| 摘要 |
A serpentine product dispenser has a substantially “S”-shaped down chute between a cartridge containing rolling products, an exit port, and a lower feed channel leading to a product selection area. Jam-free feeding of cans from the cartridge is accomplished by forming the down chute in three arcuate sections. An upper arcuate section causes a first can falling through the exit port to impact a second can still in the dispenser, delaying motion of the second can, such that a third can follows the first can. A central arcuate section causes the first can to maintain rolling contact with a second can still in the cartridge, further facilitating the movement of the third can toward and into the down chute. A lower arcuate section directs cans toward the dispenser lower feed ramp and product selection area after they traverse the down chute upper and central arcuate sections. |
| 主权项 |
1. A serpentine product dispenser with a top, a bottom, a front, a back, a first side, and a second side, for dispensing cans having a radius from a cartridge containing a plurality of rows of cans, the dispenser comprising:
a) a loading ramp disposed between the first side of the dispenser and the second side of the dispenser near the top of the dispenser, having a first end located near the front of the dispenser and a second end located a distance from the back of the dispenser, the second end of the loading ramp forming an exit port first end, the first end of the loading ramp being higher than the second end of the loading ramp, such that the loading ramp forms an angle relative to a horizontal, biasing cans in the cartridge located on the loading ramp to roll toward the back of the dispenser; b) a back wall forming an exit port second end separated by at least one can diameter from the exit port first end, disposed between the first side of the dispenser and the second side of the dispenser at the back of the dispenser, limiting rearward motion of the cartridge on the loading ramp; c) an exit port between the exit port first end and exit port second end, aligned with an aperture in the cartridge on the loading ramp, such that a can may exit the cartridge through the aperture and pass through the exit port; d) a down chute disposed between the first side of the dispenser and the second side of the dispenser near the back of the dispenser and below the exit port, comprising:
i) an upper arcuate section with a first end adjacent to the back wall of the dispenser, a second end, and a radius of curvature therebetween, which is convex toward the top of the dispenser and the front of the dispenser;ii) a lower arcuate section with a first end adjacent to the second end of the upper arcuate section, a second end, and a radius of curvature therebetween, which is concave away from the top of the dispenser and the front of the dispenser;such that, when a first can is moving through the exit port in rolling contact with the upper arcuate section, the first can is held by the upper arcuate section in rolling contact with a second can in the cartridge, inhibiting movement of the second can toward the exit port, and such that a can moving along the lower arcuate section is directed toward the bottom of the dispenser and the front of the dispenser. |
