GB2302327A

GB2302327A - Nested cup dispensing tube

Info

Publication number: GB2302327A
Application number: GB9612473A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Walter Henry Wayman
Original assignee: ABBEYDEAN Ltd
Current assignee: ABBEYDEAN Ltd
Priority date: 1995-06-14
Filing date: 1996-06-14
Publication date: 1997-01-15
Also published as: GB9612473D0

Abstract

A tube 1 for dispensing successive cups 4 from a nested stack 3 comprises bristles 7 for removably supporting the lowermost cup 4a of the stack. The support means is spaced from an outlet 9 and the outlet is dimensioned so that only the base region of the lowermost cup can be grasped by the user. A modified outlet (6') is shown in fig 2. Collar (21) is fitted to prevent insertion of fingers into gap (g).

Description

DISPENSING DEVICE DESCRIPTION This invention relates to a device for dispensing successive articles from a stack of such articles which are nested together, and is especially, but not exclusively, related to such a device for dispensing paper or plastics cups.

Known paper and plastics cups, or similar articles, generally comprise an upper lip, a flexible, usually but not always tapering, side wall portion and a reinforced base region which, when compared with the side wall portion, is comparatively inflexible.

Throughout this specification, that comparatively inflexible, reinforced base region of a paper or plastics cup, or indeed any other similar article which possesses that feature and which can be dispensed from a stack thereof, will be referred to as the "reinforced base region".

In known devices for supposedly dispensing individual cups or similar articles from the bottom of a nested stack thereof, at least part, and generally most, of the flexible side wall portion of the lowermost cup of the stack is exposed to a user who wishes to remove that cup for subsequent use. As a consequence, the user tends to grasp that portion of the lowermost cup too tightly and, as a result, the inwardly flexed side wall portion grips the side wall portion of the next successive cup stacked within the lowermost cup and, possibly, other successive cups.

Thus, when the user removes the lowermost cup from the bottom of the stack in the dispensing device, at least one other successive cup tends also to be removed at the same time, still nested within the lowermost cup.

This clearly results in great wastage and, hence, substantial loss of revenue.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for dispensing successive articles of the type described above from a nested stack thereof, which overcomes, or at least substantially reduces, the main disadvantage associated with known dispensing devices as described above.

Accordingly, one aspect of the invention provides a device for dispensing successive articles from a nested stack thereof, which device comprises means for removably supporting at least the lowermost article of the stack with respect to an outlet through which the lowermost article can be removed from the bottom of the stack, the outlet being shaped and dimensioned such that only the reinforced base region of the lowermost article can be grasped by a user.

Preferably, the support means is spaced from the outlet for gripping an upper region of the lowermost article to be dispensed from the device outlet.

Preferably, the outlet is shaped and dimensioned such that a user cannot insert his or her fingers between the inner periphery of the outlet and the reinforced base region of the lowermost article beyond that region, whereby only the reinforced base region of the lowermost article can be grasped by the user.

In this manner, only the lowermost article is removed from the stack by the user. In a preferred embodiment, the gap between the inner periphery of the suitably shaped and dimensioned outlet and the reinforced base region of the lowermost article is sufficiently small to prevent a user inserting his or her fingers beyond that region of the article, such that, in accordance with the first aspect of the invention, only that region can be grasped. A suitably shaped and dimensioned collar may be provided for that purpose, as will be described in more detail hereinbelow.

The support means is preferably resiliently deformable and the outlet may be in the open lower end of tubular means in which the stack of articles is storable. The transverse dimension of the tubular means may be adjustable, preferably stepwise, to accommodate articles of different transverse dimensions.

In a preferred embodiment to be described in more detail hereinbelow, the tubular means comprises respective inner and outer concentric tubes, with the inner tube preferably being shorter than the outer tube. In such an arrangement, the lower outlet end of the outer tube may lie, in use of the device, below that of the inner tube, with the support means preferably being located at or adjacent the lower open end of the inner tube. Thus, when the transverse dimension of the inner tube is adjustable to accommodate articles of different sizes, the outer tube is of constant transverse dimension and, thus, can be left undisturbed when the transverse dimension of the inner, stack - supporting tube is altered.

Also, the outlet, for example, that of any outer tube, may have at least one open-ended slot therein, arranged to lie in register with only the reinforced base region of the lowermost article.

The inventive dispenser is particularly useful for storing and dispensing paper or plastics cups.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a device for dispensing successive articles from a nested stack thereof, which device comprises a tube for accommodating a stack of articles to be dispensed therefrom and, at a lower region of the tube, resiliently deformable means for removably supporting at least the lowermost cup of the stack.

