Patents Examined by Kenneth Noland
  • Patent number: 6880722
    Abstract: There is provided a medicament dispenser for dispensing medicament comprising: a body; a holder, shaped to fit within the body and movable relative to the body; and receivable by said holder, a cassette containing a medicament carrier, wherein movement of the holder relative to the body results in movement of the cassette between a first position and a second position such that the cassette is reversibly removable from the holder when the cassette is in the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: Glaxo Group Limited
    Inventors: Gregor John McLennan Anderson, Philip William Farr, Paul Kenneth Rand, Stephen James Harvey
  • Patent number: 6877634
    Abstract: A disposable dispensing carton for paper and nonwoven sheet materials is provided that can be made from paperboard blanks and includes a set or ridges, integral with the dispensing carton, that extend into the interior area of the dispensing carton adjacent the dispensing opening located in the bottom of the carton. The ridges off-set the weight of the overlying sheets to a degree that allows the dispensing carton to employ heights in excess of about 40 cm as well as hold and dispense stacked paper products having sheet counts between about 250 and about 1000 sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Francis Tramontina, Richard Paul Lewis
  • Patent number: 6874652
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for dispensing of tablets from an apparatus constituting a dispenser for tablets contained in a blister pack. The invention also relates to such apparatuses and to uses of such apparatuses. The invention makes use of an apparatus the operating of which greatly increases the facility of using the apparatus, increases the resistance towards tampering the apparatus and facilitates reducing the size of the apparatus when not in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: Bang & Olufsen Medicom A/S
    Inventors: Henrik Bondgaard Christensen, Henrik Hougaard Vilstrup, Ole Hangaard, Keld Sloth Christensen, Kim Bisgaard Sorensen
  • Patent number: 6874653
    Abstract: A product metering napkin dispenser includes a housing defining a storage magazine for receiving a stack of folded napkins and a metering member that penetrates the stack in order to segregate a predetermined number of napkins from the remainder of the stack for dispensing. Preferred embodiments include gravity feed napkin dispensers. In various embodiments the metering member may include: a pivoting plate cooperating with a hinged trap door support surface; a rotating semicircular disk co-rotating with a support disk; or a reciprocating jaw assembly urging napkins through an aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: Georgia-Pacific Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce T. Boone, Gregory D. Budz, Michael R. Kilgore, Jonathan R. Aumann, James B. Christensen
  • Patent number: 6871756
    Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus a method and apparatus for the refurbishment of a beverage vending machine to enable a can vending machine to be reconfigured for the dispensing of bottles. In particular, the apparatus and process are directed to the modification of certain components of a can vending machine to enable it to be utilized for dispensing of newer, 16- or 20-ounce beverage bottles. The modification includes a change in the spacing and configuration of the container storage rack and the modification of dispensing mechanisms to allow a can-type system to dispense bottles and thereby avoid the need to completely replace the vending machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Inventor: Ralph Gallo
  • Patent number: 6868985
    Abstract: A small-sized automatic vending machine for snack confectionery is provided, which is capable of being fitted to a side surface of an already installed automatic vending machine for drinks, or the like, and which enables machine size reduction, commodity protection, and a first-in first-out operation for commodities. The small-sized automatic vending machine comprises a base frame (4), which is capable of being fitted to a mounting surface (2), and a cabinet (6). The cabinet (6) comprises a commodity vending opening (10), which is located at an upper region, and a commodity accommodating section, which is located within the cabinet (6) and accommodates a plurality of commodities (CA, CB) laid-up on commodity carriers (26A, 26B). A lower region of the cabinet (6) is pivotably supported on the base frame (4) via a hinge (8), such that the cabinet (6) is capable of being set in a sideways fallen state, in which the commodity accommodating section is exposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Mars Incorporated
    Inventors: Kichihei Mori, Yasuhiro Ota
  • Patent number: 6868983
