Earplug dispenser

Details Earplug dispenser Earplug dispenser

2001-06-26

2003-08-12

Noland, Kenneth W. (Department: 3653)

Article dispensing

With means to agitate, vibrate or jar articles in supply...

Rigidly mounted on or incorporated in discharge assistant

C221S265000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06604653

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to ear protection, and more particularly to a manually operated earplug dispenser.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
Disposable earplugs are used in large quantities in manufacturing and industrial operations. Convenient access to earplugs on-site is essential to ensure worker safety and to enhance operating efficiency.
Traditional methods of earplug distribution include providing a large open box of individual earplugs for workers to access as needed. Often, however, workers will inadvertently acquire more earplugs than are necessary when accessing the box by hand. Extra earplugs are commonly discarded about the work space, wasting the earplugs and requiring subsequent clean-up efforts. Additionally, sanitization of the earplugs is jeopardized in such a free-for-all distribution.
In another traditional method of earplug distribution, earplugs are packaged in pairs and placed in large open boxes proximate to manufacturing and industrial sites. Workers may then access the packaged plugs by hand ensuring only two plugs are attained at any one time and preserving the sanitization of the wrapped earplugs. This system of earplug distribution, however, substantially increases the cost of manufacturing the earplugs as now a packaging step is required. Further, wrapped earplugs result in unnecessary waste as the packaging is used only once and then discarded, often on the floor of the workspace, thus requiring subsequent clean up.
Recent advances in earplug distribution methods include utilizing stand alone or wall-mount dispensing mechanisms.
FIGS. 1 and 2
show various views of a traditional earplug dispenser
10
. The dispenser
10
generally includes a mount assembly
12
to which an earplug container
14
is affixed. A rotatable impeller assembly
16
is located within the earplug container
14
for facilitating dispensing of earplugs
18
which are stored within the earplug container
14
. The impeller assembly
16
includes a wheel
20
having impeller openings
22
formed therein. The impeller assembly
16
also includes a raised portion
24
formed centrally on the wheel
20
to promote movement of the earplugs
18
within the container
14
toward the impeller openings
22
. Further, the impeller assembly
16
includes a knob portion
26
which extends generally from the raised portion
24
to the exterior of the earplug container
14
.
The impeller assembly
16
is traditionally a uniform construction of integrally molded plastics and is designed to manually rotate within the earplug container
16
. An operator of the traditional earplug dispenser
10
rotates, by hand, the knob portion
26
thus turning the wheel
20
within the earplug container
14
. The impeller openings
22
are intended to catch individual earplugs
18
and traverse them about a base
28
of the earplug container
14
toward a dispensing opening
30
through which the earplugs
18
pass into a hand of the operator.
However, due to the pliable nature of compositions commonly used to manufacture earplugs, rotation of the wheel
20
is often inhibited by the earplugs
18
becoming jammed between edges of the impeller openings
22
and the base
28
of the earplug container
14
as the earplugs
18
are dragged towards the dispensing opening
30
. Inhibited rotation of the wheel
20
greatly reduces the overall efficiency of the earplug dispenser
10
. Further, such jammed earplugs
18
are compressed under the forces exerted by the rotating wheel
20
, thus, decreasing in size and allowing additional earplugs
18
to enter the particular impeller opening
22
. This often results in several earplugs
18
being passed through the dispensing opening
30
at a time. The operator of the dispenser
10
generally needs only two earplugs, the excess of which are typically discarded resulting in waste and degrading the efficiency of the earplug dispenser
10
.
Further, the traditional earplug dispenser
10
is suitable for allowing the passage of only certain earplugs
18
. That is, conventionally, the impeller openings
22
and the dispensing opening
30
are designed so as to provide the passage therethrough of specified earplugs
18
of a particular size and shape. Additionally, the traditional dispenser
10
functions properly only in conjunction with earplugs
18
of a designated material composition. Therefore, the earplug dispenser
10
typically may not be used with earplugs of varying shapes, sizes, and materials, thus reducing the flexibility and overall efficiency of the traditional earplug dispenser
10
.
Thus, an earplug dispenser is desired which ensures sanitation of earplugs plugs contained therein while allowing efficient, effective, and consistent distribution of earplugs of a variety of shapes, sizes, and compositions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, a mechanism for dispensing earplugs is provided. The mechanism generally includes a container for storing the earplugs, a dispensing assembly attached to the container for dispensing the earplugs, and a mounting assembly for releasably retaining the earplug container and the dispensing assembly.
The mounting assembly of the present invention includes a base for supporting the mechanism. A neck is mounted to the base and rises vertically therefrom. The mounting assembly also includes an upper portion mounted to the neck. The upper portion receives and retains the earplug container and the dispensing assembly. The mounting assembly may stand freely upon the base supporting the earplug container and the dispensing assembly thereupon or the mounting assembly may alternatively be mounted to a vertical support by fastening the neck thereto.
The earplug container of the present invention is substantially a storage bin for containing the earplugs and includes an opening through which the earplugs may pass. The earplug container is shaped so as to promote the movement of earplugs toward the opening.
The dispensing assembly is mounted to the earplug container at the container opening. The dispensing assembly allows a selective dispensation of the earplugs from the container.
The dispensing assembly includes a channel plate releasably mounted to the container at the opening. The channel plate includes a plurality of channels formed therein through which the earplugs are dispensed. The channel plate also includes a through opening formed centrally therein.
The dispensing assembly further includes a shutter plate located adjacent the channel plate, opposite the earplug container. The shutter plate includes a shutter opening formed therein.
The dispensing assembly also includes an impeller located within the earplug container adjacent the channel plate. The impeller is attached to the shutter plate through the through hole of the channel plate. In this way, the shutter plate and the impeller may rotate relative to the channel plate selectively bringing the shutter opening into alignment with the channels of the channel plate, thus allow passage of the earplugs therethrough.
Further, the dispensing assembly includes a funnel fixably attached to the shutter plate such that rotation of the funnel correspondingly rotates the shutter plate and the impeller.
An operator of the earplug dispensing mechanism of the present invention rotates, by hand, the funnel of the dispensing mechanism. Such rotation correspondingly rotates the shutter plate and the impeller. The rotation of the impeller within the earplug container stirs the earplugs and settles the earplugs toward the channel plate, prompting the earplugs to enter the channels. Rotation of the shutter plate beneath the channel plate circumferentially moves the shutter opening relative to the channel plate. The shutter opening selectively aligns with the channels thus allowing an earplug located within the respective channel to pass through the shutter opening and into the funnel. The funnel guides the dispensed earplug to the awaiting hand of the operator.
The earplug dispensing mechanism of the present invention allows discrete d

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