Mailer dispensers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11279574-B2
Application number	US-201917046999-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 12, 2019
Priority date	Apr 13, 2018
Publication date	Mar 22, 2022
Grant date	Mar 22, 2022

Abstract

A dispenser (200) includes a supply structure (202) and a biasing structure (206). The supply structure holds mailers (204). A mailer from the mailers includes a first wall and a second wall. The first and second walls are closed at a first side of the mailer, closed at a second side of the mailer, and closed at a closed end of the mailer. The first and second walls are not closed at an open end of the mailer. The mailer is arranged to be dispensed from the supply structure (202). The biasing structure (206) is arranged to engage the mailer as the mailer is dispensed from the supply structure (202). The biasing structure (206) has narrowing surfaces configured to contact the sides of the mailer as the mailer is dispensed. The narrowing surfaces of the biasing structure (206) are arranged to narrow the open end of the mailer thereby causing the open end to be biased open.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dispenser comprising:
a supply structure configured to hold a plurality of mailers in a stack, wherein a mailer of the plurality of mailers includes a first wall and a second wall, wherein the first and second walls are closed at a first side of the mailer, closed at a second side of the mailer, and closed at a closed end of the mailer, and wherein the first and second walls are not closed at an open end of the mailer, and wherein the mailer is arranged to be dispensed from a bottom of the stack in the supply structure; and
a biasing structure arranged to engage the mailer as the mailer is dispensed from the bottom of the stack in the supply structure;
wherein the biasing structure has narrowing surfaces configured to contact the sides of the mailer as the mailer is dispensed from the bottom of the stack, wherein the narrowing surfaces of the biasing structure are arranged to narrow the open end of the mailer thereby causing the open end to be biased open;
wherein the dispenser is arranged to dispense the mailer from the supply structure in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the open end of the mailer;
wherein the narrowing surfaces are arranged with respect to the supply structure so that the sides of the mailer contact the narrowing surfaces as the mailer is dispensed from the supply structure in the direction that is substantially perpendicular to the open end of the mailer;
wherein the dispenser further comprises a pusher configured to push the mailer from the supply structure in the direction that is substantially perpendicular to the open end of the mailer until the open end of the mailer at least reaches an opening between the narrowing surfaces; and
wherein the pusher includes at least one tab extending through at least one slot in a bottom of the supply structure.

2. The dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising:
a guide positioned so that the mailer passes between a portion of the supply structure and the guide as the mailer is dispensed from the supply structure in the direction that is substantially perpendicular to the open end of the mailer.

3. The dispenser of claim 2 , wherein the portion of the supply structure is a bottom of the supply structure and wherein the guide is configured so that the mailer passes beneath the guide as the mailer is dispensed from the supply structure in the direction that is substantially perpendicular to the open end of the mailer.

Assignees

• Sealed Air Corp

Inventors

• Hamlin Christopher C
• Orsini Thomas P
• White Patrick G
• Christman Russell T

Classifications

• B65H2701/1916

  Envelopes and articles of mail · CPC title

• B65H3/085

  separating from the bottom of pile · CPC title

• B65H1/06 Primary

  for separation from bottom of pile · CPC title

• B65H2405/1115

  with surface inclined, e.g. in width-wise direction · CPC title

• B65H2407/21

  Manual feeding · CPC title