    Abstract: An article handling apparatus embodied, for example, as a vending machine, includes a controllably positioned hose-type dispenser for retrieving articles from an article storage area. A first end of the hose receives article securing energy (e.g., suction), and a second end is adapted to secure to and extract a selected article from the storage area. A hose positioning mechanism controllably positions the second end of the hose for retrieving articles from the article storage area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Inventor: Munroe Chirnomas
  • Patent number: 6863192
    Abstract: This invention is a facial tissue dispensing and disposing system which includes an expanding container having a dispensing opening on the top and a disposing opening on the bottom. A tissue clip is enclosed in flaccid plastic with a cardboard floor and adhered to the underside of the dispensing opening. The clip is elevated and the side walls are expanded by inserting used tissues in disposal openings in the bottom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Inventor: Larry Neal Tumlinson
  • Patent number: 6860403
    Abstract: A pill dispenser for a bottle (and corresponding method of dispensing a pill) comprising a cap with an interior chamber and a hole through a top of the cap and communicating with the interior chamber, which cap is rotatable when engaged with a corresponding bottle, and a pill stop oriented to dispense a single pill from the interior chamber through the hole when the bottle is oriented with cap downward and the cap rotated so that the hole and the pill stop correspond in position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Inventors: Doug Mehrens, David Smith
  • Patent number: 6860400
    Abstract: A container is provided for storing and dispensing objects in an easy-to-fill, easy-to-ship, and easy-to-use manner. The container is provided with a dispensing portion sized according to the size of the objects contained within the container such that the objects are dispensed only when desired. The dispensing portion is provided opposite an access opening allowing a user to use the dispensing portion in combination with the access opening to conveniently dispense the objects as required and further to prevent unintended dispensing of the contained items.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Assignee: Caraustar Custom Packaging
    Inventor: Scott A. Lampe
  • Patent number: 6860401
    Abstract: A newspaper dispenser includes a housing with forward and rearward walls and a bottom. A cylindrical coil is rotatably mounted in the housing and projects forwardly from the rearward wall, with newspapers positioned between winds of the coil. A knob on the front of the housing is connected to a drive shaft on the coil to selectively rotate the coil and advance a newspaper forwardly along the bottom wall of the housing. A slot under the forward end of the coil receives a dropped newspaper and dispenses it from the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Inventor: Lyle L. Cattau
  • Patent number: 6854618
    Abstract: A child resistant multiple dosage blister pack dispenser includes a main housing bottom component having walls and a bottom panel for supporting a blister pack, a middle component, and a main top component. The bottom panel has a plurality of rows of orifices located so as to position a blister pack thereabove, with individual dosages of the blister pack located above the orifices, so that individual dosages are pushed therethrough from the blister pack. The main housing top component is connected to the middle component and is laterally moveable. It has a first position, being a rest position, and a second position, being a dispensing position. There is a biasing spring connected to at least one of the components, that biases the top component relative to the middle component so that the top component is in its first position. There are a plurality of push tabs located on the top component for dispensing in a second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Valley Design, Inc.
    Inventor: John E. Harrold
  • Patent number: 6851573
    Abstract: A muddler carrying-out device includes a muddler storing part for storing a plurality of stacked muddlers, and a muddler carrying-out part for carrying out the lowest muddler of the plurality of muddlers stored in the muddler storing part to a muddler takeout port. Further, the muddler carrying-out part operates below the second lowest muddler, and a distance of carrying out the muddler in the muddler carrying-out part is set at a distance of protruding a part of the lowest muddler from the muddler takeout port. When the lowest muddler is left without being pulled out at the time of carrying out the muddler, the lowest muddler moves over a distance of carrying out the muddler and the second lowest muddler is supported by the lowest muddler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Sanden Corp.
