Workers in industrial plants may take a pair of disposable earplugs at a time from a box. If a worker picks up more than two earplugs, he may simply throw the additional ones away. Furthermore, if a worker has dirty hands, he may leave dirt on other earplugs and other workers will not want to use them. Another approach is to place each pair of earplugs in a separate plastic bag, but this adds cost and inconvenience. A dispenser which enabled "loose" earplugs to be used, with minimal wastage, would be of considerable value.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, an earplug dispenser is provided which includes a wheel rotatable on a frame and having holes that each can hold a single earplug. As the wheel turns, and earplugs drop into the holes, each earplug is carried to a dispense location at which drops each earplug out of the hole. A barrier lies above an approach to the dispense location. The barrier can lie above only one side of the hole path, to allow a deformed earplug to pass along the unobstructed other side without being cut. The wheel preferably has narrow slots, each extending radially from its periphery to each hole. If an earplug is jammed in a hole, a person inserts a tool through an opening in the frame and through a slot to dislodge the jammed earplug. The earplug has a central upward projection with inclined guideways that each guides an earplug into a wheel hole.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of an earplug dispenser of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional front view of the earplug of Fig. 1 , without the mounting brackets.

Fig.3 is an exploded isometric view of the dispensing mechanism of the dispenser of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view taken on the line 4 - 4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5 - 5 of Fig. 4, showing how the barrier rejects an extra earplug from a wheel hole.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6 - 6 of Fig. 4, showing how the barrier accommodates a trapped earplug.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Fig. 1 illustrates an earplug dispenser 10 which includes a frame 12 that forms a bin 14 which holds earplugs 16. The earplugs are dispensed one at a time through a dispense passage 18, and through a funnel tube 20. A worker grasps the bottom 21 of the funnel tube with his hand to turn the funnel tube and catch a falling earplug. The tube 20 is fixed to a rotatabie wheel 22 that lies within the frame. The wheel has holes 24 that are each large enough to hold a single earplug. As the wheel turns, an earplug in a hole passes to a dispense location which lies over the dispense passage 18. The earplug drops out of the hole into the waiting hand of the worker. The frame 12 and tube 20 are constructed of transparent material to allow viewing of the dispensing mechanism.

As shown in Fig. 3, the wheel 22 is rotatably mounted on the frame about an axis 30. The wheel holes 24 are equally spaced from the axis of rotation, and move in a circular path 32 as the wheel turns. The holes are of cylindrical shape, and the path 32 has the width W of the holes. A stationary retainer 34, which is part of the frame, lies adjacent to the lower surface 36 of the wheel to prevent earplugs from falling out of the wheel before they reach the dispense location 37. The retainer lies under the entire circular path of the .

holes, except for a cutout 38 where it forms part of the dispense passage 18. A stationary barrier 42, which is also part of the frame, lies immediately above the upwardly-facing top surface 44 of the wheel, to sweep away any second earplug that lies partially in one of the holes above a first earplug that lies fully in the hole. The barrier also blocks the space above the dispense passage 18, to prevent a second earplug from falling into one of the holes as an earplug falls out of the hole at the dispense location 37 which lies above the dispense passage.

Fig.5 shows how the leading edge 46 of the barrier 42 can sweep away a second earplug 16B which initially lies partially in a hole 24 above a first earplug 16A. It is assumed that the wheel 22 is moving in the direction of arrow 50. The earplug may be of the type described in U.S. Patent 4,774,938, wherein the earplug is of a soft foam material that is easily deformed but slowly returns to its original configuration. As shown in Fig. 4, the barrier 42 lies above a portion of a first side 52 of the hole path 32, while leaving at least a portion of the space immediately above the second side 54 of the hole path unobstructed. It is possible for a second earplug 16B (Fig. 5) to lie with its lower part 56 trapped in a wheel hole so it is forced to move along the hole path as the wheel turns. In that case, the upper part 58 of that earplug can be accommodated along the second side 54 of the path. Without the uncovered second path side, such a trapped earplug might be squeezed between corners 60, 62 of the wheel hole and of the barrier, and be cut or jam the dispenser. Fig. 6 shows the second earplug 16B with its lower end in the hole, and its middle only temporarily deformed and moving along the second side 54 of the path. The barrier has a recess 63 in its lower surface, except at its ends. The recess walls lie above the top of the wheel by more than 5 percent of the wheel hole height, to minimize deformation of a trapped earplug.

The ends 64, 66 (Fig. 4) of the barrier are smoothly tapered at an angle A of between 30° and 60°. The middle edge 74 of the barrier is shown extending along the centeriine of the path. The moderate taper angle causes a trapped earplug to be deflected to the second side 54 of the path (or beyond), rather than be stopped at the barrier end and possibly be cut.

The wheel has a plurality of largely radially extending slots 80, each extending from the periphery 82 of the wheel to one of the holes 24. Each slot is narrower than the width, or diameter, of the hole (as seen in a plan view), and narrower than an earplug to prevent an earplug from passing through the slot. The slot, at its narrowest, is preferably less than half the width of a wheel hole. If an earplug should become jammed in a hole, a person can project a tool, such as a key or screwdriver blade, through an opening 84 in the frame and through a slot 80, to move the earplug.

The wheel 22 (Fig. 3) includes an upward projection 102 lying radially within the path of the wheel holes. The projection forms a plurality of inclined guideways 104 that are each positioned to guide an earplug in downwardly inclined motion Into a corresponding one of the wheel holes 24. This aids in filling each hole with an earplug, by helping to align the earplug so the axis 106 (Fig. 6) of the earplug tends to align with the vertical axis 108 of the hole.

The bin 14 (Fig. 1) holds a removable box 110 that holds earplugs. The box is inserted into the frame top 112. A release device 124 of the box lies in a frame slot. The release device can be pulled out to release bottom box flaps so they can pivot down, so the earplugs can fall out into the bin 14. The dispenser 10 has a pair of flanges 130 to enable the frame to be mounted on a wall.

The dispenser can be motor powered, with a motor turning the wheel until the two earplugs have dropped along the dispense passage to a holding station. Such a dispenser would include a sensor that detects the fall

of two earplugs to then de-energize the motor, and another sensor which detects the removal of the two earplugs at the holding station to again energize the motor.

Thus, the invention provides an earplug dispenser which facilitates the dispensing of earplugs. The dispenser includes a movable earplug-holding device which can be in the form of a belt or chain, but which is preferably a rotatable wheel having a plurality of holes that are each capable of holding a single earplug. The holes move in a circular hole path as the wheel turns, to bring each hole over a dispense passage of the dispenser frame, where an earplug drops out of a hole. A barrier of the frame lying above the wheel, preferably covers only one side of the hole path, and preferably has tapered ends. The wheel has radial slots leading to the holes to facilitate removal of a jammed earplug. The wheel has an upward projection forming inclined guideways that guide earplugs into the holes.