Patent ID: 9359106
Filing Date: 2016-06-07
CPC Classification: A47F,B65D

Claim Text:
1. A product dispensing system comprising: a dispenser frame having a front end and a rear end, said dispenser frame comprising: an upper support deck extending between said front end and said rear end, said upper support deck comprising a deck rear end, wherein said deck rear end of said upper support deck defines an opening proximate said rear end of said dispenser frame; an opening tool proximate the rear end of the upper support deck; a lower support deck positioned below said upper support deck, said lower support deck extending between said front end and said rear end and defining a first product display area, wherein said lower support deck slopes downward toward said first product display area; and an intermediate support deck positioned between said upper support deck and said lower support deck, said intermediate support deck extending between said front end and said rear end and defining a second product display area, wherein said intermediate support deck slopes downward toward said second product display area; a container positioned on said upper support deck and initially housing a plurality of products each having a diameter, the container comprising: a base wall, a rear wall, two side walls extending from the base wall and connected to the base wall along opposed longitudinal side edges of the base wall, and an opening formed in the base wall when the container is moved longitudinally along the upper support deck from the front end to the rear end; and wherein the opening tool creates said opening in said container by cutting a first severance line proximate to and parallel with a first one of the opposed longitudinal side edges and a second severance line proximate to and parallel with a second one of the opposed longitudinal side edges, wherein said opening in said container is initially closed by an opening feature defined at least partly by said severance lines, the container after first contacting the opening tool traveling further along the upper support deck by a distance at least as large as the product diameter, wherein the products are dispensed through the opening in the base wall when the opening in the base wall is located rearward of the opening tool.