A PRODUCT DISPENSER COMPRISING A FIRST AND A SECOND HOUSING AND A LOCKING MECHANISM

Abstract

A product dispenser comprises a first and a second housing part (11, 12) and a locking mechanism.The locking mechanism is configured to lock the first and second housing parts together, and comprises a support (30), the support housing at least one locking arm (20), an opening (80) through the first housing part and leading to the support, a rotating guide piece (40) located within the opening and the support, a key (70) cooperating with the rotating guide piece, and a coupling piece of the second housing part, the coupling piece being configured to engage with one end (21) of each locking arm to lock the first and second housing parts together, and wherein the key is rotatable to rotate the rotating guide piece within the opening and actuate each locking arm to disengage the coupling piece, unlocking the first and second housing parts from each other.

Description

The present invention relates to a product dispenser comprising first and second housing parts and a locking mechanism. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Product dispensers are used in various public or private places to dispense products to people. Product dispensers include, but are not limited to, devices such as paper towel dispensers and soap dispensers. Product dispensers require periodic refilling when all product has been dispensed, and can be locked after refilling to prevent unauthorized removal or replacement of product within the dispenser. It is desired that opening the product dispenser for product replacement is as easy as possible, but that its opening by unauthorized users is avoided. Known product dispensers sometimes provide a separate key that allows the dispenser to be locked and unlocked, but the keys are susceptible to loss. Both authorized users who have lost the key and unauthorized users who do not have the key may be tempted to tamper with the product dispenser without the key, causing damage to the dispenser. Furthermore, some known locking mechanisms are quite complex and expensive to manufacture, so a simple locking mechanism with a low number of parts that is easy to manufacture is also needed. Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved product dispenser. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a product dispenser comprising a first and a second housing part and a locking mechanism configured to lock the first and second housing part together. The first part of the housing may be, for example, a base for mounting the product dispenser on a wall, and the second part of the housing may be a lid that can be opened from the base to allow replacement of the product inside the dispenser. The locking mechanism comprises a support that houses at least one locking arm, an opening that passes through the first part of the housing and leads to the support, a rotating guide piece located inside the opening and the support, a key that cooperates with the rotating guide part and a coupling part of the second part of the housing, the coupling part being configured to engage with the end or ends of the locking arm or arms to lock the first and the second part of the Case. The key can rotate to rotate the rotating guide piece within the opening and actuate the locking arm(s) to disengage from the coupling piece, unlocking the first and second housing portions from each other. Since the locking arms engage the coupling piece, the coupling piece is firmly held by the locking arms in the engaging position, and the possibility of an unauthorized person forcibly opening the product dispenser by pulling and / or rotating the second housing part to separate it from the first housing part is minimal. The locking arm or arms can be moved from an engaged position, in which the locking arm or arms engage the coupling piece, to a disengaged position in which the locking arm or arms are disengaged. of the coupling piece, turning the rotating guide piece with the wrench. There may be, for example, two locking arms. Preferably, each of the ends of the locking arms has an engaging element configured to engage against the surfaces of the coupling piece when the surfaces are inserted between the locking arms. □«no i n / 77n7 / e / YiAi Each locking arm may comprise a strip of flexible material extending from a base to the end of the locking arm, wherein the base is fixed in position and the end is movable as the strip of flexible material flexes. . Preferably, the strip of flexible material does not flex when the locking arm is engaged with the coupling piece, and flexes to move the end of the locking arm unlocking it from the coupling piece when the product dispenser is to be opened. In this way, the strip of material spends most of its time in the substantially unflexed state and does not lose its original shape over time. The strip of flexible material may comprise a length portion adjacent the rotating guide member and defining a cam surface. The rotating guide piece and / or key may be configured to move along the surface of the cam and to flex the end of the locking arm so that it does not come into contact with the coupling piece when rotating