Patent ID: 6427868
Filing Date: 2002-08-06
Classification: A47F

Abstract:
A cup dispenser for sequentially dispensing individual, disposable, rimmed cups having diameters varying from each other by several centimeters, from a stacked column thereof, comprising a cup-retaining and dispensing body provided with a tubular opening having a lower edge and with retaining means consisting essentially of at least two flexible flange members descending from an inner wall of said dispensing body, a first member of said members being subdivided into two portions and a second member of said members being subdivided into two portions wherein a first portion of each of said of narrower width than a second portion of each of said members and extends from a central area of said second portion, said first portion of said first member, in conjunction with the opposed first portion of said second member, underlying and supporting the rim of a lowermost cup of said stacked column placed therein, and a second portion of said first member, in conjunction with the opposed second portion of said second member, simultaneously overriding the rim of said lowermost cup, and underriding and supporting the rim of the next to lowermost cup in said stacked column, whereby said pairs of first portions retain said lowermost cup until the removal thereof from said dispenser, while said pair of second portions of said opposed flexible flange members support and retain the next to lowermost cup during the removal of said lowermost cup from said dispenser.