Multi-deck product dispensing system with rear guide

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 8985346
  • Patent Number
    8,985,346
  • Date Filed
    Thursday, September 8, 2011
    13 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, March 24, 2015
    9 years ago
Abstract
A product dispensing system including a frame structure having a front end and a rear end, the frame structure including an upper support deck extending between the front and rear ends, a lower support deck positioned below the upper support deck, the lower support deck extending between the front and rear ends and defining a first product display area, and an intermediate support deck positioned between the upper support deck and the lower support deck, the intermediate support deck extending between the front and rear ends and defining a second product display area, wherein the upper support deck and the intermediate support deck define a vertical drop zone proximate the rear end, the vertical drop zone extending from the upper support deck to the lower support deck, and a guide positioned between the upper support deck and the intermediate support deck, the guide extending into the vertical drop zone.
Description
FIELD

This application relates to the dispensing of products from packaging containers and, more particularly, to dispensers for dispensing products initially provided in packaging containers.


BACKGROUND

Products are typically shipped to retailers in bulk by enclosing multiple individual product units in a container, such as a carton or box. For example, canned beverages may be shipped to a retailer in a carton containing twelve individual cans. When the products are to be sold individually, the retailer must remove the individual product units from the carton and stack them on a display, such as a shelf.


Alternatives to the traditional package-ship-unpack-display model have been developed in an effort to improve operating efficiency. For example, U.S. Ser. No. 13/184,639 filed on Jul. 18, 2011, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses a gravity-fed product dispensing system with multiple dispensing decks. The system includes a dispenser configured with an upper deck for supporting a container and multiple dispensing decks positioned below the upper deck, wherein each dispensing deck includes a product display area. The dispenser may be positioned on a retailer's shelf and loaded with product simply by placing a container comprising multiple units of product onto the upper deck of the dispenser. Once the container is positioned on the upper deck, the products exit the container through an opening in the container and travel to the product display areas under the force of gravity. Consumers may retrieve the products from the product display areas.


Despite advances already made in the field, those skilled in the art continue with research and development efforts directed to apparatus and systems for dispensing products initially provided in packaging containers.


SUMMARY

In one aspect, the disclosed multi-deck product dispensing system may include a frame structure having a front end and a rear end, the frame structure including an upper support deck extending between the front and rear ends, a lower support deck positioned below the upper support deck, the lower support deck extending between the front and rear ends and defining a first product display area, and an intermediate support deck positioned between the upper support deck and the lower support deck, the intermediate support deck extending between the front and rear ends and defining a second product display area, wherein the upper support deck and the intermediate support deck define a vertical drop zone proximate the rear end, the vertical drop zone extending from the upper support deck to the lower support deck, and a guide positioned between the upper support deck and the intermediate support deck, the guide extending into the vertical drop zone.


In another aspect, the disclosed multi-deck product dispensing system may include a frame structure having a front end and a rear end, the frame structure including a rear wall proximate the rear end, an upper support deck extending between the front end and the rear end, the upper support deck defining a first opening proximate the rear wall, a lower support deck positioned below the upper support deck, the lower support deck extending between the front end and the rear end and defining a first product display area proximate the front end, and an intermediate support deck positioned between the upper support deck and the lower support deck, the intermediate support deck extending between the front end and the rear end and defining a second product display area proximate the front end, the intermediate support deck defining a second opening proximate the rear wall, wherein the first opening and the second opening define a vertical drop zone extending from the upper support deck to the lower support deck, and a guide connected to the rear wall between the upper support deck and the intermediate support deck, the guide protruding from the rear wall into the vertical drop zone.


In yet another aspect, disclosed is a method for dispensing a plurality of products initially provided in a container. The method may include the steps of (1) providing a dispenser including a frame structure having a front end and a rear end, the frame structure including a rear wall proximate the rear end, an upper support deck extending between the front end and the rear end, the upper support deck defining a first opening proximate the rear wall, a lower support deck positioned below the upper support deck, the lower support deck extending between the front end and the rear end and defining a first product display area, and an intermediate support deck positioned between the upper support deck and the lower support deck, the intermediate support deck extending between the front end and the rear end and defining a second product display area, the intermediate support deck defining a second opening proximate the rear wall, wherein the first opening and the second opening define a vertical drop zone extending from the upper support deck to the lower support deck, (2) positioning a guide between the upper support deck and the intermediate support deck such that the guide extends into the vertical drop zone, (3) forming an exit opening in the container and (4) positioning the container on the upper support deck to align the exit opening with the vertical drop zone such that at least one product exits the container and moves through the vertical drop zone into engagement with the guide.


