Abstract:
A device for dispensing cutlery utensils individually, having a housing containing a quantity of utensils with the housing having sides and product guides within. The front wall contains an opposing leaf escapement mechanism connected to it, to hold and singulate the utensils such that they dispense seriatim, without a user being required to physically touch or interface with any part of dispenser other than the actual desired utensil.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention pertains to a system and method of dispensing recyclable cutlery utensils and, more particularly, to a system and method that dispenses these utensils hygienically without users having to physically touch any part of a dispenser, other than the specific utensil they wish to dispense for their use. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A convergence of factors, such as reduced antibiotic effectiveness coupled with an increasingly fast food directed environment, have combined to create a need for a new cutlery dispenser. The dispenser should have both the ability to dispense cutlery in a hygienic manner and also provides an inventory control means in that it allots only one utensil per actuation. 
     Disposable cutlery such plastic spoons, forks, knives, and Sporks® are normally used in casual restaurant settings and are provided by the eating establishment for use in the restaurant and with take-out food. To ensure that this cutlery is provided in a hygienic form, a purveyor often purchases bulk quantities of individual portions of cutlery each pre-sealed in a small bag. The bag may also contain a napkin, dry condiments, and a hand sanitizer wipe. Such bags are generally more expensive than the sum of individual utensils due to the processing and materials necessary to form the bags. Also, these bags may provide more items than the user requires, which is uneconomical. 
     An option to such prepackaged bags is the presentation of cutlery in a tray or cup positioned near the point of sale. This approach allows the customer to select only the utensils desired. However, this form of supply can be unsanitary and unhygienic if a customer does not take a utensil that is purposely touched or inadvertently brushed against while rummaging through the proffered selection to find the perfect spoon for soup, for example. Airborne pathogens may settle on exposed surfaces of the remaining cutlery. The unregulated dispensing of the cutlery also permits the customer to take more utensils than needed, thus resulting in a lower profit margin for the establishment. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a reliable, efficient system for fulfilling recyclable cutlery needs. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a non-electric automatic cutlery fulfillment system that requires no power budget overhead and requires little involvement or oversight by the eating establishment. 
     It is another object of the present invention to broaden the scope of hygienic practices and ultimately provide a secure cutlery dispensing fulfillment system. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide a time limited inventory containment process to minimize undo cutlery dispensing for personal gain. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved method for dispensing cutlery in a controlled fashion. 
     It is further still another object of the present invention to provide stackable magazine sections to enlarge the capacity of the dispenser. 
     DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,134,519 for DISPENSER FOR ELONGATE THIN FLEXIBLE ARTICLES, by Barnett, et al, granted Jan. 16, 1979 discloses a dispenser for elongated thin flexible articles stacked within a cartridge package. The unit is made of a cartridge holder vertically positioned and having a front access door and interior projections whereby a cartridge may be placed in the holder with the door open and maintained in a predetermined vertical position within the holder after the door is closed. The cartridge is provided with an opening at its lower end. The holder is provided with an opening at its lower end shaped to prevent the removal of an article unless it is gripped and flexed to conform to the opening. For this purpose, the lowermost article within the holder is held in an inclined position with one end on a step projection at the bottom of the holder. An intermediate portion of the lowermost article engaging a holder projection into the lower holder opening which is disengaged when the lowermost article is gripped and flexed in a manner to conform to the shape of the holder opening to permit removal of the lowermost article only. Window openings in both the door and cartridge allow the remaining supply of articles to be viewed at the lower end of the cartridge within the holder. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,336,568 for CUTLERY UTENSIL DISPENSER, by Tucker, et al, granted Jan. 8, 2002 discloses apparatus for dispensing cutlery utensils one at a time upon hand operation of an externally accessible utensil delivery controller. The dispenser includes a housing having at least one interior compartment in communication with an exit opening. At least partially accommodable within the interior compartment is a stack of utensils within a cartridge capable of universally accommodating knives or forks or spoons and provided with a portal through which a single utensil can pass and wherein a dispensable utensil is situated. The portal is situated in a pathway aligned with the exit opening. The utensil delivery controller is an externally accessible hand operable ejector engageable with the dispensable utensil for ejecting the dispensable utensil from the portal of the cartridge and thereafter through the pathway to the exit opening for ultimate user retrieval. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,832,694 for DISPENSER FOR CUTLERY UTENSILS, by Goeking, et al, granted Dec. 21, 2004 discloses a utensil dispenser for dispensing a utensil. The dispenser includes a base, which defines at least one dispensing opening. At least one utensil is positioned on or adjacent to a top surface of the base. The dispenser includes a dispensing mechanism capable of moving the one utensil. The utensil is dispensed by the dispensing mechanism moving the utensil to fall through the dispensing opening. 
