenser is empty after which the cartridge is removed and a full cartridge installed in its place.

A pen or other item for use with a dispenser as described above may be made substantially from a plastics material, and preferably contains or Is treated with a biocide agent or other type of disinfectant. The dispenser and cartridge may also be moulded and/or machined from a plastics material and be similarly treated. *. .. * *

*j. The pen or other item may have a locking feature in the form of an annular groove to prevent reinsertion of the item into the dispenser once the item has started to be pulled from the dispenser, and this locking feature may also double as a release S.....

* feature when the items are to drop into position for subsequent dispensing.

The release features of reduced cross-sectional area are preferably provided either side of the item's centre of gravity. This permits corresponding support features to be provided either side of the item's centre of gravity so that the item is stably supported prior to release.

The dispensing mechanism described above is particularly convenient because the action of pulling an item from the dispenser causes the next Item to be released and then to appear at and project from the dispensing orifice. There is therefore no need for the items to be shaped to stack one inside another.

Claims

1. A dispenser for dispensing hand-held items, the dispenser cornpnsing: -a chamber for holding at least one of said items; -a dispensing portion for dispensing said items; and -an activatable release device for releasing of said items from the chamber to the dispensing portion and which when activated permits an item from the chamber to be released to the dispensing portion; wherein the release device is arranged to be activated by an item being dispensed by the dispensing portion to release an item from the chamber to the dispensing portion for subsequent dispensing by the dispenser.

: **

2. A dispenser as claimed in Claim 1, in which the dispensing portion includes an orifice through which said items are dispensed.

3. A dispenser as claimed in Claim 2, in which the dispenser includes a mechanism at said orifice, said mechanism being part of said release device so *I*.

that the release device is activated by an item being dispensed through the orifice to release an item from the chamber to the dispensing portion for subsequent dispensing by the dispenser.

4. A dispenser as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the dispenser includes a plurality of elongate items including one item partially protruding at one end from said dispensing portion and at least one item held inside said chamber, the release device being arranged to release one of said items held inside the chamber when activated by said item being dispensed by hand from the dispensing portion.

5. A dispenser for dispensing hand-held elongate items, comprising: -a housing; -a plurality of said items including at least one item held within the housing; -a dispensing orifice for dispensing said items, said plurality of items including an item having an end partially protruding from said orifice; and -an activatable release device for controlling the release of said items to the dispensing orifice; wherein said release device is activated to release one of said plurality of items to the dispensing orifice for subsequent dispensing from the dispenser under the action of said partially protruding item being dispensed from said orifice.

6. A dispenser as claimed in Claim 5, in which the housing comprises a chamber for holding at least one elongate item, and a dispensing portion for dispensing said elongate Items, said dispensing portion including said orifice.

7. A dispenser as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the activatabte release device includes an activating portion and a releasing portion, wherein the activating portion is operatively linked to the releasing portion so that when the activating portion is activated by an elongate item being dsensed from the dispenser the release portion releases an elongate item for subsequent dispensing by the dispenser.

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*:m: 8. A dispenser as claimed in any preceding claim, in whIch the activatable release device is a mechanical mechanism.

9. A dispenser as claimed in Claim 8, in which the activatable release device includes a first movable member and a second movable member, said members being linked together and the first movable member being arranged to move under the action of an elongate item being dispensed from the dispenser and thereby to move the second movable member to a position in which an elongate item may be released for subsequent dispensing.

10. A dispenser as claimed in Claim 9 in which the first movable member includes a lever.

11. A dispenser as claimed in Claim 9 or Claim 10, in which the second movable member includes a slider for slideably moving an elongate item into a position where the elongate item is released for dispensing.

12. A dispenser as claimed in any preceding claim, in which activatable release device includes a dilatable constriction past which an elongate item to be dispensed from the dispensed must move, the activatable release device being activated to release an elongate item for subsequent dispensing when said constriction is dilated.

13. A dispenser as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the act of a user taking an elongate item dispensed from the dispenser powers the release of a subsequent elongate item to be dispensed from the dispenser. *e..

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14. A dispenser as claimed in any preceding claim, in the release device is arranged to drop a released elongate item so that said elongate item can fall freely into position for dispensing.

15. A dispenser as claimed in any preceding claim in which the dispenser is a :m: wall-mounted dispenser arranged to present one elongate item at a time for dispensing, said one elongate item being angled downwards and outwards relative to a mounting wall.

16. A dispenser as claimed in any preceding claim, In which said elongate items are pens.

17. A dispenser as claimed in Claim 16, in which said pens are single-use pens.

18. A dispensing system, comprising a dispenser for dispensing elongate items and a cartridge for supplying the dispenser with a plurality of said items for dispensing from the dispenser, wherein the dispenser is as claimed in any preceding claim, said dispenser having means by which the cartridge may be removeably joined to the dispenser and means for releasing the cartridge when emptied of said items.