Other aspects of the disclosed multi-deck product dispensing system and method with rear guide will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.





BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS


FIG. 1 is a front and side perspective view of one aspect of the disclosed multi-deck product dispensing system with rear guide;



FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, in section, of the product dispensing system of FIG. 1;



FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the container of the product dispensing system of FIG. 1;



FIG. 4 is a rear and bottom perspective view of the container of FIG. 3 shown in an open configuration;



FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the rear guide of the product dispensing system of FIG. 2;



FIG. 6 is a front and side perspective view of the rear guide of FIG. 5; and



FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of an alternative embodiment of the rear guide of FIG. 5.





DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, one aspect of the disclosed multi-deck product dispensing system with rear guide, generally designated 10, may include a dispenser 12 and a container 14. The container 14 may initially house multiple units of product 16, such as cans (e.g., canned soft drinks), jars (e.g., jarred soup) or bottles (e.g., bottled sauce). The products 16 may be released from the container 14 into the dispenser 12 when the container 14 is opened and loaded onto the dispenser 12.


The container 14 may be any container capable of initially housing the products 16 and beneficially interacting with the dispenser 12. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the container 14 may be a paperboard carton or a corrugated box having six walls 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28 that define an internal volume 30 for receiving the products 16 (FIGS. 1 and 2). Opposed walls 18, 20 may define the front and rear walls, respectively, of the container 14. Opposed walls 22, 24 may define the left and right side walls, respectively, of the container 14. Opposed walls 26, 28 may define the base and upper walls, respectively, of the container 14.


In accordance with well-established techniques, the container 14 may be assembled on a container machine using a container blank that has been pre-cut from a sheet of stock material. As one example, the stock material may be a paperboard-based material, such as C1S paperboard, which may have a coating (e.g., clay) on a first major surface thereof, which may form the outer surface of the container 14, and an uncoated second major surface. As another example, the stock material may be C2S paperboard, which may have a coating (e.g., clay) on both major surfaces thereof. Optionally, the outer surface 32 (FIG. 1) of the container 14 may be marked with various indicia 34 (FIG. 1), such as printed text and graphics.


Still referring to FIG. 3, the container 14 may include a removable opening feature 36 in at least one wall (e.g., the base wall 26). The removable opening feature 36 may be defined by weakened severance lines 38, 40, 42, 44. The weakened severance lines 38, 40, 42, 44 may be formed by weakening the container 14, such as with score lines, perforations or zipper-like cuts, to facilitate tearing the removable opening feature 36 from the container 14 along the weakened severance lines 38, 40, 42, 44.


Thus, as shown in FIG. 4, the removable opening feature 36 may be removed from the container 14 to form an opening 46 into the internal volume 30 of the container 14. The opening 46 may extend generally laterally between the side walls 22, 24 of the container 14, and may be positioned proximate the rear wall 20 of the container 14 such that the products 16 (FIG. 1) may exit the container 14 through the opening 46. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the step of removing the removable opening feature 36 from the container 14 may be performed prior to loading the container 14 onto the dispenser 12.


In an alternative embodiment, the dispenser 12 may include an opening tool (not shown) arranged to automatically form the opening 46 in the container 14 as the container 14 is loaded onto the dispenser 12 (e.g., by sliding the container 14 longitudinally along the upper support deck 58 of the dispenser 12). The use of an opening tool associated with a dispenser to automatically form an opening in a container is described in greater detail in U.S. Ser. No. 13/184,639 (discussed above), as well as in U.S. Pat. No. 7,922,437 issued on Apr. 12, 2011, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the use of an opening tool may eliminate the need for removing the removable opening feature 36 from the container 14 prior to loading the container 14 onto the dispenser 12.


Referring back to FIGS. 1 and 2, the dispenser 12 may include a frame structure 50 that supports the container 14 and products 16 in a desired configuration. The frame structure 50 may include a first (e.g., right) side wall 52, a second (e.g., left) side wall 54, a rear wall 56, an upper support deck 58, a lower support deck 60 and one or more intermediate support decks 62 (only one is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) positioned between the upper support deck 58 and the lower support deck 60. The frame structure 50 may define a front end portion 66 and a rear end portion 70, wherein the rear end 70 is longitudinally opposed from the front end 66.


The right side wall 52 may be laterally spaced from the left side wall 54, and may be generally parallel with the left side wall 54. The spacing between the right and left side walls 52, 54 may be sized to closely receive the products 16 in a rolling configuration, thereby providing lateral containment for the products 16 within the frame structure 50.


