Cutlery utensil dispenser

摘要

A cutlery utensil dispenser has a housing that includes a first zone for holding a utensil to be dispensed, a second zone for receiving the utensil during dispensing, and a third zone for delivering the dispensed utensil to a user. The first, second and third zones are cooperatively configured and adapted to maintain, and present to the user, one end of the utensil ahead of an opposing end of the utensil during a dispensing operation.

主权项

1. A cutlery utensil dispenser, comprising:
a housing comprising a left panel and a right panel, a first zone for holding a utensil to be dispensed, a second zone for receiving the utensil during dispensing, and a third zone for delivering the dispensed utensil to a user, wherein the utensil has a utensil width; a dispensing mechanism comprising a driving member operably coupled to a driven member, the driven member being operably disposed to dispense a next-in-line utensil from the first zone to the second zone upon actuation of the driving member, the driven member comprising a crank comprising at least one dispensing finger proximate the next-in-line utensil; wherein a width of the housing between the left panel and the right panel is determined by a width of the first zone plus a width of the second zone, wherein the width of the housing is equal to or less than three times the utensil width; the first, second and third zones being cooperatively configured and adapted to maintain, and present to the user, one end of the utensil ahead of an opposing end of the utensil during a dispensing operation; wherein: each of the first zone, the second zone and the third zone are adapted and configured to maintain a major axis of the utensil substantially parallel with a y-z plane in relation to a set of orthogonal x-y-z axes, wherein the crank has an axis of rotation oriented parallel with the major axis of the next-in-line utensil; the first zone is configured to orient the major axis of the utensil substantially parallel to the z-axis; the second zone being offset from the first zone in a first direction defined by a negative-x direction; the third zone being offset from the second zone in a second direction defined by a positive-z direction orthogonal to the first direction; and the dispensing mechanism is structurally configured and disposed to facilitate a movement of the major axis of the utensil from the first zone to the second zone in the first direction while maintaining the major axis of the utensil substantially parallel with the y-z plane.