Dispenser for disposable cutlery and components therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10010195-B2
Application number	US-201113324460-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2011
Priority date	May 5, 2005
Publication date	Jul 3, 2018
Grant date	Jul 3, 2018

Abstract

A configuration of disposable cutlery comprises a plurality of disposable cutlery pieces suitable for loading in a disposable cutlery dispenser, wherein the plurality is not constrained by a cartridge when loaded into the cutlery dispenser, wherein the plurality is in a substantially unfanned orientation after loading of the plurality into a cutlery dispenser, and wherein each piece comprises a solid handle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dispenser for disposable cutlery, comprising:
a housing having a vertically oriented opening;
at least one banded stack of disposable cutlery disposed in the housing, the banded stack comprising
a plurality of disposable cutlery pieces disposed adjacent one another to provide a stack of the cutlery pieces; and
at least one band disposed about the stack between a first end and second end of the cutlery, wherein the band comprises an adhesive section that is only partially disposed on the band, wherein the adhesive section of the band makes contact and adheres to one longitudinal side of the stack and not the other longitudinal side, the band contacts a mid-section of the stack of cutlery pieces such that the band makes no contact with either end of the cutlery pieces, and the band holds the plurality of disposable cutlery pieces together until removed,

wherein the vertically oriented opening in the housing allows user access to the band for the removal of the band from the housing, wherein the band is removed from the housing through the vertically oriented opening.

2. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the housing is vertically oriented and the housing comprises a pair of vertically oriented guide channels, so that the ends of the cutlery pieces are disposed within the guide channels when located within the housing.

3. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the housing has at least one door configured to allow access to the banded stack.

4. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the housing has a top configured to load the banded stack therein.

5. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the housing has at least one handle disposed thereon, wherein the handle is configured to release the cutlery from the housing.

6. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the band further comprises a paperboard section that is disposed on the longitudinal side of the stack opposite the adhesive section.

7. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a dispensing portion disposed on a lower portion thereof, and the banded stack is loaded within the housing at an upper portion thereof.

8. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the band is configured to release from the stack of disposable cutlery while in the housing without substantially disturbing the stacked cutlery pieces.

9. A dispenser for disposable cutlery, comprising:
a housing having a vertically oriented opening;
at least one banded stack of disposable cutlery vertically oriented within the housing, the banded stack comprising:
a plurality of disposable cutlery pieces disposed adjacent one another to provide a stack of the cutlery pieces; and
at least one band disposed about the stack between a first end and second end of the cutlery, wherein the band comprises a first portion disposed adjacent a first longitudinal side of the stack and a second portion disposed adjacent a second longitudinal side of the stack, the band contacts a mid-section of the stack such that the band makes no contact with either end of the cutlery pieces, and wherein the second portion of the band comprises an adhesive material at least partially disposed thereon that contacts a substantial portion of the second longitudinal side of the stack and not the first longitudinal side to bind the plurality of disposable cutlery pieces where contacted with the adhesive, and
wherein the vertically oriented opening in the housing allows user access to the band for removal of the adhesive material from the stack and for removal of the band from the housing, wherein the band is removed from the housing through the vertically oriented opening.

10. The dispenser of claim 9 , further comprising a pair of vertically oriented guide channels, so that the ends of the cutlery pieces are disposed within the guide channels when located within the housing.

11. The dispenser of claim 9 , wherein the housing has at least one handle disposed thereon, wherein the handle is configured to release the cutlery from the housing.

12. The dispenser of claim 9 , wherein the housing comprises a dispensing portion disposed on a lower portion thereof, and the banded stack is loaded within the housing at an upper portion thereof.

13. The dispenser of claim 9 , wherein the band is configured to allow the band to be removed from the stack of disposable cutlery while in the housing without substantially disturbing the stacked cutlery pieces.

14. A dispenser for disposable cutlery, comprising:
a housing having a vertically oriented opening;
at least one banded stack of disposable cutlery disposed in the housing, the banded stack comprising:
a plurality of disposable cutlery pieces disposed one or top of the other, to provide a stack of the cutlery pieces; and
at least one continuous band disposed around the stack, wherein the band comprises a first portion disposed adjacent a first side of the stack and a second portion disposed adjacent a second side of the stack, the second side being opposite of the first,
wherein the second portion of the band comprises an adhesive material that contacts a substantial portion of the second side of the stack and not the first side to bind the plurality of disposable cutlery pieces where contacted with the adhesive, the band contacts a mid-section of the stack of cutlery pieces such that the band makes no contact with either end of the cutlery pieces, and the band holds the plurality of disposable cutlery pieces together until removed and wherein the adhesive material has a peel strength designed to release from the stack of disposable cutlery without substantially disturbing the stacked cutlery pieces while within the housing wherein the vertically oriented opening in the housing allows user access for the removal of the adhesive material from the stack, and for the removal of the band from the housing, wherein the band is removed from the housing through the vertically oriented opening.

15. The dispenser of claim 14 , further comprising a pair of vertically oriented guide channels, so that the ends of the cutlery pieces are disposed within the guide channels when located within the housing, and further comprising a door that is hinged to the housing, wherein the door, when open, provides access to the vertically oriented opening in the housing.

16. The dispenser of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of disposable cutlery pieces is in a substantially unfanned orientation after loading the cutlery into the housing, and removing the band.

17. The dispenser of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of disposable cutlery pieces is not constrained by a cartridge when loaded into the housing.

18. The dispenser of claim 14 , wherein the first portion of the band comprises paperboard and the second portion of the band comprises a flexible polymeric material, the adhesive disposed on the flexible polymeric material.

19. The dispenser of claim 14 , further comprising:
a dispensing portion disposed on a lower portion of the housing, below the vertically oriented opening in the housing; and
a pair of guide channels disposed within the housing, such that the stack of cutlery pieces is confined between the guide channels when loaded in the housing.

20. The dispenser of claim 14 , further comprising:
a dispensing portion disposed on a lower portion of the housing, below the vertically oriented opening in the housing; and
a pair of guide channels disposed within the housing, the stack of cutlery pieces is confined between the guide channels when loaded in the housing, wherein the stack of cutlery piec

Assignees

• Smith Patrick J
• Kirkpatrick Andy L
• Kilgore Michael R
• Honan David G
• Gpcp Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Smith Patrick J
• Kirkpatrick Andy L
• Kilgore Michael R
• Honan David G

Classifications

• A47F2001/103

  for cutlery · CPC title

• A47F1/10 Primary

  having mechanical dispensing means {, e.g. with buttons or handles} · CPC title