Patent ID: 8025181
Filing Date: 2011-09-27
Classification: G07F

Abstract:
1. A sanitary lid dispensing device to provide a dispensing of a single sanitary lid for a beverage container from a plurality of stacked sanitary lids to a person serving a beverage, comprising: a cabinet having a front service enclosure defining at least one service compartment with a front panel having a side hinge attaching said front panel to a side of said cabinet, an upper controller enclosure defining a controller compartment with an upper access door having an upper hinge attaching said upper access door to a rear panel of said cabinet; operational electronic components contained within said controller compartment providing electrical relays, timers, breakers sensor relays, transformer and electrical wiring required to operate said device, including a bi-directional motor defining a motor mounting flange mounting within said controller compartment with a descending motor shaft having a lateral shaft aperture, said motor shaft placed in a vertical position through a lower controller enclosure outlet into said at least one service compartment; at least one externally threaded rotary rod having an upper end defining a motor shaft socket within which said motor shaft is inserted and retained by a shaft pin inserted through a lateral bore in said motor shaft socket and said lateral shaft aperture of said motor shaft, said motor shaft and said motor shaft socket connecting below or within said lower enclosure outlet, said rotary rod further defining an external thread and a lower end terminating into a tapered conical tip wherein said plurality of stacked sanitary lids are retained upon said rotary rod through a central bore of said plurality of stacked sanitary lids; a press plate having a flat lower surface, side margins and an internally threaded central rod bore threadably engaging said external threads of said rotary rod, said press plate traveling vertically up and down said threaded rotary rod as said rod rotates, said side margins maintaining said press plate within said at least one service compartment in a horizontal position during vertical movement; and a presence sensor, activated by the placement of a hand within said device, located within said service compartment below said internal frame member which, when activated, activates said operational electronic components to cause said motor to rotate said threaded rotary rod in a programmed incremental amount, urging said press plate downward against said plurality of stacked sanitary lids, forcing said plurality of stacked lids downward along said rotary rod, expelling said lowest lid in from said lower end of said rotary rod within said at least one service compartment.