the cam. rotating guide piece and wrench. Preferably, the length portion comprises a stop at one end of the cam surface, the stop being configured to prevent the rotating guide piece and / or the key from flexing beyond the cam surface, thereby preventing mode the overbending of the flexible strip of material. Excessive bending of the flexible material strip, for example, beyond the elastic limit of the flexible material strip, could reduce the ability of the locking arm to securely engage the coupling piece and resist forced opening of the product dispenser. . The key may be separate from the rotating guide member and the key may comprise at least one leg. Each leg may be configured to press against one of the respective at least one locking arm to actuate the at least one locking arm when the key is inserted and turned into the rotating guide member. The key may comprise two legs, each of which is configured to press against the cam surface of one of the two locking arms when the key and the rotating guide member are rotated to actuate the locking arms. Accordingly, the rotating guide part may be configured in such a way that the rotating guide part itself does not press against the locking arms when rotated, and thus does not disengage the locking arms from the coupling part in case it is turned without the key by an unauthorized user. The key is usually separate from the rotating guide piece and is carried by an authorized user who can use it to open the product dispenser when necessary. The key may be in a non-actuated position when the legs are halfway along the cam surface, with the locking arms in the engaged position. Therefore, the key can be rotated in any direction, i.e. clockwise or counterclockwise, to reach an actuation position in which the legs have moved along the surface of the key. cam, moving the locking arms to the disengagement position. Preferably, the wrench comprises a body portion from which the two legs extend, and the rotating guide piece is configured to receive the two legs, leaving the body portion exposed so that the user can grasp and rotate the body portion. to rotate the rotating guide piece. Alternatively, the key may be inseparable from the rotating guide member, for example integrally formed as part of the rotating guide member, such that there is no risk of the key being lost. This may be suitable for situations where there is no risk of an unauthorized user attempting to open the product dispenser, for example when the product dispenser is installed in a private location, and the user(s) do not wish to carry keys that could be lost. The support housing the two locking arms may comprise a base wall and two side walls, which extend perpendicularly from the base wall towards the first part of the housing, and the two locking arms are located between the first part of the casing and the base wall and between the two side walls. Thus, the support may be located below the first housing part so that it is not accessible from the outside of the product dispenser when the first and second housing parts are closed together. The first housing part may be substantially planar in the region adjacent to the locking mechanism, and the base wall may be in a plane parallel to the plane of the first housing part in that region. □«no i n / zznz / e / YiAi The bases of the two locking arms may comprise one or more latching elements that engage against the rear walls and / or the side walls of the support and hold the bases of the locking arms in place. The bases of the locking arms are preferably formed integrally with each other, and may comprise an intermediate portion and two closure portions at opposite ends of the intermediate portion, the strips of flexible material extending from the ends of the intermediate portion to the ends of the locking arms. The two latching portions may be configured to fit into or against a trailing edge of the two side walls of the holder. The two side walls can prevent the two locking arms from flexing relative to each other beyond the elastic limits of the locking arms, to prevent the locking arms from losing their ability to securely engage the coupling piece and to resist forced opening of the product dispenser. The support can be sized in such a way that the distance between each locking arm in the engaging position and the corresponding adjacent side wall is the same as the distance traveled by the locking arm from the engaging to the disengaging position. Accordingly, each locking arm may come into contact with the corresponding adjacent side wall once the key has been fully turned to rotate the rotating guide member and disengage the locking arms from the engaging member. The key can be separated from the rotating guide piece, so that the key can be stored or carried only by persons authorized to open the dispenser. Alternatively, the key may be inseparable from the rotating guide part, for example the key and the rotating guide part may be integrated with each other, so that there is no risk of the key being lost and anyone will be able to open the dispenser. The rotating guide member may comprise a disk which is located within the opening of the first part of the housing and a stem