19. A dispensing system as claimed in Claim 18, in which the cartridge includes an elongate housing, the housing having an opening at one end thereof from which elongate items may be supplied to the dispenser, and the means by which the cartridge may be removeably joined to the dispenser includes a receptacle into which said end of the cartridge is plugged.

20. A dispensing system as claimed in Claim 18 or Claim 19, in which the cartridge has a chamber, said chamber being loaded with a plurality of hand-held elongate items. S...

21. A dispensing system as claimed in Claim 20, In which the cartridge has means for retaining said elongate items within the chamber prior to joining of the cartridge to the dispenser. S...

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22. A cartridge for use in a dispensing system, said dispensing system being as :: claimed in any of Claims 18 to 21.

23. A cartridge as claimed in Claim 22, the cartridge including a magazine for holding a plurality of hand-held elongate items, a gate for retaining said elongate items in the magazine prior to use of the cartridge with a dispenser, and means for opening the gate when the cartridge is joined to said dispenser in order to release at least one of said elongate items into the dispenser.

24. A cartridge as claimed in Claim 23, in which the gate includes a slideable member which slides to open the gate.

25. A cartridge as claimed in any of Claims 22 to 24, in which the cartridge includes an opening from which elongate items may be supplied to the dispenser, and a protective seal over said opening for protecting elongate items within the -23 -cartridge prior to use with the dispenser.

26. A loaded cartridge for use in a dispensing system, comprising a cartridge as claimed in any of Claims 22 to 25, said cartridge including a magazine, said magazine being loaded with a plurality of hand-held elongate items arranged in a planar stack.

27. A pen for use with a pen dispenser, said pen having an elongate body, said body having a variable transverse cross-section along the length of the body, and a centre of gravity, wherein said variable transverse cross-section has a pair of regions of locally reduced cross-section either side of the centre of gravity. S.

28. A pen for use with a pen dispenser, said pen having an elongate body, and said body having: -a first end; -a second end opposite said first end; -a writing tip at at least one of said ends; *55S -a shoulder along the length of said body between said opposite ends; -a first portion proximate said first end and extending towards said shoulder, said first portion having a first profile in transverse cross-section, said first profile having a substantially uniform first maximum dimension; -a second portion proximate said second end and extending towards said shoulder, said second portion having a second profile in transverse cross-section, said second profile having a substantially uniform second maximum dimension; wherein said first maximum dimension is greater than said second maximum dimension such that the shoulder provides a transition between said first portion and said second portion.

29. A pen as claimed in Claim 28, in which said shoulder lies in a middle half of the length of said body.

30. A pen as claimed in Claim 28, in which said shoulder lies in a middle quarter of the length of said body.

31. A pen as claimed in Claim 28, in which said shoulder lies proximate a mid-point along the length of said body.

32. A pen as claimed in any of Claims 28 to 31, in which the first portion and/or the second portion is/are substantially cylindrical.

33. A pen as claimed in any of Claims 28 to 32 in which the shoulder is annular.

34. A pen as claimed in Claim 33, in which pen has an annular recess in the vicinity of the shoulder.

35. A pen as claimed in any of Claims 28 to 34, in which the pen has a *:* longitudinal axis, and the second portion is more flexible in being bent away from said axis than the first portion. S...,

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36. A pen as claimed in any of Claims 28 to 35, in which the second portion :: extends at least 25 mm from said shoulder towards the second end.

37. A pen as claimed in Claim 36, in which the second portion extends at least mm from said shoulder towards the second end.

38. A pen as claimed in any of Claims 27 to 37, in which said pen is a single-use pen.

39. A pen as claimed in any of Claims 27 to 38, in which the pen is for use with a dispenser as claimed in Claim 16.

40. A pen dispenser for dispensing pens, substantially as herein described, with reference to or as shown in the accompanying drawings. -25 -

41. A pen dispensing system, compnsing a dispenser for dispensing pens and a pen cartridge for supplying the dispenser with a plurality of pens, substantially as herein described, with reference to or as shown in the accompanying drawings.

42. A pen cartridge for use in a pen dispensing system, substantially as herein described, with reference to or as shown in the accompanying drawings.

43. A loaded pen cartridge holding a plurality of pens for use in a pen dispensing system, substantially as herein described, with reference to or as shown in the accompanying drawings.

44. A pen for use with a pen dispenser, substantially as herein described, with :.:: reference to or as shown in the accompanying drawings. * *

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