ARTICLE DISPENSING APPARATUS

摘要

An article dispensing apparatus capable of dispensing repeatedly the lowest-positioned article from a stack of articles while keeping the second lowest-positioned article in a stable situation is provided. A retainer for retaining the stack of articles is formed in a storing space of a storing section. In a dispensing section for dispensing the lowest-positioned article from the stack through the dispensing opening, a pusher includes an article placement portion on which the remainder of the articles is placed after the lowest-positioned article is dispensed from the stack. During the dispensing operation, the remainder of the articles is received temporarily on the article placement portion of the pusher in such a way that a lowest-positioned article of the remainder (i.e., the second lowest-positioned article in the stack) keeps its ordinary attitude in the storing space.

主权项

1. An article dispensing apparatus for selectively dispensing an individual article from a stack of articles comprising:
a storing section that is configured to align a plurality of articles in a vertically aligned storing space with the lowest positioned article aligned to be selectably dispensed from the storing section; a dispensing base aligned adjacent the lowest positioned article having a driving device, a second slider with a pusher configured to contact and push the lowest article in the stack of the plurality of articles, a first slider aligned below the second slider and a linking mechanism that interconnects the first slider and the second slider, whereby the driving device can reciprocate the movements of the first slider and the second slider to contact the pusher on the second slider with the lowest article for a dispensing movement from the stack of articles and can activate further movements of the linking mechanism to separate the second slider from the first slider in a vertical direction to support the plurality of articles above the dispensed article.