Preferably, any resiliently deformable support means comprises at least one set of bristles arranged to engage the upper rim of at least the lowermost article of the stack. In the preferred embodiment to be described hereinbelow, a plurality (four) of sets of bristles are spaced uniformly around the tube in which the stack of articles, such as, paper or plastics cups, is stored.

Also in the preferred embodiment, and in any other preferred embodiment of the invention, the first and second aspects of the inventive dispensing device defined above, and/or any modification thereof, can be combined.

Preferably also, the diameter of the stack storage tube may be adjusted in a stepwise manner, to accommodate articles, such as, paper of plastics cups, of differing diameters.

A third aspect of the invention provides a method of storing a stack of nested articles of which the lowermost is removable therefrom, the method comprising exposing only the reinforced base region of the lowermost article to the grasp of a user for subsequent removal.

In order that the various aspects of the inventive dispensing device may be more fully understood, a preferred embodiment of paper cup dispenser in accordance therewith, will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the dispenser filled with a stack of nested paper cups; Figure 1A is a bottom plan view of the device shown in Figure 1; and Figure 2 is a partial sectional view of a modified outlet for the dispenser shown in Figures 1 and lA; and Figure 3 is a plan view of a blank for forming an inner, cup storage tube of the dispenser shown in Figures 1 and 1A and Figure 2.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 and 1A of the drawings, a paper cup dispenser indicated generally at 1, comprises an inner tube 2 of circular cross-section and of any suitable material, for example, a metallic or plastics material, in which a stack 3 of nested paper cups 4 is stored, with the lowermost cup of the stack being indicated generally at 4a. An outer tube 5 is arranged concentrically with respect to the inner tube 2, with the lower end region 6 of the outer tube 5 extending below that of the inner tube 2.

The outer tube 5 is provided with conventional, interengeagable fixing means 10,11 for attaching the dispenser 1 to a vertical support (not shown) and a lid 20 for the dispenser is also provided.

The lowermost paper cup 4a of the stack 3 is supported at the lower end of the inner tube 2 by having its upper lip and/or upper region of its side wall engaging with resiliently deformable support means, in this case, four sets 7 of bristles spaced uniformly around the bottom of the inner tube 2.

The lower end region (outlet) 6 of the outer tube 5 is shaped and dimensioned and the supporting sets 7 of bristles are spaced therefrom, such that only the reinforced base region (as hereinbefore defined) 8 of the lowermost cup 4a projects below the lower edge 9 of the outer tube 5. Also, the gap between the inner periphery of the lower end region (outlet) 6 of the outer tube 5 and the reinforced base region 8 of the lowermost cup 4g is sufficiently small to prevent a user from inserting his or her fingers upwardly beyond that region 8 of the cup. Thus, only that base region 8 of the lowermost cup 4a can be grasped by a user when the cup is to be removed from the bottom of the stack 3 for subsequent use.

In this manner, the flexible side wall portion of the lowermost cup 4a is not pushed inwardly by the grasp of the user, such that the next successive cup 4, and possibly other successive cups, cannot be engaged thereby and are not removed from the bottom of the stack 3 when the lowermost cup 4a is removed therefrom.

In this manner, only a single cup, namely the lowermost cup 4a, is removed from the dispenser 1.

Once that lowermost cup 4a has been removed, the next successive cup 4 becomes the lowermost cup 4a supported by the bristle sets 7 with only its reinforced base region 8 exposed below the lower end outlet region 6 of the outer tube 5.

In Figure 2, there is shown a modification for the outlet 6' of the outer tube 5', wherein a collar indicated generally at 21, is mounted, preferably by friction fit and/or adhesive, to the lower end of the tube 5'.

A radially inwardly extending portion 22 of the collar 21 defines the outlet 6' whose inner periphery 23 is adjacent and in spaced confronting relationship with the reinforced base region 8 of the lowermost cup 4a. The concentric gap g between the inner periphery 23 of the outlet 6', as defined by the radially inwardly extending portion 22 of the collar 21, and the region 8 of the cup 4 is sufficiently small to prevent the fingers of a user being inserted into and through that gap g upwardly beyond that region 8.

Thus, only that reinforced base region 8 of the lowermost cup 4a can be grasped by the user, for removal of the cup 4a from the bottom of the cup stack, without removal of any successive cup(s) 4.

Referring now to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings, here is shown a blank 12 which can be bent into the shape of a circular tube for use as the inner tube 2 of the dispenser 1 shown in Figures 1 and 1A.

