Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02445203 2003-10-16
1
PRODUCT DISPENSER WITH TIMER MECH,i~NISM
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to product dispenser machines for
use in public areas. More particularly, it relates to a product dispenser with
a timer mechanism that prevents a user, after receiving a single product,
from getting access to additional products from the same dispenser during
a pre-set delay period.
BI~CKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Product dispensers in public areas fall into two major categories: 1 ) free
product or item dispensers; and 2) full security vending systems.
Free product or item dispensers are dispensers where the product or item
is displayed in an unattended manner. When a user desires to take one of
the items contained therein, he takes the item from the dispenser and can
keep on removing items from the same dispenser repeatedly within a short
period of time. This can quickly deplete the amount of products in the
dispenser available to other users and makes the dispenser susceptible to
pillage, as not everyone using such facilities is honest.
The second type of related art includes full security vending systems
placed for use in public areas. These machines provide the product to the
user in exchange for a monetary transaction. These systems are fully
secure in the sense that there is little possibility, except through extensive
physical damage, that the product can be pillaged i~rom the dispenser.
Thus, there is still presently a need for dispensers for use by persons who
want to provide free samples of consumer products to the public. Free
product or item dispensers have the disadvantage of being too susceptible
to pillage, while full security vending systems are more secure, but require
a monetary transaction as part of the dispensing system.
CA 02445203 2003-10-16
2
StJIi~IVIARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to propose a product dispenser with a
timer mechanism that will satisfy this above-mentioned need. This
dispensing system occupies a middle ground between the free product or
item dispensers and full security vending systems.
According to the present invention, that object is achieved with a timer
mechanism within the dispenser which prevents a user, after receiving a
single product, from getting access to additional products during a pre-set
delay period in the order of minutes. The timer mechanism interacts with
the lever used to activate the dispensing mechanism as well as the main
shaft which rotates to provide a sample product i:hrough one of the four
dispenser output areas. The lever can only be fully depressed and the
main shaft can only rotate after the timer mechanism is disengaged
following the elapse of the time delay.
As can be appreciated, a timer mechanism greatly reduces the chances of
pillage of the content of the dispenser by dishonest users.
A non-restrictive description of a preferred embodiment of the invention will
now be given with reference to the appending drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAII~INtiS
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a product dispenser according to a
preferred embodiment of the invention, showing the outer assembly of the
dispenser with the lever at the bottom that a user must push down in order
to get a product from the dispenser.
Figure 2 is an exploded view of the product dispenser of figure 1, showing
how the product cartridges (usually four of them per machine) fit with the
outer housing and the mechanical dispensing module of the dispenser.
CA 02445203 2003-10-16
3
Figure 3 is an exploded view of the mechanical dispensing module which is
part of the general assembly shown in figure 2 and details the different
parts of the dispensing mechanism.
Figures 4 and 5 are perspective views, showing the product dispenser in
an idle position with the lever ready to be depressed by the user in the first
step of the dispensing sequence.
Figures 6 and 7 are perspective views of the second step of the dispensing
sequence, showing the mechanism after the user has depressed the lever.
Figures 8 and 9 are perspective views of the third step of the dispensing
sequence, showing how the timer mechanism engages in the lever and the
cam index to prevent further motion, until the timer delay has elapsed and
the mechanism has been reset to its idle position shown in figures 4 and 5.
~ESCRIPTIt7I~ ~F J~ PREFERREL7 EMEO~II~IENT
Referring to any one of figures 1 to 9, a product dispenser (10) with a timer
mechanism is shown.
Turning now to figure 2, the dispenser (10) comprises an outer housing
(12) housing one or more cartridges (14) of products to be dispensed.
These cartridges (14) are disposed side by side within the housing (12)
and each has an exit at a bottom end (16) thereof. The dispenser (10)
further comprises a mechanical dispensing module (18) disposed below
the cartridges {14) for dispensing one at a time the products from the
cartridges (14).
Referring to figure 3, the mechanical dispensing module (18) comprises a
plurality of orifices (20) on a top wall thereof, each being associated and
disposed in registry with a respective one of the cartridges (14). The
dispensing module (18) further comprises cyiindricc~l scoops (22) mounted
on horizontally extending main shaft {24), each one being in registry with a
CA 02445203 2003-10-16
4
respective one of the orifices (20}. Thanks to the ac>tuating means that will
be described below, the cylindrical scoops (22) alternately collect in a
phased sequence the different samples from the four cartridges (14)
placed on top of the four orifices (20). indeed, the mechanical dispensing
module (18) comprises an actuating means for actuating a rotation of the
main shaft (24), thereby causing rotation of the cylindrical scoops (22). The
actuating means comprises a lever (30) having a first end (32) pivotally
connected to a side wall of the module {18) and being free to rotate about a
pivot point (34), and a free second end (36). The lever (30) also comprises
a horizontally oriented oblong aperture (37) provided with gear teeth (38)
adapted to operatively receive a one-way bearing gear (40). The gear (40)
is mounted at an end of the main shaft (24).
