Sanitary hands-free lid dispenser

A sanitary hands-free lid dispenser comprising:

• a. a loading tube, a cap, a flange, a mechanical subassembly, and an end cover, the end cover having forward facing flanges, a top cover, the top cover having down turned flanges, a catch tray, the catch tray having upturned flanges and upturned end flanges, a front skin, and a splash guard;
• b. the downturned flanges of the top cover having holes defined therein, the at least two holes coordinated with holes in the front skin, the forward-facing flanges of the end cover having holes defined therein, the holes coordinated with holes in the front skin, the upturned end flanges of the catch tray having at least two holes on each flange defined therein, the holes coordinated with holes in the front skin;
• c. the hands-free lid dispenser further has a first sensor and a second sensor, the first sensor has a first sensor housing and the second sensor has a second sensor housing, the first sensor housing and the second sensor housing are positioned opposing each other and fastened onto the front skin of the hands-free lid dispenser, the first and second sensor are aligned and provide a cycle trip beam that when interrupted by an opaque object, activates the mechanism to dispense a single lid into the catch tray, the hands-free sanitary lid dispenser is provided with a low product indicator that when tripped, visually indicates to the users that the loading tube needs refilling with beverage lids;
• d. the catch tray is positioned with a slope allowing a beverage lid to slide towards an end where the end flanges, are angled towards each other, stop the movement of the beverage cup lid, the upturned flanges of the catch tray:
• e. the loading tube being circular in shape and the cap being fixed to the loading tube at one end, the loading tube fitting into a loading tube flange, the loading tube flange having a cylindrical hole that is adapted to fit the loading tube, the loading tube flange having a ledge to seat the loading tube;
• f. the loading tube flange is defined as a “L” shaped cylinder of revolution that has a centrally located cylindrical hole defined therein, the loading tube flange has an externally extending flange that rests upon a mechanical subassembly;
• g. the mechanical subassembly comprises an air manifold cap, an air manifold, a piston bore housing containing a main piston with a main piston seal, a staging housing, a staging housing extension, and the sleeve;
• h. the loading tube flange is trimmed to provide clearance to threaded fittings, where the threaded fittings have been threadably inserted into an air manifold cap;
• i. the air manifold cap is defined as a cylinder of revolution, and has a central hole defined therein, the air manifold cap has a top surface that has a first threaded hole, a second threaded hole, and a third threaded hole defined therein, the first, second and third threaded holes have the threaded fittings each threaded into the first, second and third threaded holes, the air manifold cap has a bottom side that has a first groove, a second groove, a third groove, and a fourth groove defined therein which allow a first o-ring, a second o-ring, a third o-ring, and a fourth o-ring to be positioned therein, the bottom side of the air manifold cap has a first airhole, a second airhole, and a third airhole, where the first, second, and third airholes communicate with the first second and third threaded holes respectfully in the air manifold cap, the bottom side of the air manifold cap is positioned on a top side of an air manifold;
• j. the air manifold is defined as a cylinder of revolution and has a central hole defined therein, the air manifold further has a top side, the top side of the air manifold has a first ledge, a second ledge, a third ledge, and a fourth ledge defined thereon creating a first groove, a second groove, and a third groove, thereby, the first, second, third, and fourth ledge provides a flat surface for the first, second, third, and fourth o-rings to compress against and thereby provide a full seal for pressurized air to be transmitted fully to the first, second, and third grooves defined in the air manifold, the first groove in the air manifold aligns with the first airhole in the air manifold cap, the second groove in the air manifold aligns with the second airhole in the air manifold cap, and the third groove in the air manifold aligns with the third airhole in the air manifold cap, the air manifold has bottom side where the bottom side has a first series of air holes defined therein, where the first series of airholes are used to actuate a main piston, the first series of airholes are concentrically located within the third groove in the air manifold, a second series of air holes is concentrically positioned and defined within the second groove of the air manifold, the second series of air holes provide compressed air to actuate a plurality of separation pin assemblies, a third series of air holes is concentrically positioned and defined within the first groove of the air manifold, where the third series of air holes provides air to “fluff” a singular cup lid for separation;
• k. a piston bore housing, the piston bore housing is defined as a modified “C” shaped cylinder of revolution having an internal gap defined therein, the internal gap houses the main piston, the piston bore housing has a top surface, a bottom surface, and a central hole defined therein where the central hole shown allows a stack of beverage lids to be positioned therein, the piston bore housing has a first series of air thru holes defined therein, the first series of air thru holes is located on the top surface of the piston bore housing and provides pressurized air to activate the main piston, a second series of air thru holes are concentrically located and positioned on the top surface of the piston bore housing, where the second series of air thru holes provide pressurized air to activate the plurality of separation pin assemblies, a third series of air thru holes are concentrically located and positioned on the top surface of the piston bore housing, the third series of air thru holes provide pressurized air to fluff a singular beverage lid, the second and third series of air thru holes penetrate the top and bottom surfaces of the piston bore housing the first, second, and third air thru holes are slightly counterbored on the top surface of the main piston bore housing and accommodate a series of first, second and third o-rings providing a seal between the air manifold and the piston bore housing;
• l. The bottom of the piston bore housing has an external flange and an internal flange defined therein, where the external flange has an outer surface, and the internal flange has an inner surface, the outer surface of the external flange aligns with an exterior surface of a staging housing, the inner surface of the piston bore housing is slidably adapted to fit over a centrally positioned cylinder of a sleeve, the piston bore housing defines a gap between the external flange and the internal flange, thereby allowing the piston to slidably translate within the gap;
• m. the bottom surface of the piston bore housing shows the first series of air thru holes, where the first series of air thru holes are concentrically located and positioned within the gap between the external flange and the internal flange, the first series of air thru holes provide pressurized air to activate the main piston, the second series of air thru holes are shown and are concentrically located and positioned on the bottom surface of the piston bore housing, the second series of air thru holes provide pressurized air to activate the separation pin assemblies, a third series of air thru holes are concentrically located and positioned on the bottom surface of the piston bore housing, the third series of air thru holes provide pressurized air to fluff the beverage lids, the bottom surface of the piston bore housing rests against a top surface of a staging housing;
• n. the main piston is a “L” shaped cylinder of revolution and has a top surface a bottom surface, and a thru hole defined therein, the thru hole is adapted to slidably move along the outer surface of the sleeve has a top surface and a thru hole defined therein, an outer surface of the main piston would slideably bear against an inner surface of the external flange of the piston bore housing, a main piston seal is adhered to the main and is u-shaped where a base of the main piston seal is adhered to the top surface of the main piston, the main piston seal bears against the inner surface and an external surface defined by the gap in the main piston seal, the bottom surface of the main piston has a plurality of counterbores defined therein, the plurality of counterbores provide positional location and recesses for the main piston and for a plurality of piston springs;
• o. the staging housing is a cylinder of revolution and has a thru-hole defined therein, a top surface of the staging housing has a plurality of counterbores defined therein, where the counterbores provided have a depth that allows the plurality of piston springs to have a slip fit and therefore allow the piston springs to protrude above the top surface of the staging housing, a first series of air-ports is shown on the top surface of the staging housing where a first series of air-ports are aligned with and directly communicate with the second series of thru-holes located in the piston bore housing, the first series of air-ports penetrating therethrough and allow compressed air to communicate with the series of thru-holes located in the staging housing thereby providing compressed air to actuate a plurality of separation pin assemblies, the first series of air ports have a counterbore defined therein to accommodate a first series of o-rings, a second series of air-ports is shown on the top surface of the staging housing where the second series of air-ports penetrate through the top surface of the staging housing and exit into the thru-hole via a plurality of exit ports, the second series of air-ports have a counterbore defined therein to accommodate a second series of o-rings, the first and second series of o-rings providing a seal between the piston bore housing and the staging housing;
• p. a sleeve is provided having a “L” shaped cross section cylinder of revolution and having a centrally positioned cylinder, and an outward extending flange, the sleeve has a central through hole defined therein, a plurality of slots are situated around the centrally positioned cylinder, the slots allowing an ejecting finger to pivot through, the polarity of slots extend through the through hole, the plurality of slots are equally circumferentially positioned, interspaced and equally circumferentially located between the plurality of slots are separation pin assembly holes, the sleeve has a top surface located on the outward extending flange and is provided with a first clocking hole and a second clocking hole which is defined therein, a first and second clocking pin are defined on a staging housing extension and are positioned to correctly align the sleeve to the staging housing extension, a top surface of the staging housing extension has a third clocking hole and a fourth clocking hole defined therein, the third and fourth clocking holes defined therein are recesses that permit a corresponding third clocking pin and a fourth clocking pin to be positioned and located on a bottom surface of the staging housing;
• q. positioned on the top surface of the outward extending flange of the sleeve is the staging housing extension, which is located using the first and second clocking pins and first and second clocking holes, the staging housing extension is defined as a cylinder of revolution and has a central hole defined therein, the staging housing extension additionally has a plurality of cutouts defined therein which allow a plurality of finger pivot assemblies to be positioned therein, and to have clearance to allow the ejecting finger on each finger pivot assembly to easily rotate and translate therein, the finger pivot assemblies are situated to allow each of ejecting finger of the finger pivot assembly to pass through the slots located in the sleeve;
• r. a component mounting board is provided, the component mounting board is attached to the end cover, a first and a second solenoid area attached to the component mounting board, and are three-way solenoids, the three way solenoids provide pressurized air to activate the mechanisms, and allow pressure relief after the activation of the sanitary hands-free lid dispenser, a third solenoid is provided and is a two-way solenoid as there is no requirement to provide relief of the air pressure, an air manifold is provided and is centrally positioned towards the top of the component mounting board, the air solenoid providing pressurized air to each solenoid, a fuse and connector or input is located towards the bottom of the end cover and provides between 5 volts and 24 volts to the electrical system, a fuse and cover are shown positioned towards the middle portion of the end cover, towards the middle top of the end cover an input supply air fitting is provided, input pressure should be between 30 psi and 35 psi, the input supply air fitting communicates with the air manifold which supplies pressurized air to the first solenoid, the second solenoid, and the third solenoid;
• s. the first second and third solenoids each have a pair of air tubes attached, the first solenoid has a first input air tube connecting to the air manifold and has a first output air tube connecting the first solenoid to a first air fitting which provides compressed air to the main piston and activates the finger pivot assemblies, the second solenoid has a second input air tube connecting to the air manifold and additionally has a second output air tube connecting to a second air fitting providing compressed air to the separation pin assemblies, the third solenoid has a third input air tube connected to the air manifold and has a third output air tube connected to a third air fitting providing compressed air to “fluff” the beverage lids to assist in dispensing the beverage lids to the catch tray;
• t. a first timer is electrically connected to the first solenoid, a second timer is electrically connected to the second solenoid, and a third timer is electrically connected to the third solenoid, the first, second, and third timers sequentially actuate the first, second, and third solenoids;
• and
• u. the hands-free lid dispenser has a first support bracket and a second support bracket that are mounted on opposing sides of the end cover, a stand is provided, the stand has a first vertical portion and a second vertical portion that are connected to each other with a base, where the base may be circular or rectangular in shape, the first and second support brackets are rectangular in shape and have holes on a top surface and a bottom surface that are adapted to receive the vertical portions of the stand.