Patent ID: 7992748
Filing Date: 2011-08-09
Classification: G07F

Abstract:
1. An earplug dispenser comprising: a container adapted to hold a quantity of earplugs to be dispensed, the container having a downwardly opening mouth; a cover attached to the container to close the downwardly opening mouth, the cover having: a rotatable member carried in the cover for rotation about the vertical axis, the rotatable member having a plurality of conduits extending vertically through the rotatable member, each conduit adapted to receive an earplug from the container, the conduits arranged in an annular array about the vertical axis to align one at a time with the dispensing port to allow an earplug carried in the conduit to be dispensed downwardly through the dispensing port, the rotatable member having an outer peripheral surface surrounded by said inwardly facing surface of the cover and accessible through said aperture in the cover for manual rotation of the rotatable member, the peripheral and cylindrical surfaces sized relative to each other to prevent earplugs from jamming between said surfaces; wherein: the rotatable member further comprises an upwardly facing annular surface; and the cover is a two-piece construction, with one of the pieces defining the inwardly facing surface, and the other piece defining a downwardly facing surface overlying part of the rotatable member.