Patent Application
20240415297
The major items of cutlery in Western culture are the knife, fork and spoon. These three implements first appeared together on tables in Britain in the Georgian era. In recent times, hybrid versions of cutlery have been made combining the functionality of different eating implements, including the spork (spoon/fork), spife (spoon/knife), and knork (knife/fork). The sporf or splade combines all three. Restaurants and other types of food retailing outlets often provide disposable cutlery utensils in open self-serve dispensing bins, cups or wrapped towels and napkins. In this manner, consumers may retrieve a cutlery utensil, such as a fork, a spoon, a knife, a spork, and the like, directly. Utensils distributed in this manner, however, are subject to the environment and can be exposed to germs, dirt, etc. In addition, fitting a maximum number of utensils in each cup can be time consuming. Disposable cutlery, for example, plastic spoons, forks, knives and “sporks,” (e.g., a combination of a spoon and a fork), are frequently used in informal restaurant settings and are provided for use with “take out” restaurant food. To ensure that this cutlery is provided in a hygienic form, it is often purchased by a restaurant or other facility pre-sealed in a pouch. Such pouches are generally more expensive than the individual utensils due to the processing and materials necessary to form the pouches. Also, these pouches may provide more cutlery or condiments than the user needs and, as such, may be wasteful. Single use plastic has become one of the biggest environmental challenges of our times. It is arguably correct that the continuous deposition of plastics into the ocean will result in more plastic than fish in our Oceans by the year 2050. Every year, it is estimated that about 40 billion pieces of plastic disposable cutlery are used in the US alone. Wood cutlery is the only sustainable alternative to plastic. It is 100% natural, 100%, renewable and 100% compostable. An alternative to the above methods of dispensing cutleries made from either plastic, steel, metal or silver is the introduction of cutlery or utensil dispensers. Disposable cutlery, for example, plastic spoons, forks, knives and “sporks,” (e.g., a combination of a spoon and a fork), are frequently used in restaurant and are provided for use with “take out” restaurant food. However, as a result of the non-degradable nature of the materials used in the production of utensils, and their effect on the Eco system, wood becomes a reliable substitute.
There is thus a desire for a dispenser for disposable wood cutlery. Preferably, such an improved wooden cutlery dispenser designed exclusively for disposable wood cutlery, that is easy and hygienic to load and to dispense the wood cutlery utensils therefrom and may provide a simplified dispensing mechanics.
The present application relates generally to dispensers for cutlery utensils and more particularly relates to a Wood Cutlery Dispenser and retainer for ease of loading and dispensing wooden cutlery utensils therefrom.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,134,519 for DISPENSER FOR ELONGATE THIN FLEXIBLE ARTICLES, by Barnett, et al, granted Jan. 16, 1979 discloses a dispenser for elongated thin flexible articles stacked within a cartridge package. The unit is made of a cartridge holder vertically positioned and having a front access door and interior projections whereby a cartridge may be placed in the holder with the door open and maintained in a predetermined vertical position within the holder after the door is closed. The cartridge is provided with an opening at its lower end. The holder is provided with an opening at its lower end shaped to prevent the removal of an article unless it is gripped and flexed to conform to the opening. For this purpose, the lowermost article within the holder is held in an inclined position with one end on a step projection at the bottom of the holder. An intermediate portion of the lowermost article engaging a holder projection into the lower holder opening which is disengaged when the lowermost article is gripped and flexed in a manner to conform to the shape of the holder opening to permit removal of the lowermost article only. Window openings in both the door and cartridge allow the remaining supply of articles to be viewed at the lower end of the cartridge within the holder.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,336,568 for CUTLERY UTENSIL DISPENSER, by Tucker, et al, granted Jan. 8, 2002 discloses apparatus for dispensing cutlery utensils one at a time upon hand operation of an externally accessible utensil delivery controller. The dispenser includes a housing having at least one interior compartment in communication with an exit opening. At least partially accommodable within the interior compartment is a stack of utensils within a cartridge capable of universally accommodating knives or forks or spoons and provided with a portal through which a single utensil can pass and wherein a dispensable utensil is situated. The portal is situated in a pathway aligned with the exit opening. The utensil delivery controller is an externally accessible hand operable ejector engageable with the dispensable utensil for ejecting the dispensable utensil from the portal of the cartridge and thereafter through the pathway to the exit opening for ultimate user retrieval.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,832,694 for DISPENSER FOR CUTLERY UTENSILS, by Goeking, et al, granted Dec. 21, 2004 discloses a utensil dispenser for dispensing a utensil. The dispenser includes a base, which defines at least one dispensing opening. At least one utensil is positioned on or adjacent to a top surface of the base. The dispenser includes a dispensing mechanism capable of moving the one utensil. The utensil is dispensed by the dispensing mechanism moving the utensil to fall through the dispensing opening.
