Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47F—SPECIAL FURNITURE, FITTINGS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR SHOPS, STOREHOUSES, BARS, RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE; PAYING COUNTERS
  • A47F1/00—Racks for dispensing merchandise; Containers for dispensing merchandise
  • A47F1/02—Racks for dispensing merchandise; Containers for dispensing merchandise for granulated or powdered materials, i.e. bulk materials
  • A47F1/03—Dispensing means, e.g. with buttons or handles
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
  • G07F11/00—Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles
  • G07F11/02—Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles from non-movable magazines
  • G07F11/04—Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles from non-movable magazines in which magazines the articles are stored one vertically above the other
  • G07F11/16—Delivery means
  • G07F11/24—Rotary or oscillatory members
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
  • G07F11/00—Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles
  • G07F11/02—Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles from non-movable magazines
  • G07F11/44—Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles from non-movable magazines in which magazines the articles are stored in bulk

Definitions

• This invention relates to a dispenser for sweets com- prising a container, which is defined by an outer front wall, two outer side walls and a rear wall, and which, at the top, has an opening for filling sweets which can be covered by a lid and which, at the bottom, presents a part protruding from a front of the container for receiving limited amounts of sweets through a bottom opening in the lower part of the container, a coarse threaded screw being arranged in connection with the opening and having an operating device within reach from the outside, at the front of the container, by means of which the screw is, when necessary, manually rotatable so as to feed out sweets from the container, the screw, in an immovable state, closing said bottom opening.
• dispensers for sweets are made of acrylic plastic which is well transparent. More precisely, the container of the dispenser is composed of plane, mutually parallel side walls between which a trough-shaped bottom part extends which protrudes a bit for ⁇ wards from the proper container.
• a disadvantage of these known dispensers for sweets is that the foldable lid over the protruding trough part does not prevent inappropriate reach to the interior of the container.
• the lid remains open, dust and other dirt freely falling down in the mass of sweets.
• the articles of sweets may be dropped on the floor and then be put back in the dispenser.
• the possibilities of not only picking out sweets from the dispensers but also putting the soiled sweets as well as other objects back in the same means that the hygiene becomes inferior.
• a dispenser is previously known by GB 2 202 211 which theoretically should be able to be used for feeding out arti ⁇ cles of sweets in portions.
• Said dispenser includes a supply container having a lower bottom opening in connection to which a coarse threaded screw is arranged which has, at a front of the dispenser, an operating device possible to reach from the outside by means of which the screw is, when necessary, manu ⁇ ally rotatable so as to feed out articles from the container, the screw, in an immovable state, closing the feeding-out open ⁇ ing.
• the feed screw extends from the bottom opening of the proper container together with a surrounding pipe part either horizontally or obliquely downwards to a vertical depth in which a spring-loaded flap is arranged.
• a primary object of the invention is to create a dispenser for sweets which ad ⁇ mits storing and feeding-out of articles of sweets of a highly varied nature, in particular in respect of the dimensions of the individual articles of sweets.
• the dis ⁇ an should be able to be used for a distinct out-feed of everything from very small articles to very large articles of the pick'n mix nature.
• the dispenser should - like known dispensers - be of such a shape that they can be put up close to each other without using unnecessary space.
• a dispenser is previously known by CH 683145 comprising a container fillable via an upper opening, in the lower part of which container an ou -feeding device is arranged by means of which articles in the container may be fed out one by one on a sliding plane protruding from the container.
• the out-feeding device consists of a rotatable cylinder which presents, in the envelope surface thereof, a number of elongated slits or grooves and which presents a twist grip at an end protruding from one side wall of the container by means of which twist grip the cylinder may be manually rotated.
• this dispenser can not be used for storing and feeding of articles of highly varied dimensions. Neither can several dis- season units be arranged close to each other in that the twist grip protrudes from one side wall of the container.
• a dispenser for sweets is known by AU 598968 the out- feeding device of which consists of a turnably mounted scoop by means of which pick'n mix may be lifted over from an out-feed- ing stacker to a sliding plane.
• this scoop is diffi ⁇ cult to handle, and the out-feeding opening of the container in connection with the sliding plane being open, meaning that inappropriate throwing-in of e.g. soiled sweets or other ob- jects is possible.
• a dispenser for sweets in the form of a funnel applied in the bottom of a storing container in which funnel a shaft is arranged having a number of scoops by means of which sweets may be fed out in portions by turning the shaft.
• the articles of sweets fall verti ⁇ cally down from the funnel in an uncontrolled way, in addition to which it being difficult to decide the quantity of fed-out sweets in an exact way.
• a dispenser inten- ded to feed out ice cubes which dispenser includes a relatively short feed screw which, at a rear end, is connected to an electric driving motor and which, at a front end, is associated with a falling shaft directed obliquely downwards from a stor ⁇ ing container.
• the screw is horizontal, not only ice cubes but also melted ice may pass the screw in an uncontrolled way and fall or drip down in the shaft .
• GB 2 218 410 dis ⁇ closes a dispenser having a horizontal transportation screw arranged in a bottom of a storing container which screw is motor driven at one end thereof and connected to a vertical falling shaft at the opposite end thereof.
• this screw is not able to hinder small articles from uncontrollably fal ⁇ ling down through the feeding shaft .
• FIG 1 is a partly transparent perspective view of a dispenser for sweets according to the invention
• Fig 2 is an enlarged, vertical section through the dispenser according to fig 1
• Fig 1 is a partly transparent perspective view of a dispenser for sweets according to the invention