     United States Published Patent Application No. 2007/0108141 for DISPENSER FOR DISPOSABLE CUTLERY AND COMPONENTS THEREFOR, by Smith, et al, published May 17, 2007 describes a dispenser for disposable cutlery and also relates to banded packets of disposable cutlery that can be used in the dispenser, as well as other cutlery dispensers that do not use a cartridge therein. 
     U.S. Design Pat. No. D584,084 for REFILLABLE CUTLERY DISPENSER MAGAZINE, by Tucker, granted Jan. 6, 2009 discloses an ornamental design for a refillable cutlery dispenser magazine. 
     The previously outlined United States issued patents and published applications fail to adequately describe or disclose the present invention. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to an automated mechanical system and method for performing cutlery fulfillment for an organization that wishes to replace unhygienic cutlery dispensing. A preferred embodiment of the present invention includes an escapement mechanism that is manually activated as a customer removes a utensil from a dispenser and a replacement utensil is gravitationally compelled to seek its lowest point at the outlet of the dispenser, and subsequently replace a dispensed article, ready for activation by the next customer. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A complete understanding of the present invention may be obtained by reference to the accompanying drawings, when considered in conjunction with the subsequent, detailed description, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a top view of the no touch dispenser in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the no touch dispenser; 
         FIG. 3  is an end view of the no touch dispenser; 
         FIG. 4  is a detail at rest view of the no touch dispenser; 
         FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  are expanded section views of the no touch dispenser escapement mechanism; 
         FIG. 5  is a detail section dispensing view of the no touch utensil dispenser; 
         FIG. 5   a  is an expanded view of the no touch dispenser escapement mechanism; 
         FIG. 6  is a detail view of a flat utensil dispenser; and 
         FIG. 7  is an end view of the no touch dispenser refill embodiment. 
     
    
    
     For purposes of brevity and clarity, like components and elements of the apparatus of this invention will bear the same designations or numbering throughout the FIGURES. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The present invention relates to a system for dispensing various cutlery objects with a no-touch approach and a method of dispensing recyclable cutlery utensils. The system dispenses these utensils without users having to physically touch any part of a dispenser, other than the specific utensil they wish to dispense for use. 
     For a better understanding of the present invention, together with other and further objects, advantages and capabilities thereof, reference is made to the following disclosure and appended claims. 
     By the term “cutlery” or “utensil” as used herein is meant a recyclable polymeric or metallic product including one or more embodiments, such as a spoon, fork, knife, Spork, and other accoutrements of dining on a budget. 
     By the term “no touch” and “dispenser” as used herein is meant a device that distributes cutlery or utensils without the need for a person to touch anything other than the individual cutlery itself, and can be done with one hand and a minimum of effort or motion. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a top view of a no touch dispenser  100  showing, in this embodiment, a spoon  10 . Other cutlery items, such as forks, have similar boundary characteristics and subsequently are amenable to placement within the described invention with a minimum of alteration. In the described embodiment, the spoon  10  is constrained and aligned within guides  12  to ensure proper alignment and registration of the cutlery  10  to facilitate the proper sequencing and presentation of the individual cutlery items  10 . At both ends of the spoon  10  are disposed respective stops, designated as distal stop  14  and escapement release protrusion  16 . Escapement release protrusion  16  is described in more detail hereinbelow with respect to subsequent figures. Weight  18  enhances the ability of non-stackable cutlery to be retained and dispensed in an orderly fashion while not jamming dispenser with misguided utensils. Retention lead  21  allows weight  18  to descend inside the no touch dispenser  100  until such time as the cutlery  10  stock is depleted. At that time, retention lead  21  restrains the weight  18  from further descent into the exit area rest position  19  ( FIG. 2 .) 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , there is shown a side view of no touch dispenser  100  with a top cover  20  attached to the body of the dispenser  100  via a hinge  22  to allow the refilling of cutlery  10  without having to remove the dispenser  100  from its support structure, not shown. Such support structure may include a planar surface of a restaurant or a rotating collection of various cutlery dispensers that allow for the selection of eating supplies. Hinge  23  allows an operator to open a side of dispenser  100  to clear any utensils  10  from the interior of the unit  100 . A second embodiment of the current invention utilizes stackable magazine sections, not shown, that would allow the proprietor of the eating establishment to increase the cutlery capacity of the dispenser  100  by adding additional height to the dispenser. The stackable magazine section would have similar internal guide  12  structures to facilitate alignment and assembly ease of use. 
