Patent ID: 8186543

Claim:
A toothpick dispenser, comprising: a chamber for holding a plurality of toothpicks, the chamber having an aperture through which a single toothpick is dispensed; a lift system associated with the chamber, the lift system being configured to dispense the single toothpick to a taking position such that a user is provided access to the single toothpick without coming into contact with the remaining plurality of toothpicks placed within the chamber; a sensor operably associated with the lift system, the sensor being configured to activate the lift system upon detection of the user; a drive system operably associated with the sensor and the lift system, the drive system being configured to activate the lift system upon detection of the user; a shaker system operably associated with the drive system, the shaker system being configured to shake the chamber; a dispenser cam driven by the drive system and operably associated with the lift system, the dispenser cam being configured to activate the lift system; and a shaker cam driver by the drive system and operably associated with the shaker system, the shaker cam being configured to activate the shaker system.