Utensil dispenser

Abstract

A utensil dispenser including a reservoir that stores utensils and front and rear pedestals in contact with a next utensil. The pedestals contain a plurality of utensils within the reservoir. A gravity feed ramp moves the next utensil to an access port of the utensil dispenser. The utensil dispenser includes an actuator operably connected to a drive pin or other drive mechanism. The actuator is configured to halt a dispensing utensil at a ready position based upon contact between the dispensing utensil and the actuator. In the ready position, a handle portion of the dispensing utensil is accessible via the access port. The drive mechanism is configured to contact the next utensil. The actuator is configured to move the drive mechanism to move the next utensil to clear the front pedestal to release the next utensil from the reservoir onto the gravity feed ramp when the dispensing utensil is dispensed.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A utensil dispenser comprising:
 a reservoir configured to store a plurality of utensils; 
 a rear pedestal configured to contact a rear portion of a next lowermost utensil to be dispensed of the plurality of utensils; 
 a front pedestal configured to contact one or more detents in a forward portion of the next lowermost utensil, wherein the front pedestal and the rear pedestal are configured to contain the plurality of utensils within the reservoir; 
 a gravity feed ramp configured to move the next utensil to that is sloped toward an access port of the utensil dispenser; and 
 an actuator operably connected to a drive mechanism, the actuator configured to halt a dispensing utensil at a ready position based upon contact between the dispensing utensil and the actuator such that, in the ready position, a handle portion of the dispensing utensil is accessible via the access port; 
 wherein the drive mechanism is configured to contact the next lowermost utensil, and wherein the actuator is further configured to move the drive mechanism into from a ready position to a release position such that where the drive mechanism contacts the next lowermost utensil to push the next lowermost utensil in a longitudinal direction to clear the front pedestal to release the next utensil from the reservoir, allowing that pushed utensil to drop onto the gravity feed ramp when the dispensing utensil is dispensed and to slide toward the access port, and 
 wherein the actuator is further configured to hold the utensil that dropped onto the gravity feed ramp, allowing its handle portion to be accessible through the access port. 
 
     
     
       2. The utensil dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the drive mechanism comprises a drive pin. 
     
     
       3. The utensil dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the drive mechanism comprises a drive hammer. 
     
     
       4. The utensil dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the drive mechanism is further configured to move the next utensil to clear the rear pedestal to release the next utensil from the reservoir onto the gravity feed ramp when the dispensing utensil is dispensed. 
     
     
       5. The utensil dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the drive mechanism includes the rear pedestal. 
     
     
       6. The utensil dispenser of  claim 5 , wherein the actuator is further configured to return to a home position to clear the next utensil from the rear pedestal. 
     
     
       7. The utensil dispenser of  claim 1 , further comprising a manual activation button configured to move the drive mechanism into the release position when the manual activation button is activated to prime the dispenser when there is no utensil accessible through the access port. 
     
     
       8. A utensil dispenser, comprising:
 a front pedestal disposed within the dispenser; 
 a rear pedestal disposed within the dispenser; 
 a drive mechanism disposed within the dispenser; 
 an actuator operably connected to the drive mechanism, and 
 a stack of utensils disposed within the dispenser, wherein each utensil comprises:
 a utensil body having a utensil body front portion and a utensil body rear portion; 
 a winged portion operatively connected to the utensil body front portion, the winged portion disposed on at least one side of the utensil body and configured to at least partially rest on a the front pedestal of a utensil dispenser when the utensil is stored in a reservoir of the utensil dispenser; and 
 a tail portion operatively connected to the utensil body rear portion, the tail portion configured to: rest on a configured to at least partially rest on the rear pedestal of the utensil dispenser when the utensil is stored in the reservoir of the utensil dispenser, the utensil remaining within the reservoir when the winged portion is resting on the front pedestal and the tail portion rests on the rear pedestal; and contact a drive mechanism of the utensil dispenser, 
 wherein the actuator is configured to move the drive mechanism configured to selectively push the utensil viato a release position where the drive mechanism pushes the tail portion of a lowermost utensil in the stack of utensils in a longitudinal direction, such that the winged portion of the lowermost utensil clears the front pedestal and the tail portion clears the rear pedestal, permitting the lowermost utensil to fall from the reservoirstack. 
 
 
     
     
       9. The utensil dispenser of  claim 8 , wherein the drive mechanism comprises a drive pin. 
     
     
       10. The utensil dispenser of  claim 8 , wherein the drive mechanism comprises a drive hammer. 
     
     
       11. The utensil dispenser of  claim 8 , further comprising a gravity feed ramp disposed beneath the front and rear pedestals, wherein the drive mechanism moves the lowermost utensil to clear the rear pedestal to release the utensil from the reservoir falls onto a the gravity feed ramp when a dispensing utensil is dispensed released from the stack. 
     
     
       12. The utensil dispenser of  claim 8 , wherein the drive mechanism includes the rear pedestal is located on the drive mechanism. 
     
     
       13. The utensil dispenser of  claim 12 , wherein the lowermost utensil is configured to clear the rear pedestal based upon an the actuator returning to a home position. 
     
