Patent Publication Number: US-6336568-B1

Title: Cutlery utensil dispenser

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates in general to hand-operable dispensers for dispensing goods, and in particular to a cutlery utensil dispenser for dispensing eating utensils one at a time upon activation of an externally accessible hand operable ejector. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The fast-food, self-serve, restaurant industry has become a major, if not primary, destination of individuals and families who now are eating out more often for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. While such restaurants are generally pleasant and usually serve adequately nutritious fare, these establishments generally do not provide any upscale amenities as found in a typical sit-down restaurant with wait service. One particular area of concern is found in providing cutlery utensils for self-selection by customers. Specifically, at the present time a restaurant of this type has only two choices which are (1) providing individually wrapped, and therefore relatively expensive, utensils, or (2) providing a bin or container filled with unwrapped utensils into which all customers place their hands to retrieve a fork, knife, and spoon. As is apparent, the former approach assures cleanliness, while the latter approach, although relatively economical, is not a visually appealing choice and can spread hand-carried bacteria and the like to remaining unwrapped utensils for potential ultimate transmission to future customers. 
     In view of this important cleanliness issue of bin-held utensils as balance by economic concerns found in providing individually wrapped utensils, it is apparent that a need is present for equipment that can maintain and supply clean utensils without requiring individually wrapped knives, forks, and spoons. Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a cutlery utensil dispenser capable of dispensing utensils one at a time while maintaining remaining utensils in a sequestered environment. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a utensil dispenser wherein a cartridge filled with utensils cooperates with a hand operable utensil ejector which is integral with the dispenser such that ejector operation engages one utensil which is then delivered for user retrieval. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a utensil dispenser wherein a plurality of identically constructed cartridges, which selectively can respectively house knives, forks, and spoons, can be accommodated respectively by a single dispenser. 
     These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent throughout the description thereof which now follows. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a cutlery utensil dispenser for dispensing cutlery utensils one at a time upon hand operation of an externally accessible utensil delivery controller. The dispenser first comprises a housing having an interior compartment in communication with an exit opening. At least partially accommodateable within the interior compartment of the housing is a stack of utensils within a cartridge that is 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 of the interior compartment. Cartridge construction preferably is such that any of a respective stack of knives, forks, or spoons can be accommodated within a single universal cartridge configuration. Finally, the utensil delivery controller is an externally accessible hand operable ejector engageable with the dispensable utensil and situated for ejecting the dispensable utensil from the portal of the cartridge and thereafter through the pathway to the exit opening for ultimate user retrieval. 
     A second embodiment of the present cutlery utensil dispenser can include a plurality of interior compartments each in communication with a respective exit opening and a plurality of respective cartridges each within one interior compartment. Each compartment has in association therewith a hand operable ejector operable as above described such that respective utensils can be dispensed one at a time from each of the cartridges. 
     One preferred ejector operable as defined above is a hand-rotatable roller with at least one protruding ledge. Rotation of the roller causes the protruding ledge to engage the dispensable utensil and eject the utensil from the portal to the exit opening for user pick up. A second preferred ejector is a lever having a protruding distal end. Pivotal movement of the lever causes the distal end to engage the dispensable utensil and thereafter eject that utensil from the portal to the exit opening for user retrieval. In the manner above described, the utensil dispenser here defined accomplishes maintenance of cleanliness of all utensils without individual wrap while delivering clean utensils one at a time to respective individual users. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     An illustrative and presently preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a cutlery utensil dispenser mounted to a wall; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the dispenser of FIG. 1 in an open configuration with a utensil cartridge for positioning therein; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevation view in section along line  3 — 3  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged side elevation view in section of the lower portion of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a front elevation view in section along line  5 — 5  of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a top plan view in section of the cartridge of FIG. 2 within the dispenser; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a cutlery utensil dispenser; 
     FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of a third embodiment of a cutlery utensil dispenser with a cartridge there accommodated; 
     FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view of the dispenser and cartridge of FIG. 8; 
     FIG. 10 is a side elevation view in section of the dispenser and cartridge of FIG. 8; 
     FIG. 11 is a front elevation view in section along line  11 — 11  of FIG. 10; 
     FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the dispenser alone of FIG. 8; and 
     FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a cutlery utensil dispenser; and 
     FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of a cutlery utensil dispenser. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring first to FIGS. 1-6, a cutlery utensil dispenser  10  is shown mounted to a wall  15 . The dispenser  10  includes an interior compartment  12  in communication with an exit opening  14  and accessible through a closable door  16 . As shown particularly in FIG. 2, a cartridge  18  is accommodated within the interior compartment  12 . The cartridge  18  has at its lower end a removable cap member  20  that provides a portal  22  leading from the interior of the cartridge  18 . The portal  22  is sized such that a single cutlery utensil  24  can pass there through, and, in operation, the cartridge  18  has a stack of utensils  24  therein (illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6) such that one dispensable utensil  24  is within the portal  22  at all times until the cartridge  18  is empty. It is to be noted that each individual cartridge  18  will have a stack of only one utensil (knife, fork, or spoon) as opposed to a combination of utensils, but that each cartridge  18  itself is interiorly sized to accept knives, forks, or spoons universally. Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 6 with the employment of phantom lines, a cartridge  18  can house a stack of knives or a stack of forks or a stack of spoons. The cartridge  18  itself can be constructed of plastic, cardboard, or other appropriately rigid material, while the cap member  20  preferably is constructed of plastic. When the cartridge  18  is in place within the interior compartment  12  of the housing  10 , the portal  22  is situated in a pathway  26  aligned with the exit opening  14 . 