Therefore, from an idle position shown in figures 4 and 5, a user can push
the free end (36) of the lever (30) down, as in ficlures 6 and 7, thereby
causing the same to rotate about the pit<ot point (34). During this motion,
gear teeth (38) of the oblong aperture {37) interact with the teeth of the
one-way bearing gear (40), thereby causing the same and the main shaft
(24) to rotate 90 degrees clockwise. As the main shaft {24} rotates, the
cylindrical scoops (22) mounted on the shaft (24), each being positioned
differently with exactly 90 degree phases, rotate also one quarter turn.
Therefore, at each rotation of the shaft {24), only one sample is being
collected from one of the four sample cartridges (14). As the phased
cylindrical scoops (22) rotate during this same time period, only one
sample will be dispensed through the bottom of the dispensing module as
28 another scoop will have its opening towards the bottom of the module (18}.
The two other scoops (22) will be in intermediate phases between the
retrieval of the sample from the cartridge (14) and the dispensing of the
sample. With each 90 degree turn, each cylindrical' scoop {22) alternates
between its four different phases and positions.
CA 02445203 2003-10-16
The mechanical dispensing module (18) also comprises a timer
mechanism, generally designated as numeral reference (50), which
prevents a user, after having received a single product, from getting access
to additional products during a pre-set delay period in the order of minutes.
5 The timer mechanism (50) interacts with the lever (30) used to activate the
main shaft (24). The lever (30) can only be fully depressed and the main
shaft (24) can only rotate after the timer mechanism (50) is disengaged
following the elapse of the time delay.
More specifically, the timer mechanism (50) comprises a suction cup (52)
mounted to a first end of a lever rod (54) disposed adjacent to the lever
(30). The timer mechanism also comprises an adjustment knob (56)
mounted to a second end of the lever rod (54) and an helicoidaf spring (58)
mounted on the lever rod (54) near the adjustment knob (56).
The timer mechanism further comprises a pressure foot (60) having a first
end (62} secured to the pivot point (34) of the lever (30}, the pressure foot
(60) thus being caused to pivot about the pivot point (34) when the free end
(36) of the lever (30) is pushed downwards. The pressure foot (60) also
has a second end (64) adapted to engage and corr~press down the suction
cup (52) against a planar surface of the housing (12) when the lever (30) is
pushed down. The lever rod (54) is thus movable between a downward
position when the suction cup (52) is compressed and an upward position
when the suction cup (52) is released.
The timer mechanism (50} further comprises a cam index (70) mounted to
the main shaft (24) adjacent to the gear (40) and adapted to cooperate with
a locking arm (72). As best shown in figures 4 and 5, the locking arm (72)
has a first end (74) connected along the lever rod (54) above the suction
cup (52) and a second end (75) with first and second tips (7°7,78}
respectively engaging the cam index (70) and a slot (80) provided on the
lever (30) when the lever rod (54) is in the downward position, thereby
blocking motion of the main shaft (24) and lever (30); and disengaging the
CA 02445203 2003-10-16
same when the lever rod (54) moves to the upward position as the suction
cup (52) releases.
Figures 4 and 5 show the mechanical dispensing module (18) in an idle
position. In this position, the lever rod (54) is in the upward position, the
first and second tips (77,78) of the locking arm (72) are thus respectively
away from the cam index {70) and the slot (80) in the lever (30).
When the free end (36) of the lever (30) is pushed down from the idle
position, as in figure 6, the presser foot (60) presses the suction cup (52)
against the planar surface of the housing (12). Pas a temporary internal
vacuum is created, the suction cup (52) remains attached to the surface.
When the suction cup (52) is lowered, it also causes the lever rod (54) to
move to the downwards position, and once the user releases the free end
(36) of the lever (30), the same returns to the idle position as shown in
figures 8 and 9, thereby causing the gear {40) to rotate in the counter
clockwise direction, and that, without engaging the main shaft (24) which
remains in its position, as the gear (40) allows free movement of the shaft
{24) in only the clockwise direction.
Referring to figures 8 and 9, when the lever {30) revturns to its idle
position,
the first and second tips (77,78) of the locking arm (72) respectively
engage into the cam index (70) and the slot (80), t>locking motion for both
the lever (30) and the main shaft (24) as long as the lever rod (54) has a
downward force exerted on it. Indeed, after release of the lever (30), the
suction cup (52) remains in place for a period of time. This keeps a
downward force exerted on the lever rod (54). When the delay period has
elapsed, the suction cup (52) releases itself from the surface, lifting the
lever rod (54), and thus the first and second tips (77,78) of the locking arm
(72) respectively away from cam index (70) and the slot {80). This ensures
a time delay in the order of minutes between removal of two products from
the same dispenser through activating of the lever. '1°he amount of
delay for
release of the suction cup {52) from the surface can be controlled through
CA 02445203 2003-10-16
7
the roughness of the surface and through the spring (58) force exerted on
the suction cup (52) which tends to pull the suction cup (52) away from the
surface. This spring force can be controlled through compression of the
spring (58) with the adjustment knob (56). After release of the suction cup
(52), the complete system is reset to the idle position shown in figures 4
and 5.
A weight placed on top of the stack of products (18) helps set the next
product in place for removal by the dispensing system.
Although the present invention has been explained hereinabove by way of
1 a a preferred embodiment thereof, it should be understood that the invention
is not limited to this precise embodiment and that various changes and
modifications may be effected therein without departing from the scope or
spirit of the invention.
