Touchless Cutlery Dispenser for Hygienic One-at-a-Time Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cutlery dispensing methods face challenges in providing a hygienic, convenient, and economical solution for dispensing disposable cutlery, as they often result in unsanitary conditions and wastefulness due to the handling of cutlery and lack of regulation in dispensing mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
An automated cutlery dispenser with a storage chamber, touchless sensor, and automated dispense mechanism that sequentially ejects cutlery, minimizing user contact and incorporating an ultraviolet lamp for antimicrobial effects, ensuring hygiene and reducing waste by dispensing one piece at a time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If cutlery is dispensed in loose form in a bin or cup, then customers can select only the utensils desired, but this can be considered unsanitary and can indeed be unsanitary if a previous customer does not take a utensil she touched
Solution Approach 1:
A plastic wrap or film is placed over the cutlery in the dispensing container, acting as an intermediary barrier between customers and the cutlery. This allows customers to access cutlery through the wrap without direct contact, maintaining sanitation while enabling self-service selection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs disposable cutlery items that are individually wrapped or can be individually accessed. The cutlery itself is disposable, and the dispensing mechanism uses a disposable or replaceable wrap layer that maintains hygiene without requiring complex cleaning or sterilization processes.
2Productivity
If cutlery is dispensed into a collection tray, then the dispenser can hold multiple pieces, but the tray of the dispenser may become soiled as users repeatedly touch the tray while collecting dispensed cutlery
Solution Approach 1:
A removable liner or wrap is placed inside the collection tray, serving as an intermediary layer that customers do not directly touch. The liner can be easily removed and replaced, maintaining tray hygiene while allowing continuous efficient dispensing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses flexible thin film liners or wraps that conform to the tray shape and can be easily installed and removed. These films create a sanitary barrier that protects the tray from contamination while allowing the tray to function as intended for collecting dispensed cutlery.
3Device complexity
If manually operated dispensers are used, then the mechanism is simple, but the handles, knobs or other actuators are touched by user after user, causing concern among some individuals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical actuators (handles, knobs) with automated sensing and actuation systems. Sensors detect customer presence or intent, and an automated mechanism dispenses cutlery without requiring physical contact with the dispenser actuators, eliminating contamination concerns while maintaining operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The dispenser is designed to automatically detect when cutlery is needed and dispense it without requiring customers to touch or operate manual controls. The system serves itself by using sensors to trigger the dispensing mechanism, eliminating the need for contaminated manual actuators.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If pre-sealed pouches are used to ensure hygienic form, then cutlery is provided in a hygienic form, but these pouches are generally more expensive than the individual utensils due to the processing and materials necessary to form the pouches
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of sealing individual cutlery items in separate expensive pouches, the patent segments the protection function by using a single wrap or liner that covers multiple cutlery items in the dispensing container. This maintains hygiene for each item while reducing the total amount of packaging material and processing required.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple cutlery items under a single protective wrap or liner in the dispensing container, rather than individually pouching each item. This merging of protection functions reduces material costs and processing requirements while maintaining the hygienic benefit of sealed packaging.
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 automated dispenser addresses hygiene concerns by reducing user contact with potentially contaminated surfaces, provides a convenient and controlled dispensing process, and minimizes waste by dispensing only what is needed, enhancing both user safety and business profitability.
Implementation Method 1
an ultraviolet lamp for anti-microbial effect disposed within the storage chamber
Implementation Method 2
a touchless sensor for generating a signal in response to a user
Data Source
AI summary
A cutlery dispenser comprises a storage chamber adapted to retain a plurality of cutlery therein; an ejector for sequentially ejecting the plurality of cutlery from the storage chamber; an actuator for driving the ejector; and a sensor for triggering the actuator in response to an event.