Patent Publication Number: US-7900798-B1

Title: Disposable cup dispenser

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENTS 
     N/A. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to disposable cup dispensers and specifically to disposable cup dispensers to be used in a bathroom or washroom and mounted on an existing wall-mounted cup holder. 
     Many homes, apartments, and a condominiums, particularly older homes, apartments, and condominiums, have installed in the bathroom or washroom a wall-mounted cup holder. These cup holders are typically ceramic, glass, plastic, or metal, and are rigidly and permanently affixed to the wall several inches above the bathroom counter or backsplash. The wall-mounted cup holder typically consists of a vertical wall flange with a horizontal cup-holding ring attached thereto. The cup-holding ring often has slots or holes arrayed around it for storing toothbrushes. 
     Wall-mounted cup holders typically come with a cup that is dimensioned to be received in the cup-holding ring but too large to pass entirely through the cup-holding ring. The cup is usually made of the same material as the cup holder. If the cup is ceramic, glass, or plastic, the cup is easily broken if dropped on a hard surface, like a hard bathroom countertop or ceramic tile floor. Moreover, if children are using the bathroom or washroom, the cup can become lost or inadvertently thrown in the trash. When the cup is broken or lost, it can be difficult to find a replacement cup that fits appropriately. Accordingly, there is a need for a replacement for the old-fashioned cup holder with a single cup. 
     Another problem with old-fashioned wall-mounted cup holders is that they are not sanitary. First, there is just one cup. If the bathroom is being used by two or more people, the users will be faced with using the same cup and thereby exchanging contagions. This is especially true if the users are ill and are using the cup to take medicines (e.g., swallow pills and capsules). In addition, because people often use the cup to rinse out their mouths after brushing their teeth, the cup is usually fouled with toothpaste residue. 
     Equipping bathrooms and washrooms with small disposable cups solves many of the problems associated with old-fashioned wall-mounted cup holders. First, the inconvenience associated with losing or breaking the cup is alleviated. Next, the sanitation issues described above are alleviated. Although the breakage, loss, and sanitation issues are resolved, a number of new problems can be introduced if disposable cups are used. For example, if the disposable cups are placed in a stack on the rim of the sink or on the countertop, they consume part of the limited space surrounding the sink. This is especially true if the sink is contained in a small vanity or mounted without a vanity at all (e.g., pedestal sinks and cantilever-mounted sinks). Of course, the cups cannot be placed in the cup holder because they would pass right through the cup-holding ring. In addition, stacks of cups on the countertop or side of the sink are easily knocked over. 
     If the cups are placed in a dispenser (e.g., cardboard or plastic box), they consume even more of the limited space surrounding the sink or on the countertop. Finally, if the box is placed on the wall-mounted cup holder, it is easily knocked off and broken and will obstruct the toothbrush slots of the cup holder. Accordingly, there is a need for a disposable cup dispenser that does not consume space around the sink or on the countertop and which can be easily attached, removed, and refilled. Furthermore, there is a need for such a dispenser that attaches to an existing wall-mounted cup holder without obstructing the toothbrush slots in the holder. 
     Another problem with wall-mounted cup holders is that they are not easily removed (e.g., for repair or replacement). The wall-mounted cup dispenser is permanently attached directly to the wall with lag screws, wood screws, drywall fasteners, or other means known in the art. Removal of the cup holder, therefore, leaves the wall scarred with unsightly holes. This problem is greatly exacerbated when the wall to which the wall-mounted cup holder is fastened is covered with ceramic tile or wainscoting. If the wall is covered in ceramic tile or wainscoting, repair costs are even higher as tiles or sheets of wainscoting must be replaced. Accordingly, there is a need for a method of converting a wall-mounted cup holder to a disposable cup dispenser that does not require removing the wall-mounted cup holder. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to its major aspects and briefly recited, the present invention is a disposable cup dispenser designed specifically to reside on and be frictionally attached to an existing wall-mounted cup dispenser. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the disposable cup dispenser of the present invention is comprised of three major components: a hollow tube, a gasket ring, and a top. The hollow tube is dimensioned to receive and store a stack of disposable cups (e.g., 3 oz. Dixie® bath cups) to be downwardly dispensed therefrom. Attached to the bottom end of the hollow tube is the gasket ring, which is dimensioned to be received in but not pass entirely though the cup hole of a wall-mounted cup holder. Attached to the top end of the hollow tube is a removable or hinged top, which permits the hollow tube to be filled with cups without removing the entire cup dispenser from the wall-mounted cup holder. 
