Article dispensing – Concurrent separation and distortion of flexible article – By ejecting means
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-11
2001-01-09
Noland, Kenneth W. (Department: 3651)
Article dispensing
Concurrent separation and distortion of flexible article
By ejecting means
C221S259000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06170697
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the field of devices which dispense the top item of a stack from the stack of such items. In particular, a preferred embodiment of the invention relates to dispensing the uppermost cup type coffee filter from an inverted stack of such coffee filters.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Prior art devices of this kind of which the inventor is aware, include those disclosed in the following U.S. Patents:
No. 5,671,865 which is the inventor's own patent
No. 5,097,984
No. 5,067,627
No. 4,971,222
No. 4,805,801
No. 4,739,902
No. 4,674,635
No. 4,285,114
No. 4,269,324
No. 3,871,641
No. 3,124,268
No. 2,819,817
No. 2,478,815
No. 2,290,006
No. 1,719,451
No. 1,362,058
No. 416,340
The inventor is also aware of the device shown and described in Italian Patent No. 343,567. United States patents as well as foreign patents are available to those who are interested including the general public. Copies thereof can be obtained without difficulty.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The dispenser for coffee filters in accordance with this invention is an improvement over those known to the prior art. It includes a housing to receive an inverted stack of cup type coffee filters, wherein the cup of the lowest inverted coffee filter receives the bearing plate of a spring biased telescoping shaft which biases the stack upwardly toward the open upper wall of the housing.
A dispensing assembly is mounted on the open upper wall having a carrier slidably mounted thereon for sliding movement between a forward position and a rearward position. An ejecting member is pivotably mounted in the carrier, having a pivotable laterally extending rear wall and elongated contact members extending normal to and from the lower lateral edge of the lateral rear wall and forwardly from the rear wall. Pivot posts extend outwardly from both opposite sides of the lateral rear wall of the ejecting member at the level of its upper lateral edge to seat in apertures of the respective side walls of the carrier. When the rear wall of the ejection member pivots on such pivot posts in the direction of rotation that moves its lower lateral edge forward, the elongated contact members extending normal to and from the lower longitudinal edge as well as forwardly thereof are pivoted upwardly. When the rear wall of the ejection member then pivots in the opposite direction of rotation, its lower lateral edge moves rearward which causes the elongated contact members to pivot downwardly.
The dispensing assembly mounted on the open top wall of the housing includes a planar floor having longitudinally extending open receiving slots having width dimensions corresponding to but slightly larger than those of respective ones of the elongated contact members for reception through such slots for frictional contact with the uppermost inverted coffee filter of the stack received in the housing when the elongated contact members are pivoted downwardly.
The stack facing surface of the contact members have a planar layer of friction enhancing material thereon for enhanced frictional contact with the upturned bottom surface of the top coffee filter of the stack. The also have a projecting lateral rib along their laterally extending rear edge where they are integrally joined to the lower lateral edge of the pivotable rear wall of the ejecting member. Such rib projects outwardly from the stack facing surface of the contact members slightly farther than the plane of the layer of friction enhancing material. Thus, when the contact members are pivoted downwardly for contact with the upturned bottom surface of the facing coffee filter, the lateral rib comes into contact with the upturned bottom surface of the coffee filter before the layer of friction enhancing material.
When the carrier is slidingly moved rearward, the lateral rib in contact with the upturned bottom surface of the facing coffee filter causes the lower edge of the rear wall of the ejection member to pivot forwardly and the elongated members extending therefrom to pivot upwardly away from and out of contact with such facing coffee filter. Thus, the top coffee filter in the stack is not moved as the carrier is moved rearwardly. When the carrier then moves forwardly, the lateral projecting rib in contact with the upturned bottom surface of the top facing coffee filter in the stack causes the rear wall of the ejection member to pivot rearwardly and the elongated contact members to pivot and bear downwardly into pressured frictional contact with the upturned bottom surface of the top coffee filter in the stack. The lateral rib continues to exert such downward pressure of the contact members against the upturned bottom surface of the facing coffee filter as long as the carrier is moving forward and the rib is in contact with such upturned bottom surface of the filter. This pressurized frictional contact of the friction enhanced layers of material on the stack facing surfaces of the elongated contact members is sufficient to dislodge the uppermost coffee filter from the stack and to thereafter move it forwardly and out through the open front wall of the housing as the carrier moves to its full forward position.
The carrier is normally biased to its full forward position by a pair of coil springs connected along each side thereof.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5067627 (1991-11-01), Anderson
patent: 5097984 (1992-03-01), Meisner et al.
Kettelson Ernest
Noland Kenneth W.
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