• Fig 2 is an enlarged, vertical section through the dispenser according to fig 1
• Fig 3 is a detailed cross section in fig 2. Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment of the Invention
• the dispenser for sweets shown in the drawing comprises a container in its entirety designated 1 which besides a bottom 2 is defined by four walls, viz . a front wall 3, a rear wall 4 and two side walls 5, 5' . All said walls form outer walls and are plane and vertically orientated when the bottom wall 2 is horizontally orientated, the front wall 3 being parallel to the rear wall 4 as the two side walls 5, 5' are mutually parallel.
• the horizontal front wall 3 transforms at the bottom into a weakly oblique portion 3 ' .
• the container 1 presents in the top an opening 6 which normally is covered by a lid 7.
• said lid 7 includes a locking device 8 by means of which the lid may be locked on the container for the purpose of making inappropriate reach to the interior of the container impossible.
• the locking device 8 is arranged in connection with the front of the container, the rear end of the lid 7 being perma ⁇ nently connected to the rear wall 4 of the container via a butt hinge 9.
• the locking device 8 may, in the usual way, be opened and locked by means of a key or the like.
• a first inner wall 10 extends obliquely backwards/downwards from the front wall 3, more precisely from the area of the transformation thereof into the lower oblique portion 3 ' .
• a second inner wall 11 extends obliquely forwards/ downwards from the inside of the rear wall 4 of the container.
• two additional inner walls 12, 12' extend downwards and inwards towards the centre of the container from the inside of the two outer side walls 5, 5' . All inner walls are wedge-shapedly tapering and interconnected via meeting edges.
• a bottom opening designated 13 is defined between the rear, second inner wall 11 and the lower, free edge of the first inner wall 10. As may be most clearly seen in fig 3, said opening is situated in the rear half of the container, more precisely about in-between the rear wall 4 and an imagined ver ⁇ tical plane through the centre of the container.
• a screw in its entirety designated 15 is arranged in connection with the bottom opening 13.
• the screw 15 comprises a central shaft part 16 and, protruding from the envelope surface thereof, a thin-walled thread part or wing 17 the diameter of which is at least twice as large as the diameter of the shaft part 16.
• the outer diameter of the thread part 17 should be 150-300, suita- bly 200-250% larger than the diameter of the shaft part. In this way, it is guaranteed that also relatively large articles of sweets may be fed out by means of the screw.
• the rear or inner end of the shaft part 16 is mounted in a hole in the inner wall 11.
• the front or outer end of the shaft part is, in a corresponding way, mounted in a hole in the lower, oblique front wall portion 3 ' , a protruding end of the shaf part presenting an operating device 18 in the form of a turning knob.
• the shaft part or the screw is oblique in relation to the horizontal plane by being mounted substantially perpendicularly relative to the two oblique and mutually parallel walls 3', 11.
• a chute 19 is arranged under the screw, parallel thereto, the cross-section of which chute is evident from fig 3.
• the chute 19 comprises a plane bottom 20 from which two oblique side flanges 21, 21' emanate which together form a V-shaped configu ⁇ ration.
• the bottom 20 of the chute extends from the lower edge of the rear inner wall 11 and transforms at a highest point 22 to a bent portion 23.
• the transforma ⁇ tion at the point 22 is situated at a marked distance from the bottom opening 13.
• the point 22 is also situated at a consider ⁇ able distance inside the lower edge of the oblique front wall portion 3', and at least at the same level as said edge.
• An oblique wall 24 forming a receiver part and which, in the example, serves as a sliding plane for the fed-out articles is arranged under the chute 19.
• the fed-out articles of sweets will slide down along the oblique wall 24 so as to be caught in e.g. a bag.
• a trough-shaped part in the form of a horizontal bottom with a protruding border instead of a sliding plane.
• the articles of sweets are caught in the trough part so as to be pick up by hand.
• the described dispenser operates in the following way.
• the lid 7 is closed and locked, whereby inappropriate reach to the contents via the upper part of the container is made impossible. Furthermore, the contents is pro ⁇ tected in a safe way against soiling, e.g. as a consequence of dust falling down.
• the bottom opening 13 is reliably closed. This means, on one hand, that the articles of sweets - irrespective of size - are reli ⁇ ably kept in the interior of the container and, on the other hand, that dirty articles of sweets or other objects may not be malevolently inserted to the interior of the container.
• the screw is placed inside the lower front wall por ⁇ tion 3' at least at the same level as the edge thereof, in a way making it difficult to reach the screw. Furthermore, the space between the wall portion 3 ' and the detail 23 is narrow and inaccessible.
• a consumer has decided to buy sweets from the dis ⁇ an, he sets the screw in rotation by turning the conven ⁇ iently accessible operating device 18.
• Such a rotation of the screw results in that the threaded part of the screw brings in ⁇ dividual or smaller quantities of articles of sweets from the mass of sweets which is positioned in the lower part of the container.
• the articles are then forced to first move upwards along the chute 19 so as to fall down by their own weight when they reach the highest point 22. After having passed the oblique bottom wall portion 23, they finally fall down on the sliding plane 24 and furthermore down in a bag in association with the free end of the sliding plane.
• the advantages of the invention are obvious .
• the screw together with the chute are oblique upwards/- outwards from the bottom opening of the container to the high- est point of the chute, it is guaranteed that large as well as small articles of sweets are reliably retained in the dispenser as soon as the user interrupts the rotation, in that each arti ⁇ cle which after such an interruption is in the vicinity of the highest point of the chute always tend to slide back along the chute in the opposite direction towards the ou -feeding direc ⁇ tion rather than falling out past the highest point of the chute.
• the dispenser for sweets is smooth and easy to handle in connection with the desired out-feeding in that the screw may be rotated easily and has the operating device thereof conveniently accessible in association with the front of the container.
• the location of the operating device in asso ⁇ ciation with the front of the container also means that the side walls of the container may be kept free from protruding details, involving that several dispensers for sweets may be put up side by side close to each other.