     A special feature of the present invention is the gasket ring. In order to be received into but not pass through the cup hole of a wall-mounted cup holder, the gasket ring&#39;s outside dimension tapers inward from top to bottom with the diameter at the top being larger than the diameter of the cup hole of the wall-mounted cup holder and the diameter at the bottom being smaller than the cup hole of the wall-mounted cup holder. In addition to the tapered shape, the gasket ring is deformable so that when it is pressed and/or twisted into the upward-facing hole of the wall-mounted cup holder, the gasket becomes securely lodged therein. With the gasket ring firmly attached to the wall-mounted cup holder, the cup dispenser cannot be tipped over easily. 
     Another feature of the present invention relates to the outside diameter of the gasket ring and hollow tube. Both the gasket ring and the hollow tube have outside diameters that are sufficiently small so that they do not obstruct the toothbrush slots of the wall-mounted cup holder. That is, when the disposable cup dispenser of the present invention is mounted in and secured to the wall-mounted cup holder, the toothbrush slots remain accessible such that toothbrushes can be easily inserted and removed therefrom. 
     Another feature of the present invention is a disposable cup dispenser that downwardly dispenses only one cup at a time out of a wall-mounted cup holder. The means for ensuring that only one disposable cup is dispensed at a time can be located in the hollow tube or the gasket ring. The prior art is replete with examples of such means including but not limited to tabs, protrusions, fingers, shoulders, constrictions, springs, and/or leaves designed to snag, bear upon, or otherwise ensure that the cups are dispensed, one at a time, in an orderly fashion. 
     Another feature of the present invention is a method of converting a wall-mounted cup holder into a wall-mounted disposable cup dispenser. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method includes the steps of (1) providing a disposable cup dispenser comprised of a hollow tube, means for ensuring that only one disposable cup is dispensed at a time, a gasket ring, and a hinged lid, wherein the gasket ring is dimensioned to be received into the cup hole of a wall-mounted cup holder without obstructing the toothbrush slots in the wall-mounted cup holder, (2) securing the disposable cup dispenser in the wall-mounted cup holder by inserting, pressing, and twisting the gasket ring into the hole of the wall-mounted cup holder, (3) opening the hinged lid of the hollow tube of the disposable cup dispenser, (4) inserting cups into the hollow tube with the bottoms of the cups facing downward so that the cups can be downwardly dispensed from the hollow tube and out of the gasket ring, and (5) closing the lid of the hollow tube. 
     These and other features and their advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a careful reading of the Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention is a disposable cup dispenser designed specifically to be mounted on an existing wall-mounted cup holder. The following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention is just one example of the possible versions of the present invention and is not presented as the only embodiment and should not be seen as limiting the scope of the invention claimed herein. 
     In the drawings,  FIG. 1  shows the disposable cup dispenser of the present invention  10  suspended over the wall-mounted cup holder  16 , which is rigidly attached to wall  22 . Note that  FIG. 1  shows the disposable cup dispenser  10  just before it is lowered onto and attached to wall-mounted cup holder  16 . That is, prior to insertion of the deformable gasket ring  14  into cup hole  27  of the wall-mounted cup holder  16  so that cups  26  can be dispensed downwardly out of the cup dispenser. 