United States Published Patent Application No. 2007/0108141 for DISPENSER FOR DISPOSABLE CUTLERY AND COMPONENTS THEREOF, by Smith, et al, published May 17, 2007 describes a dispenser for disposable cutlery and also relates to banded packets of disposable cutlery that can be used in the dispenser, as well as other cutlery dispensers that do not use a cartridge therein.
U.S. Design Pat. No. D584,084 for REFILLABLE CUTLERY DISPENSER MAGAZINE, by Tucker, granted Jan. 6, 2009 discloses an ornamental design for a refillable cutlery dispenser magazine.
Certain types of cutlery dispensers are known in the art, such as U.S. Pat. No. 2,141,684, issued to Diemer; U.S. Pat. No. 2,188,573, issued to Longo; U.S. Pat. No. 2,911,127, issued to Driss et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,408, issued to Groenewold et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,336,568, issued to Tucker et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,141,684, issued to Diemer (“the '684 patent”), discloses a dispensing device. The '684 patent discloses a dispensing cabinet that has an interior that is divided into a plurality of vertical compartments by partitions. For each compartment, there are two opposed vertical guide channels that contact both end portions of the article to be dispensed. At the bottom of the forward guide channel, a horizontal shelf is provided that extends inwardly and against which the forward end of the lowermost article may rest to support the entire stack of articles. In the front wall of the forward guide channel just above the horizontal shelf, an aperture allowing the entrance of an ejecting plunger into the compartment is provided. The rear wall of the rear guide channel is provided with an aperture of a size to permit only the passage therethrough of the lowermost article. The upper portion of an end of the plunger is provided with a bevel. In the normal position of the plunger, the lowermost article is resting on the shelf. When the article is to be dispensed, the plunger is manually pressed inwardly against the force of a spring, and then the inner end of the plunger engages with the forward end of the article. At the same time, the front end of the article just above the lowermost one is engaged on the bevel so that the entire stack of articles is raised so that the weight of the stack is appreciably released from the lowermost article. The lowermost article is simultaneously slid backwardly so that its end passes through the aperture in the rear guide channel. After the forward end of the lowermost article is pushed off of the forward shelf, the article takes an angular suspended position where it may be grasped by the user inserting his hand through a suitable opening in the front wall of the cabinet.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,188,573, issued to Longo (“the '573 patent”), discloses a dispenser. The '573 patent discloses a cabinet that includes one or more holders therein, wherein each holder holds a particular type of cutlery utensil. The utensils are stacked in the holder so as to lay on lugs at each end of the bottom of the holder, which is otherwise open, and to lay on a block provided in a middle portion of the stack of utensils. In operation, a corresponding plunger for the desired utensil is thrust in using a button outside the dispenser. This actuates an appropriate lever and rocker arm, thereby turning an associated sleeve and moving an associated finger forward. This finger, engaging the handle of the utensil, will push such handle sideways through a cut-out in a vertical strip on one side of the holder and beyond the lug on that side into a downwardly and forwardly sloping slide. As the other end of the utensil is held back by a narrowed lower end of a vertical strip on the other side of the holder, a turning motion is imposed on the utensil to project its handle end over the slide. During this turning motion, as soon as the root end of the handle portion of the utensil is cleared away from the block below it, the tip of the utensil over the lug is freed from the holder and the utensil slides down along the slide onto a chute sloping downward and toward the bottom center of the cabinet.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,911,127, issued to Driss et al. (“the '127 patent”), discloses a machine for dispensing spoons or like articles. The '127 patent discloses a housing that has a front end that is open but is closed by a removable cover. In the housing, spoons are stacked together facing downward, with the front ends of the spoons confined in a first channel and the rear ends confined in a second channel. The front lip of the lowermost spoon rests on a ledge in the first channel and the rear handle of that spoon rests on an extension of a horizontal connecting wall. When an electromagnet is energized, an armature moves an actuating member inwardly or rearward and an inclined edge of the actuating member engages the rear handle of the lowermost spoon to move that spoon sideways at an angle so that it is pushed off the extension and over an open space. This causes the lowermost spoon to tilt down from its handle end and thereby disengage itself from the ledge and drop by gravity into a chute. The spoon then slides down the chute to be manually removed through an opening in the removable front cover of the housing. When the electromagnet is deenergized, the armature and the actuating member are retracted and the next lowermost spoon rests on the ledge and extension, and is ready for release upon the next actuation of the actuating member.