US3421658A - Dispenser - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 14, 1969 Filed June 16, 1957 J. D. COOKSEY DISPENSER Jan. 14, 1969 J, coo s v 3,421,658

DISPENSER Filed June 16, 1967 1 Sheet '2 of 2 Jane; 0. Coal 1% United States Patent 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An improved dispenser for cards, razor blades, and other similar flat objects is described herein. The dispenser may be made of a one-piece plastic material, and it can be used for dispensing flat objects of a variety of thicknesses.

Background of the invention Many types of dispensers for cards, razor blades and the like are known to the art. However, these for the most part are not susceptible to simple and inexpensive construction. In addition, the usual prior art dispensers of this general type incorporate relatively complicated internal springs and the like to assist in retaining the objects in the dispenser to enable them to be properly dispensed on a one-by-one basis.

The improved dispenser to be described herein is one which can be easily fabricated, in that it can be molded from any appropriate plastic material, for example, as a single piece unitary structure. The dispenser is one which has a lid, or cover, which can be opened to receive the flat objects to be dispensed, and which can then be snapped closed and locked by a primary snap locking means. The dispenser has a secondary locking means which assists the primary snap locking means in holding the cover in a closed condition. The secondary locking means overcomes any tendency for the cover of the dispenser to how.

The dispenser to be described has slots at one or both ends which are normally resiliently closed, so that the fiat objects within the dispenser may be held in the dispenser until they are to be dispensed. The objects can be dispensed on a one-to-one basis merely by pushing the top object in the dispenser against one of the normally-closed end slots. This action pushes aside the resilient closure of the dispenser and permits the top flat object to be ejected. In this way a variety of thicknesses of objects can be handled by the dispenser without any likelihood of their inadvertently passing through the end slots, and without the need for any resilient or other means to hold the objects in the dispenser.

The dispenser is shaped so that when the top one of the stack of flat objects in its interior is pushed towards one of the slots, or the other, the forward end of the top object is raised to the proper position to permit it to be ejected, while at the same time, the other objects in the stack are retained in the dispenser.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description, when the description is taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Brief description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is a top perspective view of one embodiment of the dispenser, showing the dispenser as a flat rectangular object, with an opening in its cover to permit the thumb to be moved against the top fiat object of a stack retained in the dispenser, so as to move the top object towards one end or the other of the dispenser to cause the object to be ejected;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the dispenser with the cover in an open position;

FIGURE 3 is a cross section taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a side section taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken along the line 55 of FIGURE 2 and showing the cover in its open position;

FIGURE 5A is an enlarged fragmentary section, like FIGURE 5, but showing the cover in a partially closed position;

FIGURE 6 is a cross section taken substantially along the line 66 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary section, showing a portion of the section of FIGURE 4 on an enlarged scale.

Detailed description of the illustrated embodiment As shown in the drawings, the dispenser of the invention may take the form of a fiat rectangular object, which forms a tray-like compartment having a flat bottom 10. The dispenser also has a side wall 12 disposed at right angles to the plane of the bottom 10, and it also has a pair of end walls 13 which are outwardly inclined to the plane of the bottom, as shown.

The dispenser also has a pair of side members 16 formed adjacent the respective end walls 13 on the opposite sides thereof from the side wall 12. The members 16 extend perpendicular to the plane of the bottom 10, and they cooperate to form a partial side wall for the dispenser opposite to the side wall 12.

The dispenser also has a top lid, or cover 11. A side wall 14 is formed integral with the cover 11, and the side wall extends perpendicular to the plane of the cover. The side wall 14 spans the space between the members 16 when the cover is closed, so as to complete the enclosure for the dispenser.

A second perpendicular side wall 15 is also formed integral with the cover 11 and it, like the opposite side wall 14 extends perpendicular to the plane of the cover. The side wall 15 extends down over the outer surface of the side wall 12 when the cover 11 is closed, and it is shaped to engage the outer surface of the side wall 12in a releasa'ble resilient locking relationship when the cover is closed, as shown in FIGURE 4.

As best seen in FIGURE 2, the side wall 15 does not extend to the end of the cover. A further pair of members 17 are formed integral with the outer surface of the wall 12 and are disposed adjacent the respective ends 13. The foreshortened side wall 15 extends down between the members 17 when the dispenser is closed, and as best shown in FIGURE 1.