The rear wall 56 may be positioned proximate the rear end 70 of the frame structure 50, and may laterally extend between the right and left side walls 52, 54. The rear wall 56 may be generally vertically arranged, though an angled rear wall 56 (i.e., angled relative to vertical in side view) may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.


The lower support deck 60 may laterally extend between the right and left side walls 52, 54, and may include a front end 64 that longitudinally extends toward the front end 66 of the frame structure 50 and a rear end 68 that longitudinally extends toward the rear end 70 of the frame structure 50. Therefore, the lower support deck 60 and the side walls 52, 54 may define a lower level 72 of the frame structure 50.


The lower support deck 60 may be inclined from the front end 64 to the rear end 68 (i.e., the rear end 68 may be elevated relative to the front end 64) such that products 16 deposited proximate the rear end 68 of the lower support deck 60 roll down to the front end 64 of the lower support deck 60 under the force of gravity. The extent of the incline of the lower support deck 60 may be dictated by, among other things, the coefficient of friction of the material used to form the frame structure 50 and the shape of the products 16 to be dispensed by the dispenser 12.


A ramp 48 may be positioned between the rear wall 56 of the frame structure 50 and the rear end 68 of the lower support deck 60. The ramp 48 may provide a gradual vertical-to-horizontal transition for products 16 dropping down to the lower level 72.


A stop 74 may be positioned proximate the front end 64 of the lower support deck 60 to prevent products 16 from rolling beyond the front end 64 of the lower support deck 60. Therefore, the stop 74 may collect products 16 at the front end 64 of the lower support deck 60, thereby defining a first product display area 76 proximate the front end 64 of the lower support deck 60. The first product display area 76 may be configured to allow consumers to retrieve products 16 from the lower level 72 of the dispenser 12.


The intermediate support deck 62 may be positioned between the upper support deck 58 and the lower support deck 60. The intermediate support deck 62 may laterally extend between the right and left side walls 52, 54, and may include a front end 78 that longitudinally extends toward the front end 66 of the frame structure 50 and a rear end 80 that longitudinally extends toward, but not to, the rear wall 56 of the frame structure 50. Therefore, the intermediate support deck 62 and the side walls 52, 54 may define an intermediate level 82 of the frame structure 50.


The spacing S1 between the rear end 80 of the intermediate support deck 62 and the rear wall 56 of the frame structure 50 may define an opening 84, which may function as a chute to allow products 16 to move from the intermediate level 82 down to the lower level 72 of the frame structure 50 under the force of gravity.


The intermediate support deck 62 may be inclined from the front end 78 to the rear end 80 (i.e., the rear end 80 may be elevated relative to the front end 78) such that products 16 deposited proximate the rear end 80 of the intermediate support deck 62 roll down to the front end 78 of the intermediate support deck 62 under the force of gravity. The extent of the incline of the intermediate support deck 62 may be dictated by, among other things, the coefficient of friction of the material used to form the frame structure 50 and the shape of the products 16 to be dispensed by the dispenser 12.


A stop 86 may be positioned proximate the front end 78 of the intermediate support deck 62 to prevent products 16 from rolling beyond the front end 78 of the intermediate support deck 62. Therefore, the stop 86 may collect products 16 at the front end 78 of the intermediate support deck 62, thereby defining a second product display area 88 proximate the front end 78 of the intermediate support deck 62. The second product display area 88 may be configured to allow consumers to retrieve products 16 from the intermediate level 82 of the dispenser 12.


Optionally, the second product display area 88 may be longitudinally (e.g., inwardly) displaced relative to the first product display area 76 such that the second product display area 88 does not obstruct access to the first product display area 76. As an example, the longitudinal displacement may correspond to the width of one product 16.


The upper support deck 58 may laterally extend between the right and left side walls 52, 54, and may include a front end 90 that longitudinally extends toward the front end 66 of the frame structure 50 and a rear end 92 that longitudinally extends toward, but not to, the rear wall 56 of the frame structure 50. Therefore, the upper support deck 58 and the side walls 52, 54 may define an upper level 94 of the frame structure 50.


The spacing S2 between the rear end 92 of the upper support deck 58 and the rear wall 56 of the frame structure 50 may define an opening 96, which may function as a chute to allow products 16 to move from the upper level 94 down to the intermediate 82 and lower 72 levels of the frame structure 50 under the force of gravity.


