Abstract:
A drawer for the storage, display, and dispensing apparatus for dispensing tickets of various sizes without the use of moving parts. The dispensing apparatus includes a bin for storing tickets and a dispensing slot utilizing tension arms to guide and control the dispensing of tickets.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates in general to an apparatus for the display and dispensing of lottery tickets and more specifically to such apparatus that utilizes tension arms to guide tickets through a dispenser.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     It is known in the art to store and dispense lottery tickets for instant lottery games. Such tickets are sold in a variety of retail establishments and are commonly found in grocery stores and convenience stores. Lottery tickets are often dispensed manually by the simple process of detaching a ticket or tickets from a ticket pack, according to the requirements of the ticket purchaser. However, with a variety of different types of instant lottery games now being offered, it has become commonplace for establishments selling such tickets to use different types of ticket display and dispensing devices for the tickets. A problem with previous devices has been the dispensing of tickets of various thicknesses. The tension on the ticket must be great enough to prevent the ticket from falling out of the dispenser, but not so great that the ticket becomes stuck in the dispensing slot.  
         [0005]     Means of providing an efficient and effective device for the dispensing and accounting of tickets that are sold are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,572; 3,978,958; 4,982,337; and 5,222,624. Although such vending devices appear to be highly efficient in dispensing and accounting lottery tickets, they are expensive to purchase, relatively complex to operate and maintain, and take up more space than is normally available for ticket dispensing devices. U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,926 B1 discloses a relatively inexpensive alternative to the previously listed devices, but other than a friction roller used as means to account for the number of tickets sold, the device has no means to guide the tickets through the dispenser and aid in separation of series connected tickets.  
         [0006]     Box-like ticket dispensers with tension-governed exits are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 978,052; 2,887,247; 4,738,384; 5,100,038; and 5,399,005. While the devices disclosed in these patents utilize tension to dispense tickets, all of them are more complex than the present invention, requiring springs, rollers and/or manual adjustments in order to properly function. These parts suffer from wear as tickets are dispensed, and require servicing to restore the device to proper function.  
         [0007]     One objective of the present invention is to provide a space saving structure with simplified means for providing continual proper tension on lottery tickets as they are drawn through the dispensing slot, without need for springs, moving parts, manual adjustments, or servicing.  
         [0008]     A second objective is to provide a structure at lower manufacturing cost with fewer maintenance needs.  
         [0009]     A third objective of the present invention is to provide a drawer to accommodate tickets of varying thicknesses.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     The present invention provides for the storage, display, and dispensing of various types of lottery tickets that have varying thicknesses. The ticket dispensing apparatus of the present invention includes a drawer for storing a pack of tickets, a ticket holding bin, and a ticket dispensing assembly utilizing tension arms which guide tickets through the apparatus. Because the tension arms are flexible, tickets of varying thicknesses experience tension without becoming stuck in the slot.  
         [0011]     One of the advantages of the present invention is that it is of a simple design that does not wear like rollers, requires no moving parts like springs or rollers, costs less to produce and maintain, and lasts longer before requiring replacement.  
         [0012]     Another advantage of the present invention is that the dispensing slot can accommodate tickets of various thicknesses due to the use of resilient tension arms.  
         [0013]     Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated from the following description. The description makes reference to the accompanying drawings, which are provided for illustration of the preferred embodiment. However, such embodiment does not represent the full scope of the invention. The subject matter, which the inventor does regard as his invention, is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of this specification. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]      FIG. 1  is a top plan view of the preferred embodiment of a ticket dispenser.  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is a side view in elevation of the ticket dispenser of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is a side cross-sectional view in elevation of the ticket dispenser of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  is a front view in elevation of the ticket dispenser drawer of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0018]      FIG. 5  is a side perspective view of the preferred embodiment of a tension arm assembly. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0019]     With reference to the drawings, a ticket dispenser in the form of a drawer that is the preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed at  10  in  FIG. 1 . The drawer  10  has a dispensing end  12  and an opposite end  14 . At the dispensing end  12  is a ticket dispensing assembly  16 . As best seen in  FIG. 4 , the ticket dispensing assembly  16  comprises a ticket dispensing slot  18  defined by an upper guide portion  20  and a lower guide portion  22 . Referring back to  FIG. 1 , the drawer  10  contains a ticket holding bin  24 , which has a floor  26 , a front wall  28 , a rear wall  30 , and two side walls  32  and  32 ( a ). Four of such bins  24  are in the preferred embodiment.  
         [0020]     In the preferred embodiment, a tension arm assembly disclosed at  34  in  FIG. 5  is removably attached to the front wall  28  of the bin  24 .  FIG. 3  shows the attachment. A resilient tension arm  35  extends from the tension arm assembly  34 . In the preferred embodiment, three of such tension arms  35 ,  35 ( a ) and  35 ( b ) extend from the tension arm assembly  34 . The tension arm assembly  34  has means for associating said tension arm with said front wall. In the preferred embodiment, said means comprises an elongated portion  37  and spaced apart sidewalls  40 . The sidewalls  40  form a slot  38 , in the elongated portion  37  of said tension arm assembly and the slot  38  frictionally engages front wall  28  as seen in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0021]     As seen best in  FIG. 3 , a directing means  42  such as a curved elongated member or roller is positioned laterally across the opposite end  14  of the drawer  10 . A plurality of series connected tickets  44  are stored in the bin  24  and are looped around said directing means  42  and then passed through the dispensing slot  18 . As the tickets  44  pass over the tension arm  35 , an outer edge  36  of said tension arm  35  presses said tickets  44  against said upper guide portion  20 . This pressure controls the movement of tickets  44  through the dispensing slot  18  and inhibits movement of tickets  44  through the dispensing slot  18  as one or more of said tickets  44  are separated from the rest of said tickets  44 . The tension arm  35  deflects as tickets  44  pass over it, allowing for tickets  44  of varying thicknesses to pass through the dispensing slot  18  without becoming stuck. In the preferred embodiment, the tension arm  35  is formed of acetal, which is a resilient, flexible, and inexpensive substance.  
         [0022]     Another aspect of the preferred embodiment is the curvatures of the upper guide portion  20  and the tension arm  35 . The upper guide portion  20  as shown in  FIG. 3  comprises a bulge  21  toward the tickets  44  to guide the tickets  44  down and under the upper guide portion  20 . The tension arm  35  is reciprocally shaped with a concave portion  37  facing the tickets  44  to guide the tickets  44  up and over the tension arm  35 . As tickets  44  are fed into the dispensing slot  18 , the bulge  21  and the concave portion  37  of the upper guide portion  20  and the tension arm  35 , respectively, guide tickets  44 .  
         [0023]     The drawer is constructed such that it can be placed inside a drawer housing  50  as shown in  FIG. 6 . As seen in  FIG. 1 , protruding side edges  46  and  46 ( a ) extend from the drawer  10 . These side edges may be used to engage a reciprocal means in a drawer housing  50 . The dispensing end  12  of the drawer  10  contains a lock  48  to secure the drawer  10  inside the drawer housing  50 .  
         [0024]     Thus, the present invention has been described in an illustrative manner. It is to be understood that the terminology that has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation.  
         [0025]     Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. For example, the number of bins  24  and tension arms  35  may deviate from the preferred embodiment. Therefore, within the scope of the appended claims, the present invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.