     This figure also shows a more detailed view of alignment guides  12  that work collectively to keep the cutlery  10  in a proper array for dispensing. When an item  10  is desired from the dispenser  100 , a user, not shown, grasps item  10  in a location near the proximal end  11  and removes the item in a linear motion along the major axis of the cutlery  10  from exit area rest position  19 . 
     Continuing with  FIG. 2 , the movement of cutlery  10  causes an escapement actuator finger  26  to move from a rest position  25  to an extended position  25 ′, thereby retracting escapement release protrusion  16  from its position opposite distal stop  14  and releasing the next replacement utensil  10  that is gravitationally compelled to seek a point of lowest energy. This release action exposes proximal end  11  of the next utensil  10  to the outside environment of the eatery for the next customer. The dotted lines denote the motion of the utensil  10  after the retracting of escapement release protrusion  16  causes a momentary cantilever action  17 . Distal stop  14  constrains the motion of the utensil  10  until the falling center of gravity pulls the utensil  10  from the distal stop  14 . Utensil  10  is guided to the exit area rest position  19  by flexible wires  24 . The flexible wires  24  also support and guide the utensil  10  when the exiting utensil  10  is not removed quick enough from dispenser  100  to allow the next utensil  10  to fill the exit area rest position  19  space. 
       FIG. 3  shows a front view of dispenser  100  much as a customer would see it, albeit without a utensil  10  ( FIG. 2 ) in the exit area rest position  19 . Also shown is groove  27  in the bottom slide guide  29  that handle  10  of the falling bottom utensil drops into and slides downward until the utensil  10  stops on escapement finger  26   
     Referring now to  FIGS. 4 ,  4   a , and  4   b , there are shown detail views of escapement mechanism  15  in the rest position. The rest position is that at which the dispenser is at rest, between the actions of dispensing a utensil  10  and the cantilever action  17  that occurs during the automatic replenishment of the utensil  10 .  FIG. 4   b  is an end view that shows escapement actuator finger  26  in rest position  25 . An escapement leaf spring  30  is mounted to an escapement spring axle  32  to allow the movement of escapement leaf spring  30  during the movement of escapement actuator finger  26  from rest position  25  to extended position  25 ′ ( FIG. 5 ). The escapement actuator finger  26  is held in place by an escapement actuator axle  36  that allows the pivoting motion between rest position  25  and extended position  25 ′. This motion, combined with an escapement actuator  38  being sandwiched between the two tines  16  and  34  of escapement leaf spring  30 , creates an expansion of spring tines  16  and  34  that allow for the singular dispensing of a utensil  10  while retaining the next to last utensil  10 ′. The motion is best shown as the difference between  FIGS. 4   a  and  5   a.    
     Referring now to  FIGS. 5 and 5   a , there is shown a detailed view of escapement mechanism  15  in the extended position. The dispenser  100  is currently dispensing a utensil  10  by the cantilever action  17  that occurs during the automatic replenishment of the utensil  10 . As mentioned hereinabove,  FIG. 5   a  illustrates the point at which a utensil  10  has been deployed and a replenishment utensil has come to the fore. As escapement actuator  38  begins to rotate about its axle  36 , the two escapement actuator corners  40  and  42  apply outward pressure on the two tines  16  and  34  of escapement leaf spring  30  to begin the process of singulation. Escapement spring hold protrusion  34  retains the inventory of stored utensils  10  inside dispenser  100  as each utensil  10  is dispensed. 