Landscapes

• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Confectionery (AREA)
• Vending Machines For Individual Products (AREA)
• Basic Packing Technique (AREA)
• Packging For Living Organisms, Food Or Medicinal Products That Are Sensitive To Environmental Conditiond (AREA)

Priority Applications (10)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=20399379

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (14)

Cited By (12)

Families Citing this family (6)

Citations (7)

• 1995
  • 1995-09-06 SE SE9503063A patent/SE507981C2/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
• 1996
  • 1996-09-03 BR BR9610405-8A patent/BR9610405A/pt not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1996-09-03 CA CA002230989A patent/CA2230989A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1996-09-03 AU AU69486/96A patent/AU6948696A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1996-09-03 CN CN96196737A patent/CN1195271A/zh active Pending
  • 1996-09-03 NZ NZ318100A patent/NZ318100A/xx unknown
  • 1996-09-03 EP EP96930461A patent/EP0957731A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1996-09-03 WO PCT/SE1996/001065 patent/WO1997008977A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1996-09-03 PL PL96325283A patent/PL325283A1/xx unknown
  • 1996-09-03 EE EE9800058A patent/EE9800058A/xx unknown
  • 1996-09-03 RU RU98106109A patent/RU2138188C1/ru active
  • 1996-09-03 IL IL12338096A patent/IL123380A0/xx unknown
  • 1996-09-03 JP JP9511120A patent/JPH11513260A/ja active Pending
• 1998
  • 1998-03-02 NO NO980893A patent/NO303924B1/no not_active IP Right Cessation

Patent Citations (7)

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