Abstract:
A dispensing actuator locking assembly for a bulk inventory dispenser. The dispenser includes a housing, a lockable dispensing actuator pivotally connected to the housing, and a gate connected to the dispensing actuator and adapted to pivot between a closed position and an open position to selectively dispense the bulk product through an opening in the housing when the dispensing actuator is in an unlocked condition. The dispensing actuator cannot be accidentally actuated unless and until the locking assembly is purposefully disengaged by the user of the dispenser.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/241,430, filed Sep. 11, 2009, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference thereto. 
     
    
     RELATED PATENTS 
       [0002]    U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,182,864 and 6,241,123 to Elmore, both of which are owned by Trade Fixtures, LLC of Little Rock, Ark. and which teach gravity-fed dispensing systems. The teachings of both patents are incorporated herein by reference thereto. 
       FIELD 
       [0003]    The present invention relates generally to a bulk inventory dispensing apparatus and, more particularly, to a gravity-fed dispensing apparatus with a locking dispensing actuator. The apparatus allows bulk inventory stored in a dispensing bin to flow under the force of gravity upon release of a dispensing actuator locking portion of the bin thereby enabling rotation of the dispensing actuator. Once released, the dispensing actuator can then be articulated to permit stored inventory to be dispensed through an output portal of the bin into a receptacle. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0004]    Gravity-fed bins for dispensing bulk inventory are used to dispense a wide variety of materials having a range of sizes and aggregate make-ups as diverse as hardware components, e.g., nuts and bolts, to retail grocery food, e.g., pastas, cereals, nuts, coffee (either beans or ground), dried soup mixes, candies, spices, and the like. Generally, such a bin is comprised of a hopper-type enclosure having an inlet at an upper end utilized to fill the enclosure with bulk inventory, an outlet or chute at its lower end utilized to dispense the material, and a flow control device located intermediate the upper and lower openings and controlled by a manually-actuated gate mechanism. This arrangement, in turn permits manipulation of the amount of inventory being dispensed during the interval the handle or other control device is actuated. In operation, as the inventory is being dispensed, the force of gravity causes the portion stored above in the cavity to progressively migrate towards the lower end to replace the void left as portions of the inventory is dispensed. These types of bins generally include a downwardly angled or curving floor within the cavity that forms a slide to channel the stored inventory into a receptacle downstream from the outlet gate. Examples of prior art gravity fed bins can be found in the above-mentioned U.S. patents to Elmore, U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,866 to Loew, NewLeaf Designs&#39; Vita-Bin® gravity bin product, and BestBins Corporation&#39;s gravity bins product. 
         [0005]    Heretofore, the one means for dispensing such stored bulk inventory was to employ a bulk food dispenser generally known as a “scoop bin.” As the name suggests, a scoop bin typically comprises a plastic bin, often having a hinged lid that is lifted to provide the consumer access to the stored contents. A hand scoop is then employed to gather the bulk product for placement into a container. While scoop bins are effective for dispensing a wider variety of product than a gravity type dispenser, they suffer from several major disadvantages, particularly in the area of hygiene, because of the contamination that can take place in these types of dispensers. Sources of contamination include germs that may be attached to the scoop or scoop handle being transferred to the stored product during dispensing or from external debris falling into the bin cavity when the bin&#39;s lid is lifted. Lastly, since the nature of scoop bins requires their openings to be located closer to the floor for access reasons, they are generally within the reach of children and others who are not hesitant to reach into the unsecured bins with potentially unclean hands in order to extract a sample, or even play with the bin contents. In addition, scoop bins also suffer from inventory shrinkage, both from pilferage and from accidental spillage. 
         [0006]    Gravity-fed bins offer a multitude of advantages compared to other dispensing means, such as scoop bins, including convenience, ease of use and hygiene. However, the ease in which inventory can be dispensed from gravity-fed dispensers sometimes works against itself in that the handle may be easily actuated and thus dispense inventory through the chute regardless of whether there is a receptacle in place to catch it. This type of dispensing may be accidental, such as a child in a grocery cart tugging on a bin handle, or less so in the case of pilferage or pranks emanating from a portion of grocery clientele and is often referred to as “shrink” or “shrinkage.” 