The upper support deck 58 may be declined from the front end 90 to the rear end 92 (i.e., the front end 90 may be elevated relative to the rear end 92). Therefore, products 16 supported on the upper support deck 58 may roll under the force of gravity down to the rear end 92 of the upper support deck 58, through the opening 96, to the lower and intermediate levels 72, 82 of the frame structure 50 and, ultimately, to the first and second product display areas 76, 88.


Optionally, a stop 98 may be connected proximate the rear end 70 of the frame structure 50. The stop 98 may extend into the upper level 94 of the frame structure 50 to inhibit rearward horizontal movement of the container 14 along the upper support deck 58 beyond the stop 98. Furthermore, the stop 98 may ensure alignment of the opening 46 (FIG. 4) in the container 14 with the opening 96 of the upper level 94 of the frame structure 50.


Thus, the openings 84, 96 in the intermediate and upper levels 82, 94, respectively, may define a vertical drop zone 100 proximate the rear end 70 of the frame structure 50. The vertical drop zone 100 may extend from the upper level 94 to the lower level 72 of the frame structure 50. Products 16 exiting the opening 46 (FIG. 4) in the container 14 may fall through at least a portion of the vertical drop zone 100 as the products 16 travel (under the force of gravity) to either the lower level 72 or the intermediate level 82 and, ultimately, to either the first product display area 76 or the second product display area 88.


A guide 102 may be position proximate the rear wall 56 of the frame structure 50, and may protrude into the vertical drop zone 100 to beneficially interact with products 16 moving through the vertical drop zone 100. The guide 102 may introduce a slight forward, horizontal movement to the products 16 dropping through the vertical drop zone 100. The introduction of a slight forward, horizontal movement to the products 16 dropping through the vertical drop zone 100 may minimize (if not eliminate) the potential for products 16 becoming stuck on top of the last product 16′ in the lower level 72 and forming a bridge that clogs the system 10 (e.g., prevents products 16 from moving onto the intermediate support deck 62).


Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the guide 102 may include an elongated body 104 having a mating surface 106 and an engagement surface 108. As shown in FIG. 2, the guide 102 may be connected to the rear wall 56 of the frame structure 50 such that the elongated body 104 of the guide 102 laterally extends between the side walls 52, 54 of the frame structure 50.


The guide 102 may be positioned below the upper support deck 58, but above the intermediate support deck 62. Therefore, the products 16 moving through the vertical drop zone 100 may interact with the guide 102 prior to reaching either the lower support deck 60 or the intermediate support deck 62.


In one construction, the guide 102 may be connected to the rear wall 56 of the frame structure 50 by mating the mating surface 106 of the guide 102 with the interior surface of the rear wall 56. For example, a tongue 110 (FIG. 5) may protrude from the mating surface 106 of the guide 102 and the rear wall 56 of the frame structure 50 may include a corresponding groove (not shown). Therefore, the guide 102 may be connected to the rear wall 56 of the frame structure 50 by inserting the tongue 110 into the groove. Other techniques for connecting the guide 102 to the rear wall 56 of the frame structure 50 will be readily apparent to this skilled in the art.


In another construction, the guide 102 may be integral with the rear wall 56 of the frame structure 50 (i.e., the guide 102 and rear wall 56 may be formed as a single, monolithic body).


The engagement surface 108 of the guide 102 may be contoured in various ways such that the engagement surface 108 protrudes away from the rear wall 56 (i.e., toward the front end 66 of the frame structure 50) and into the vertical drop zone 100. Therefore, products 16 moving from the upper level 94, through the opening 96 and dropping through the vertical drop zone 100 may come into contact with the engagement surface 108 of the guide 102 and may be at least slightly redirected away from the rear wall 56 of the frame structure 50 (i.e., may be urged slightly forward toward the intermediate support deck 62) upon making contact with the engagement surface 108.


The guide 102 may have a protruding length L (FIG. 5), which may be the maximum distance the guide 102 protrudes from the rear wall 56 into the vertical drop zone 100. The protruding length L may be sufficiently large to urge products 16 forward (i.e., toward the intermediate support deck 62) so as to avoid the problem of stacking of products 16 on top of the last product 16′ in the lower level 72. However, the protruding length L may not be so large as to prevent products 16 from dropping through the opening 84 in the intermediate level 82 down to the lower level 72. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that using a guide 102 having a large protruding length L may require increasing the spacing S1 between the rear end 80 of the intermediate support deck 62 and the rear wall 56 of the frame structure 50 to ensure that products 16 being redirected by the guide 102 are still capable of dropping to the lower level 72 of the frame structure 50.


