Patent ID: 9049949
Filing Date: 2015-06-09
Classification: A47F

Abstract:
1. A food container lid dispenser comprising: multiple support surfaces, mutually coplanar and horizontal in a support condition; multiple grippers arranged symmetrically about a vertical axis and movable alternatively towards and away from the vertical axis, each gripper configured to engage lid edges of a portion of a vertical lid stack located on the support surfaces without transmitting substantial force to the stack; a moveable lid separator configured to be moved into a location between the two bottom-most lids in the lid stack; and a dispensing operator configured to cause the grippers to move toward the vertical axis to engage the lid stack and place the separator between the two bottom-most lids, and subsequently move the support surfaces away from the vertical axis to allow a bottom lid to fall from the lid stack; and wherein: the dispensing operator further comprises multiple magnetic pairs, each pair arranged to mutually repel each other to force a respective gripper or support surface away from the vertical axis.