     Hollow tube  12 , having a first end  11  and a second end  13 , serves as the main housing for cups  26  and can be made of any rigid material such as plastic, glass, cardboard, wood, or metal. Below hollow tube  12  and attached thereto is gasket ring  14 , which has a first end  15  and a second end  17 . The first end  15  of gasket ring  14  is the end from which cups  26  are dispensed. The second end  17  of gasket ring  14  is attached to the first end  11  of hollow tube  12 . Gasket ring  14  can be attached to hollow tube  12  by any means known in the art. For example, gasket ring  14  could be glued or threaded onto hollow tube  12 . Alternatively, gasket ring  14  could be affixed to hollow tube  12  simply by friction. Gasket ring  14  could also be attached to hollow tube  12  via a tongue-and-groove arrangement (see  FIG. 3 ). 
     An important feature of gasket ring  14  is that the outside diameter of the first end  15  of gasket ring  14  is dimensioned to fit inside the cup hole  28  of a wall-mounted cup holder  16 . The outside dimension of second end  17 , however, is larger than cup hole  28  so that gasket ring  14  cannot pass entirely through cup hole  28 . This ensures that the disposable cup holder  10  remains on top of and does not fall through cup hole  28  of wall-mounted cup holder  16 . 
     Another important feature of gasket ring  14  is that it is deformable. That is, gasket ring  14  is made of an elastic material such as foam rubber, urethane foam, PVC foam, or cork. Alternatively, gasket ring  14  could be a sac or shell filled with air, water, or a gel. The deformability of gasket ring  14  permits it to be firmly seated within cup hole  28 , such that hollow tube  12  and the rest of the disposable cup dispenser  10  do not tip over and off of wall-mounted cup holder  16 . 
       FIGS. 1 and 2 , respectively, show the disposable cup dispenser  10  just prior to and after it is mounted on wall-mounted cup holder  16 . To mount cup dispenser  10  in wall-mounted cup holder  16 , the user simply inserts the first end  15  of gasket ring  14  into cup hole  28 . After the first end  15  of gasket ring  14  is inserted into cup hole  28 , the user, holding gasket ring  14  and/or hollow tube  12 , gently presses down and twists gasket ring  14  so that it is snuggly seated into cup hole  28 . 
     The disposable cup dispenser  10  can be attached to the wall-mounted cup holder  16  regardless of whether hollow tube  12  contains cups  26 . If the hollow tube  12  contains cups  26  when the disposable cup dispenser  10  is attached to the wall-mounted cup holder  16 , the dispenser  10  is ready to use and cups  26  can be dispensed downwardly out of disposable cup dispenser  10 . If disposable cup dispenser  10  does not contains cups  26  when it is attached to wall-mounted cup holder  16 , the user can simply fill the dispenser  10  with cups  26  by opening hinged top  24  and placing cups  26  into hollow tube  12 . After loading, the dispenser  10  is ready to use and cups  26  can be dispensed downwardly out of disposable cup dispenser  10 . 
     Although the preferred embodiment of the disposable cup dispenser  10  of the present invention shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  is equipped with a lid  24  that is hinged, the lid  24  could be attached to hollow tube  12  in other ways. For example, the lid  24  could be threaded onto or tethered to hollow tube  12  or simply kept on hollow tube  12  by its own weight. Alternatively, the lid  24  could be frictionally attachable to but completely removable from hollow tube  12 . 