In one embodiment, the guide 102 may be semi-circular in side view, thereby providing the engagement surface 108 with a rounded contour, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Therefore, the upper portion of the guide 102 may urge products 16 forward, while the lower portion of the guide 102 may gradually direct products 16 toward the rear wall 56 of the frame structure 50.


In another embodiment, the engagement surface 108′ of the guide 102′ may be contoured as a ramp, as shown in FIG. 7, or as a tear drop (not shown). The angle and curvature of the engagement surface 108′ may be selected to direct dropping products 16 forward, but not so forward that the products 16 fail to drop through the opening 84 down to the lower level 72 of the frame structure 50.


At this point, those skilled in the art will appreciate that guides 102 of various shapes and configurations may be used to effect the beneficial redirection of products 16 dropping through the vertical drop zone 100.


Thus, the guide 102 may be positioned to interact with products 16 exiting through the opening 46 (FIG. 4) in the container 14, passing though the opening 96 in the upper level 94, and dropping through the vertical drop zone 100. The initial products 16 dropping through the vertical drop zone 100 may be urged slightly forward as they engage the guide 102, but may continue to drop down through the opening 84 in the intermediate level 82 to the lower level 72, where they may be gravity-biased toward the first product display area 76. Once the lower level 72 of the frame structure 50 has been filled with products 16 such that the opening 84 in the intermediate level 90 is bridged by a product 16′, the remaining products 16 (i.e., the products 16 above the last product 16′ in the lower level 72) may be urged slightly forward as they engage the guide 102 such that they are not stacked on top of the last product 16′ in the lower level 72. Therefore, the remaining products 16 dropping through the vertical drop zone 100 may fill the intermediate level 82 of the frame structure 50, where they may be gravity-biased toward the second product display area 88.


The product dispensing system 10 may be assembled by opening the container 14 (e.g., tearing away the removable opening feature 36) and urging the opened container 14 along the upper support deck 58 of the dispenser 12 until the rear wall 20 of the container 14 comes into abutting engagement with the stop 98, thereby aligning the opening 46 in the container 14 with the opening 96 in the upper level 94 of the frame structure 50. With the opened container 14 loaded onto the dispenser 12, the force of gravity may urge the products 16 down through the vertical drop zone 100 of the frame structure 50, into engagement with the guide 102 and, ultimately, to the first and second product display areas 76, 88. Once the products from the container 14 have been transferred to the dispenser 12, a second container may be positioned on the upper support deck 58 of the dispenser 12. The products 16 in the second container may fill the dispenser 12 as customers remove products 16 by way of the first and second product display areas 76, 88.


Accordingly, the disclosed product dispensing system employs multiple support decks with product display areas, thereby increasing the amount of product being displayed to potential consumers and increasing the amount of product that may be supported by a given dispenser. Furthermore, the use of a guide may minimize (if not eliminate) the potential for product clogs in the system, thereby reducing (if not eliminating) the need for manual intervention to ensure proper dispensing.


Although various aspects of the disclosed multi-deck product dispensing system with rear guide have been shown and described, modifications may occur to those skilled in the art upon reading the specification. The present application includes such modifications and is limited only by the scope of the claims.