     
       14. A method comprising:
 supporting a plurality of utensils within a utensil dispenser, the dispenser having a front pedestal and a rear pedestal for supporting the plurality of utensils; 
 removing a utensil from a the utensil dispenser; 
 moving an actuation component based upon when the utensil is being removed, wherein the utensil is in contact with the actuation component while being removed; 
 engaging a drive mechanism based upon the moving of when the actuation component is being moved; 
 freeing a nextseparating a lowermost utensil from a reservoir onto a gravity feed ramp based uponthe plurality of utensils using the drive mechanism, wherein the drive mechanism pushes the nextlowermost utensil to freeseparate the nextlowermost utensil from the plurality of utensils; and 
 halting the next separated utensil on the gravity feed ramp such that a tail portion of the separated utensil extrudes extends from the utensil dispenser. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the drive mechanism comprises a drive pin. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the drive mechanism comprises a drive hammer. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the drive mechanism moves the utensil to clear the rear pedestal to release the utensil from the reservoir onto the gravity feed ramp when the dispensing utensil is dispensed. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the drive mechanism includes the rear pedestal. 
     
     
       19. The method of claim  18  14, wherein the actuation component is operably connected to the drive mechanism, the actuation component configured to move the drive mechanism that in turn pushes the lowermost utensil is configured to clear the rear front pedestal based upon an actuator returning to a home position. 
     
     
       20. The utensil dispenser of claim 1, wherein each utensil comprises one or more laterally extending detents that are configured to contact and at least partially rest on the front pedestal. 
     
     
       21. The utensil dispenser of claim 1, wherein the rear pedestal is located on the drive mechanism. 
     
     
       22. The utensil dispenser of claim 1, wherein the actuator is further configured to return to a home position whereby the next utensil is able to clear and drop from the rear pedestal. 
     
     
       23. The method of claim 14, wherein the rear pedestal is located on the drive mechanism. 
     
     
       24. A utensil dispenser comprising:
 a housing for containing a stack of utensils;   a front pedestal configured to contact a first portion of a utensil to be dispensed,   a drive mechanism configured to contact and push the utensil to be dispensed, wherein the drive mechanism comprises a rear pedestal formed thereon, the rear pedestal configured to support a second portion of the utensil to be dispensed;   an actuator operably connected to the drive mechanism; and   an access port providing an exit from the housing,   wherein the actuator is configured to move the drive mechanism from a ready position to a release position where the drive mechanism pushes a lowermost utensil of the stack in a longitudinal direction to clear the front pedestal, allowing the lowermost utensil to fall from the stack toward the access port.   
     
     
       25. The utensil dispenser of claim 24, further comprising a gravity feed ramp that is sloped toward the access port, wherein the lowermost utensil falls from the stack onto the gravity feed ramp. 
     
     
       26. The utensil dispenser of claim 24, wherein the actuator is further configured to hold the fallen utensil at least partially within the dispenser such that a handle portion of the fallen utensil is accessible through the access port. 
     
     
       27. The utensil dispenser of claim 26, wherein the actuator is configured to hold the pushed utensil that has fallen from the stack at least partially within the dispenser such that a handle end of that utensil extends through the access port. 
     
     
       28. The utensil dispenser of claim 24, further comprising a manual activation button configured to move the drive mechanism into the release position when the manual activation button is activated to prime the dispenser when there is no utensil accessible through the access port. 
     
     
       29. The utensil dispenser of claim 24, further comprising a reservoir disposed within a lower portion of the housing for holding a plurality of utensils. 
     
     
       30. The utensil dispenser of claim 24, further comprising a reservoir disposed within a lower portion of the housing for holding at least a portion of the stack of utensils. 
     
     
       31. The utensil dispenser of claim 24, further comprising a moveable hinged member to provide access to an interior of the housing, above the access port. 
     
     
       32. The utensil dispenser of claim 24, wherein the rear pedestal is defined by a recessed portion formed on an outer surface of the drive mechanism. 
     
     
       33. A utensil dispenser comprising:
 a housing for containing a stack of utensils, each utensil comprising a functional end, a tail end, and at least one detent extending outwardly from the utensil at a location between the functional end and the tail end,   a front pedestal disposed within the housing, the front pedestal configured to contact the at least one detent of the utensil to be dispensed,   a rear pedestal disposed within the housing, the rear pedestal configured to contact the tail end of the utensil to be dispensed;   a drive mechanism disposed within the housing, the drive mechanism configured to contact and push the tail end of the utensil to be dispensed;   an access port providing an opening to the housing, and   an actuator operably connected to the drive mechanism, wherein the actuator moves the drive mechanism from a ready position to a release position where the drive mechanism contacts and pushes the tail end of the utensil to be dispensed, allowing the pushed utensil to move in a longitudinal direction to clear the front pedestal and then fall from the stack of utensils.   
     
     
       34. The utensil dispenser of claim 33, wherein the drive mechanism comprises a drive pin or a drive hammer disposed on one end of the drive mechanism. 
     
     
       35. The method of claim 33, wherein the rear pedestal is located on the drive mechanism. 
     
     
       36. The method of claim 33, wherein the rear pedestal is located on the housing. 
     
     
       37. The utensil dispenser of claim 33, wherein the actuator is configured to hold the pushed utensil that has fallen from the stack at least partially within the dispenser such that the tail end of that utensil extends through the access port. 
     
     
       38. The utensil dispenser of claim 33, wherein the stack of utensils is loaded into the housing by inserting a portion of the stack into the housing at an angle. 
     
     
       39. The utensil dispenser of claim 33, further comprising a manual activation button configured to move the drive mechanism into the release position when the manual activation button is activated to prime the dispenser when there is no utensil accessible through the access port. 
     
     
       40. The utensil dispenser of claim 33, further comprising a reservoir disposed within a lower portion of the housing for holding a plurality of utensils. 
     
     
       41. The utensil dispenser of claim 40, wherein the reservoir holds at least a portion of the stack of utensils. 
     
     
       42. The utensil dispenser of claim 33, further comprising a moveable hinged member disposed on the housing to provide access to an interior of the housing above the access port.