     Note that the outside diameter of hollow tube  12  is sufficiently small to ensure that toothbrush slots  18  of wall-mounted cup holder  16  are not obstructed. Accordingly, the present invention allows the user to combine the toothbrush storing features of a wall-mounted cup holder  16  with the sanitary features of a disposable cup dispenser  10 . 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  also show a preferred embodiment of the method of the present invention. Specifically, these figures show the conversion of a wall-mounted cup holder  16  into a wall-mounted disposable cup dispenser  10  ( FIG. 2 ). This embodiment of the method of the present invention includes the following steps: (1) providing a disposable cup dispenser  10  comprised of a hollow tube  12 , means for ensuring that only one disposable cup is dispensed at a time (see tabs  19  of  FIG. 3 ), a gasket ring  14 , and a hinged lid  24 , wherein the gasket ring  14  is dimensioned to be received into the cup hole  28  of a wall-mounted cup holder  16  without obstructing the toothbrush slots  18  in the wall-mounted cup holder  16 , (2) securing the disposable cup dispenser  10  in the wall-mounted cup holder  16  by inserting, pressing, and twisting the gasket ring  14  into the hole  28  of the wall-mounted cup holder  16 , (3) opening the hinged lid  24  of the hollow tube  12  of the disposable cup dispenser  10 , (4) inserting cups  26  into the hollow tube  12  with the bottoms of the cups  26  facing downward so that the cups  26  can be downwardly dispensed from the hollow tube  12  and out of the gasket ring  14 , and (5) closing the lid  24  of the hollow tube  12 . 
       FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the disposable cup dispenser  10  of the present invention, showing the interface of the hollow tube  12 , gasket ring  14  and cups  26 . Note that lid  24  shown in this embodiment, in contrast to lids  24  of the embodiment in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , which were hinged, is held on simply by its own weight and is not secured to hollow tube  12  or otherwise tethered to disposable cup dispenser  10 . Note also in  FIG. 3  that gasket ring  14  is attached to hollow tube  12  via a tongue and groove arrangement, with the tongue  29  of hollow tube  12  fitting into the groove  30  of gasket ring  14 . Of course, any arrangement that securely attaches gasket ring  14  to hollow tube  12  would suffice, including fusing, gluing, threading or using any other fastener or fastening means known in the art. 
       FIG. 3  also shows that gasket ring  14  is inwardly tapered from top to bottom. That is, first end  15  of gasket ring  14  is narrower than second end  17  of gasket ring  14 . This enables gasket ring  14  to be securely seated into the cup hold of  28  of wall-mounted cup holder  16  ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ). Finally,  FIG. 3  shows the manner in which the cups  26  reside in hollow tube  12  and gasket ring  14  and the means for ensuring that only one cup  26  is dispensed at a time. In this particular embodiment of the present invention, flexible tabs  19  are located in and attached to gasket ring  14 . Tabs  19  project downwardly and inwardly and catch the rims  32  of cups  26 , thereby ensuring that only one cup  26  is dispensed at a time. Note that although tabs  19  in  FIG. 3  are attached to gasket ring  14 , they could, alternatively, be attached to hollow tube  12 . The tabs  19  could also be integral to gasket ring  14  or hollow tube  12 . 
     Although  FIG. 3  shows tabs  19  as the means for ensuring that only one cup  26  is dispensed at a time, there are many other devices and configurations that are capable of serving the same function and the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3  is not intended to limit the present invention to that particular design. The following patents disclose additional means for ensuring that only one cup is dispensed at a time: U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 2003/022098 (disclosing dispensing rings with tabs); U.S. Pat. No. 4,163,508 (disclosing semicircular cardboard tabs); U.S. Pat. No. 3,669,307 (disclosing projections and recesses in the inner wall of the dispensing tube); U.S. Pat. No. 3,563,411 (disclosing integral projections); U.S. Pat. No. 3,435,988 (disclosing hook-like resilient fingers); U.S. Pat. No. 3,261,500 (disclosing cup-retaining projections having rounded shoulders); U.S. Pat. No. 2,740,551 (disclosing shoulders bearing on the outside rim of the bottom-most cup); U.S. Pat. No. 2,614,687 (disclosing resilient lips); U.S. Pat. No. 2,487,736 (disclosing spring fingers). 
     It is intended that the scope of the present invention include all modifications that incorporate its principal design features, and that the scope and limitations of the present invention are to be determined by the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. It also should be understood, therefore, that the inventive concepts herein described are interchangeable and/or they can be used together in still other permutations of the present invention, and that other modifications and substitutions will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description of the preferred embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.