which extends from the disk to the holder, the stem being located between the two locking arms. The stem and the disc each have a central axis and the central axes are preferably aligned with each other. When the rotating guide piece is rotated within the opening, the stem and disc can each rotate around their central axis. The stem preferably has a smaller diameter than the disc. When the key is separable from the rotating guide member, the disc may comprise two openings configured to receive the two legs of the key when inserting the key into the rotating guide member, each leg being configured to press against the surfaces of the key. Locking arms cam to disengage the locking arms from the coupling piece when the key is turned. The two legs of the wrench may reside in the bracket on the outside of the stem on opposite sides of the stem from each other. Where the key is inseparable from the rotating guide member, the key may comprise surface(s) of the stem that press against the cam surfaces of the locking arms to disengage the locking arms from the engaging member. The disc and aperture may comprise a restraining mechanism that is configured to restrict an angular rotation range of the disc within the aperture, thereby preventing excessive rotation and overflexion of the locking arms. Overbending of the locking arms, for example, beyond the elastic limit of the locking arms, could reduce the ability of the locking arms to securely engage the coupling piece and resist forced opening of the product dispenser. The restriction mechanism may comprise a boss and a groove, wherein the boss is configured to move along the slot as the disc rotates, and wherein the slot has an end configured to limit displacement of the boss, limiting the displacement of the bulge limited the rotation of the disc. For example, the groove may be formed in the first part of the housing along a perimeter of the opening and the protuberance may be formed as a protrusion radially outward from the disk, or the groove may be formed in the disk to along a perimeter of the disc and the protrusion may be formed as a protrusion radially inward of the first housing part at the opening. The stem may comprise two engagement arms that extend through a hole in the base wall of the bracket and engage against a surface of the base wall adjacent the hole. In this way, the locking mechanism can be constructed by simply pushing the locking arms into the bracket until the base latches engage against the rear walls and / or side walls of the bracket, and then pushing the stem of the rotating guide piece through the opening and into the bracket until the locking arms of the stem engage against the wall of the bracket base. The second housing part may be configured to overlap the first housing part on an outer side of the first housing part when the first and the second housing part are closed together and optionally locked by the locking mechanism. . Therefore, an unauthorized user who pushes down on the outside of the second housing part will not be able to move the coupling piece by disengaging it from the locking arms, since the first housing part, with the bracket and arms locking, would be pushed down also by the overlapping of the second housing part on the first housing part. To provide the overlap, the first housing part may comprise an edge adjacent the opening, the edge comprising a recess running along the edge, the recess being on the outer side of the first housing part, and the The second housing part may comprise a lip configured to fit into the recess of the first housing part when the first and second housing parts are closed together. According to another aspect of the invention, a method of manufacturing the product dispenser is provided. The method comprises providing the support to the first part of the housing, sliding each locking arm into the support until one or more engaging elements at the bases of the at least one locking arm engage against one or more walls of the support to hold the bases in a fixed position within the bracket and slide the rotating guide piece through the opening and into the bracket until the one or more engaging elements of the rotating guide piece engage against one or more walls of the bracket . DETAILED DESCRIPTION □«no i n / zznz / e / YiAi Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of non-limiting example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a perspective schematic diagram of a product dispenser in the closed position, according to an embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 shows a perspective schematic diagram of the product dispenser of Fig. 1 in an open position to replenish a supply of product maintained within the dispenser; Fig. 3 shows an enlarged schematic diagram of a locking mechanism of the product dispenser of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 shows a schematic exploded diagram of the locking mechanism of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 shows a schematic side diagram of the locking mechanism of Fig. 3 when the product dispenser is in the closed position; Fig. 6 shows a schematic cross-sectional diagram of the locking mechanism of Fig. 3 when