         [0007]    Bulk inventory shrinkage adversely affects a grocery retailer in a number of ways. First there is the cost of replacing the lost inventory that was dispensed from the gravity-fed bin without payment. Second, shrinkage stemming from accidental spills can make a mess that must be quickly cleaned up. There remains a need for a reliable, clean and easy to operate bulk inventory dispenser that can save costs by reducing shrinkage. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    The invention disclosed herein addresses and overcomes the shortcomings inherent in providing the consuming public access to self-serve, gravity-fed bulk inventory bins. The present invention provides a means for locking out a dispensing actuator until a user of the bin physically pulls down on a grip surrounding an output portal. Since the consumer would normally surround the output portal with the opening of a plastic bag or the like, dispensed materials will be directed to where they are intended, that is, a bag containing bulk inventory to be taken to the checkout and paid for. 
         [0009]    The bulk product dispenser with a bag grip release according to the present invention is preferably constructed of molded clear plastic, such as polycarbonate, but other materials and color configurations are anticipated. For food related dispensers, it is also preferable to utilize materials that have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and constructed in accordance with food service specifications issued by NSF Int&#39;l of Ann Arbor, Mich. 
         [0010]    One aspect of the present invention is a locking means for a dispenser of stored bulk inventory. The dispenser comprises a housing, a lower opening in the housing comprising an output portal, a dispensing actuator pivotally connected to the housing, a gate connected to the dispensing actuator and adapted to pivot between a closed position and an open position between a storage cavity and a dispensing cavity within the dispenser, a locking mechanism in communication with the dispensing actuator to prevent its unintentional actuation, and an actuator proximate the output portal and coupled to the locking mechanism. When a consumer properly places a receiving container at a predetermined position relative to the output portal, it triggers an actuator thereby releasing the locking mechanism and thus allows rotation of the dispensing actuator and the dispensing of the bulk inventory from the dispenser through an opening in the housing and ultimately into the receiving container. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    Further features of the inventive embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the embodiments relate from reading the specification and claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a side elevation of a gravity-fed, bulk inventory dispenser in the art according to U.S. Pat. No. 6,241,123; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a front end elevational view of a bulk product dispenser in a locked condition according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a side elevational view of the bulk product dispenser of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a front end elevational view of the bulk product dispenser of  FIG. 2  in an unlocked condition according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a side elevational view of the bulk product dispenser of  FIG. 4 ; and 
           [0017]      FIGS. 6A through 6D  show the bulk product dispenser of  FIG. 1  being utilized to dispense product. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0018]    In the discussion that follows, like reference numeral are used to refer to like elements in the various figures. 
         [0019]    A gravity-fed, bulk inventory dispenser  10  as available in the art from Trade Fixtures, LLC of Little Rock, Ark. is shown in  FIG. 1 . Dispenser  10  includes a housing  18  for storing bulk product. Housing  18  is shown mounted to a base  79  via mounting arm  76 . As can be seen, a dispensing area  21  is contiguous to an output portal  42  which is shown fitted with stationary bag grip ribs at  84 . Housing  18  may also include a detachable front portion  22  to provide access to a portion of the interior of dispenser  10  for service and maintenance. 
         [0020]    A lid  12  fits atop housing  18  to provide selectable access to the interior of the housing for refilling depleted bulk inventory. Lid  12  may be removable or hinged to housing  18 , and may be held in place in any conventional manner, such as mating projections on the lid and/or the housing. 
         [0021]    A dispensing actuator  34  is pivotally attached to housing  18 . A gate (not shown) is arranged to selectively block and unblock an opening (not shown, but internal to the housing  18  proximate dispensing arm  21 ) between the cavity  16  of housing  18  and dispensing output portal  42 . The gate is mechanically coupled to dispensing actuator  34  such that the gate, if unimpeded, raises when the dispensing actuator is pivoted in a predetermined manner. Under this condition, bulk inventory stored within a cavity  16  of bulk inventory dispenser  10  is permitted to flow from within the cavity, through output portal  42  and, preferably, into a consumer-guided receptacle (not shown). While the opening is blocked by the gate, bulk inventory stored in bulk inventory dispenser  10  is prevented from being discharged. 
