US5207349A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Coupon dispenser
Assignee: News America Marketing Properties LLC
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Filing: 1991-11-14
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Granted: 1993-05-04
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Expires: 2011-11-14
Abstract
Abstract A stand alone dispenser including an integral electrical power supply is provided for reliably dispensing individual sheets, such as coupons, from a stack. The dispenser comprises a clutch for preventing excessive pressure between the stack and a coupon remover to minimize current drain on the power supply. A stack advancer enables advancement of the stack, as necessary, whenever a coupon is dispensed through engagement by the clutch to the coupon remover. A control circuit includes delay and shutdown functions to limit excessive coupon removal, and a dispenser level indicator to discourage tampering or theft. The dispenser is mountable to store shelving or other point of purchase displays.
Inventors
- 👤 George N. Kringel
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 20:19
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65H; B65H1/00; B65H1/02; B65H1/025; B65H3/00; B65H3/46; B65H3/52; G; G07; G07B; G07B3/00; G07B3/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
152 words
A coupon dispenser, comprising: a housing having a coupon hopper to store a stack of coupons and a discharge slit from which dispensed coupons are presented; coupon remover means for dispensing coupons from one side of the stack of coupons along a discharge path towards the discharge slit; stack advancing means for moving said stack of coupons towards said coupon remover means; motor means for actuating said coupon remover means and said stack advancing means; a clutch interposed between the stack advancer means and the motor means for disengaging said motor means from said stack advancer means when it applies excessive pressure against said coupon remover means; means for detecting an edge of a coupon as it is being dispensed and producing an edge signal indicative thereof; and means responsive to the edge signal for deactivating the motor means after it has dispensed a coupon a desired distance from the discharge slit.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
152 words
A coupon dispenser, comprising: a housing having a coupon hopper to store a stack of coupons and a discharge slit from which dispensed coupons are presented; coupon remover means for dispensing coupons from one side of the stack of coupons along a discharge path towards the discharge slit; stack advancing means for moving said stack of coupons towards said coupon remover means; motor means for actuating said coupon remover means and said stack advancing means; a clutch interposed between the stack advancer means and the motor means for disengaging said motor means from said stack advancer means when it applies excessive pressure against said coupon remover means; means for detecting an edge of a coupon as it is being dispensed and producing an edge signal indicative thereof; and means responsive to the edge signal for deactivating the motor means after it has dispensed a coupon a desired distance from the discharge slit.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
The coupon dispenser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said edge-detecting means comprises a light sensor oriented to detect light directed across the discharge path.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
The coupon dispenser as claimed in claim 2 wherein said edge detecting means further comprises a light pipe extending through said housing to receive ambient ceiling light and direct it across said discharge path.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The coupon dispenser as claimed in claim 3 wherein said light pipe has a light reflector positioned to reflect received ambient ceiling light towards the light sensor.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
56 words
The coupon dispenser as claimed in claim 2 wherein said edge detecting means detects trailing edges of coupons as these are withdrawn from the housing to produce a trailing edge signal indicative thereof; and means responsive to the trailing edge signal for activating said motor means a predetermined time after detection of the trailing edge signal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
54 words
The coupon dispenser as claimed in claim 5 and further comprising: means in said housing for generating an alarm; means for detecting a failure to detect a leading coupon edge after detection of a trailing edge of generating an alarm signal indicative thereof; and means responsive to said alarm signal for producing an alarm.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
164 words
A coupon dispenser comprising: a housing having a coupon hopper to store a stack of coupons and a discharge slit from which dispensed coupons are presented; coupon remover means for dispensing coupons from one side of the stack of coupons along a discharge path towards the discharge slit; stack advancing means for moving said stack of coupons towards said coupon remover means; motor means for actuating said coupon remover means to dispense a coupon; means for detecting a leading edge of a dispensed coupon for generating a leading edge signal indicative thereof; means for applying the leading edge signal to deactivate said motor means after the coupon has been dispensed a desired distance from the discharge slit; means for detecting an edge of a coupon as it is being removed from the housing and producing an edge signal indicative thereof; and means responsive to the edge signal for reactivating the motor means a desired time after the coupon has been removed from the housing.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
164 words
A coupon dispenser comprising: a housing having a coupon hopper to store a stack of coupons and a discharge slit from which dispensed coupons are presented; coupon remover means for dispensing coupons from one side of the stack of coupons along a discharge path towards the discharge slit; stack advancing means for moving said stack of coupons towards said coupon remover means; motor means for actuating said coupon remover means to dispense a coupon; means for detecting a leading edge of a dispensed coupon for generating a leading edge signal indicative thereof; means for applying the leading edge signal to deactivate said motor means after the coupon has been dispensed a desired distance from the discharge slit; means for detecting an edge of a coupon as it is being removed from the housing and producing an edge signal indicative thereof; and means responsive to the edge signal for reactivating the motor means a desired time after the coupon has been removed from the housing.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
104 words
A method of dispensing coupons from a coupon dispenser for a project at the point of sale of the product to as many different persons as possible, comprising the steps of: dispensing a coupon from a coupon stack to a dispensing position; awaiting removal of the coupon from the dispensing position by a person; sensing removal of the coupon from the dispensing position; after sensing removal of the coupon, sensing movement in an area adjacent the coupon dispenser; after sensing both removal and movement, triggering a time delay of predetermined duration; and then dispensing another coupon from the coupon stack to the dispensing position.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
104 words
A method of dispensing coupons from a coupon dispenser for a project at the point of sale of the product to as many different persons as possible, comprising the steps of: dispensing a coupon from a coupon stack to a dispensing position; awaiting removal of the coupon from the dispensing position by a person; sensing removal of the coupon from the dispensing position; after sensing removal of the coupon, sensing movement in an area adjacent the coupon dispenser; after sensing both removal and movement, triggering a time delay of predetermined duration; and then dispensing another coupon from the coupon stack to the dispensing position.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1996-05-03 | 1996-11-02 | 1997-05-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-05-03 | 2000-11-02 | 2001-05-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-05-03 | 2004-11-02 | 2005-05-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |