The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 27, 2001
Filed:
Mar. 08, 1999
Mike Dillon, Norwalk, CT (US);
Gerard A. Furbershaw, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Robert A. Howard, Palo Alto, CA (US);
David W. Laituri, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Adam K. McGinty, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Brad Melmon, San Francisco, CA (US);
Robert C. Meyer, Wilton, CT (US);
Miguel M. L. Praca, San Francisco, CA (US);
Arthur G. Sandoval, Foster City, CA (US);
Jeffrey L. Smith, San Mateo, CA (US);
Dayne Wilcox, Palo Alto, CA (US);
PepsiCo, Inc., Purchase, NY (US);
Abstract
A dispenser sequentially dispenses a plurality of containers. The dispenser includes a housing having a front, a rear, a top, a bottom, a first side and a second side, with an inlet and an outlet for the containers being disposed on its front. A passage is disposed within the housing and guides the containers from the inlet to the outlet. A receiving door is connected to the housing and is movable between a closed position covering the inlet and an open position allowing the containers to be inserted into the inlet. The receiving door includes a front face contoured to cooperate with the passage to guide the containers to a predetermined orientation upon insertion into the inlet. The passage is also canted toward one side of the housing to maintain the containers in the predetermined orientation.