Claims
  • 1. A product dispensing system comprising: a frame structure having a front end and a rear end, said frame structure comprising: a right side wall;a left side wall laterally opposed from said right side wall;an upper support deck fixedly connected between said right side wall and said left side wall and extending between said front end and said rear end, said upper support deck being declined from proximate said front end to proximate said rear end;a lower support deck positioned below said upper support deck, said lower support deck being fixedly connected between said right side wall and said left side wall and extending between said front end and said rear end and defining a first product display area, said lower support deck being inclined from proximate said front end to proximate said rear end; andan intermediate support deck positioned between said upper support deck and said lower support deck, said intermediate support deck being fixedly connected between said right side wall and said left side wall and extending between said front end and said rear end and defining a second product display area, said intermediate support deck being inclined from proximate said front end to proximate said rear end,wherein a spacing is defined between said intermediate support deck and said rear end of said frame structure, andwherein said upper support deck and said intermediate support deck define a vertical drop zone extending from said upper support deck to said lower support deck, said vertical drop zone being proximate said rear end of said frame structure;a container initially housing a plurality of products, wherein said container defines an opening, and wherein said opening is aligned with said vertical drop zone such that at least one product of said plurality of products exits said container through said opening and drops through said vertical drop zone when said container is positioned on said upper support deck, anda guide extending into said vertical drop zone and being displaced vertically below said upper support deck and displaced vertically above said intermediate support deck to urge a second product of said plurality of products toward said front end and onto said intermediate support deck when a first product of said plurality of products is positioned in said spacing,wherein said guide is semi-circular in side view.
  • 2. The product dispensing system of claim 1 wherein said guide is elongated and laterally extends between said right and left side walls.
  • 3. The product dispensing system of claim 1 wherein said frame structure further comprises a rear wall.
  • 4. The product dispensing system of claim 3 wherein said upper support deck is spaced from said rear wall to define a first opening and said intermediate support deck is spaced from said rear wall to define a second opening, and wherein said first opening and said second opening define said vertical drop zone.
  • 5. The product dispensing system of claim 3 wherein said guide protrudes from said rear wall into said vertical drop zone.
  • 6. The product dispensing system of claim 3 wherein said guide is fixedly connected to said rear wall.
  • 7. The product dispensing system of claim 3 wherein said guide is integral with said rear wall.
  • 8. The product dispensing system of claim 1 wherein said first product display area is proximate said front end.
  • 9. The product dispensing system of claim 1 wherein said second product display area is proximate said front end.
  • 10. The product dispensing system of claim 1 further comprising an opening tool associated with said frame structure, said opening tool being arranged to automatically form said opening in said container when said container is urged along said upper support deck from said front end toward said rear end.
