Patent ID: 11930941
Assignee: TWIST-EASE, INC.
Field: Handling (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC A  B | IPC A  B

Claim 20:
21. A method of using a twist-tie dispenser, the method comprising:
providing a twist-tie dispenser comprising a base including a top portion defining a twist-tie cluster mounting surface, a rear wall that defines a vertical plane extending downward from the top portion, and an open front, the dispenser further comprising a latching structure configured for removably mounting the base to a fixture including at least one mounting structure in the form of a rod, the latching structure defined at least in part by a first extension protruding from the rear wall of the base, the first extension defining a pocket formed by an upper stop surface and a vertical retention surface, the latching structure also defined at least in part by a flexible portion of the rear wall that is configured to elastically deflect through a cut-out provided on the rear wall in a direction from the rear wall toward the open front when the mounting structure of the fixture is inserted into the pocket of the first extension, wherein the vertical plane is defined generally by non-flexible portions of the rear wall surrounding the flexible portion and wherein the flexible portion of the rear wall is configured to elastically deflect toward the open front past the vertical plane such that, when a twist-tie cluster has been mounted to the twist-tie cluster mounting surface of the top portion of the base, the flexible portion is limited from deflecting through the cut-out due to contact with the twist-tie cluster, wherein the flexible portion is configured to generally freely elastically deflect through the cut-out past the vertical plane when a twist-tie cluster has not been mounted to the base, the cut-out being defined by the non-flexible portions of the rear wall and extending from a bottom-most edge of the rear wall upwardly partially toward the top portion, the flexible portion also defining a lower stop surface that opposes the upper stop surface of the first extension when the mounting structure is within the pocket of the first extension and is captured between the lower stop surface and the upper stop surface;
slidably inserting the mounting structure of the fixture into the pocket of the first extension until abutting the upper stop surface;
while slidably inserting the mounting structure of the fixture into the pocket of the first extension, deflecting the flexible portion of the rear wall through the cut-out provided on the rear wall until the mounting structure is captured between the upper stop surface of the first extension and the lower stop surface defined by the flexible portion.