     The complete process for retrieving a utensil  10  and dispensing a replacement therefor is described below. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , there is shown a view of a dispenser  100  embodiment configured for dispensing flat utensils  10 , such as knives. The process for dispensing described herein is substantially similar. For knives, the falling utensil  10  strikes a longitudinal ledge  50  during the cantilever action  17  to create a rotation that occurs during dispense. Such a rotation pivots the knife into a 90-degree longitudinal position to the exit area rest position  19  to keep the utensil  10  from prematurely exiting the dispenser  100 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 7 , there is shown an end view of a bulk refill pack  200  of utensils  10 . In this view, utensils  10  can be any utensil dispensable by dispenser  100 . The bulk refill pack  200  consists of a stack of utensils  10  sheathed on three sides with a suitable material  72 , such as cardboard. The bottom of the stack  76  is open except for a band of backing material  71  that retains the utensils in the bulk refill pack  200  by use of a limited, localized pressure sensitive adhesive  70  applied to backing material  71  to create a section of pressure sensitive tape  73  for concomitant containment and cleanliness used to retain the stack  76  in place. The method for deploying the bulk refill pack is described below. 
     The following is the sequence for dispensing a no touch spoon or fork utensil. The top  20  hinges open for filling the dispenser  100  with utensils  10 . An operator loads the utensil bulk refill pack  200  while wearing rubber gloves, which is a normal item in the food industry. The utensils  10  are aligned by guides  12  along the Y-axis and the utensil container box  72  on the ends in the X-axis. The stack  76  of utensils  10  rests on two stops  14  and  16 . Distal stop  14  is a ledge that is part of the back wall of dispenser  100  and the complementary side is the escapement release protrusion  16 . Tab  74  of bulk refill pack  200  is pulled upwards on the utensil bulk refill pack  200 . A pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) tape  73  is peeled back on one side of the cardboard magazine container  72 . After the tape  73  is peeled across the bottom of stack  76 , the whole utensil stack  76  is released and the entire cardboard utensil container box  72  and tape  73  is removed vertically. A single utensil  10  is manually loaded into the exit area rest position  19 . At this point, the dispenser  100  is ready for use. 
     The consumer then pulls on handle  11  of the utensil  10  in the exit area rest position  19 . The escapement finger  26  rotates  25 ,  25 ′ about a pivot pin  36 . Two escapement finger corners  40 ,  42  push against the escapement leaf spring  30 . The escapement spring hold protrusion  34  engages the bottom handle surface of the next to last utensil  10 ′ to hold all but the last utensil in place. As the escapement finger corners  40 ,  42  continue to rotate, the escapement release protrusion  16  moves and releases only the bottom utensil handle  10 ″. The bottom utensil handle  10 ″ falls. The captured distal end  14  rotates, then releases  17  from the ledge  14 . The handle  10 ″ of the falling bottom utensil drops into a groove  27  in the bottom slide guide  29  and slides downward until the spoon or fork underside stops on escapement finger  26 . Two flexible wires  24  act as guides for the handle if the consumer pulls the exiting utensil  10 ″ too slowly. 
     The knife-only dispenser ( FIG. 6 ) operates the same way as the spoon and fork dispenser ( FIG. 2 ) but the knife goes through an extra motion to be ready for next dispense. Again, one knife  10  must be escaped or placed in the exit area rest position  19 . The escapement leaf spring  30  both releases the lowermost knife and holds the magazine stack  76  above the lowermost knife  10 ′. The handle  10 ″ starts to fall  17 . As the constrained end of the knife is released from the ledge  14 , the entire knife falls. A longitudinal ledge  50  on knife guide  12  restricts one side of the knife and the knife begins to pivot. The gaps of guide  12  are narrowed to keep the knife in a 90-degree longitudinal position as it falls. The lower edge of the knife drops into a groove  27  in the bottom slide guide  29 . The knife slides until it is stopped in the exit area rest position  19  by the escapement finger  26 . The escapement finger  26  may have a roller  31  on the bottom with teeth to match the knife serrations. Without the roller  31 , the knife serrations may be deformed as knife  10  is pulled  11  out of the exit area rest position  19 , making the knife a poor cutting utensil. The dispenser  100  is then ready to dispense the next knife. 
     Since other modifications and changes varied to fit particular operating requirements and environments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention is not considered limited to the example chosen for purposes of disclosure, and covers all changes and modifications which do not constitute departures from the true spirit and scope of this invention. 
     Having thus described the invention, what is desired to be protected by Letters Patent is presented in the subsequently appended claims.