A dispensing device and method is provided for separating individual food or drink container lids from a multiple-lid stack for use. The device supports a vertical or inclined stack of nested lids and allows a single bottom-most lid to fall away from the remaining lids in the stack. The device may be incorporated in a stand-alone dispenser for consumer use or be incorporated into existing or other incidental structures such as fast food restaurant countertops.

An assembly and method of forming a dispenser assembly that is constructed to sequentially dispense respective container lids from a stack of container lids housed in the dispenser assembly. The dispenser assembly includes a housing that is generally defined by a base, a cover, a top, and a lid. A guide tube depends from the top and generally overlies a trap door that is operationally connected to an actuator assembly and a drive assembly. A separator assembly is connected to the drive assembly and operative to effectuate separation of discrete lids from an end of the stack of lids during operation of the trap door during each dispense event.

Provided is a cup holding assembly and a dental cup dispenser using same, the cup holding assembly including a plurality of holding modules, each has a seat portion and can hold a cup by contacting the cup from a plurality of directions in a mounting space and a rotary plate which has an inner opening overlapping with the mounting space and includes at least one spiral rail coupled to each of the plurality of seat portions in a non-fixed manner, thereby providing a spiral guide path to each of the plurality of seat portions. Each of the plurality of seat portions moves along the spiral guide path according to the rotation of the rotary plate. The plurality of holding modules move in a direction toward or away from the mounting space or the center of the first inner opening according to the movements of the plurality of seat portions.