Patent ID: 7021491

Claim:
An article storage area and lid opening mechanism therefore comprising: an article storage area, having an article dispensing opening at a top portion thereof, and a hinged lid mounted over the opening so as to have at least a predetermined range of arcuate movement thereover between a lid open and a lid closed position, said lid having a lifting portion thereon adapted for engagement with a lid opening/closing mechanism, and a lid opening/closing mechanism mounted adjacent the article storage area and positioned in a spaced-apart relationship to the lid lifting portion when the lid is in the closed position, the mechanism having: an engaging portion adapted for engaging the lid lifting portion, and a drive portion for alternately driving the engaging portion in a direction toward the lid lifting portion during a lid opening operation, and then the driving the engaging portion in a reverse direction during a lid closing operation, wherein the engaging portion is adapted to contact the lid lifting portion while being driven by the drive portion toward the lid lifting portion during a lid opening operation, and at a time after initial contact with the lid lifting portion become positively engaged to the lid lifting portion, and the engaging portion is adapted to remain positively engaged with the lid lifting portion during the remainder of the lid opening operation, and then positively disengage from the lid lifting portion while the engaging portion is driven in the reverse direction and after the lid has moved over substantially all of said predetermined range of arcuate movement during the lid closing operation.