  • 11. A method for dispensing a plurality of products initially provided in a container, said method comprising the steps of: providing a dispenser comprising a frame structure having a front end and a rear end, said frame structure comprising: a right side wall;a left side wall laterally opposed from said right side wall;a rear wall proximate said rear end;an upper support deck fixedly connected between said right side wall and said left side wall and extending between said front end and said rear end, said upper support deck defining a first opening proximate said rear wall, said upper support deck being declined from proximate said front end to proximate said rear end;a lower support deck positioned below said upper support deck, said lower support deck being fixedly connected between said right side wall and said left side wall and extending between said front end and said rear end and defining a first product display area, said lower support deck being inclined from proximate said front end to proximate said rear end; andan intermediate support deck positioned between said upper support deck and said lower support deck, said intermediate support deck being fixedly connected between said right side wall and said left side wall and extending between said front end and said rear end and defining a second product display area, said intermediate support deck defining a second opening proximate said rear wall, said intermediate support deck being inclined from proximate said front end to proximate said rear end;forming an exit opening in said container;positioning said container on said upper support deck to align said exit opening with said first opening such that at least one product of said plurality of products exits said container and drops through said first opening; andpositioning a guide proximate said rear wall between said upper support deck and said intermediate support deck, said guide being displaced vertically below said upper support deck and displaced vertically above said intermediate support deck to urge a second product of said plurality of products toward said front end and onto said intermediate support deck when a first product of said plurality of products is positioned in said second opening;wherein said guide is semi-circular in side view.
  • 12. The method of claim 11, wherein said upper support deck and said intermediate support deck define a vertical drop zone extending from said upper support deck to said lower support deck, said vertical drop zone being proximate said rear end of said frame structure.
US Referenced Citations (174)
Number Name Date Kind
902347 Tillinghast Oct 1908 A
1291420 Cough Jan 1919 A
1383318 McCormick Jul 1921 A
1393964 Potts et al. Oct 1921 A
1753957 Washburn Apr 1930 A
1824937 Trouth Sep 1931 A
1858199 Maziroff Oct 1932 A
1898056 Johnson Feb 1933 A
1919907 Robinson Jul 1933 A
1932225 Minter Oct 1933 A
1941458 Bens Feb 1934 A
1985739 Murray Dec 1934 A
2078599 McCauley Apr 1937 A
2110194 Blier Mar 1938 A
2263353 Eidam Nov 1941 A
2291187 Johnson Jul 1942 A
2382191 Weichselbaum Jul 1944 A
2536421 Burhans Feb 1951 A
2573381 Arnold Oct 1951 A
2574087 Burhans Nov 1951 A
2595122 Burhans Apr 1952 A
2732619 Labine Jan 1956 A
2784871 Gabrielsen Mar 1957 A
2795845 Shimer Jun 1957 A
2818978 Post Jan 1958 A
2826471 Fonda Mar 1958 A
2831591 Morton Apr 1958 A
2888145 Knott et al. May 1959 A
2915162 Umstead Dec 1959 A
2915932 Gross Dec 1959 A
2919488 Brownlee Jan 1960 A
2996344 Garman Aug 1961 A
3018149 Parker Jan 1962 A
3055293 Lariccia Sep 1962 A
3066827 Pryor Dec 1962 A
3137068 Quigley Jun 1964 A
D198888 Heselov Aug 1964 S
3178242 Ellis et al. Apr 1965 A
3184104 De Domenico et al. May 1965 A
3203554 Pendergrast et al. Aug 1965 A
3204335 Hughes Sep 1965 A
3288544 Knecht Nov 1966 A
3300115 Schauer Jan 1967 A
3304141 Rogers Feb 1967 A
3318455 Takahashi May 1967 A
3335940 Dykes Aug 1967 A
3340790 Simjian Sep 1967 A
3348738 Hertlein Oct 1967 A
3379294 Van Liew, Jr. Apr 1968 A
3392901 Krzyzanowski Jul 1968 A
3393808 Chirchill Jul 1968 A
3501016 Eaton Mar 1970 A
3664545 Besley May 1972 A
3763557 Sewell Oct 1973 A
3784022 Beesley, Jr. Jan 1974 A
3922778 Aalpoel Dec 1975 A
3923159 Taylor et al. Dec 1975 A
3972454 Croley Aug 1976 A
4105126 Deffner et al. Aug 1978 A
4205440 Morgan Jun 1980 A
4260072 Quasarano Apr 1981 A
4318458 Ritsema Mar 1982 A
4382526 Stone May 1983 A
4396143 Killy Aug 1983 A
4435026 Johnson Mar 1984 A
4467524 Ruff et al. Aug 1984 A
4576272 Morgan, Jr. Mar 1986 A
4598828 Young et al. Jul 1986 A
4729480 Groover et al. Mar 1988 A
4744489 Binder et al. May 1988 A
4834263 Becze May 1989 A
4869395 Rubbmark Sep 1989 A
4911309 Stefan Mar 1990 A
4915571 Toshihiko et al. Apr 1990 A
4923070 Jackle et al. May 1990 A
4997106 Rockola Mar 1991 A
4998628 Ross Mar 1991 A
5033348 Walsh Jul 1991 A
5080256 Rockola Jan 1992 A
5101703 Tanaka et al. Apr 1992 A
5167345 Bleeker Dec 1992 A
5190155 Grunwald Mar 1993 A
5251972 Zurawin Oct 1993 A
5289943 Powell Mar 1994 A
5314078 Morikiyo et al. May 1994 A
5328258 Scalise Jul 1994 A
5356033 Delaney Oct 1994 A
5372278 Leight Dec 1994 A