     Dispensing a utensil  24  is accomplished in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-6 by user rotation of an externally accessible ejector here being a rotatable roller  28  having at least one, and here shown as four, protruding ledges  30 . Upon rotation by a user of the external knob  32  of the roller  28 , one such ledge  30  engages a dispensable utensil  24  situated within the portal  22  as above described to accomplish delivery of that utensil  24  through the pathway  26  and into the exit opening  14  for user retrieval. Each subsequent rotation of the knob  32  will result in like engagement of another utensil  24  that has replaced by gravity feed the immediately preceding now-ejected utensil  24 . 
     FIG. 7 is a second embodiment of a cutlery utensil dispenser  40  of the same general construction as the embodiment of FIGS. 1-6 with a single exception being that of having as an externally accessible ejector a lever  42  whose proximal end  44  is pushed downwardly by a user to retrieve a utensil  24 . Lever operation is substantially identical to that as described below in connection with the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 8-11. 
     A third embodiment of a cutlery utensil dispenser  50  is shown in FIGS. 8-12, with FIG. 12 illustrating the dispenser  50  alone. The dispenser  50  includes an interior compartment  52  in communication with an exit opening  54 . The interior compartment  52  accepts only a lower portion  56  of a cartridge  58  such that a portal  60  integral to the cartridge  58  is within the interior compartment  52 . The portal  60  is sized such that a single cutlery utensil  24  can pass there through, and, in operation, the cartridge  58  has a stack of utensils  24  therein (FIG. 11) such that one dispensable utensil  24  is within the portal  60  at all times until the cartridge  58  is empty. It is to be noted that each individual cartridge  58  will have a stack of only one utensil (knife, fork, or spoon) as opposed to a combination of utensils, but, as earlier described, that each cartridge  58  itself is interiorly sized to accept knives, forks, or spoons universally. Thus, the illustration of forks  24  only in the cartridge  58  is for illustration only and is not meant to suggest utensil limitations. When the cartridge  58  is in place within the interior compartment  52  of the housing  50 , the portal  60  is situated in a pathway  62  aligned with the exit opening  54 . 
     Dispensing of a utensil  24  is accomplished in the embodiment of FIGS. 8-12, as well as in the embodiment of FIG. 7, by user depression of an externally accessible ejector here being a lever  64  whose proximal end  66  is pushed downwardly by a user to retrieve a utensil  24 . The lever  64  has an internally protruding distal end  68  wherein, upon pivotal movement of the lever  64  on its pivot point  70 , which occurs upon depression of the proximal end  66 , the protruding distal end  68  engages the dispensable utensil  24  for ejecting said utensil  24  from the portal  60  to the exit opening  54 . Upon release of the lever  64 , the distal end  68  thereof returns to its original position as shown in FIG. 10 and a subsequent utensil  24  drops in place within the portal  60  for subsequent ejection and delivery to the exit opening  54  upon user depression of the proximal end  66  of the lever  64 . As noted above, the lever  42  of the embodiment of FIG. 7 is constructed substantially identically to that of the embodiment of FIGS. 8-12 to thereby accomplish utensil delivery from a cartridge  18  within the dispenser  40 . As with the embodiment of FIGS. 1-6, the embodiments of FIG.  7  and of FIGS. 8-12 can be wall mounted as desired. 
     Because multiple cartridges may be required to deliver a greater volume of one type of utensil or to deliver more than one utensil (i.e. knife, fork, and spoon), the embodiment of FIG. 13 permits such multiple deliveries. Specifically, the third embodiment shown in FIG. 13 is a multiple utensil dispenser  90  with a square housing  92  that provides four identical dispensers  94  (two shown) each disposed on one side of the square housing  92  and each identically constructed to the utensil dispenser  50  of FIGS. 8-12 with identical exit openings  54   b  and levers  64   b . Interior compartments  52   a  likewise accept cartridges as described above in relation to the embodiment of FIGS. 8-12. The dispenser  90  is mounted to a conventional rotatable base  96  to thereby permit convenient placement on a table or counter for selective utensil retrieval. 
     FIG. 14 illustrates a fifth preferred embodiment of a self-supporting utensil delivery device  100  that includes a cutlery utensil dispenser  102  and a conventional metal standard  104  to which the dispenser  102  is mounted as with screws  106 . The dispenser  102  is identical to that of the embodiment of FIGS. 8-12, identically accommodates a universal utensil cartridge  58 , and identically dispenses utensils from the cartridge  58 . As is apparent, the embodiment of FIG. 14 finds utility in environs where dispenser mounting is not feasible. 
     As is apparent, all of the embodiments described accomplish clean delivery of cutlery utensils one at a time, without requiring individually wrapped utensils, by delivering these utensils from easily and conveniently placed and replaced cartridges initially filled with utensils. While illustrative and presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in detail herein, it is to be understood that the inventive concepts here presented may be otherwise variously embodied and employed and that the appended claims are intended to be construed to include such variations except insofar as limited by the prior art.