Flat Product Dispenser With Actuated Single-Bag Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dispensers for foliated articles, such as poop bags or disposable gloves, face issues with abuse and vandalism due to easy access, leading to unreliable distribution and potential looting, as users can grab multiple items quickly and easily.
Innovation Solution
A dispenser design with two side openings and actuating means that move foliated articles into dispensing position without deformation, requiring users to perform an action to access each article, increasing the time and effort for multiple grabs, and featuring a friction pad and pivoting lever for reliable and secure distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If users can directly grab foliated articles from the dispenser, then ease of access is improved, but abuse and looting increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (the actuating means with friction pad) between the user and the foliated articles. Instead of directly grabbing articles, users must activate the actuating means which then moves the front article to the dispensing position. This intermediary step prevents direct access and discourages abuse while maintaining legitimate dispensing functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent requires a preliminary action (activating the actuating means) before the user can access the foliated articles. The actuating means must first be activated to move the front article from stacking position to dispensing position, creating a time delay and additional step that discourages rapid multiple grabs and looting behavior.
2Ease of operation
If actuating means deforms foliated articles to create loops for gripping, then article retrieval is enabled, but reliability decreases due to difficulty in reproducing deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operational parameters by eliminating the need for deformation. Instead of deforming articles into loops, the system maintains articles in their original planar form and changes the position parameter by sliding them from stacking to dispensing position. This parameter change (from deformation to positional movement) significantly improves reliability while maintaining ease of operation.
3Productivity
If opening means has large dimension to allow article passage, then article dispensing is enabled, but finger penetration for looting becomes possible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful function (finger penetration for looting) from the opening means by positioning it on the side of the dispenser rather than the front. The opening means is located laterally where it cannot be accessed by users attempting to loot through the front, effectively removing the vulnerability while preserving article dispensing capability.
4Ease of operation
If multiple successive pick-ups are allowed, then user convenience is improved, but dispenser exhaustion occurs rapidly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a preliminary action requirement (activating actuating means for each article) that slows down the rate of dispensing. This preliminary step creates a time delay between successive article retrievals, preventing rapid multiple pick-ups that would quickly exhaust the dispenser, while still maintaining convenience for legitimate single-article retrieval.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively limits vandalism and looting by requiring users to perform an action for each article, increasing exposure and discomfort, and ensures reliable dispensing of one article at a time, maintaining the integrity of the dispenser and bundle.
Implementation Method 1
actuating means successively moving towards each of the openings a frontal foliated article by sliding in its plane
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The dispenser (1) has a case (3) including two openings (4a, 4b), and a storage unit (5) receiving and storing foliated articles i.e. dog excrement bags (2) in the form of a bundle (6). A manual actuator (7) moves one bag (2a) from a stacked position to a dispensing position by sliding on adjacent bag (2b). The case and the openings are formed to oppose gripping of the bag by the user when the bag is in the stacking position, and to allow the bag to be gripped and pulled by the user through one of the openings when the bag is in the dispensing position.