5390821 Markel Feb 1995 A
5396997 Johnson Mar 1995 A
D363174 Fletcher, Sr. Oct 1995 S
5462198 Schwimmer Oct 1995 A
5529207 Oden et al. Jun 1996 A
5638988 Rogers Jun 1997 A
5685664 Parham et al. Nov 1997 A
5740610 Ayer et al. Apr 1998 A
5788117 Zimmanck Aug 1998 A
5791048 Bodnar et al. Aug 1998 A
5836478 Weiss Nov 1998 A
5878862 Dewsnap Mar 1999 A
5894942 Miyashita et al. Apr 1999 A
5924573 Piraneo et al. Jul 1999 A
5992286 Boole Nov 1999 A
5992652 Springs Nov 1999 A
6186345 Robertson Feb 2001 B1
6199720 Rudick et al. Mar 2001 B1
6206237 Dillon et al. Mar 2001 B1
6253930 Freidus et al. Jul 2001 B1
6267258 Wilkerson et al. Jul 2001 B1
6393799 Jenkins et al. May 2002 B2
6453641 Puckett Sep 2002 B1
6637604 Jay Oct 2003 B1
6802433 Leykin Oct 2004 B2
6991116 Johnson et al. Jan 2006 B2
7207447 Medcalf et al. Apr 2007 B2
7303095 Nagelski et al. Dec 2007 B2
7546973 Budz et al. Jun 2009 B2
7584854 Chandaria Sep 2009 B2
7614543 Miller Nov 2009 B1
D604972 Henry et al. Dec 2009 S
7665618 Jay et al. Feb 2010 B2
7681745 Richter Mar 2010 B2
7690518 Fincher et al. Apr 2010 B2
7757890 Alford et al. Jul 2010 B2
7810672 Mason et al. Oct 2010 B1
7823733 Futori Nov 2010 B2
7841479 Budge et al. Nov 2010 B2
7850015 Mason Dec 2010 B1
7913860 Merl Mar 2011 B2
7918365 White et al. Apr 2011 B2
7922437 Loftin et al. Apr 2011 B1
7992747 Bauer Aug 2011 B2
8028855 White et al. Oct 2011 B2
8047400 Luberto et al. Nov 2011 B1
8302809 Bogdziewicz et al. Nov 2012 B1
8308023 Gelardi et al. Nov 2012 B2
20020043509 Lajeunesse et al. Apr 2002 A1
20030173322 Rushing Sep 2003 A1
20040011751 Johnson et al. Jan 2004 A1
20040079760 Rink Apr 2004 A1
20040262326 Christensen Dec 2004 A1
20050092644 Cafferata May 2005 A1
20050127015 Medcalf et al. Jun 2005 A1
20050207877 Haverdink Sep 2005 A1
20060081692 Stewart et al. Apr 2006 A1
20060237384 Neumann et al. Oct 2006 A1
20060243683 Onachilla et al. Nov 2006 A1
20060278591 Tippets et al. Dec 2006 A1
20070194037 Close Aug 2007 A1
20080067188 White et al. Mar 2008 A1
20080245813 Johnson et al. Oct 2008 A1
20090212066 Bauer Aug 2009 A1
20090266776 Johnson Oct 2009 A1
20090277853 Bauer Nov 2009 A1
20090308885 Sainato et al. Dec 2009 A1
20100032391 Schneider et al. Feb 2010 A1
20100096401 Sainato et al. Apr 2010 A1
20110121010 Loftin et al. May 2011 A1
20110121011 Gelardi et al. May 2011 A1
20110121022 Sholl et al. May 2011 A1
20120018391 Gelardi et al. Jan 2012 A1
20120074016 Gelardi et al. Mar 2012 A1
20120074160 Thomas et al. Mar 2012 A1
20120074164 Walling et al. Mar 2012 A1
20120080513 Thomas et al. Apr 2012 A1
20120097694 Gelardi Apr 2012 A1
20120152970 Thomas Jun 2012 A1
20120211522 Gelardi et al. Aug 2012 A1
20120217213 Thomas Aug 2012 A1
20120217261 Bailey et al. Aug 2012 A1
20120223090 Thomas et al. Sep 2012 A1
20120279893 Gelardi et al. Nov 2012 A1
20120285976 Bogdziewicz et al. Nov 2012 A1
20120285977 Bates et al. Nov 2012 A1
Foreign Referenced Citations (57)
Number Date Country
6036 Mar 2003 AT
2655496 Jun 1978 DE
29808673 Nov 1998 DE
19808162 Sep 1999 DE
20111307 Oct 2001 DE
202007012114 Nov 2007 DE
2415051 Aug 1979 FR
1283210 Jul 1972 GB
2190906 Dec 1978 GB
2036706 Jul 1980 GB
2303624 Feb 1997 GB
3273472 Mar 1991 JP
03105494 May 1991 JP
03133737 Jun 1991 JP
03198192 Aug 1991 JP
03273469 Dec 1991 JP
03273470 Dec 1991 JP
03273471 Dec 1991 JP
03273472 Dec 1991 JP
03273474 Dec 1991 JP
03273476 Dec 1991 JP
03273477 Dec 1991 JP
03273480 Dec 1991 JP
03273482 Dec 1991 JP
03273483 Dec 1991 JP
04086985 Mar 1992 JP
04115392 Apr 1992 JP
04137194 May 1992 JP
05004640 Jan 1993 JP
05174239 Jul 1993 JP
05346984 Dec 1993 JP
08161611 Jun 1996 JP
09027066 Jan 1997 JP
09102065 Apr 1997 JP
09282537 Oct 1997 JP
09311971 Dec 1997 JP
10269421 Oct 1998 JP
11011471 Jan 1999 JP
11171264 Jun 1999 JP
11191175 Jul 1999 JP
11328513 Nov 1999 JP
2001072076 Mar 2001 JP
2001206358 Jul 2001 JP
2003327243 Nov 2003 JP
2004017970 Jan 2004 JP
2005338910 Dec 2005 JP
04157593 Oct 2008 JP
WO-9106076 May 1991 WO
WO 9321074 Oct 1993 WO
WO 9423619 Oct 1994 WO
WO 0054632 Sep 2000 WO
WO 2004014755 Feb 2004 WO
WO 2004113808 Dec 2004 WO
WO 2009138538 Nov 2009 WO
WO 2011025483 Mar 2011 WO
WO 2011030320 Mar 2011 WO
WO 2011109350 Sep 2011 WO
Non-Patent Literature Citations (2)
Entry
International Search Report and Written Opinion issued in PCT/US2010/057020 (Mar. 8, 2011).
International Search Report and Written Opinion issued in PCT/US2010/057221 (Mar. 4, 2011).
Related Publications (1)
Number Date Country
20130062360 A1 Mar 2013 US