Feed drive mechanism, dispenser including feed drive mechanism, customizing dispensing system including dispenser, and feed drive method in feed drive mechanism
AssigneeShiseido Company, Ltd.
InventorMieko Nasu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A feed drive mechanism includes multiple feed containers configured to feed contents with rotation of rotatable feed tubes provided in lower portions of container tubes containing the contents, multiple gears connected to the feed tubes of the feed containers, and a single drive gear configured to mesh with the gears. The drive gear is configured to selectively mesh with and rotate the gears to cause the feed containers to feed the contents with timing that differs between the feed containers.
Claims11
A feed drive mechanism comprising:
- a plurality of feed containers configured to feed contents with rotation of rotatable feed tubes provided in lower portions of container tubes containing the contents;
- a plurality of gears connected to the feed tubes of the plurality of feed containers, the plurality of gears being at different heights;
- and
- a single drive gear configured to vertically move and mesh with the plurality of gears,
- wherein the drive gear is configured to selectively mesh with and rotate the plurality of gears to cause the plurality of feed containers to feed the contents with timing that differs between the plurality of feed containers.
A method of controlling a feed drive mechanism, the feed drive mechanism including a plurality of feed containers configured to feed contents with rotation of rotatable feed tubes provided in lower portions of container tubes containing the contents, a plurality of gears connected to the feed tubes of the plurality of feed containers, a single drive gear configured to mesh with the plurality of gears, and a rack and pinion mechanism configured to change a height of the drive gear, the method comprising:
- causing the drive gear to selectively mesh with and rotate a first gear among the plurality of gears to feed a content in a first feed container among the plurality of feed containers;
- causing the rack and pinion mechanism to change the height of the drive gear;
- and
- causing the drive gear to selectively mesh with and rotate a second gear among the plurality of gears to feed a content in a second feed container among the plurality of feed containers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.