the product dispenser is in the closed position; and Fig. 7 shows a schematic cross-sectional diagram of the locking mechanism of Fig. 3 when the locking mechanism has been actuated to allow opening of the product dispenser. The figures are not to scale, and the same or similar reference signs designate same or similar characteristics. The schematic diagram of Fig. 1 shows a product dispenser 10, comprising a first housing part 11, a second housing part 12 and a locking mechanism 15. The product dispenser is a paper towel dispenser However, the type of product to be dispensed may vary in alternative embodiments and is not important. The first part of the housing 11 may be a base for mounting the product dispenser to a wall, and the second part of the housing 12 may be a lid that can be opened from the base to allow replacement of the product inside the dispenser. Fig. 1 shows the product dispenser 10 in a closed position with the first housing part 11 closed together with the second housing part 12, the first and second housing parts being locked in the closed position by the locking mechanism 15. The locking mechanism can be actuated to unlock the second housing part 12 from the first housing part 11, allowing the second housing part 12 to rotate away from the first housing part 11. , as shown in the schematic diagram of Fig. 2. The locking mechanism 15 may be located at the top of the dispenser, with the second housing part 12 opening by pivoting from the first housing part 11 about a pivot axis at the bottom of the dispenser when the lock is actuated. locking mechanism, and allowing a paper towel roll (not shown in the Figures) to be replaced within the product dispenser. The locking mechanism may comprise a rotating guide part 40 and two locking arms 20 located at the top of the first housing part 11, and a coupling part 50 located at the top of the second housing part 12, the two locking arms 20 being configured to engage against the coupling piece 50 to lock the first and second housing parts 11 and 12 together. The schematic diagram of Fig. 3 shows an enlarged view of the locking mechanism in the first part of the housing 11. The locking mechanism may comprise a key 70, the rotating guide part 40, the two locking arms 20 and a support 30 that houses the two locking arms. The key 70 may comprise a main body 72 and two legs 71 extending outwardly from the main body 72, the legs 71 being spaced apart and independent of each other. In this embodiment, the key 70 is in the shape of a capital letter A. The upper part of the A forms the main body 72, the main body 72 providing a suitable part of the key that a user can grasp to hold and turn the key in operation. The rotating guide member 40 may comprise a disk 42 and a stem 46 extending axially from the disk 42, the disk 42 and the stem 46 being aligned along a central axis of rotation 49. The stem 46 may comprise two parts that each end in an end that has a hooking element 47, the two parts being capable of flexing towards each other. The disc 42 and stem 46 may be integrally molded from a plastic material, although they could be made from other materials if desired. The stem 46 may have a smaller diameter than the disk 42, and the disk 42 may comprise two openings 43 leading through the disk to regions on the outside of the stem 46. The two openings 43 may be located 180 degrees apart. from another with respect to the central axis 49 of the disc. The first housing part 11 may comprise an opening 80 passing through the first housing part and leading into a support 30, the support 30 being formed directly below the first housing part 11. The Support 30 may be formed integrally with the first housing part 11, or could be attached to the first housing part 11 after the support 30 has been formed. The support 30 may accommodate the two locking arms 20, and each of the two locking arms 20 may have a latching member 21 at their ends to engage with the coupling piece 50 when the first and second housing parts They are closed to each other. The opening 80 may be in the shape of a circle, and may comprise a slot 85 extending along the perimeter of the circle, effectively increasing the radius of the circle over the angular range of the slot. The locking mechanism can be made by simply inserting the locking arms 20 into the bracket 30, as shown, and then inserting the rotating guide piece into the opening 80. The stem 46 can fit between the two locking arms 20, and The disc 42 may fit into the opening 80, with a top surface of the disc 42 positioned substantially flush with a top surface of the first housing portion 11. Accordingly, the disc 42 may have a radius that substantially matches the radius of the opening 80, such that the disc fits perfectly within the opening and is retained by the sides of the opening 80 to rotate around the central axis 49. The disc 42 may comprise a radial outward protrusion 44 that increases the radius of the disc by a small angular range, this angular range being less than the angular range of the slot 85. The radial outward protrusion 44 may fit within the slot 85. when the rotating guide piece 40 engages the opening 80 and the holder 30. The radially outer projection 