Back to results
US 12,617,601 B2Granted
Dispenser for a continuous strip of a substrate supporting bend-sensitive items
AssigneeCommScope Technologies LLC
InventorsCyle D. Petersen, John T. Pfarr, Michael J. Schomisch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A packaging dispenser for bend-resistant items. In some embodiments, the dispenser includes a container storing bags of cables in an alternating folded pattern. In some embodiments, a vertically floating dispensing guide guides the bags through a slot in the container. The dispensing guide is configured and arranged to limit over-bending of the items as the items are dispensed through the slot and to stabilize the folded pattern.
Claims20
A dispenser, comprising:
- a continuous strip of a substrate defining holders each supporting a bend-sensitive item with adjacent holders of the holders adjoining each other at fold lines;
- a container extending vertically from a horizontal bottom panel of the container to a horizontal top panel of the container and including a plurality of vertical side panels extending from the bottom panel to the top panel, the bottom panel and the side panels defining a storage volume, the container containing the continuous strip in a vertical stack of the holders in the storage volume, the holders in the vertical stack being folded at the fold lines in an alternating folding pattern, one of the side panels defining a covered or uncovered horizontally facing slot;
- and
- a dispensing guide having a curved outer surface and being positioned within the storage volume vertically below a top of the slot and vertically above at least all but one of the stack of holders, the dispensing guide defining a longitudinal axis of the dispensing guide that is substantially parallel to an elongate dimension of the slot, the dispensing guide being arranged to move downward in the storage volume under a gravity force as the holders are dispensed through the slot,
- wherein the bend-sensitive item is a fiber optic cable, wherein the dispensing guide has a radius extending from, and perpendicularly to, the longitudinal axis of the dispensing guide to the curved outer surface, the radius being greater than or equal to a minimum bend radius of an optical fiber of the fiber optic cable, and wherein the radius is at least 1.5 inches.
2 more elements
A dispenser, comprising:
- a continuous strip of bags each containing a bend-sensitive fiber optic cable with adjacent bags of the bags adjoining each other at perforated fold lines;
- a container extending vertically from a horizontal bottom panel of the container to a horizontal top panel of the container and including a plurality of vertical side panels extending from the bottom panel to the top panel, the bottom panel and the side panels defining a storage volume, the container containing the strip of bags in a vertical stack of the bags within the storage volume, the bags in the vertical stack being folded at the fold lines in an alternating folding pattern, one of the side panels defining a covered or uncovered horizontally facing slot;
- and
- a rotatable body positioned within the storage volume vertically below a top of the slot and vertically above at least all but one of the stack of bags, the rotatable body defining a rotation axis that is substantially parallel to an elongate dimension of the slot, the rotatable body being arranged to move downward in the storage volume under a gravity force as the bags are dispensed through the slot,
- wherein the container and the rotatable body comprise the same material;
- wherein the rotatable body has a radius extending from the rotation axis perpendicularly to the rotation axis to a curved outer surface of the rotatable body, the radius being greater than or equal to a minimum bend radius of an optical fiber of the bend-sensitive fiber optic cable, wherein the radius is at least 1.5 inches;
- wherein a maximum vertical dimension of the slot is shorter than one tenth of a maximum vertical dimension of the container;
- and
- wherein an uppermost bag in the stack is attached to the container.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.