To accommodate paper cups 4 of varying diameters, the conventional method is to bring into intersecting register with each other a pair of slots 13 through which suitable fixing means, such as, a nut and bolt, can be passed and tightened, to retain the inner tube 2 at a given diameter. This adjustment is continuous between the ends of the pair of slots 13.

However, with the inventive dispenser 1, the slots 13 are omitted and are replaced by two or more, in this case, three, pairs of adjustment holes 14, 15, which provide a stepwise adjustment for the diameter of the inner tube 2, to accommodate the different diameters of two or more different sizes of paper cup.

Again, any suitable fixing means, such as, a nut and bolt, may be passed through the appropriate pair of holes 14, 15, and tightened to retain the inner tube 2 at the desired diameter.

Also, in conventional cup dispensers, the inner tube has inwardly projecting indents which are generally rigid, and usually formed integrally with the remainder of the inner tube, and which support the lowermost cup, by its upper rim, in position for subsequent removal. Thus, it is the resilient flexibility of the upper rim of the lowermost cup which enables it to pass by the indents for removal from the bottom of the stack of nested cups. In the inventive dispenser, these rigid indents are replaced by resiliently flexible support means, for example, the four bristle sets 7.

In a further modification of the dispenser 1 described above in relation to Figures 1 and 1A, the lower end region of the outer tube 5, 5' may be provided with one or more, preferably a pair of diametrically opposed, open-ended, upwardly extending slots, as shown in dashed lines at 16 in Figure 1, lying in register with substantially only the reinforced base region 8 of the lowermost cup 4a. In this manner, a user can grip only that region of the lowermost cup 4A to remove it from the bottom of the stack 3 without removing any of the other successive cups 4 in the stack.

Also, the inner tube 2 may be decorated with promotional or other matter, in which case, the outer tube 5, 5' may be made of a transparent or semitransparent material. Additionally or alternatively, the outer tube 5, 5' may also be decorated or otherwise provided with indicia.

Further, the outer tube 5, 5' may be used to replace existing outer tubes of dispensers not falling within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A device for dispensing successive articles from a nested stack thereof, which device comprises means for removably supporting at least the lowermost article of the stack with respect to an outlet through which the lowermost article can be removed from the bottom of the stack, characterised in that the outlet is shaped and dimensioned such that only the reinforced base region of the lowermost article can be grasped by a user.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the outlet is shaped and dimensioned such that, in use of the device, a user cannot insert a finger(s) between the inner periphery of the outlet and the reinforced base region of the lowermost article.

3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the gap between the inner periphery of the outlet and the reinforced base region of the lowermost article, in use of the device, is sufficiently small to prevent a user inserting a finger(s) beyond that region of the lowermost article.

4. A device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said support means is spaced from the outlet.

5. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the outlet is in the open lower end of tubular means in which the stack of articles is storable.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the outlet is defined by a collar at the lower end of said tubular means.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein the collar has a radially inwardly extending portion defining the outlet whose inner periphery is adjacent and in spaced confronting relationship with the reinforced base region of the lowermost article.

8. A device according to claim 5, 6 or 7, wherein the transverse dimension of said tubular means is adjustable, preferably stepwise, to accommodate articles of different transverse dimensions.

9. A device according to claim 5 or any of claims 6 to 8 when dependent thereon, wherein said tubular means comprises respective inner and outer tubes.

10. A device according to claim 9, wherein the inner tube is shorter than the outer tube.

11. A device according to claim 10, wherein the lower outlet end of the outer tube(s) lies below that of the inner tube.

12. A device according to claim 9, 10 or 11, wherein said support means is located at or adjacent the lower open end of the inner tube.

13. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the outlet has at least one open-ended slot therein, arranged to lie in register with only the reinforced base region of the lowermost article.

14. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein said support means is resiliently deformable.

15. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein said support means comprises at least one set of bristles.

16. A device according to any preceding claim, arranged to dispense paper or plastics cups.

17. A method of storing a stack of nested articles of which the lowermost is removable therefrom, the method comprising exposing only the reinforced base region of the lowermost article to the grasp of a user for subsequent removal.

18. A device for dispensing successive articles from a nested stack thereof, which device comprises a tube for accommodating a stack of articles (to be dispensed therefrom and, at a lower region of the tube, resiliently deformable means for removably supporting at least the lowermost article of the stack.

19. A device according to claim 18, wherein said resiliently deformable support means comprises at least one set of bristles.

20. A device for dispensing paper or plastics cups substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

21. A method of dispensing paper of plastics cups substantially as hereinbefore described.