44 and the slot 85 may together form a restraining mechanism that limits a maximum angular rotation range of the disc 42 to the maximum angular range of movement of the projection 44 along the groove 85. In an alternative embodiment, the groove could be formed in the disc along a perimeter of the disc instead of in the opening, and the projection could be formed as a projection radially towards the inside of the first part of the casing in the opening. The two openings 43 of the disc 42 may have the same size and shape as the cross section of the legs 71 of the key, allowing the legs 71 to fit through the openings 43 and into the bracket 30. The legs 71 of the key are then housed in the holder, adjacent to the outside of the stem 46 on opposite sides of the stem 46, and the main body 72 of the key can rotate to rotate the rotating guide piece 40. In this embodiment, the key 70 can be removed from the rotating guide part 40 whenever desired; However, in an alternative embodiment, to avoid any risk of loss of the key, the key may be permanently fixed to the rotating guide piece 40, for example, by means of an adhesive, or by the key and the rotating guide piece integrally forming one with other. The schematic diagram in Fig. 4 shows an exploded diagram of the locking mechanism in which more details of the locking mechanism can be seen. As shown, the support 30 may comprise a base wall 32 and two opposing side walls 34. The base wall 32 may be in a plane parallel to the first housing portion 11, and the side walls 34 may extend each from the base wall 32 to the first housing part 11 on opposite sides of the support 30. Therefore, the two locking arms 20 can be housed between the base wall 32 and the first housing part 11, and between the two opposite side walls 34. QÍ1Q I n / 77n7 / e / YIAI The base wall 32 comprises a hole 36 for receiving the stem 46 of the rotating guide piece 40, and the engaging elements 47 pass through the hole 36 and engage against a surface of the base wall 32 at the outside of the bracket and around the periphery of the hole 36. Therefore, the rotating guide piece 40 can snap into the opening 80 and the bracket 30, and the latching elements 47 prevent the rotating guide piece 40 from is removed from the opening 80 and the support 30. The sides of the opening 80 may have a chamfered or grooved profile that makes the diameter of the opening 80 smaller in the direction of the support. The chamfered or grooved profile may provide a bearing surface upon which the rotating guide member 40 can rotate, and may prevent the rotating guide member 40 from moving axially downward. The engaging elements 47 can prevent the rotating guide part from moving axially upward, so that the rotating guide part 40 can be maintained in a fixed axial position. The first housing part 11 may have an edge adjacent to the opening 80, the edge comprising a recess 110 running along the edge, the recess being on the outer side of the first housing part. The second housing part 12 may comprise a lip 120 configured to fit into the recess 110 of the first housing part when the first and second housing parts are closed together, thereby preventing the second housing part from falling. move downwards with respect to the first part of the casing 11. Each of the locking arms 20 may extend from a base 25 to the latch member 21 at the end of the locking arm. Each locking arm may have a length portion 22 that extends at least part of the length of the locking arm from the base to the end of the locking arm. The length portion may be curved to define a cam surface 23, and the curvature of the length portion may curve the locking arm around the stem 46 of the rotating guide portion. The surface of the cam 23 may end in the stops 24, which may be positioned at opposite ends of the length portion 22. □«no i n / 77n7 / e / YiAi The base 25 of each locking arm 20 may comprise a locking arm 26 extending in a direction generally perpendicular to a direction in which the locking arm extends from the base to the end of the locking arm, and may also comprising a locking arm 29 with a latching element 27 at one end of the locking arm. The closing arm 26 and the hooking element 27 may encompass between them a rear wall 38 (see Fig. 6) of the support 30. The closing arm 26 and the locking arm 29 may be perpendicular to each other. Each locking arm 20 may comprise a flexible strip of material extending from the base 25 to the end of the locking arm, and may, for example, be formed from plastics or spring steel material. The locking arms 20 may be symmetrical with their cam surfaces 23 facing each other, and the two bases 25 of the locking arms may be connected to each other by an intermediate portion 28. The locking arms 20 may, therefore, Therefore, they must be formed integrally with each other, for example, by molding them from a plastic material, or by stamping them from a metal sheet. Fig. 5 shows a schematic side diagram of the locking mechanism 15 when the product dispenser is in the closed position. The lip 120 of the second housing part 12 can overlap the first housing part 11 in the closed position, the lip 120 fitting into the recess 110 of the first housing part 11. The