         [0022]    Referring now to  FIGS. 2 through 5 , details of an embodiment of a dispensing portion  100  of the present disclosure is shown according to an embodiment of the present invention. Dispensing actuator  34  and a gate  102  coupled to the dispensing actuator are held in a predetermined, closed position by a first biasing element  104  such that the gate blocks the flow of stored inventory through an opening passage  106  when the dispensing actuator is not being actuated. Biasing element  104  may be any suitable structure effective to hold dispensing actuator  34  in the predetermined position including, without limitation, elastic materials, helical springs, torsion springs and leaf springs. 
         [0023]    With further reference to  FIGS. 2 through 5 , a dispensing actuator release assembly  108  is depicted in a locked upward position in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , and in an unlocked downward position in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . According to the disclosed embodiment, the dispensing actuator release assembly  108  comprises a bag grip actuator  110  generally surrounding an output portal  112 . The bag grip actuator  110  is biased in an upward position by a second biasing element  114  such as, without limitation, elastic materials, helical springs, torsion springs and leaf springs. An upper portion of bag grip actuator  110  includes a first cutout portion  116  that is sized and shaped to receive a similarly sized and shaped second cutout portion  118  of dispensing actuator  34 . When at rest, as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , second cutout portion  118  engages first cutout portion  116 , thereby impeding rotation of dispensing actuator  34  and thus deterring movement of gate  102  away from passage  106 . If a user pulls on dispensing actuator  34  while the bag grip actuator  110  is in the locked, upward position, dispensing actuator  34  will not rotate and the gate  30  that retains the bulk inventory in the housing  18  is not moved. Conversely, as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , if bag grip actuator  110  is urged downwardly as at “A,” first and second cutout portions  116  and  118  respectively are disengaged from each other, allowing dispensing actuator  34  to rotate downwardly as at “B” and gate  102  to move away from passage  106 . 
         [0024]      FIGS. 6A through 6D  illustrate the dispenser  10  of the present invention in operation. Firstly,  FIG. 6A  shows dispenser  10  with dispensing actuator release assembly  108  in its locked position, deterring movement of dispensing actuator  34  and gate  106 . In  FIG. 6B , a user first places a receptacle  120  around bag grip actuator  110  and below output portal  112 . During this step, with the bag grip actuator  110  in the upward position, the dispensing actuator  34  remains locked and will not rotate. As shown in  FIG. 6C , bag grip actuator  110  has been urged downwardly, preferably while the user holds receptacle  120  in place around output portal  112 . Once bag grip actuator  110  is urged downwardly, dispensing actuator  34  is now unlocked and free to rotate. At this unlocked stage when dispensing actuator  34  is pulled by the user, it rotates and progressively moves gate  102  away from passage  106  ( FIG. 5 ), allowing bulk inventory  122  to flow through the passage for dispensing. Dispensing actuator  34  may be repeatedly actuated by the user until a desired amount of bulk inventory  122  is dispensed into the receptacle  120 . Once the desired amount of bulk inventory  122  has been dispensed, the user releases both dispensing actuator  34  and bag grip actuator  110  to their respective positions at rest as at  FIG. 6D , thereby causing dispensing actuator  34  to once again be locked from rotating by the re-engagement of the first and second cutout portions. 
         [0025]    In addition to using first and second cutout portion  116 ,  118  respectively with aspects of dispensing actuator  34  in order to prevent its rotation, other dispensing actuator locking arrangements are anticipated by the inventors within the scope of the invention. For a non-limiting example, an actuator may be located on a portion of the dispensing actuator  34  itself and provide interference with the rotation of the dispensing actuator until actuated. Likewise, an actuable safety could be employed at a position between the dispensing actuator  34  and the body of the dispensing bin. Only by moving the safety into an unlocked condition could dispensing actuator  34  be rotated and bulk inventory dispensed. 
         [0026]    While this invention has been shown and described with respect to a detailed embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes in form and detail thereof may be made without departing from the scope of the claims of the invention.