Device for storing and dispensing in single units objects in the form of sheets or thin strips

Abstract

The invention concerns a device, such as a box, for storing and dispensing in single-units objects in the form of sheets, wafers, thin strips or platelets, with planar geometry in particular square, rectangular, polygonal, circular, elliptical, enabling said objects to be dispensed individually in single units, comprising: a) storage means such as a container with a lid, containing the objects to be dispensed, stored stacked on one another on a storage surface, said storage means including a surface for guiding the objects to be dispensed and a dispensing opening enabling the objects to be dispensed individually in single units; b) dispensing means bade of a flexible, deformable, mobile driving element, having one of its ends in contact with the object to be driven, along at least one transverse tangential contact line, and whereof the longitudinal cross-section is S- or nearly U-shaped.

1 . A box-type storage and dispensing device for objects in the form of sheets, small plates, strips or thin bands having a planar geometry, the device capable of dispensing said objects one-by-one, comprising:
 a container-type storage means with a lid, containing the objects to be dispensed, stored stacked on top of one another on a storage surface, said storage means including a guide surface for guiding objects to be dispensed and a dispensing opening enabling the objects being dispensed to pass through one-by-one,   and a dispensing means,   wherein said dispensing means comprises a flexible, deformable and movable drive element, the contact of an end of the flexible, deformable and movable drive element with the upper face of the object to be dispensed being a transverse surface-to-surface contact along at least one tangential line, having a static friction coefficient higher than the static friction coefficient existing between two facing surfaces of two contiguous objects to be dispensed, and a longitudinal cross section of the flexible, deformable and movable drive element being “S” shaped or nearly “U” shaped.   
   
   
       2 . The storage and dispensing device of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible, deformable drive element takes the shape of a finger having a circular, elliptical or polygonal cross section, the downstream end of which is equipped with a transverse bar perpendicular to a longitudinal axis, ensuring transverse surface-to-surface contact with the object to be dispensed, along at least one tangential line. 
   
   
       3 . The storage and dispensing device of  claim 2 , wherein the flexible, deformable drive element is a thin blade, of a constant width over the entire length of said flexible element, or having an even or uneven narrowing. 
   
   
       4 . The storage and dispensing device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the flexible, deformable, movable drive element is preferably triangular, rectangular or “T” shaped. 
   
   
       5 . The storage and dispensing device of  claim 4 , wherein, when the flexible, deformable, movable drive element has a rectangular shape, and a width at most equal to a value very slightly lower than the width L of the container. 
   
   
       6 . The storage and dispensing device of  claim 4 , wherein, when the flexible, deformable, movable drive element has a triangular shape, the base of the triangle forming a transverse contact with the object to be extracted. 
   
   
       7 . The storage and dispensing device of  claim 4 , wherein, when the flexible, deformable, movable drive element has a “T” shape, a transverse bar of the “T” forms a transverse contact with an object to be dispensed, wherein the bar has a length at most equal to a value very slightly lower than the width L of the container. 
   
   
       8 . The storage and dispensing device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the transverse contact surface with an object to be dispensed has a width between 0.25 times the width L of the container and a length very slightly less than said width L of the container. 
   
   
       9 . The storage and dispensing device of  claim 8 , wherein the length is preferably between 0.6 L and a length very slightly less than said width L of the container. 
   
   
       10 . The storage and dispensing device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the container-type storage means comprises a bottom formed by the combination of two contiguous surfaces, one being the storage surface and the other being the guide surface. 
   
   
       11 . The storage and dispensing device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the storage surface, forming a supporting surface on which the objects to be dispensed are stacked, is a generally planar inclined surface forming an acute angle with the plane formed by the lid, and is contiguous with the guide surface. 
   
   
       12 . The storage and dispensing device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the storage surface forming a supporting surface on which objects to be dispensed are stacked is a surface parallel to the plane of the lid and is contiguous with the guide surface. 
   
   
       13 . The storage and dispensing device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the guide surface is a developable curvilinear surface forming an exit ramp and ending at the dispensing opening. 
   
   
       14 . The storage and dispensing device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the guide surface consists of one or more inclined planes in relation to the plane formed by the lid at the dispensing opening, so as to form a hopper. 
   
   
       15 . The storage and dispensing device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the container comprises two substantially parallel vertical walls and a third vertical wall substantially perpendicular to the two lateral walls, the third vertical wall positioned on a side opposite the dispensing opening. 
   
   
       16 . The storage and dispensing device as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the two walls and are converging. 
   
   
       17 . The storage and dispensing device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the container is closed at an upper portion by a fixed lid equipped with a slide opening so as to enable the flexible, deformable, movable drive element of the object to be dispensed to be moved in translation inside of the slide opening. 
   
   
       18 . The storage and dispensing device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the container is closed at an upper portion by a lid movable in translation in relation to the container. 
   
   
       19 . The storage and dispensing device of  claim 18 , wherein the device is equipped with a system for returning the lid to its initial position, the system being located between the lid and the container. 
   
   
       20 . The storage and dispensing device of  claim 18 , wherein the lid movable in translation in relation to the container comprises a protuberance on an upper end surface, enabling the user to slide the lid in relation to the container. 
   