locking arms 20 can receive the coupling piece 50 (see also Fig. 2) between the locking arms 20, and the latching elements 21 can engage against the surfaces of the coupling piece 50, capturing the coupling piece 50 between the locking arms 20 and preventing the coupling piece 50 from being removed from the locking arms, thus locking the first and second housing parts between them. The stem 46 of the rotating guide piece has been fully inserted through the opening 80 and into the bracket 30, the engaging elements 47 at the end of the stem having passed through the hole 36 in the wall of the base 32 of the bracket to fit against a wall surface of the base 32 on the outside of the bracket and around the periphery of the hole 36. □«no i n / 77n7 / e / YiAi The bracket 30 may comprise the rear wall 38, and the latching members 27 on the bases of the locking arms 20 may engage against the rear wall 38 to secure the bases of the locking arms in position within the bracket 30. As seen in the schematic cross-sectional diagram of Fig. 6, the rear wall 38 may have a first inward extension 38a that extends inwardly between the first housing part 11 and the base wall 32, perpendicular. to the side walls 34, and a second rearward extension 38b extending rearwardly between the first housing part 11 and the base wall 32, parallel to the side walls 34. Accordingly, the first inward extension 38a and the second inward extension 38b may be perpendicular to each other. The rear wall 38 may have two portions, which are separated from each other by a gap 39 between the two portions. Each of the two portions has the first inward extension 38a and the second rearward extension 38b. The gap 39 may be defined between the second rearward extensions 38b, and the second rearward extensions 38b may be parallel to each other, such that the width of the gap 39 is constant along substantially the entire length of the second extensions. back 38b. Fig. 6 shows the locking arms 20 in the engaging position, in which the locking arms 20 engage with the coupling part 50 and lock the first and second housing parts 11 and 12 together. As shown, the locking arms 20 have been inserted into the bracket 30 from the front, until the locking arms 26 of the locking arms abut the front surfaces of the first inward extensions 38a, and the Engaging elements 27 of the locking arms abut the ends of the second rearward extensions 38b. The locking arms 26 and the latching elements 27 can thus capture the second rearward extensions 38b between them, and prevent the forward / backward movement of the locking arms within the support 30. The locking arms 29 can run parallel to the second rear extensions 38b inside the gap 39, and can come into contact with the second rear extensions 38b. The intermediate portion 28 joining the bases of the locking arms 20 may prevent the bases of the locking arms from moving relative to each other, keeping the locking arms 29 in contact with the second extensions. QRÍ1Q I n / 77n7 / e / YIAI rear 38b, and avoiding side-to-side movement of the bases of the locking arms 20 within the support 30. The side walls 34 and the locking arms 20 may have substantially the same height as each other, so that the first housing part 11 and the base wall 32 limit the locking arms 20 to flex in an approach direction. and away, preventing them from bending perpendicular to that direction, that is, preventing them from bending up and down. This helps prevent the locking mechanism from being forcibly disengaged if a person pulls or twists the first and second housing parts relative to each other. As shown in Fig. 6, the coupling piece 50 may be held between the locking arms 20 and may comprise surfaces 55, the engaging elements 21 at the ends of the locking arms engaging against the surfaces 55 between the arms. locking arms 20. The surfaces 55 may be substantially perpendicular to the direction of extension of the locking arms from the bases 25 to the ends having the engaging elements 21. The locking arms 20 are in an unflexed state in Fig. .6, and the length portions 22 of the locking arms may be curved around the stem 46 of the rotating guide member, as shown. Fig. 6 shows a situation in which the key 70 has been inserted into the rotating guide piece, and the legs 71 of the key are visible on opposite sides of the stem 46. Each leg 71 may be sized to fit between the outer of the stem 46 and the length portion 22 of the corresponding locking arm. The key 70 is in a non-actuated position within the rotating guide part, so the locking arms engage the coupling part 50. In this non-actuated position, the leg 71 can come into contact with the surface of the cam 23 of the longitudinal portion 22, preferably halfway along the surface of the cam 23 at the point of greatest distance of the surface of the cam with respect to the stem 46. The radial projection 44 may also be at halfway along slot 85 when the key is in the non-actuated position, as shown. □«no i n / 77n7 / e / YiAi The schematic diagram of Fig. 7 shows when the key 70 has been moved to a driven position, for example, by a user grasping the key body 72 and turning the key, causing the rotating guide piece to also rotate. turn. When