    Inventor: Masayuki Taguchi
  • Patent number: 6851572
    Abstract: A box contains a spring or other biasing member and a stack of individual, non-interleaved flexible sheets, such as coupons, booklets or other promotional items. The spring is disposed between the stack of sheets and a bottom wall to push the stack of sheets toward an opening in a top wall of the dispenser. The spring imparts a bend in the stack so that the folded end of the sheet adjacent the opening is spaced from the stack and extends through the opening to allow for individual sheets to be dispensed one at a time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Menasha Corporation
    Inventor: Raymond Simpson
  • Patent number: 6848593
    Abstract: A portable medication cartridge allows for both manual and automated dispensing of tablets or capsules of virtually all sizes through a radial dispensing apparatus. The cartridge may be sealed and encoded with medication and patient identification. A microprocessor controlled medication dispensing apparatus includes a cartridge magazine capable of holding a plurality of cartridges for the same or different patients. The portable medication dispensing apparatus and method detects patient identification data and activates a radial dispensing medication cartridge in response to verification of patient identification data. The radial dispensing medication cartridge may include, for example, a tablet carrier tape having a plurality of tablet packets with at least a partially open side. The tablet carrier tape accommodates different sizes and types of tablets or capsules and is sealed with a cover tape having an identification of the tablets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: INRange Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Mary Anne Papp
  • Patent number: 6848594
    Abstract: An apparatus for the dispensing of wipes and a color coding system for use said apparatus for identifying the product on the wipes. The dispenser includes a housing, a two sectioned tip member, a well, an opening, a cover and a self closing mechanism. The wipe packs of the present invention further includes a pin member that is inserted in the center of the wipes and engages the wipes with the protrusions extending down the pin members shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: JohnsonDiversey, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian T. Holland
  • Patent number: 6845880
    Abstract: A container for holding and dispensing articles such as beverage cans and bottles wherein a first set of said articles are laid horizontally in a row over a slanted floor, and are retained therein by a vertically movable plate resting upon said row. A barrier projects downwardly from the front edge of the plate against the lowermost article in the first set and prevents the entire set from rolling toward an opening at the base of the slanted floor. A second set of articles is similarly positioned upon the plate. The weight of the second set prevents the plate and barrier from moving upward and freeing the first set until all the articles in the first set have rolled toward the opening. Additional plates and sets of articles can be superimposed above the first and second sets. A control gate is provided to allow the articles to be dispensed one by one through the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Inventors: Henri J. A. Charmasson, John D. Buchaca
  • Patent number: 6845879
    Abstract: The present invention provides a vending machine for oriental tea and method for vending the tea. The vending machine comprises a monitor, a monetary detection part, a pulse detection part detecting the user's pulse, an iris photograph part for photographing the user's iris, an oriental tea selection switch, a data input part, a controller for deciding the health condition of the user, a plurality of oriental medicine material storage barrel, discharge controlling part, and a mix and heat part for mixing and heating a certain water and various oriental medicine tea.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Inventor: Dong-Ok Park
  • Patent number: 6840400
    Abstract: A media dispenser module includes: a casing mounted in a mounting unit of a media dispenser apparatus and having an opening accessible from outside and a door for opening and closing the opening; a media mounting unit installed inside the casing so that media is dropped from a first position where the media is maintained in a mounting state and rotated to a second position where the media is retrieved into a media retrieval box coupled to the casing; a driving unit installed at a side wall of the casing and moving the media mounting unit; a media sensing unit for sensing whether there is media on the media mounting unit; and a controller for controlling opening and closing of the door and the driving unit according to a signal of the media sensing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: LG N-Sys Inc.
    Inventor: Eung-Min Park
  • Patent number: 6840399
    Abstract: An article handling apparatus embodied, for example, as a vending machine, includes a controllably positioned hose dispenser for retrieving articles from an article storage area. A hose is continuous from a first end located within a hose storage area, where the hose receives article securing energy (e.g., suction), to a second end adapted to secure to and extract a selected article from the storage area. A hose positioning mechanism coupled to the hose controllably positions the second end of the hose so as to be aligned with a given article stored in the storage area, for controllably contacting and extracting the selected article from the storage area, and controllably positioning the second end of the hose so as to transport the article to a dispensing area. The hose positioning mechanism imparts both a storage requirement and a retraction requirement on the hose as a result of the controllable positioning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Inventor: Munroe Chirnomas