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,408, issued to Groenewold et al. (“the '408 patent”), discloses a cutlery dispenser. This patent discloses a flatware dispensing unit including a housing having at least one compartment. The compartment has an elongated slot for exposing a portion of the flatware. A flatware cartridge is receivable in the compartment, and has a complementary elongated slot substantially aligned with the elongated slot of the compartment. A handle portion of the flatware extends from the elongated slots of the cartridge and the compartment to allow one to remove the flatware from the cartridge.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,336,568, issued to Tucker et al. (“the '568 patent”), discloses a cutlery utensil dispenser. The '568 patent discloses a dispenser including an interior compartment in communication with an exit opening and accessible through a closable door. A cartridge is accommodated in the interior compartment. The cartridge has at its lower end a removable cap member that provides a portal leading from the interior of the cartridge. The portal is sized such that a single cutlery utensil can pass therethrough. When the cartridge is in place in the interior compartment of the housing, the portal is situated in a pathway aligned with the exit opening. In one embodiment, dispensing a utensil is accomplished by the user rotating an externally accessible ejector such as a rotatable roller having at least one and, as shown in the drawings as four, ledges. Upon rotation of an external knob of the roller, one ledge engages a utensil situated in the portal to accomplish delivery of that utensil through the pathway and into the exit opening for user retrieval. In another embodiment, dispensing a utensil is accomplished by the user depressing an externally accessible ejector such as a lever that has a proximal end that is pushed downwardly by a user to retrieve a utensil. The lever has an internally protruding distal end, wherein upon pivotal movement of the lever on its pivot point, which occurs upon depression of the proximal end of the lever, the protruding distal end engages the dispensable utensil for ejecting the utensil from the portal to the exit opening.
The following summary is provided to facilitate an understanding of some of the innovative features unique to the present invention, this is not intended to be a full description. A full description of the various aspects of the invention can be gained by taking the entire specification, claims, and abstract as a whole.
The present invention is a wood cutlery dispenser for wooden cutlery, that distributes one unit of wood cutlery at a time, reducing contamination and usage. Designed exclusively for Foodstiks® eco-friendly 100% natural, 100% renewable, and 100% compostable birch wood cutlery, the present invention can stand alone on a counter, be wall mounted, or be mounted to a rondel which is sold separately, making it suitable for any size business, but it is particularly well-suited for high-volume foodservice operations. The versatile wood cutlery dispenser for wooden cutlery works with any shape wood fork, knife, or spoon, is interchangeable, and adapts to changing foodservice industry demands.
In one embodiment, a wood cutlery dispenser for wooden cutlery comprises a storage cabinet adapted to retain a plurality of wooden cutlery utensils therein; a dispensing/ejector lever for sequentially ejecting the plurality of wood cutlery from the storage cabinet.
In one embodiment, a wood cutlery dispenser for wooden cutlery comprises a storage cabinet adapted to retain a plurality of cutlery therein, the storage cabinet comprising a storage compartment for retaining the plurality of cutlery in a stacked array; a transparent front cover for protecting the utensils from dust, and other contamination; a lever ejector/dispenser adapted to dispense the wood cutleries from the cabinet when pushed down; and a semi-automatic cam mechanism in operative communication with the dispensing lever, the semi-automatic dispense mechanism adapted to discharge at least a portion of one of the plurality of wood cutlery pieces from the storage cabinet upon triggering by the manual dispensing lever, and a carved out portion configuration behind the back of the wood dispenser, adapted to allow the dispenser be hanged on a wall.
The above described and other features are exemplified by the following Figures and detailed description.
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The invention is easy to use as the structural design is lightweight, sturdy and provides an easy method of dispensing wood cutlery from therein. It dispenses one unit at a time, which reduces contamination and usage. Perfect for any size business, but in particular for large volume foodservice operations. The cutleries are loaded into the dispenser, from the top, quick and easy to reload and holds up to 200 pieces of cutlery at a time. It can stand alone on a counter, be wall mounted, or be mounted to a rondel sold separately, making it suitable for any size business.