   
       21 . The storage and dispensing device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the container is closed at an upper portion by a lid movable in rotation in relation to the container. 
   
   
       22 . The storage and dispensing device of  claim 21 , wherein the lid is hinged completely, an axis of rotation being placed on one end of the container. 
   
   
       23 . The storage and dispensing device of  claim 21 , wherein the lid is partially hinged, a portion of the lid being fixed in relation to the container, and another portion of the lid rotating in relation to the container, the axis of rotation being placed at a location between two ends of the lid. 
   
   
       24 . The storage and dispensing device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the lid comprises a rib on an inside face, so as to hold the flexible, deformable, movable drive element in contact with an upper face of an object to be dispensed. 
   
   
       25 . The storage and dispensing device of  claim 18 , wherein the lid is assembled onto the container by a system for snapping on and sliding along tracks with a stop limit device, the system capable of fastening the lid and the container together without restricting the ability of the lid to translate on the container. 
   
   
       26 . The storage and dispensing device of  claim 17 , wherein the fixed lid is assembled onto the container by a snap-on system. 
   
   
       27 . The storage and dispensing device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the storage and dispensing device comprises a slot-type dispensing opening having edges forming open lips enabling objects to be dispensed to pass through one-by-one. 
   
   
       28 . The storage and dispensing device of  claim 27 , wherein the lips of the dispensing opening are in the form of a chamfer, a bevel or an offset of one of the lips in relation to the other. 
   
   
       29 . The storage and dispensing device as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein the slot-type dispensing opening is either an integral part of the container, or an integral part of the lid, or is formed at the intersection of the container and lid, during the assembly thereof. 
   
   
       30 . The storage and dispensing device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a flexible flap is capable of concealing the dispensing opening. 
   
   
       31 . The storage and dispensing device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the container and the lid are made of polymer materials selected from the group of materials consisting of thermoplastic polymers, polyolefins, polyethylenes, polypropylenes, ethylene/propylene copolymers, polyamides (PA), polystyrenes (PS), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) copolymers, styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN) copolymers, polymethyl methacrylates (PMMA), polyethylene terephthalates (PET), polybutylene terephthalates (PBT), polyacetals (POM), polyvinyl chlorides (PVC), and polycarbonates (PC). 
   
   
       32 . The storage and dispensing device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the flexible, deformable, movable drive element is integral with the movable portion of the lid when said lid is movable. 
   
   
       33 . The storage and dispensing device of  claim 17 , wherein the flexible, deformable, movable drive element is independent from the lid when said lid is fixed. 
   
   
       34 . The storage and dispensing device of  claim 33 , wherein the flexible, deformable, movable drive element is equipped with a shoe sliding inside an opening of the fixed lid. 
   
   
       35 . The storage and dispensing device as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein the flexible, deformable, movable drive element is made with at least one material selected from the group of materials having the characteristics peculiar to elastomeric compositions. 
   
   
       36 . The storage and dispensing device as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein the flexible, deformable, movable drive element is a mono-material formed from a single formulated elastomeric thermoplastic material the thermoplastic material comprising at least one thermoplastic elastomer and a rigid thermoplastic compound. 
   
   
       37 . The storage and dispensing device as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein the flexible, deformable, movable drive element ( 14 ) is a multi-material, and further comprises a core and a skin comprising an elastomeric-type material. 
   
   
       38 . The storage and dispensing device ( 1 ) as claimed in  claim 36 , wherein elastomer material or materials are preferably selected from the group consisting of elastomers of natural rubber, synthetic rubber, mono-olefin rubbers, diene rubbers, condensation product-based rubbers styrenic rubbers, and other block copolymers, used alone or in a mixture, formulated or not. 
   
   
       39 . The storage and dispensing device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a child safety opening system is associated with the device for storing and dispensing objects. 
   
   
       40 . The storage and dispensing device of  claim 39 , wherein the child safety opening system is a pushbutton forming an integral part of a lid capable of combining a sustained vertical pressure and a simultaneous translational movement to unlock the safety system and to ensure operation of the dispensing device. 
   
   
       41 . The storage and dispensing device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the container and the lid are between said container and said lid with an indicator of the container having been opened prior to the first opening. 
   
   
       42 . The storage and dispensing device as claimed in  claim 39 , wherein the child safety opening system comprises separable micro-points indicating a first opening, the micro-points positioned between the pushbutton and a pushbutton housing. 
   
   
       43 . The storage and dispensing device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said storage and dispensing device is made desiccant by at least one of the means comprising an internal coating of the bottom of the container and/or of the internal surface of the wall of the container and/or of the lid by means of a desiccant thermoplastic polymer composition, the introduction of an insert into said storage and dispensing device, the coating of the flexible, deformable, movable drive element with an desiccant elastomeric composition, and/or the introduction of a desiccant material placed inside a special housing on the inside surface of the container and/or the lid. 
   
   
       44 . A method for dispensing objects comprising:
 obtaining the storage and dispensing device as claimed in  claim 1 ; and   using the device to dispense the objects in the form of sheets, small plates, strips or thin bands, in the form of rigid strips or bands.