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US 2016/0113414 A1Published application
Touchless lid dispenser apparatus and method
AssigneeDan & O'B Enterprises, LLC
InventorsDaniel J. WEBER, John Joseph JANCSEK, Mark Thomas PODVIN, Mattthew Lawrence STOFFEL
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A lid dispensing system includes a housing, a sensor, and a dispenser. The sensor senses objects outside the housing. Once sensed, a dispenser within the housing coveys a lid outside the housing. A method for dispensing lids is also disclosed. The method includes sensing objects outside a housing, separating a lid from a stack of lids, and conveying lids to a position outside the housing.
Claims23
A lid dispensing system comprising:
- a housing;
- a sensor for sensing an object outside the housing;
- and
- a hopper within the housing, the hopper holding a stack including a plurality of lids;
- and
- an apparatus for picking a single lid from the stack of lids held by the hopper and dispensing the single lid to a position outside the housing.
3 more elements
A lid dispensing system comprising:
- a housing;
- a hopper within the housing, the hopper holding a stack including a plurality of lids;
- and
- an apparatus for picking a single lid from the stack of lids held by the hopper and dispensing the single lid to a position outside the housing further comprising:
- an actuator;
- a cam surface;
- a shuttle operably connected to an actuator, the actuator moving the shuttle with respect to the cam surface, the shuttle further comprising:
- a first finger;
- and
- a second finger, the first and second fingers movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position, the first and second fingers engaging an interior surface of the single lid;
- a cam follower operably attached to the first and second fingers to move the first and second fingers into and out of engagement with a single lid.
8 more elements
A lid dispensing method comprising:
- placing a stack including a plurality of lids in a hopper;
- separating a single lid from a stack of lids by engaging an inner surface of a single lid;
- placing the single lid onto a tray;
- and
- conveying the single lid to a position remote from the stack that includes the plurality of lids.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.