Touchless lid dispenser apparatus and method
A lid dispensing system includes a housing, a sensor, and a dispenser. The sensor senses objects outside the housing. Once sensed, a dispenser within the housing coveys a lid outside the housing. A method for dispensing lids is also disclosed. The method includes sensing objects outside a housing, separating a lid from a stack of lids, and conveying lids to a position outside the housing.
1. A lid dispensing system comprising:
a housing;
a sensor for sensing an object outside the housing; and
a hopper within the housing, the hopper holding a stack including a plurality of lids; and
an apparatus for picking a single lid from the stack of lids held by the hopper and dispensing the single lid to a position outside the housing, wherein the apparatus for picking a single lid from the stack of lids further comprises:
an actuator;
a cam surface;
a shuttle operably connected to an actuator, the actuator moving the shuttle with respect to the cam surface, the shuttle further comprising:
a first finger; and
a second finger, at least one of the first and second fingers moved to engage an interior surface of the single lid, the first finger and second finger engaging opposite sides of the interior surface of the single lid, the first finger positioned at a distance from the second finger substantially equal to the inner diameter of the single lid;
a cam follower attached to at least one of the first and second fingers to move at least one of the first and second fingers into and out of engagement with a single lid.
2. The lid dispensing system of claim 1 wherein the apparatus for picking a single lid from the stack of lids held by the hopper and dispensing the single lid to a position outside the housing acts in response to the sensor sensing an object outside the housing.
3. The lid dispensing system of claim 1 wherein the single lid is delivered without touching the lid dispensing system.
4. The lid dispensing system of claim 1 wherein the lid dispensing system is touchless so the single lid is delivered without touching the lid dispensing system.
5. The lid dispensing system of claim 1 wherein the lid dispensing system is touchless so the single lid is delivered to a position outside the housing without touching the lid dispensing system.
6. The lid dispensing system of claim 1 further comprising:
a stack gripper for gripping a stack of lids which includes:
a first c-shaped portion; and
a second c-shaped portion pivotally attached to the first c-shaped portion, the stack gripper having a stack gripping position and a stack release position; and
a spring apparatus for holding the first c-shaped portion and the second c-shaped portion in a stack gripping position.
7. The lid dispensing system of claim 6 wherein the apparatus for picking a single lid from the stack of lids further comprises a wedge and wherein a free end of the first c-shaped portion and a free end of the second c-shaped portion include a bevel, the wedge of the apparatus for picking engaging the free end of the first c-shaped portion and the second c-shaped portion to move the stack gripper between a gripping position and a stack release position.
8. The lid dispensing system of claim 1 wherein the shuttle includes a guide for the cam follower, the pivot arm, and the second finger.
9. A lid dispensing system comprising:
a housing;
a sensor for sensing an object outside the housing; and
a hopper within the housing, the hopper holding a stack including a plurality of lids; and
an apparatus for picking a single lid from the stack of lids held by the hopper and dispensing the single lid to a position outside the housing, wherein the apparatus for picking a single lid from the stack of lids further comprises:
an actuator;
a cam surface;
a shuttle operably connected to an actuator, the actuator moving the shuttle with respect to the cam surface, the shuttle further comprising:
a first finger; and
a second finger, the first and second fingers movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position, the first and second fingers engaging an interior surface of the single lid across the inner diameter of the lid, the first finger engaging a first interior portion, and the second finger engaging a second interior portion of the lid;
a cam follower operably attached to the first and second fingers to move the first and second fingers into and out of engagement with a single lid, wherein the distance between the first finger and the second finger is substantially equal to the inner diameter of the lid at some time when the first finger and second finger travel between the disengaged position and the engaged position.
10. The lid dispensing system of claim 9 wherein the apparatus for picking a single lid from the stack of lids held by the hopper and dispensing the single lid to a position outside the housing acts in response to the sensor sensing an object outside the housing.
11. The lid dispensing system of claim 9 wherein the lid dispensing system is touchless so the single lid is delivered without touching the lid dispensing system.
12. The lid dispensing system of claim 9 wherein the lid dispensing system is touchless so the single lid is delivered to a position outside the housing without touching the lid dispensing system.
13. The lid dispensing system of claim 9 further comprising:
a stack gripper for gripping a stack of lids which includes:
a first c-shaped portion; and
a second c-shaped portion pivotally attached to the first c-shaped portion, the stack gripper having a stack gripping position and a stack release position; and
a spring apparatus for holding the first c-shaped portion and the second c-shaped portion in a stack gripping position.
14. The lid dispensing system of claim 13 wherein the apparatus for picking a single lid from the stack of lids further comprises a wedge and wherein a free end of the first c-shaped portion and a free end of the second c-shaped portion include a bevel, the wedge of the apparatus for picking engaging the free end of the first c-shaped portion and the second c-shaped portion to move the stack gripper between a gripping position and a stack release position.
15. The lid dispensing system of claim 9 wherein the shuttle includes a guide for the cam follower, the pivot arm, and the second finger.