the key is moved to the actuating position, the legs 71 of the key can move along the cam surfaces 23 of the locking arms, forcing the ends of the locking arms to separate from each other until a disengagement position, releasing the engagement elements 21 from the surfaces 55 of the coupling piece, and unlocking the lock mechanism. The first and second parts of the housing can then be separated from each other, i.e. the product dispenser can be opened. The maximum rotation of the key 70 may be limited by the legs 71 that reach the ends of the surfaces of the cam 23 and that abut the stops 24 in the actuation position, preventing further movement of the legs 71 along along the locking arms, and preventing the legs 21 from further separating the ends of the locking arms. In this way, the stops 24 can prevent the locking arms from flexing excessively, for example, beyond their elastic limits. The longitudinal portions 22 and / or the locking arms 20 may also come into contact with the side walls 34 of the holder when the key is moved to the actuation position, preventing the locking arms from flexing further outward. The radially outward protuberance 44 may also reach the end of the slot 85 when the key is moved to the drive position, preventing the rotating guide member and the key from starting to rotate further. Therefore, the lock mechanism may include three separate arrangements that come into action when the key is moved to the actuation position to prevent subsequent actuation of the key and damage to the lock mechanism. Specifically, when the key is moved to the actuating position, the key legs 71 may contact the stops 24, the locking arms 20 may contact the side walls 34, and the radially outward protuberance 44 may come into contact with the end of slot 85. QRno i n / zzn^ / e / YiAi Since the legs 71 may be midway between the stops 24 at the point of greatest distance of the surfaces of the cam 23 with respect to the stem 46, and the radially outward projection 44 may be midway along of slot 85, when the key is in the non-engaged position, it does not matter whether the key is turned clockwise or counterclockwise to move the locking arms to the disengaged position. Therefore, there is less risk of damage to the lock mechanism as it is not possible for the user to turn the key in the wrong direction. Once the key has turned to the drive position, either fully clockwise or counterclockwise, the product dispenser can be opened and allow the key to turn back to the non-drive position, allowing the locking arms 20 to flex again relative to each other. The spring force of the locking arms 20 acting on the legs 71 can cause the key to return to the unlocked position when the user releases the key. The key can then be removed. The latching elements 21 may have ramp portions 21a that are configured to jump over the guide surfaces 56 of the coupling piece 50 as the first and second housing parts are closed together, the ramp portions 21a engage on the guide surfaces 56 in such a way that the engaging elements 21 engage against the surfaces 55 of the coupling piece once the first and second parts of the housing have been completely closed together, locking the first and second parts together. the second part of the casing. Therefore, a key may not be necessary to lock the first and second parts of the housing together, and thus the user can immediately remove the key from the rotating guide part once the product dispenser has been opened, without the need that the user remembers to remove the key at a time after replacing and closing the product dispenser. In the illustrated embodiment, the first part of the housing 11 may be a base for mounting the product dispenser on a wall, and the second part of the housing 12 may be a lid that can be opened from the base to allow replacement of the product inside the dispenser. However, in an alternative embodiment, the □«no i n / zznz / e / YiAi configuration of the lock could be reversed 180 degrees, so that the second part of the housing could be the base for mounting the product dispenser on a wall , and the first part of the casing could be the cover that can be opened from the base to allow replacement of the product inside the dispenser. Many other variations of the described embodiments that fall within the scope of the invention will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A product dispenser comprising a first and a second housing part and a locking mechanism configured to lock the first and second housing parts together, the locking mechanism comprising: a support housing at least one locking arm; an opening through the first housing part and leading to the support; a rotating guide piece located within the opening and the support; a key cooperating with the rotating guide piece; and a coupling piece for the second housing part, the coupling piece being configured to engage with one end of each locking arm to lock the first and second housing parts together, and wherein the key is rotatable to rotate the rotating guide piece within the opening and actuate each locking arm to disengage from the coupling piece, thereby unlocking the first and second housing parts from each other.