The cover 11 is attached to the body of the dispenser by means of 1a flexible hinge 18. The flexible hinge joins the adjacent edges of the side wall 14 and the bottom 10, as shown, for example, in FIGURE 2.

As best shown in FIGURE 3, the edge of the side Wall 14 engages a section 19 of the bottom 10 when the cover is closed. The section 19 has a reduced thickness with respect to the remaining portion of the bottom. When the cover is closed, the engagement of the edge of the side wall 14 with the section 19 of the bottom 10, as shown in FIGURE 4, assures that the lowermost flat object within the dispenser cannot become stuck under the edge of the side wall 14.

Because of the integral hinge 18, and of the pressure required to close the cover 12, there is a tendency for the cover to be bowed when the dispenser is closed. This howing tendency is prevented by means of a pair of secondary locking means. These secondary locking means are formed by the inter-relation between the side members 16 and the end portions 20 (FIGURE 2) of the inner edge of the cover 11. These edge portions 20 bear against the inner surfaces of the members 16 when the cover is closed, and

a as shown in FIGURE 1, so as to hold the cover firmly in place and in an unbowed condition.

As shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, as the cover is closed, the ends of the cover adjacent the end edges 20 ride up over the respective members 16 and snap down over the tops of the respective end walls 13 into the position shown in FIGURE 1, with the edge portions 20 of the cover 11 hearing against the inner faces of the members 16.

When the cover is closed there is normally no slot between it and either of the top edges of the end walls 13. However, when the thumb is placed through the opening 21 in the cover, the fiat object on top of the stack in the dispenser (FIGURE 3) can be pushed out the normally closed slot 23 between the ends of the cover and the upper edge of the corresponding one of the end Walls 13. During this action, one end or the other of the cover will resiliently move up about the hinge axis joining the points 22 to permit the fiat object to be dispensed.

Because some flat objects have a tendency to stick together, a small channel 23a may be cut partially into the side 13 (FIGURES 4 and 7) adjacent the normally closed slots 23. This channel 23a will assist in separating the top fiat object from the second flat object in the stack before the top flat object is pushed against the normally closed slot 23 and ejected.

It will be appreciated that the dispenser of the invention may be made out of a single piece of resilient plastic, as best shown by the view of FIGURE 2, so that the unit may be made quickly, efficiently and on a mass production basis. The inclusion of the primary and secondary locking means assures that the top 11 may be securely closed over the body portion of the dispenser and firmly snapped into place to form a fiat, rigid and unbowed structure.

The end slots 23 are normally closed, so that flat objects of a variety of thicknesses may be held loosely in the dispenser, without fear of any of such objects inadvertently passing through the slot 23. When it is desired to dispense the uppermost one of the flat objects, it is merely pushed towards one end or the other, thereby forcing back the resilient top 11 to cause the uppermost object to be dispensed through the normally closed slot. The ends 13 are shaped so that, when so pushed, the uppermost fiat object is directed upwardly into position to be dispensed through the slot 23, as shown in FIGURE 4. Also, the provision of the channels 23a provides a means for separating the uppermost fiat object from the next fiat object in the stack, should they inadvertently become stuck to one another.

The invention provides, therefore, an improved dispenser which may be fabricated efficiently and economically of a one-piece plastic construction, and which serves as a sturdy, simple yet completely satisfactory means for holding a stack of flat objects, and of permitting the fiat objects to be dispensed on a one-by-one basis as they are required.

While a particular embodiment of the invention has been described, modifications may be made. It is intended in the claims to cover the modifications which come within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A dispenser unit having a bottom;

a first side wall;

a pair of end walls;

a cover;

a hinge extending along one side of the cover and attached to said bottom along the side of said bottom opposite to said first side wall;

at least one of said end Walls being inclined With respect to the plane of said bottom and forming a slot with the corresponding end of said cover, said slot being normally closed by such corresponding end; and

side members on said side of said bottom opposite to said first side wall and adjacent respective ones of said end walls partially to enclose said second side, said hinge extending between said side members.

2. The dispenser unit defined in claim 1 in which the ends of said cover pass up over said side members when the cover is moved to a closed position and sna down over said end walls, with the edge of each of said ends of said cover bearing against respective ones of said side members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Exmm'ncr.

U.S. Cl. X.R.

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