2. The product dispenser of claim 1, wherein each locking arm comprises a flexible strip of material extending from a base to the end of the locking arm, wherein the base is fixed in position and the end can be moved as the flexible strip of material is flexed.

3. The product dispenser of claim 2, wherein the flexible material strip comprises a portion of length that is adjacent to the rotating guide piece and is curved to define a cam surface.

4. The product dispenser of claim 3, wherein the length portion comprises a plug at one end of the cam surface, the plug being configured to prevent the cam arrangement from overhanging the cam surface.

5. The product dispenser of any preceding claim, wherein the key comprises at least one leg, each of which is configured to press against a respective one of the at least one locking arm to actuate the at least one locking arm.

6. The product dispenser of claim 5, when attached to one of claims 3 and 4, wherein each leg is configured to lie along the cam surface of the respective locking arm as the key and the rotary guide piece are rotated to flex the end of the locking arm, disengaging it from the coupling piece.

7. The product dispenser of any preceding claim, wherein the guide piece comprises a disc located within the opening and a stem extending from the disc to the support, preferably wherein the at least one locking arm comprises two locking arms and the stem is located between the two locking arms.

8. The product dispenser of claim 7 when attached to any one of claims 5 and 6, wherein the key is separated from the rotating guide piece and the disc comprises at least one opening, each opening being configured to receive a respective part of the at least one leg of the key when the key is inserted into the rotating guide piece.

9. The product dispenser of claim 7 when attached to any of claims 5 and 6, wherein the key is inseparable from the rotating guide piece.

10. The product dispenser of any of claims 7 to 9, when claim 7 is combined with any of claims 5 and 6, wherein at least one leg of the key is configured to reside in the holder on the outside of the stem.

11. The product dispenser of any of claims 7 to 10, wherein the disc and the opening comprise a restraint mechanism configured to restrict an angular rotation range of the disc within the opening. □«no in / 77n7 / e / YiAi 12. The product dispenser of claim 11, wherein the restraint mechanism comprises a protrusion and a slot, wherein the protrusion is configured to move along the slot as the disc rotates, and wherein the slot has an end configured to limit the displacement of the protrusion, the limited displacement of the protrusion limiting the rotation of the disc.

13. The product dispenser of claim 12, wherein the groove is formed in the first part of the housing along a perimeter of the opening and the projection is formed as a projection radially outward from the disc, or the groove is formed in the disc along a perimeter of the disc and the projection is formed as a projection radially inward from the first part of the housing into the opening.

14. The product dispenser of any preceding claim, wherein the support comprises a base wall and two side walls extending perpendicularly from the base wall to the first part of the housing, the at least one locking arm being located between the first part of the housing and the base wall, and between the two side walls.

15. The product dispenser of claim 14 when attached to any of claims 7 to 13, wherein the stem comprises two engagement arms extending through a hole in the base wall and engaging against a surface of the base wall adjacent to the hole.

16. The product dispenser of claims 14 or 15, wherein the side walls block the at least one locking arm from flexing beyond the elastic limit of the at least one locking arm.

17. The product dispenser of any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein claim 14 is combined with at least claim 2, wherein the base of each locking arm comprises at least one locking element configured to engage the base in a fixed position within the support. □«no in / zznz / e / YiAi 18. The product dispenser of any preceding claim, wherein the second housing part is configured to overlap with the first housing part on an outer side of the first housing part when the first and second housing parts are closed together and optionally locked by the locking mechanism.

19. The product dispenser of any preceding claim, wherein the at least one locking arm comprises two locking arms and wherein the ends of the locking arms each comprise a latching element configured to engage against the surfaces of the coupling piece when the surfaces are inserted between the locking arms.

20. A method for manufacturing a product dispenser, the product dispenser comprising a first and a second housing part and a locking mechanism configured to lock the first and second housing parts together, the locking mechanism comprising: a bracket, the bracket housing at least one locking arm, each locking arm having a base and an end opposite the base; an opening through the first housing part and leading into the interior of the bracket; a rotating guide piece located within the opening and the bracket; a key cooperating with the rotating guide piece;and a coupling piece of the second housing part, the coupling piece being configured to engage with one end of each locking arm to lock the first and second housing parts together, wherein the key is rotatable to rotate the rotating guide piece within the opening and actuate each locking arm to disengage from the coupling piece, thereby unlocking the first and second housing parts from each other, wherein the procedure comprises: providing support to the first housing part; sliding each locking arm inside the support until one or more engagement elements on the bases of at least one locking arm engage with one or more walls of the support to hold the bases in a fixed position within the support;and slide the rotating guide piece through the opening and into the bracket until one or more of the rotating guide piece's locking elements engage with one or more walls of the bracket.

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